The passages in Genesis describing  Lot, his daughters, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are among the most troubling in the Bible. They seem to condone attitudes about sex and the treatment of women that we find abhorrent. Pastor Tracy draws on the original Hebrew to arrive at a very different interpretation.

Starting from the Parable of the Sower, Pastor Tracy explores the weaknesses a simplistic faith built on a single dimension  (e.g. that religion is all about sin and salvation or that all answers can be found in a literal interpretation of the Bible.) She contrasts that with a mature faith rooted in multiple elements of belief and practice.…

Did you know that there are two versions of the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible, one for the poor and one for the rich?  And, did you know that neither says “Forgive us our trespasses”?  Pastor tracy explores these and other curiosities about the prayer we all think we know, and challenges us to take…

Pastor Tracy looks at the story of the death of John the Baptist and finds a parallel with the recent violence against black churches in the south:  In both cases, the established power structure lashed out against a prophetic voice speaking truth. And, in both cases it was a sign that the powerful felt their grip on power…

For our special Pride Day Celebration, Pastor Tracy explored two passages from the Gospels in which  — if you understand the idioms of the era — Jesus explicitly indicates His acceptance of all sexual orientations. (Scripture: Acts 8:26-40 and Matthew 19:1-12) We opened the service with a special litany for Pride Day written by member Michael Meehan and…

Pastor Tracy examines two seemingly unrelated issues: Jesus learning to trust his ability to work miracles (as recounted in Mark 5:21-42) and the possible roots of institutional racism in the conflicts roughly 50 years earlier between Caesar Augustus in Rome and Marc Antony in Egypt. The common thread is the way our actions can ripple through time far beyond…

Pastor Tracy takes on one of the most challenging stories from the gospels, Jesus casting out demons. She finds that, like the book of Revelation, much of it is an encoded, metaphorical commentary on the evils of Roman occupation.  She also reports on her experiences with fear of demons today, and its connections to abuse.

Pastor Tracy discusses Pentecost as the moment the Apostles first reached out to the world around them and expressed their authenticity. She finds a parallel today in every healthy church, and even among pre-school kids on a playground. (Scripture: Acts 2: 1-13)

Pastor Tracy looks at the familiar story of Adam and Eve and the serpent, and finds something different from “original sin” and divine condemnation. She finds the universal patterns of parents struggling to protect their kids from danger while preparing them to leave the nest.

Wanting to wait until “the time is right” is a universal human feeling, but real life seldom works that way. Pastor Tracy explores the story of the Wedding at Cana, which was the first of many times Jesus expressed this thought. She matches this with the true story of a ballroom dancing club in college. In both cases,…