Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar | May 17, 2026

“The past may be holy and beautiful, but it’s not alive. This moment is alive.”

On Graduation Sunday, Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar invited the congregation to think beyond caps and gowns and consider the many transitions we experience throughout our lives.

In “The End Is the Beginning,” he reflected on how change, loss, grief, aging, parenting, divorce, illness, and unexpected endings can reshape who we are—and who we are becoming.

Drawing on the teachings of Ram Dass, personal stories about marriage and identity, and reflections on learning how to let go, the sermon explored the spiritual challenge of moving forward when life no longer looks the way we expected.

Rev. Marlin encouraged listeners to stop trying to restore the old life and instead ask a different question: “Who is life asking me to be now?”

Watch the full sermon on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.