Messages from the Mountaintop

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • May 13, 2025

Who's On Your Mt. Rushmore?

Once a month or so, my godson, CK, answers this question from one of his dad’s: “Who is on your Mount Rushmore right now?” He replies with the names of three or four people in his life that he looks up to, people he who support, mentor, or inspire him to be the best person he can be. Sometimes CK chooses people like the Dalai Lama, and other times includes a close peer, a teacher, or favorite artist. I like the question. Who’s faces would I like to see carved into stone? Which persons represent the best of humanity? Who inspires me?

As I am a pastor, it will surprise no one that Jesus would be on my Mount Rushmore. I might also include Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ghandi. Each of these leaders shared ideals that changed the world. They all committed to nonviolence and peaceful resistance against injustice. Fearlessly, they called out abuses of power and worked to uplift all people—not just the wealthy and powerful. Their resolve to live by their ideals led them to endure; indeed, each was martyred for daring to preach unconditional love in action. They envisioned a world where all people could be treated with fairness and dignity, regardless of status. Through their words and actions, they demonstrated unwavering courage and a steadfast commitment to uplifting humanity.

I have been pondering a message series on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount and how we might explore them not only in a uniquely “Gardenesque” way, but also in a contemporary context. What do they mean to us in this moment in time?

Mount Rushmore and the Sermon on the Mount are two landmarks that, at first glance, may seem un-connected. One is a literal monument, looming over the Black Hills, sculpted with the intent to honor figures who shaped a nation. The other represents a message that would change the world, delivered not in stone but in words—a call to live with humility, compassion, and love. Both ask us to reflect: Who do we look up to? What ideals do we want to carve into our lives?

When Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, he wasn’t building a monument but offering a blueprint for a world where the poor in spirit find strength, the peacemakers find honor and respect, and those who hunger for justice are satiated. The message was not just a sermon—it was an invitation.

As I think about who would be on my personal Mount Rushmore, I ask myself: How do these ideals inspire me today? More importantly, how can they move us—not just to admire them, but to live them? I believe in the end it is not about who we honor in stone, but who we remember for the impact they made in the lives of others. It’s about how we contribute to their loving legacy through our actions, through the way we live, the way we vote, and the way we treat each other.

So—-who is on your Mount Rushmore? And how might the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount shape your legacy? How do you want to be remembered? What impact do you want to make?

"Livin’ On A Prayer"

Sung by Kimberly Morgan

Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child & Richard Sambora

Lyrics © Bon Jovi Publishing, Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, Aggressive Music, Universal Polygram Int. Publishing Inc.

"Down On Me"

Sung by Caroline Smith

Written by Janis Joplin

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

"God Is Good"

Sung by John McClain

Written by Jonathan Caleb McReynolds

If you're interested in the First Nations Bible translation mentioned in today's service, you can find it here.

The book of poetry Carolyn mentions in the service is What Narcissism Means to Me by Tony Hoagland

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Easter Sunday | Choose to Belong

By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • March 31, 2026

This Sunday we conclude our Lenten series with a heartfelt message, “Choose to Belong.” We’ll celebrate Easter—both as a remembrance of the resurrection and as a celebration of new beginnings, including welcoming new Gardner members into our inclusive community. Easter's beautiful expression of love and hope represents a tradition that calls us to notice the ways love rises again in our lives, dispelling darkness. Whether you interpret the resurrection story literally or embrace it as a metaphor of love overcoming despair, there is a place for you here. This weekend we’ll explore what it means to belong, and how our faith deepens through our connections with one another and with the sacred. Come experience the joy of community and discover how we can embody the transformative love of Christ together. Join us as we celebrate this meaningful day. Let’s embrace new beginnings and growth as one community. We can’t wait to see you.

Choose to Belong

By Matthew Vire • March 25, 2026

The experience of exclusion tempts us to blame ourselves, to think that we're falling short, that we are somehow wrong, damaged, unacceptable, or unworthy. To fix these perceived shortcomings, we may seek to fit in. There's nothing inherently wrong with fitting in — it can feel great — but it may come at the cost of our authenticity. In Letter to My Daughter , Maya Angelou writes, “You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all.” She does not mean that we are rootless, but speaks of abandoning the chase for approval so we can be free to show up authentically. We do not need to change who we are to belong. Brené Brown eloquently unpacks Angelou's profound statement in this video. May it offer you reassurance, comfort, and courage as we continue exploring what belonging means.

The Labyrinth Called Life

By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • March 24, 2026

Have you noticed it? If you’ve been with us at The Garden over the past six weeks, you’ve likely walked right over it—the Labyrinth just outside the sanctuary doors. It’s easy to miss when we’re rushing in or out, but it’s there quietly inviting us to slow down, breathe, and pay attention to the path beneath our feet. As we move toward Easter, that invitation feels especially timely. This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the moment in the story when Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheers, branches waving, and a sense of possibility in the air. But that joyful procession is only the threshold of a much deeper journey. In the days that follow, Jesus moves through experiences that are profoundly human—sharing meals with friends, seeking quiet in a garden, wrestling with uncertainty, facing conflict, and ultimately walking a path that leads to the cross. The story does not shy away from suffering or loss, yet it also doesn’t end there. It moves through death into the promise of new life, renewal, and hope. Whether you connect with this story as history, metaphor, or a mirror for your own life, it offers a pattern many of us recognize: how celebration and struggle often sit side by side, how a single week can hold both joy and heaviness, and how transformation sometimes emerges from places we would never choose. As we enter this meaningful week, I invite you to consider your own path. What are you carrying right now? Where are you seeking connection, clarity, or courage? What parts of your journey are asking for attention, and what new life might be waiting just beyond what you can see? Let this be a week to walk with intention—to notice the twists and turns, the companions along the way, and the quiet hope that can rise even in uncertain places.

Be You. (What Does THAT Mean?)

By Matthew Vire • March 17, 2026

"Be you" is common advice. But what does it mean? The exhortation to "be you" is an invitation to relax into yourself and let go of worries that you don't measure up to someone else's idea of who you are or should be. "Be you" means be honest––to yourself first and then with the world––about your thoughts, feelings, insecurities, passions, interests, and inclinations. It means you're more than worthy. It means you are enough. It means you're worth knowing, seeing, and loving. Our resistance to be ourselves comes from fear, judgement, and insecurity. Fear tells us "hide." Judgment says, "you're not good enough, so you better pretend." Insecurity warns, "people won't like you if they really see you." But it can be easy to Be You. You don't have to do anything; you can just be. The only barrier is self-acceptance. Love can break through that. May this week give you space to breathe, to soften, and to trust that who you are is already held in love.

Paths to Belonging

By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • March 16, 2026

This Sunday, we continue our Lenten journey with the theme of belonging. The National Institutes of Health recognizes belonging as a fundamental human need that shapes our mental, physical, and social well-being. One of the insights from our Greenhouse Challenge was the recognition that many people in the U.S. are experiencing loneliness. In response, The Garden has been exploring what it means to belong—not just socially, but spiritually and communally. During worship, we’ll check in with Scott Semester to hear how our grant initiative may help us create spaces of sanctuary—places where people feel seen, safe, and truly at home. Our Scripture this week, Ecclesiastes 4:12, reminds us that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Belonging is not just about individual strength—it’s about the resilience we find in connection. When we walk together, support one another, and share our lives, we become stronger than we ever could be alone. May we continue to weave lives of compassion, curiosity, and courage—threads that bind us to one another and to the sacred truth that we belong.