Participating in rituals–religious and other rituals–seems to be a deep and meaningful part of being human. Humans of every era and geographical location have developed rituals, which serve any number of purposes. This service will explore why rituals are so important and what they mean to us in our current era.

Over the past 50 years, Americans’ trust in institutions like the government and the church has steadily declined. At the same time, individuals’ trust in each other seems to have eroded as well. Why have we moved from trust to distrust, and what, if anything, can be done about it?

One of the ways of conceptualizing covenant is as a container for change–a kind of life laboratory that provides space for trying new ways of taking action in community while maintaining and strengthening relationships. How might our congregation be a container for change?