Sermon: “The Wisdom Hidden in Pain”
Dr. Helen Riess, Guest Speaker 

Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid pain, yet it can become one of life’s most profound teachers. Drawing from my own experience of living with relentless pain for nearly half a year and from close friends who have lived with physical and psychic pain for years, I will explore lessons about vulnerability, humility, self empathy, resilience, and our shared humanity. This sermon reflects on how suffering can deepen compassion, reshape perspective, and reveal unexpected wisdom.

Bio: Helen Riess is a psychiatrist at Mass. General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She founded and directs the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, pioneering the integration of empathy neuroscience into healthcare education to enhance communication, patient experience, and clinical care.

She is the founder of Empathetics, Inc., where she serves as Chief Scientific Officer. The company helps healthcare organizations worldwide build cultures of empathy and connection. She is the author of The Empathy Effect, and her TEDx talk, The Power of Empathy, has been viewed nearly one million times.

For Families: Children of all ages are always welcome in every service. Quiet activities are available in the rear of the chapel. Childcare and religious education classes resume in September.