Because we Unitarian Universalists are so individualistic, a sense of community can elude us. We are afraid if we get too involved in a shared challenge we will lose our selfhood. What I hear over and over again from folks is, “We want a community.” I know what goes unsaid is the “BUT” ending, “But … Continue reading Miracle of Community
Join us this Sunday for a virtual blessing of the animals! Children, bring your stuffed animals. Adults, bring your living animals or pictures of them. And everyone, bring a picture or remembrance of an animal no longer with you. In this time of stress and uncertainty let’s celebrate the comfort these creatures give us. Here … Continue reading Blessing of the Animals
Minutes after Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment, essentially ending American women’s decades-long quest for the right to vote, a young man with a red rose pinned to his lapel fled to the attic of the state capitol and camped out there until the maddening crowds downstairs dispersed. Some say he crept onto a third-floor ledge … Continue reading The Mother Who Saved Suffrage
Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” In that spirit, it is worth remembering evangelist Billy Sunday’s face-to-face 1918 encounter with the great influenza pandemic while conducting a revival crusade in Providence, Rhode Island. He claimed, “I can preach the devil influenza back to hell faster than … Continue reading Old Time Religion
In this time of birth and rebirth, it is too easy to paint a beautiful, simple, clean picture of the triumphant coming of spring or the glorious resurrection of life. But we know that birth and transformation are messy, painful experiences. Right now, when nothing is normal and a lot is truly difficult, how might we be … Continue reading The Only Way Out is Through
As we continue to move through this period of isolation, joy and hope may be increasingly hard to come by. Yet there is an insistent call for us to continue to find ways to celebrate with each other, and discover ways to offer each other Life . How can we rise up in the midst … Continue reading Rising Up
On this Palm Sunday, we celebrate that Triumphal entries are part of life. Every baby born excites us with a rebirth of exuberance! We will be gathering online on Sunday at 11am. See here for details of how to join us! And here’s the video of our April 5 online service.
There is much to be anxious about, many clouds in our world. Let us learn to make the best of it by finding the silver linings in those clouds, working to heal ourselves and our world by our own efforts. We will be gathering online on Sunday at 11am. See here for details of how … Continue reading Silver Linings
“Do you know what Wisdom is?” asked the elder.“No,” said the child.“Ah,” said the elder. “Wise answer.” We are learning and experimenting daily with new ways of creating community in the midst of this pandemic. How do we act in wisdom when the information we get every day changes so dramatically? When there is so … Continue reading Getting Wise
I was seven years old when I had my first encounter with theology. My mother made a batch of fudge, placed it in the refrigerator and decreed, “Don’t touch until after supper. And just because I’m not here,” she said, “don’t think you are alone with the fudge. God is watching you.” The word “theology” … Continue reading As If God Were There
