The Clergy Corner

On this week's episode, Pastor Arik examines the similarities between Lent and Ramadan, and how having these two seasons overlap this year is an opportunity for growth and understanding. Listen in!

On Ash Wednesday, we take time to repent not just our personal shortcomings, but we lift up the need for collective and systemic repentance as well. 

As Valentine's Day approaches this weekend, on this week's episode Pastor Arik examines the history of the holiday and how setting aside a space and a time to celebrate love can be an act of resistance

On this week's episode, Pastor Arik looks at what having faith looks like in times of uncertainty and chaos. Listen in!

In this week's episode, Pastor Arik examines a response he has heard to the shooting in Minneapolis this past weekend, and explores the difference between just and unjust laws, and how Jesus was the greatest law-breaker of us all.

This week Pastor Arik shares what he experienced on his whirlwind trip to Atlanta. Check out more information about The King Center and their incredible work by visiting thekingcenter.org

What a year it has been already. This week Pastor Arik reflects on the anger and rage he has been wrestling with after Renee Good's death, and how we can channel our anger in constructive, rather than destructive, ways. 

The new year is officially upon us, and we couldn't make it a week without some major world news that stirred up feelings of uneasiness and uncertainty. Join Pastor Arik as he looks at how our faith is able to hold on to both hope and anxiety as the new year begins.

Christmas eve brings with it a flurry of emotions. Join Pastor Arik as he looks at a progressive Christian approach to the evening and what it means for us in our own lives. Listen in! 

As the end of the year comes rushing toward us, this week Pastor Arik invites us to find God in the stillness around us. Instead of pushing ahead toward the end of the year, we are invited to find moments where we can slow down and breathe. Listen in!

This week Pastor Arik prepares for the Thanksgiving season by diving into the holiday. Join him as he explores what the holiday can be at its best, and acknowledges that it can be stressful for some people this time of year. Listen in!

This week join Pastor Arik as he examines how important the observance of All Saints Sunday is, and how it gives us a moment and time to acknowldge our grief and the love we have shared with those who have gone before us. 

This week Pastor Arik looks at how Halloween can be a transformative experience for people and how it can lend itself to a time of transformation and sacred play. Listen in, and join us for our Trunk or Treat on Sunday!

This week Pastor Arik looks at the way our intuition can be viewed as God speaking through us in the deepest parts of our hearts. Looking at scripture references to real world examples, join him as he examines how our intuition can be viewed as divine communication. 

On this week's episode Pastor Arik looks at the upcoming worship service where we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday and welcoming seven new members to our congregation. In a time where hope is in short supply, join Pastor Arik as he reflects on why communities like ours are so important in these uncertain times. 

As news of the impending rapture makes its way around social media, join  Pastor Arik as he examines how the idea of the rapture is a modern day invention and how Christianity should be promoting hope and love, rather than fear. 

This week Pastor Arik prepares to take some time off in the coming weekend to attend a renaissance festival. Join him as he explores how our these festivals and our faith have more in common than may first appear. Listen in! 

This week, as school starts back up and as the fall season approaches, Pastor Arik looks at how these times of change are sacred and opportunities for us to connect with the divine. If you find yourself in a time of change or transition, listen in!

This week Pastor Arik looks at the role that tables played in Jesus' life, and how we can use our tables to share our love and show our devotion to the divine. 

As summer begins to wind down, this week Pastor Arik looks at the importance of Sabbath and how it is a sign of faithfulness and prophetic resistance. If you need a reminder of the importance of rest, listen in!

After an incredible weekend at the Radical Love Festival and worshipping with Whatever Mike, Pastor Arik reflects on why he loves Whatever Mike and their music so much, and how they embody the teachings of Jesus in their message and music. Listen in!

In this week's episode, Pastor Arik looks at the decision by the IRS last week to allow churches to endorse political candidates from the pulpit, and why it is such a bad idea. Listen in!

In this week's episode, Pastor Arik looks at scripture to see how the progressive Christians of America are called to stand up against the growing Christian nationalism movement, and how the original Christian message was rooted in love and hope. Listen in!

As Pastor Arik prepares for the upcoming Pride celebrations this weekend, on this week's episode Pastor Arik looks at the importance of faith communities celebrating Pride month. Join him as he examines how the church can be a beacon of light in the midst of these dark times. 

This upcoming Sunday is Fathers Day, a day with many mixed emotions for many people in our country. Join Pastor Arik as he looks at the holiday and how we can celebrate the father-figures in our lives while making space for those who are wounded and grieving. Listen in!

This week we prepare for Pentecost this upcoming Sunday and explore how we are collectively in the midst of a Pentecost moment in our world. Listen in!

