There’s an old joke, “If you see a fork in the road, take it.” The fork represents the uncertainty of our lives; seldom entirely sure about the choices we face. What if a good rule of thumb is to make the choice that’s the least convenient rather than the one that appears easiest? In this sermon, I’ll make the case for doing just that.

Have your beliefs about religion or spirituality changed since you were a child? What are they now? Want to find out? Try taking the Belief-O-Matic Quiz. See the link below. It’s fun. But is it wrong? During the service, three people will discuss their religious journeys from then until now. Was your journey different? Let’s find out. Link to the Belief-O-Matic Quiz: https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/quizzes/beliefomatic.aspx

The Beholder's Share: Art and the Mind Art historians consider the beholder's share to be all the necessary sensing, thought, experience, and interpretation that a viewer brings to a work of art. It's an idea that's at least a century old. Viewers are not passive, but actively bring their experience to bear upon the art, and this is necessary in order for the art to have meaning. More recently, neuroscientists have used the term to describe how the brain works. The conscious being is not a passive receiver of input; rather, the subconscious brings its previous experience to bear upon all of the senses. This is called Predictive Processing, and it forms - one might say creates - all of conscious experience. In this sermon, Rebecca ponders The Beholder's Share in literature, art, emotion, and memory.

Our service on November 9th, 2025 will be in honor of Veterans Day. Rev. Terry Cummings will share a reflection on the importance of peace and forgiveness as we remember all of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

Best Hope for Global Crises - Professor William Greenway writes as a Christian, but argues that virtually all faith traditions, from Buddhism to Humanism to Wiccan, are rooted in agape—the reality of finding oneself seized by love for others. He claims this core reality, the reality of agape, offers our best chance as we face multiple global crises in the 21st century.

Come time travel with OHMF’s elders. This service bends time and space. Join us as our beloved elders share their thoughts, wisdom, and wishes with their own inner 8-year-old selves, who then share their own youthful musings with their elder selves.” Looking back over our lives, what could our elder selves share with our young selves? Thinking back, what could our younger selves share with our elder selves? Nuggets of wisdom will travel forwards and backwards in time.

Truth with a capital T used to be a topic for philosophers. But as fake news and alternative facts threaten our democracy, it’s become everyone’s concern. Veteran journalist Steve Brooks draws on psychology and neuroscience to illuminate how easily we deceive ourselves and suggests how each of us can put responsibility back into the free search for truth and meaning.

For those who hold liberal religious values, personal liberty is at the heart of religious freedom. Sometimes, however, personal freedom must give way to the interest of protecting and serving the common good. On Sunday, September 14, 2025, two dozen years after the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City, Rev. Terry Cummings will reflect on the balance between ensuring public safety and ensuring personal freedom. She will consider the question whether having military troops patrolling our streets too high a price to pay

Can Mindfulness Help You Know Yourself Better When Someone You Trust Says You Don’t Have the Mental State You Think You Have? On August 24, 2025 James Kraft, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Huston Tillotson University will help us explore the topic: "How we can know better through mindfulness our own mental states and those of others when disagreeing with them?” What a fascinating topic.