These are suggested special events for Sunday worship, highlighting themes that are significant for theologically and socially progressive Christians:
Evolution Sunday: Sunday, Feb 13, 2011 - an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection in worship on the compatibilty of religion and science.
Blessing of the Taxes: Sunday, April 10, 2011 - a time in worship to consecrate our tax payments for the work of the common good, and to pray for wisdom and action as citizens to make sure our taxes are spent in the interests of compassion, justice, and peace.
Pluralism Sunday: Sunday, May 1, 2011 - a time to celebrate religious pluralism in churches around the world by including speakers and elements from other religions in worship, to manifest Christianity without claiming that our religion is superior to others.
St Buddha's Day: Fri, Aug 26, 2011 - celebrate on Sun, Aug 28 - Long ago, Christianity accidentally made Buddha into one of its saints. For a while in the Middle Ages, an apocryphal story about Ioasaph, a philosophically-minded Indian prince who converted to Christianity, circulated widely in Europe. The Eastern Orthodox Church gave him a "saint's day" on its calendar. Historians believe that Ioasaph was Bodhisattva, the Buddha. St. Buddha's Day is an opportunity for churches to honor the contributions of Buddhism to global spirituality.
(I will be preaching this Sun, 1/9, 10:30 am at Mt Hollywood Congregational Church in Los Angeles - and on Sun, 1/30 at 10 am at Manhattan Beach Community Church.)