As the school year draws to a close and the summer break begins, this week Pastor Arik looks at the summer season and how it can be an opportunity for us to slow down and grow closer to God. 

After some technical difficulties last weekend, this week Pastor Arik looks at the importance of going with the flow, even when the unexpected occurs. Listen in!

In response to the passing of Pope Francis, this week Pastor Arik takes a look at his life and the legacy he leaves behind on the world and the institutional church

This week Pastor Arik takes a personal moment to reflect upon the parallels of our Holy Week story and what is going on in the world around us. If any of his musings resonates with you, feel free to share with others. Take care of yourselves, everyone. 

After a memorable moment with his son, Leo, earlier this week, Pastor Arik reflects upon the importance of finding moments of light and love in the midst of the darkness. 

After a shopping excursion earlier this week, on this episode Pastor Arik reflects upon the impact that a pair of pink cowboy boots had on his life, and the way they encourage us to live our lives fully and authentically. Listen in!  

On this week's episode, Pastor Arik looks at how the coming spring season can instill within us signs of hope. Even in the midst of these turbulent and chaotic times, hope is stirring beneath the surface. Join him as he explores the importance of hope in the midst of dark times. 

As we begin our Lenten journey today, this week Pastor Arik looks at the significance of the Ash Wednesday service and how it prepares us for the Lenten season. Listen in!

This past weekend Pastor Arik and the confirmation class visited a Sikh Gurdwara to worship alongside them. Join him as he explores the basic beliefs of the Sikh religion and the beauty that comes from their belief of the oneness of all humanity. 

On this week's episode, Pastor Arik examines how finding moments of joy is an act of resistance. In a world that seeks to overwhelm us with bad news of troubling times, finding moments of joy is a profound way of fighting back. 

What a year it has been, already! This week Pastor Arik gives thanks for the distraction of the NFL playoffs and how faith and sports can learn lessons from one another. 

Happy New Year, everyone! Join Pastor Arik this week as he explores the beauty found in our mundane routines and how it opens us up to the possibility of experiencing the divine. Join him as he shifts his thinking from "routine" to one of "ritual," as we enter into this new year. 

What a wonderful day! Somehow the release of episode 300 perfectly aligns with Christmas day, so join us as Pastor Arik celebrates the season with a poem from one of his favorite poets, Sh'maya. Merry Christmas, everyone!

After a major loss in the congregation this week, on this week's episode Pastor Arik looks at the importance of naming our grief in the midst of the holiday season. Join him as he explores what grief looks like and why it is important to allow ourselves to grieve at Christmas. 

This week, as Pastor Arik prepares for the youth Christmas pageant on Sunday, he reflects upon how children experience this season in its pure and unfiltered form. Join him as he explores how we can reconnect with the child within us and approach this season with awe. 

As we enter into the month of December, and as the snow begins to fall in earnest, this week Pastor Arik looks at how we can take lessons from the season and apply it to our own lives. Join him as he explores the wisdom found within the winter season. 

This week Pastor Arik looks at how the season of fall can reflect the changes in our own lives, and how sometimes we need to shed the leaves that are holding us back in order to prepare for the coming winter. 

After a rough couple of weeks, on this episode Pastor Arik looks at the importance of gratitude, especially during difficult times. Join him as he invites us to ground ourselves in a spirit of gratitude, as we prepare ourselves for the work ahead.

In the aftermath of a very busy week, on this week's episode Pastor Arik looks at the importance of the "village" and how it is still alive and well in our community, today. Listen in! 

After a chance encounter with AI this past week that left him stunned, in this episode Pastor Arik looks at the advancement of artificial intelligence technology and the good (and bad) that might come from it. 

This week, in a continuation of our mini-series examining problematic texts of the Bible, we look closer at Psalm 88 - the only psalm where the psalmist does not make a turn from sorrow to praise. Join Pastor Arik as he looks at the silence of God as an example of sacred care, and how sometimes the best way to support another in their grief is to be a listening ear. 

This week Pastor Arik takes a closer look at the problematic story of Genesis 22 and the story of Abraham and Isaac. Join him as he explores Abraham's faithfulness/faithlessness and how the story might resonate with us today.

Join Pastor Arik this week has he lifts up the stories of some of the first responders on September 11, 2001. As we look back on that fateful day, 23 years ago, let us lift up those first responders who gave so much to help those in danger. 

As the school year kicks off, this week Pastor Arik takes a look at the importance of Christian Education and having a place where our kids feel loved and supported, no matter what comes their way. 

As Pastor Arik recovers from a nasty virus, this week he re-releases an episode from back in the day when his family was fighting off a bug, right before Sage's baptism. Listen in and stay healthy, friends!