There is an old tale told of three of the workers building Notre Dame Cathedral. A passerby asks the first one what he was doing. He replied “I am putting in my time laying stones so that I might earn my daily bread”. The passerby walked farther down the wall and asked a second worker […]
From Your Senior Minister: Language of Reverence – Winter 2019
As UUs we often shy away from words that either reminds us of a religious past we would just as well like to forget or because the meanings of these words might be committing us to a belief system we don’t fully endorse. Words like God, holiness, faith, grace, prayer, salvation, atonement, sacrifice, theology and […]
From Your Senior Minister: Creating Theology Together – Fall 2018
Since the merger of Unitarians and Universalists in 1961 we have struggled with articulating a common set of beliefs much less a theology that would help to ground us in a deeper meaning towards the good work we so often feel called to do. In large part, this is due to our denominational culture of […]
From Your Senior Minister: Leading Human Indicators – Spring 2018
Daily, it seems, we hear reports of how the economy is improving; the Dow Jones Industrials have crossed the twenty five thousand mark, earnings are up. Even the jobless picture seems to be improving; less people filing for unemployment this month than last. Economists tell us that a bullish stock market is a “leading economic […]
From Your Senior Minister: “Here is to a New Year” – Winter 2017
Dear Friends: We begin 2018 with more than a little trepidation. Our national government seems dysfunctional at best while we are more than aware of how tenuous the rights are for so many in our society. That said, we might do well to consider what resolutions we might make to improve our lives. I am […]
From Your Senior Minister: Lives That Matter – Fall 2017
As we gather once again towards our full strength as a congregation, I have been reflecting on the state of our world and our beloved congregation. By all outward appearances it would seem that we are teetering on the edge of the apocalypse. Daily news reports seem to be sending us back to the dark […]
From Your Senior Minister: Becoming a Center of Learning and Liberation – Summer 2017
Our church was alive with celebration when, on Sunday May 28th, we ordained our intern minister, Lara Fuchs, to the Unitarian Universalist Ministry. Forty eight ministers and over a hundred congregants were in attendance as we witnessed this sacred event. Ordination in our tra- dition can only be done by a congregation, and it was […]
From Your Senior Minister: Crossing The River – Spring 2017
Most ancient religions use crossing a river as a metaphor for meaning, whether it is between years, between lives or between stages of life. The ancient Greeks spoke of crossing the rivers Styx and Posida, the rivers of mortality and forgetfulness into Hades. The Buddhists talk of crossing the river of attachment in life towards […]
From Your Senior Minister: Facing Grace – January 25, 2017
Our spiritual theme for February is Identity. I think a great deal about our collective identity these days. After all we are a diverse community of people by class, ethnicity, age, political persuasion and gender identity. In fact, the assumption that we are all pretty much the same is only partly true. I am still […]
From Your Senior Minister: Facing Grace – January 1, 2017
As we face a new year, we face a moral reality which will challenge our values and resolve. In the coming months we will be called to stand in solidarity with those marginalized and afraid. We will be called to stand up for our planet and its future. This past week the president of the […]