10/16/16 "The Pealing of the Bells"

The Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd

​The great liberal preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick once recalled the legend of an ancient city, now hidden beneath the ocean, from which the sound of long-stilled bells still rang.  On a good day, Fosdick said, the liberal church can recall to us the sound of those long-stilled bells, remind us of the beauty we once knew, and impel us to create such beauty again.  What is the work of the liberal church today?  During this anniversary celebration, how can we lift up the heart of our history while pushing ourselves forward into our own courageous work?  On a good day, gathered in worship, might we still hear the pealing of the bells?