With so much going on in the news, it’s hard to focus our concern and our intent. To help do that we’ll examine events in light of the messages of MLK Sunday. We’ll think about the issues, our children and our possible responses. Yes, we can feel and live the power and hope of common […]
Intentions meet reality and get real. In 2005, Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley described Unitarian Universalists as “ever striving to reach what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King called a “beloved community,” [striving] to offer seekers concrete ways to directly support our vision of a culturally inclusive, theologically pluralistic, and socially progressive community.” Yet for all our […]
Not more work, you think. It’s Christmas Eve; we’re in the moment of anticipation, celebration and relief. But remember how we traditionally send ourselves out from the evening service with the words of Howard Thurman: that after the Christmas story has been told and celebrated; “when the shepherds are back with their flock, the work […]
Our Holiday Multigenerational Worship Service recreates the ancient story of the birth of Jesus through the lens of our own understanding: it’s an old and powerful story with resonance for the new world in which we find ourselves. It’s a no-rehearsal pageant. Those in the congregation can play the parts (or not). No preparation is […]
Ending gun violence should be a religious goal and priority. The social and personal suffering it causes call for a “compassionate response to end [such] suffering.” How we strive to accomplish that will be a matter of ongoing conversation and action. UUFH member, John Owens, a survivor of gun violence will share his thoughts and […]
My childhood Thanksgiving story and vision of America included a welcome table. I know the real story was not that inclusive. And America now feels explicitly unwelcoming even to many who are hurting and in need. But Thanksgiving remains a holiday of plenty and hospitality. It is a central piece of our “vision of the […]
Who doesn’t wake up wanting to feel good and feel good about who we are and how we are in the world? The meaningful living, spiritual practice, social action and well-being we seek begin at our own table. “Time to eat” is more than a reminder that the food is ready. It’s time to be […]
A sermon by the Rev. Dr. Robert M. Hardies. Delivered by the Rev. Jim McKinley This year, Rev. Rob Hardies immersed himself in Thoreau’s life and writings and surfaced in June with an especially insightful sermon which he graciously agreed for me to share. “Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”—his ode to the prophetic power of […]
What form does the wisdom of courage take in the teachings of each of these religious exemplars? How have they and their followers embodied it through lives lived well? Their teachings and sayings move in parallel paths and call for similar practice. Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh imagines them as brothers; Jack Kornfield says “they […]
That’s a frequent critique of our UU worship and spirituality. It’s always personally legitimate for the speaker even as they identify with our religious orientation. How might I hear it as well? Both Unitarian and Universalism evolved from Christian tradition, with Jesus as exemplar and model, now one among many. As he is one of […]