These are the remarks as prepared (and, more or less, as given). The sermon was given at North Shore Unitarian Church in West Vancouver, BC on May 18, 2008.

I'm putting my sermons up here, one every now and again. Just dug this one up from last summer. It's on how religion shapes our views of the future -- and how futuring is at heart a spiritual enterprise. Enjoy. -- SR
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I will not be offended if you look at me funny when I tell you what I do.

After all, my own mom still looks at me funny. "Tell me again....just what is it that futurists...do?" she asks me now and then, her voice a nuanced blend of confusion, incredulity, and a sincere desire not to hurt my feelings. At least she doesn't smirk or giggle out loud -- or glaze over and wander off, which is what typically happens at cocktail parties. And you know -- I wouldn't blame her if she did. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to get that bewildered look every time I introduce myself, probably for the rest of my days. It's an occupational burden I'm learning to bear.

Back in the "Does Your Church Have An Expiration Date?" thread, I mentioned that I'd given a sermon in January 2006 that really got our UU congregation's energy moving around the state of their physical space. Three people asked me to post it to a diary. So here it is. (And yes, it's LONG.)

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Seventeen months ago, I took on the job of Aesthetics Coordinator for this church.

I didn’t know much about the job, frankly. I knew that I was filling some huge shoes: I’d seen several months’ worth of Diane’s lovely displays by that point. And I’d heard some wild tales of the thrilling days of yesteryear, when Jill and Jascha were working hard to open new frontiers of aesthetic exuberance every single Sunday. Bicycles. Hay bales. Farm equipment. I felt like the rookie act that has to keep packing the theater the week after Cirque du Soleil has left town.

I gotta tell ya: it’s a little intimidating to try to live up to that kind of legacy -- especially when you weren’t even around to actually see the circus yourself.