Dear Friends,


Thanks to all who participated in our wonderful service last week. Rev. Phipps gave a Walt Whitmanesque sermon reminding us that time is a human construct and that we would be wise to align ourselves with divine time. When we get clear that we are working with God’s plan in our lives, the desire to compete or compare with others falls away. We are each a unique creation of the Lord, and we will find our way—in God’s time.


Thanks also to those who shared thoughtful comments and questions during and after the service. A group of us continued the conversation over tacos following worship!


This Sunday | Part 2: “Epiphanies"

This Sunday, I’ll be continuing our sermon series on how God speaks to us. Last time, I spoke on the power of prayer. This week, we’ll explore the role of epiphanies in our lives.


An epiphany is a sudden, often unexpected moment of deep insight, clarity, or revelation—a moment when something previously unclear becomes vividly understood. Spiritual epiphanies are experiences in which divine truth breaks through into human awareness, often accompanied by a sense of sacredness, guidance, or personal transformation.


I’ll be sharing a few examples from my own journey, and I hope you’ll be there to share your own as well. I’ll be in the chapel space for all who can attend.


Photos with Swedenborg

It was a joy to host several visitors during last week’s service, including Sheri Smith, who joined us while in town. We’re always grateful when friends—old and new—make time to be with us in person.


After the service, Christian, Gleb, Jason, and Rev. Phipps gathered for a quick photo with Swedenborg—check out the photo collage below.


Looking Ahead

Part 3 of our sermon series will focus on miracles — not just external wonders, but the inner transformations that reveal God’s ongoing presence in our lives. More to come soon!


I hope to see you this Sunday, whether in person or online. Let’s keep exploring the ways God speaks — and walks — with us.


With gratitude,


Rev. Rich Tafel

Readings for the Coming Sunday

Exodus 3:2–4 (NIV)

Moses and the Burning Bush

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”


Acts 9:3–5 (NIV)

Saul on the Damascus Road

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.


Luke 24:31 (NIV)

The Road to Emmaus

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.


Swedenborg Insights

Heaven and Hell 271

Genuine truth, which is from the Divine, cannot be received unless the person is in the good of love, for the light of heaven flows into that good and gives enlightenment.

2025 Swedenborgian Church Convention:

June 27–July 1 in Portland, Oregon

Join us from June 27–July 1 in Portland, Oregon for the 2025 Swedenborgian Church Convention. This year’s theme, Spiritual Innovation for a Changing World, invites us to explore how spiritual communities can adapt, grow, and lead during times of transformation.


Rev. Rich Tafel will be delivering the keynote address, and your presence and support would mean a great deal.


If cost is a concern, the church can help offset travel expenses. Please contact Rev. Tafel for details.


Details and registration: swedenborg.org/events-activities/annual-convention

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: Sunday, 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

Spiritual life is not static—it unfolds through disruption, transition, and surprise. It asks us to pay attention, stay open, and respond with humility. The stories below reflect that movement—across institutions, cultures, and personal journeys.


A powerful new chapter in church history is unfolding with the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pope of both American and Peruvian descent. As reported by Religion News Service, Leo XIV brings linguistic fluency, cultural depth, and a clear commitment to inclusion and justice. His election marks more than a demographic shift—it reflects a church reckoning with its global identity and renewed spiritual responsibility.


Read the article: https://religionnews.com/2025/05/09/leo-xiv-an-american-and-peruvian-pope/


In a recent interview with The Daily Show, comedian Hasan Minhaj reflects on his evolving relationship with faith, tradition, and belonging. His honesty offers something many quietly wrestle with: how to stay in relationship with one’s spiritual roots while questioning the structures that shaped them—finding one’s way back on new terms.


Watch the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9zsiAhxgdo


These moments—public and personal—remind us that spiritual renewal often begins not with certainty, but with the courage to reexamine what we've inherited and imagine what comes next.

Thought of the Week - Would You Agree?