Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life

https://outsfl.com/your-choice-awards/the-best-spiritual-center-is

The Best Spiritual Center Goes to... "We are a different kind of church where the past is the past and the future has infinite possibilities,” the website reads. “We affirm that all people have sacred value and are made in the divine image.”Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins, the senior minister, added.“Sunshine Cathedral is thrilled to ...

Is Christmas about CHRIST? Radicals say America is "trying to remove Christ from Christmas". Is this true?
This is perhaps the most impactful conversation about "The Christmas Story" and how LGBTQ+ is so much a part of it.
The "joy" of your holiday may start with this conversation from LGBTQ+ religious faith leaders from
Q***r God Squad and Sunshine Cathedral. It's amazing. Do yourself a favor and watch.

And then do what Christmas really means... SHARE.
https://youtu.be/RHxAgJh5rxM?si=OoUopXMyNwBtbQgk

FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK
Waiting on Jesus
by Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Advent begins Dec. 3, 2023

Advent suggests something is coming, and until it arrives, we wait. I believe, however, that waiting need not be as passive as we tend to make it.
For what, exactly, are we waiting? Are we waiting for Christmas, a time to recall the birth of Jesus? Well, that’s happened, and we make a much bigger deal of it than Jesus ever did. Jesus’ birth is only mentioned twice in the bible and Jesus never mentions it as a big deal. The only thing St. Paul ever said about Jesus’ birth is that he was “born of a woman.” We might have figured that out!
So, if we are just waiting for the party to celebrate a birth that happened in Palestine some 2,027 years ago, then we are waiting for the past. There’s never much power in worshiping the past or longing for its return.
Some will say that the wait isn’t for Jesus’ birth (or the commemoration of his birth), but for his return. Well, that wait is already a couple of millennia in process. Maybe that just isn’t going to happen the way our ancestors imagined. The writer of Mark’s gospel thought it would happen in his lifetime, and so did St. Paul. They, apparently, were mistaken.
Waiting for some future event to make everything alright mostly keeps us from doing what we can now to make things better. While we are waiting for a superhero to appear in the skies to save the day, we ought to be addressing climate change, poverty, racism, homophobia and transphobia, war, and women’s right to bodily autonomy right here and right now. The mythic return hasn’t happened and may not, so we better get to work,
But wait! (I couldn’t help myself). The past and the future won’t fix our messes, but we can make things better in the present, in the now. And maybe that’s what we are waiting for…the realization that we have the power to make a difference, today.
Some believe (I am among them) that the Pentecost narrative in Acts 2 is a story about Christ’s return. Jesus ascends into the unknown and the spirit that motivated his work descends upon the church days later, raising them up to be the body of Christ on earth, the Christ presence meant to continue doing what Jesus did: heal, empower, encourage, bring together, and cast a vision of what is possible for people who live in the in the power of love.
We are the return of Christ! We don’t need to wait for the return, we need to wake up to the fact that we are it, and then get to work being Christ in the world.
And that brings me back to the word “wait.” Waiting doesn’t just mean sitting around until something turns up. When we wait “on” someone, we are serving them. A waiter brings coffee or food or drinks, someone “waiting hand and foot” on a sick loved one is actively caring for them. To wait on Jesus could mean to serve Jesus’ mission and we do that with our worship and also with our acts of kindness, generosity, compassion, and justice.
Something is coming and we are waiting for it. Maybe what is coming is a better world, and it will happen as we get busy waiting on the wounded, disenfranchised, lonely, degraded, forgotten, and oppressed of the world. Rather than waiting FOR Jesus, let’s try to be like Jesus and wait ON those who are hurting, and that is what can transform the world. And for that, we are all still waiting.

