Dear Friends,

Enjoy the silence!

Last week, we learned from Pauline de Castelnau about the power of silence—why we often avoid it, and what can happen when we finally make room for it. The line from her message (click here to view the recording) that I am still sitting with is: “God is silence.” A number of you shared that the message really hit home. It did for me, too.

In the days since, I’ve made a small but meaningful change: during my workouts and walks, I’ve left the headphones behind. Just being present with silence has stirred some dormant creativity—and reminded me that stillness can be its own kind of revelation.

Will you give it a try this week?

This Sunday: The Ascension with Rev. Kevin Baxter

We welcome one of my dear friends and colleagues, Rev. Kevin Baxter, Senior Pastor of the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem. Kevin and I serve together on the leadership team of our Council of Ministers, and I have come to deeply admire his pastoral wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge of our tradition.

Malcolm may remember Kevin’s father, Rev. Dick Baxter, who once served our church—first as an organist, and later as pastor in the 1980s. In fact, Kevin recently stopped by our new space and posed with our Swedenborg bust, continuing a beautiful family legacy.

Kevin’s message this Sunday will explore: The Ascension—what the Lord’s ascension means for our lives today. It is the moment in scripture when the human and divine are unified in Jesus. And it invites us to reflect on our own journey of bringing the inner and outer self into harmony.

Looking Ahead: My Sermon Topic on June 8th

My next sermon was originally planned to conclude our three-part series on miracles. But as it falls on World Gay Pride, being held right here in Washington, DC, I’ll be shifting focus to reflect on that timely and meaningful theme. I will share more on June 8th, and hope you will join us for what promises to be a thoughtful and heartfelt conversation.

With gratitude,

Rev. Rich Tafel

Our Sunday Speaker | Rev. Kevin Baxter

Rev. Kevin Baxter is Senior Pastor of the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem, a historic Swedenborgian congregation where he has served since 2019. A lifelong Swedenborgian and the son of a Swedenborgian minister, Kevin brings deep roots in the tradition alongside a wide-ranging pastoral and academic background.

Born in Boston while his father attended the Swedenborg School of Religion, Kevin grew up in Minnesota and Maryland, where his family served churches across the denomination. He earned his undergraduate degree from Urbana University in Ohio and went on to receive a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. He also holds a certificate in Swedenborgian Studies from the Center for Swedenborgian Studies.

Ordained in 2004, Kevin has served in many roles across the Church of the New Jerusalem: as chaplain and instructor at Urbana University, pastor of Swedenborg Chapel in Cambridge, director of the Almont New Church Assembly’s Summer School, and chair of the Council of Ministers.

Outside of ministry, Kevin has also served as a first responder—working as an interior firefighter and emergency medical technician. He is a devoted father of three, and is often seen in his Beacon Hill neighborhood on long walks or impromptu adventures with one of his kids by his side.

Readings for the Coming Sunday

Luke 24:50–53 (NIV)

The Blessing at the Ascension

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:6–11 (NIV)

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?

This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Swedenborg Insight

True Christian Religion 766

The Lord’s ascension into heaven was not a departure, but a unification. By rising with the divine made fully one with the human, He opened the way for His presence with all people—inwardly, spiritually, and eternally. The ascension symbolizes the elevation of human understanding, when united with love, into heavenly light and purpose.

Join Us for a Special Event on June 9th:

Dinner & Dialogue with Venerable Pomnyun Sunim

We are honored to welcome back Korea’s leading Buddhist monk, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, for his third visit to Washington, DC. He will join me for a public conversation moderated by our Board Chair, Annabel Park.

Date: Monday, June 9th

Time: 5:30–6:30 PM (dinner) | 7:00 PM (dialogue start time)

Location: Swedenborg House, 2023 Q Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

We’ll be exploring how to live in peace in a stress-filled world and the path to global peacemaking.

If you plan to attend, please let Rev. Rich know in advance.

News and Notes from the Pastor’s Desk

Faith is shaped not only by what we believe, but by how we wrestle—with history, human nature, and the challenge of loving across difference. The reflections below offer insight into the tensions spiritual leaders and seekers are holding today, and how we might navigate them with honesty, humility, and hope.

In “Did Humans Evolve to Prefer Religion?” researchers explore why—even among many atheists—there remains an intuitive pull toward belief, ritual, and meaning. The piece invites us to consider faith not as a relic of the past, but as something deeply human—wired into our cognition, resilience, and longing for connection.

Read the article: https://theconversation.com/did-humans-evolve-to-prefer-religion-research-shows-many-atheists-intuitively-favour-faith-256391

In “Catholics See a Familiar Political Divide in Pope Leo XIV—and His Eldest Brother,” we’re reminded that even within families, institutions, and faith communities, sharp divides persist. The new pope’s leadership is unfolding in a world hungry for unity but polarized in practice. The piece offers a timely lens on how spiritual leaders hold tension—not to erase it, but to model a different way of relating through it.

Read the article: https://religionnews.com/2025/05/23/catholics-see-a-familiar-political-divide-in-pope-leo-xiv-and-his-eldest-brother

In “What If Their Side Is Actually Wrong?” the Better Conflict Bulletin tackles one of the hardest questions in divided times: how do we stay open when we feel certain the other side is mistaken—or even harmful? It challenges us to move beyond mere civility, and into the vulnerable work of discernment, humility, and deep listening.

Read the article: https://www.betterconflictbulletin.org/p/what-if-their-side-is-actually-wrong

Together, these reflections remind us: spiritual growth does not happen in the absence of complexity—it happens in the middle of it. And as leaders, seekers, and neighbors, our task is not to resolve all tensions, but to show up with wisdom, curiosity, and the willingness to be transformed.

Thought of the Week - Would You Agree?