News & Announcements
A Message from the President Still basking from our annual denominational convention at Bridgewater State University, I’m in a reflective mood about our tradition of our large denominational gathering every summer. Especially I’ve been musing about how we gather. Save for 1984 when we met at a large church camp owned by the National Council […]
How We Gather in the Summer: Past, Present, and Future Read More »
By Andrew Dodd Last October (2022) was the 500th anniversary of Columbus setting foot on land that, to most Europeans, was a “new world,” but in reality, it had been already been inhabited for many millennia by diverse people and civilizations, with languages and cultural practices that deeply connected all life rooted in their home on
Acknowledging Indigenous People: Our Journey Read More »
Message from the Ordination Speaker By Rev. Jane Siebert Introduction to the reading from Ezekiel 47:1–12. The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel had several visions while in captivity in Babylon. He foresaw the destruction of Solomon’s temple, and the reading tonight is taken from his last vision during the twenty-fifth year of his exile. An angel took
The Cloud of Witnesses Read More »
Convention Preacher Sermon By Rev. Rich Tafel In all my years of preaching, there’s one thing I have said that really gets push back. It’s not the topic I expected. Mind you I’ve preached on the most controversial topics you can imagine. In fact, I preached a whole sermon series called “Sermons Ministers Won’t Preach
What in the World Comes Next: Why I Remain Optimistic Read More »
Opening of Convention By Rev. Dr. Jim Lawrence Welcome to the 199th Convention of the Swedenborgian Church of North America. Of course, our legal name and the one which we commonly used until about twenty years ago is the General Convention of the New Jerusalem, and that legal incorporated name came the first words of
Practicing Optimism Toward Our Future Read More »
A Message from the Ordinand By Rev. Dr. Devin Zuber The text for my sermon today comes from the gospel of Mark 4: 26–32: He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts
Planting for the Future Read More »
By Rev. Dr. Jim Lawrence For the fourth time since 2008, we convened our annual convention south of Boston at lovely Bridgewater State University, easily accessible by car and train and only a short drive from both our Bridgewater and Elmwood churches. Overall, our hybrid attendance saw numbers approaching our older times when we always
We Gathered Together Read More »
By Tom Neuenfeldt The Board of Trustees for the Center for Swedenborgian Studies (CSS) met on May 5 and 6, 2023. In person attendees met at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. Those attending virtually via Zoom were connected to those meeting in person via Owl Labs technology. Dean, Dr. Rebecca Esterson, reported on a
Center for Swedenborgian Studies (CSS) Board of Trustees Meeting Report Read More »
Social Justice Committee By Dru Johnson “They who do not explore the evils of their thought and will, cannot do the work of repentance” (Emanuel Swedenborg, The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine §12). “The record is there for all to read. It resounds all over the world. It might as well be written in
Engaged Swedenborgianism and Healing from Societal Racism Read More »