World AIDS Day Prayer
by Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Life, Meaning, Hope, Connection, Love:
The poetry of religion names you "God." Our hearts are so bound to you that names are not needed. We are part of you. We are your home. You are ours.
Today, we remember losses to AIDS.
We remember the terror of not knowing where it came from or who it might strike next.
We remember the silent but deafening question: will I be next?
We remember the desperate and often ineffective prayer: please, save this one.
We remember the churches' silence, or worse, their cruel condemnation.
We remember the courage and kindness, the fierceness and fabulousness that our community demonstrated day after day.
We remember funerals, families that cared and those that didn't, people who died in a loving embrace and those who died alone.
We remember.
We remember new meds.
We remember people learning they could live.
We remember the dawn of medical miracles.
Today, we remember. We bless and are blessed by our memories.
And our memories give us hope. We're here! Can you imagine? We're here. The fallen live in us. Others will have safe, long lives because of us. By chance and grace and fairy dust: we're here.
And so Life, Hope, Love, Goddess, God: we'll keep living, and loving, and hoping, and remembering. May we do so until the cure is found, and long after. Amen.

16 years ago today I was installed as the senior minister of Sunshine Cathedral. The 14 months prior to that I had been the Canon Precentor (liturgist/worship coordinator). 17 years in South Florida, all of them at Sunshine Cathedral. What a joy and a privilege it's been (& is).

Myth, Truth, the Flash, & Me
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Life's deepest truths are communicated through myths (Adam & Eve, Jonah in a fish, Peter taking steps on water, Elijah carried away in a whirlwind, Dionysus being born from Zeus' thigh, Mary's Assumption into heaven, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Odin the sacrificing warrior...).

In our time, Star Trek, Harry Potter, vampiric tales, Marvel and DC comics have risen to the level of mythological greatness.

Tonight I watched The Flash (movie, 2023). It was good and featured the super sexy Ezra Miller, but what I liked most was the way Barry (Ezra's character, the flash) spoke to his younger self. Time travel/alternative realities blah blah blah - Barry goes back in time and meets the younger version of himself. Throughout, present Barry speaks to previous Barry with love, kindness, care, and a clear desire to protect and nurture him.

It occurred to me that we should do exactly that. We can nurture and love and look after previous versions of ourselves. We can love a broken past self into wholeness. We can be the guardian angel we needed and deserved...it's not too late. And blessing past us is bound to benefit now us.

Once again, the fiction of myth brings home a powerful truth...Love heals. Even self love. Even retroactive love. It remains true: "Love wins."

(dw)

Easter II at Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life following the teachings of Jesus.

"Sent by Jesus, Empowered by Spirit" Sunday, April 24, 2022, Easter II, Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life I admit that Easter fills me with hope for the future. Every year it’s the same. Maybe because in the Northern Hemisphere Easter coincides with the arrival of Spring. The beauty of the budding and blooming trees and flowers sweeps away the depression and dread of winter. Even these past three spri...

Easter service at Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life

"Resurrection Day" Sunday, April 17, 2022, Easter Sunday, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Jesus does not bid us carry the cross up the hill to Golgotha, rather Jesus bids us follow his example in this moment. Rabbi Shapiro says, “Where you have taken refuge in despair, you need to hear Jesus call your name. Where your eyes are focused on the tomb, you need to hear Jesus call your name....

A little late Palm Sunday service from Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life.

"From C**t to Cross" Sunday, April 10, 2022, Palm Sunday, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Let us use the stories of our own tradition to avoid making the same mistakes those who laid Palm fronds and garments on the dusty road in front of the c**t that Jesus rode into Jerusalem upon. Let us remember these stories and look for disinformation and propaganda in our own time. Remember, you wi...

The choice is ours. Will we follow the crowd and take the bait put out by propaganda and disinformation campaigns? Will we grow weary of war and turn away? Will we tell ourselves that taking in and taking care of refugees is not our job? Will we hoard our privilege and refuse to share our good fortune? Or… will we choose life, understanding that whatever we do for the least of our brothers we do for the sake of the Christ!

