Blessed are the Mediators: Interview Sermon with Ryan Nakade
Blessed are the Mediators
Interview Sermon with
Ryan Nakade
‌

Dear Friends,

Last Week
I appreciated all who joined our service last week on strategies to overcome times of spiritual trials.

It was particularly interesting for me to hear members of the congregation share their own strategies for working through tough times. Beth's suggestion of writing down the challenge and burning the paper sounded like something I'll try. Thanks to all who shared their strategies.

You can hear the sermon here.


Blessed are the Mediators

This Week
This Sunday I'll be doing my next spiritual entrepreneur interview with Ryan Nakade

Ryan Nakade works as a mediator and facilitator and also teaches public workshops specializing in depolarization and dialogue across differences. He is passionate about applying conflict resolution practices to the political realm. He lives in Gresham, OR with his wife and 8 goats.

I first heard Ryan demonstrating his mediation skills on the social media site "Club House." There he shared how he would defuse the debate around vaccines. I was immediately impressed with his ability to really see those with whom he disagrees.

I'll be seeking his insights as a professional mediator for ways we can better handle conflict in our own lives and in our politics.

He's a perfect guest interview for our spiritual entrepreneur series as we seek to make our church more useful as a place to combat polarization. Ryan is visiting the DC area and agreed to be our next guest sermon interview.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday at 5 pm EST. It is always good to see you.

We will be meeting online only this week.

Online Worship this Sunday

See you soon on zoom,

Rev. Rich Tafel



SUNDAY SERVICES
November 18th at 5 pm EST

Sunday Services begin again on September 12th at 5 PM EST. Please mark your calendars. Here's the Zoom sign-on to be used every week.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87156235899?pwd=d3ZCNnk5aEFUcFR4RmYyb3k0a0UwQT09

Meeting ID: 871 5623 5899
Passcode: 301750
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,87156235899# US (Washington DC)



PAST SERMONS


You can watch past sermons HERE.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0eIuRvg7zOeXcXwsMct29w

Ryan Nakade and Nate Coffman co-host the Meta Ideological Podcast. You can hear their 90-minute interview HERE.
to join this event on December 2nd.
featuring Rev. Tafel and his essay
in the book "How to Heal Our Divides."
The event is hosted by the Rumi Society.



Rumi Forum launches 3R Series: Restoration, Reconciliation, Resiliency
COVID came along and dominated our lives almost two years ago at a time when we were already battered by interracial tensions and divisive political rhetoric. The isolation that the pandemic forced us into has affected the psyche of all, and COVID-related economic difficulties made the lives of many rather difficult. In the middle of these historic moments, we had a contentious election that peaked with an attack on the Congress, the symbol of our nation. 

It appears that we are in dire need of restoring our trust in our political system, in our government and agencies, in our civil society, and more importantly in each other. Our goal with the 3R Series is to inspire a vision of Restoration through Reconciliation and to remind ourselves of the Resiliency Americans have demonstrated again and again in difficult times throughout our history. We hope this effort will inspire hope, instill an urgency, and drive people to act to bridge the divides in our society so that we can heal and be whole once again.

About the book, “How to Heal our Divides"
If we didn’t recognize them already, 2020 put a spotlight on several serious, deep divides that have had strong negative impacts on our society – racial, political, religious, and other divides. Much has been written describing these divides and how they came about or encouraging us to look deeply inside ourselves to discover our own flaws. All good things! But there has been a lack of attention regarding what to do about it. “How to Heal Our Divides” is a project aimed at building awareness of organizations that are taking real action to address these issues. The project is not an attempt to gloss over serious problems or “make happy” but instead to highlight tangible efforts that are solving problems – actually healing divides in effective and practical ways.  

Perhaps you are tempted to just write off “the other side” and lambast them for all the terrible things they’ve done. But is that really in the best interest of our country and our culture? Shouldn’t we instead try to listen and learn and actually talk to each other? Are there at least some things we can work on together, even if we don’t agree on everything? (How many people have you met with whom you agree on absolutely everything?) Granted, some will never listen. But some will. We owe it to our children to try to make things better.

Moderator
Allison K. Ralph, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of the Inclusive America Project at the Aspen Institute. 

Panelists
Martin Brooks is the President of Peace Catalyst International.
Jeff Burns is the Founder of Pathways to Peace.
Rev. Richard L. Tafel serves as the minister at the Church of the Holy City.

Sunday Service Order

Light a Candle
Open the Word
Greetings and Check-In
Take a Deep Breath


Invocation
A Prayer for Faith in Trying Times
Lord Jesus, these are the times that test the faith of Your people. Like You teach in Your parable, so will grow in good soil, while others will be choked out. I ask that You continue to grant me the good soil of faith. Help me to continue to rely on You for all things. Let me always be quick to pray and ask for help, for You love to provide for us. Amen.
Amen.

Confession
O Holy One, we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. Holy One, have mercy upon us and forgive our sins. Amen

Scripture Readings

Paying Taxes to Caesar
13Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words. 14“Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”
15But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.” 16So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they answered.
17Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”




Swedenborg Insights:

What we love constitutes life itself to us: what our love is like determines what our life is like and therefore what we are like as human beings. In particular, it is the love that is dominant or supreme in us that makes us who we are.

That love has many loves that are subordinate to it, loves that derive from it. They take on various guises, but they are all nevertheless present within the dominant love, and together with it make one kingdom. The dominant love acts as the monarch or head of the rest; it governs them and works through them as intermediate goals, in order to focus on and strive for its primary and ultimate goal of all, doing this both directly and indirectly.

The object of our dominant love is what we love more than anything else. (New Jerusalem §54)


SERMON

Offering
Please give generously to our ministry HERE

Community Prayer with Lord's Prayer
(congregation responds, "Lord hear our prayer.")

Benediction
Now may the peace that passes all understanding be with you all this day and forevermore.
AMEN

Discussion with Q&A
READING GROUP

The Reading Group is currently discussing The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom.
Malcolm is doing a great job leading us.

Monday's a 7 PM.

A new link has been established for the November Mtgs

"How to
Heal Our Divides"
The book "How to Heal Our Divides: A Practical Guide" has been published with a short chapter by Rev. Tafel offering a strategy for the future of the church. This chapter focuses on our church's effort to teach spiritual entrepreneurship.


https://www.amazon.com/How-Heal-Our-Divides-Practical/dp/B0948LPPFS
SERMONS

You can see past sermons here:
https://holycitydc.org/category/sermon/

You can now watch past sermons here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0eIuRvg7zOeXcXwsMct29w
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