The Fire This Time | Rev. T. J. FitzGerald | 01.04.2026
In his sermon “The Fire This Time,” Rev. T. J. Fitzgerald reflects on what it means to be fully human in a world shaped by fear, shame, and the pressure to be perfect. Through stories, poetry by Joy Harjo, and insights from James Baldwin, the sermon invites us to notice the quiet, beautiful ways love already lives in us and to remember that we are enough just as we are.
As part of our annual burning ritual of release and renewal, this message encourages letting go of the belief that something in us must be fixed to be worthy of love. The purpose of faith, it reminds us, is not perfection but freedom, so that we may help the next person find their way through the dark and carry light into a hurting world.