"Pro-Caesar is Anti-Christ" Sunday, April 3, 2022 Lent V, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life The choice is ours. Will we follow the crowd and take the bait put out by propaganda and disinformation campaigns? Will we grow weary of war and turn away? Will we tell ourselves that taking in and taking care of refugees is not our job? Will we hoard our privilege and refuse to share our good fortu...

Service from Sunshine Cathedral in Second life on March 27, 2022. We observed Transgender Day of Visiblity with a wonderful reading from Rev Aaron Miller. Love this guy.

"What Is Truth?" Sunday, March 27, 2022 Lent IV, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Please join us in the virtual world of Second Life each Sunday at 2pm Pacific/ 5pm Eastern time. Download the interface at Secondlife.com, create your avatar, and join us at Sunshine Cathedral. Observing Transgender Day of Visibility Call to Worship...

Just realized that we had not posted our service from Lent I so here it is two weeks late.

"To Save the Whole World" Sunday, March 6, 2022 Lent I, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Some people may still have the view that Lent is for giving up something. And mostly I think that’s not a helpful way to view Lent. But this year let’s give up guilt. Let’s give up self-doubt. Let’s give up despair. Let’s give up the idea that we can’t do anything. Because, “Whoever sa...

What will we choose?

"The Heartbreak of Denial" Sunday, March 20, 2022 Lent III, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life When World War II ended the most of the world said, “Never again.” Well friends it is happening again. What will we do? I pray that we will individually and collectively indict Putin for the war crimes he is committing and hold him accountable. If not, we will have declared that every life taken...

Pray for peace friends.

"Who in God's Name are You?" Sunday, March 13, 2022 Lent II, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life As our reading said today, “Strength is the truth about you; weakness is an idol falsely worshipped… Strength comes from truth, and shines with light its Source has given it…” God is my strength, God is my light, God’s love is my truth. And I believe it with all my heart. That strength wil...

We all have a part to play in this great struggle between good and evil, between racism and equality, between division and unity. Each of us are filled with the same spark of divinity, the same spirit of love, that manifests in many different ways as Paul wrote to the Corinthians. We are each called to enact our part in the drama of life, working for justice, and living in love.

"Many Gifts, One Spirit" Sunday, January 16, 2022 Epiphany II, MLK Day, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life We all have a part to play in this great struggle between good and evil, between racism and equality, between division and unity. Each of us are filled with the same spark of divinity, the same spirit of love, that manifests in many different ways as Paul wrote to the Corinthians. We are each called...

Join us for Epiphany at Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life!

"Return to Love" Sunday, January 9, 2022 Epiphany, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Fire is a little bit like humans themselves really. We can be a force for good in the world, helping others, encouraging those who are discouraged, giving a hand to those in need. Or we can become self-centered, greedy, hateful, destructive to ourselves and those around us. But in the end, humans ar...

Our first service of 2022 from Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life.
https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2022/01/come-and-see-sunday-january-2-2022-christmas-ii-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"Come and See" Sunday, January 2, 2022 Christmas II, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life As we begin this new year 2022 we are not called to be meek and mild and “accept” the “choice” of those who refuse to be vaccinated and put us all at risk in a worldwide pandemic. We are called to speak truth to power, to advocate for those who have no privilege and therefore no voice. We ar...

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy our service from Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life, Christmas I.
https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2021/12/the-work-of-christmas-sunday-december-26-2021-christmas-i-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"The Work of Christmas" Sunday, December 26, 2021, Christmas I, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Merry Christmas! In the world, today is the day AFTER Christmas. But in the church today is the 2nd day of the 12 days of Christmas and the first Sunday in Christmastide. So here we are, decked out, “Christmasing” our way through these last days of the year. When the world stops celebrating we a...

Advent 4, the last Sunday in our journey to the manger. The "Season of Love" from Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life

"Season of Love" Sunday, December 19, 2021, Advent 4, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Love is not a passive emotion that comes and overwhelms us from a source outside ourselves. Love can be experienced as a feeling or emotion that is the result of hope, peace, and joy. But at the end of the day, love is not just a feeling. Love is evidenced by the action we take in relation to our fe...

