Resting in the Tree of Life – (A Look at Our Own Church)

A deep dive into “Spiritual but not Religious.”

If you’re looking for a new church home, this sermon gives an excellent summary of what makes our church unique.

Starting from the metaphor of the vine and the branches (John 15:1-8) Our Interim Pastor, Rev. Sally Train led us on a tour of the evolution of Christianity in the early years of our country. This was based largely on the book Christianity After Religion, by Diana Butler Bass, which attempts to unearth why so many Americans — perhaps a majority — describe themselves today as “spiritual but not religious.” This led to a participatory exercise in which the congregation listed their associations with the words “spiritual” and “religious.” Finally, Sally asked them to list what they believe are the reasons members have been so loyal to our little church over the years. Pictured below is the list we created.

The attributes our members believe are the reasons for our long-term success as a “small” church. ( The similarities to the church of pioneer days may not be accidental.)