Dear Friends,

Thanks to all who attended Sunday services last week. In my sermon on prayer, I made the case that prayer is not about getting God’s attention but about aligning ourselves with God’s best plan for our lives. The discussion that followed was one of the most meaningful we’ve had in a long time. We explored how to talk about the power of prayer with friends who don’t believe, the physical experience of prayer, and the mystery of praying for someone who has left this world. Each comment built beautifully on the last, and I left reminded that prayer gives us hope—especially in the spaces beyond our control.

One special highlight was seeing Jimmy do the reading—a first in his over 30 years of service to this community. It was a sacred and joyful moment for us all.

This Sunday’s Gathering

This week, we’re honored to welcome Ryan Phipps as our guest preacher. Ryan is the Lead Pastor at Church In Bethesda and a thoughtful, grounded voice in the broader spiritual landscape. Raised in the church, becoming a pastor was once the last thing Ryan thought he’d do. But after time away from faith, he came to believe that the church, when guided by reason and empathy, can still be a transformative force for good.

Ryan will be offering a message titled “You Are Enough.” We’re excited for the wisdom and presence he’ll bring to our gathering.

I’ll Be in the Space on Sunday, May 11th

I’ll be present in person this Sunday. If you'd like to join me, please let me know! We'd love to see you.

A Note of Gratitude

Our new space is coming together slowly but surely. By the fall, we hope to be fully ready to serve the broader community. Thank you to all of you for helping to push back against the epidemic of loneliness by continuing to show up and create a community of care.

A special thank you to Jimmy for the beautiful Easter lilies, and to Church of the Holy City Wilmington for sending flowers for our opening worship. If you’d like to sponsor flowers in honor of someone, just reach out and let me know.

Celebrating Jason Bellini

Please join me in congratulating Jason Bellini, whose work has been nominated for two Emmy Awards!

• “Darwin’s War” was nominated for Outstanding Science and Technology Coverage. Jason embedded with a Ukrainian drone pilot on the front lines of the war.

• “The Moses Videos: In the Shadows with Jason Bellini” was nominated for Outstanding Light Feature – Long Form, capturing the lived experiences of a generation defending their homeland.

Read more: Scripps News Announcement

Rev. Tafel in the News

Harvard Divinity School recently featured my work in their alumni career spotlight. The story highlights my work at the intersection of compassion, dialogue, and community building—values we live out together every week.

You can read the piece here: HDS Career Snapshot

With blessings and gratitude,

Rev. Rich Tafel

Our Sunday Speaker | Rev. Ryan Phipps

Rev. Ryan Phipps is the Lead Pastor at Church In Bethesda. After spending years away from faith, he returned with a deep belief that the church can still be a force for good—if it evolves with reason, empathy, and honesty.

Rev. Phipps has pastored congregations in Pittsburgh and Manhattan, and has a heart for those who have been disillusioned or harmed by religion.

He is also the host of Meditations for the Metro, a podcast of daily devotions for busy lives, writes music under the name “Saturne,” and is a former contributor to The Huffington Post.

Readings for the Coming Sunday

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

He Has Made Everything Beautiful in Its Time

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Luke 12:6–7 (NIV)

You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Psalm 139:13–14 (NIV)

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Swedenborg Insight

Heaven and Hell §45

Everyone is born for heaven; people are born human so they can be led by the Lord and prepared for eternal life. Each individual has a unique place in the divine design, a use only they can fulfill, which is why every person is inherently valuable and loved.

News and Notes from the Pastor's Desk

Spiritual transformation isn’t always loud or visible. Sometimes it surfaces in the quiet undoing of old frameworks—in generational shifts, emotional honesty, and the courage to ask what still matters. The two stories below offer a snapshot of that unfolding: one through the lens of young evangelicals, the other through the political unraveling of the Christian right.

A recent analysis by political scientist Ryan Burge explores how young evangelicals are doing—and feeling—in 2024. While they may still identify with the faith of their upbringing, many are struggling in deeper ways. The data shows they are less politically conservative than older generations, but also more socially isolated, less resilient, and reporting lower levels of mental and emotional well-being than their secular peers.

Read the article: Flourishing or Floundering?

In The New York Times, David French offers a pointed reflection on the collapse of the Christian right—not due to secular forces, but by its own political entanglements. Once shaped by a shared moral vision, the movement has become, in French’s words, a tribal force aligned more with power than principle. The result? A loss of moral authority, particularly among younger generations who no longer see their faith reflected in public witness.

Read the article: The Christian Right Is Dead

Together, these stories reveal that spiritual transformation often begins in the quiet undoing—not in certainty, but in the honest questions. As old frameworks fall away, perhaps what remains is the chance to build something more authentic and more compassionate.

Thought of the Week - Would You Agree?