Advent 3 at Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life. Let there be joy!

"Joy is on the Way" Sunday, December 12, 2021, Advent 3, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life In Advent we live in a liminal space between the now and what will be. We wait and we look forward to the happy day when hope, peace, joy, and love are born anew in the world, for that day when the world pauses in its violence and anxiety to sing Silent Night together. Christmas is a time to spiritu...

Advent 2 at Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life. What is righteousness? Is it attainable?

"Righteous Peace" Sunday, December 5, 2021, Advent 2, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Our peace of mind is not divorced from our health or our mental attitudes. We are not at the mercy of circumstances. There are actions we can take to help us attain peace. On this Sunday of Peace in our Advent season let me leave you with this from Romans 14:19, “So then let us pursue what makes f...

Catching up on posting weekly services from Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life. A blessed Advent to you all.

"Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled" Sunday, November 28 , 2021,Advent 1, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life All we have to do is be open to God’s presence, be open to God’s grace. It often comes to us through the kindness of other people. Sometimes through the love of animals. And always in the sacred assurance that we are never left to face any difficulty alone because God is our comforter, our ever ...

Our service for observing Transgender Day of Remembrance this past week at Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life. https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2021/11/for-a-time-such-as-this-sundaynovember-21-2021-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"For a Time Such as This" Sunday, November 21 , 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life November 20 is International Transgender day of Remembrance. And this being the Sunday closest to that day is the Sunday we recall this important day. This is the day each year when we remember and memorialize those children of God who have been murdered in the past year as a result of the hatred we...

Sunshine Cathdral of Second Life service for 11/14/21. Ever wonder how to identify false prophets? https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2021/11/listen-for-the-good-news-sundaynovember-14-2021-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"Listen for the Good News" Sunday,November 14 , 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Living in our media driven world is hard. Discerning the will of God is hard work. And part of our duty as people of faith is to sort the so-called prophecy, the “news” and decide what is true and what is false. Understand that well-meaning people will often fall victim to false prophets but the...

Service from November 7, 2021 at Sunshine Cathedral of Second LIfe. "Living in Abundance"
https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2021/11/living-in-abundance-sundaynovember-7-2021-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"Living in Abundance" Sunday,November 7 , 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life As the holiday season approaches let us consider how we will give gifts this year. Consider how fortunate we are to have survived in this pandemic. Consider how blessed we are to live in the country where all we have to do is make an appointment to get vaccines we need to survive and thrive through....

Last Sunday's service from Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life on All Hallows Eve.
https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2021/11/trick-or-treat-sunday-october-31-2021-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"Trick or Treat" Sunday, October 31, 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Give rest, O Christ, to your servant(s) with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Our service today at Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life. Have a great week!
https://inmylifetime.typepad.com/bkhipsher/2021/10/there-is-greatness-in-us-sunday-october-24-2021-sunshine-cathedral-of-second-life.html

"There is Greatness in Us" Sunday, October 24, 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life This business of discerning is not easy. But it is necessary if we are to grow spiritually and avoid the trap of bigotry, racism, and hate. Today we try again. Tomorrow we try again. We continue to open our minds to the teaching of the spirit of holiness. Micah 6:8 is our guide, “… And what does...

Last week at Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life. Are you listening?

"Deeper Listening" Sunday, October 17, 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life The voice of God was not in the ferocious wind, the voice of God was not in the earthquake, the voice of God was not in the crackling and hissing of the fire. The voice of God was in a whisper that Elijah heard in his heart and it gave him courage.

Sunday, October 10 service from Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life.

"The Journey Continues" Sunday, October 10, 2021, Sunshine Cathedral of Second Life Please join us in the virtual world of Second Life each Sunday at 2pm Pacific/ 5pm Eastern time. Download the interface at Secondlife.com, create your avatar, and join us at Sunshine Cathedral. Call to Worship Sunshine Cathedral is a different...