In this, the last service of the regular congregational year and the last for three members of our senior staff, Rev. Susan, Rev. Andrée, and Andrea will each have some reflective words of farewell for the congregation. The title of the service comes from Universalist Hosea Ballou’s counsel about what keeps people of good will … Continue reading “Let Love Continue”
Thresholds, or doorways, it is said, are the safest places to be during certain kinds of storms. What about in congregational life? On this next to last Sunday for the interim period, it’s time to reflect on the particular threshold this congregation has been on during a time of change. What future might you be … Continue reading “Thresholds”
In June, 1919, nearly one hundred years ago, the United States Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote in this country. What better time to honor the deeper struggle for agency and, yes, for a better life for everyone’s children that we could associate with this day? Do … Continue reading “After Her Own Time”
With this congregation having as a goal for next year becoming more welcoming, including of people with particular identities, what is the overarching spiritual umbrella of welcoming like? When have others made us feel welcome, and how do we internally navigate toward being able to extend that in turn? Reflections on “listening with the ear … Continue reading “Listening with the Ear of the Heart”
All of us carry hurts and wounds with us. Sometimes, in spite of the challenge, we grow stronger or deeper in the wake of them. That’s very different from saying they are for the best, but, rather, more like insisting we can be strong and still whole in spite of them. Our service will include … Continue reading “Letting the Light In”
Have you ever had a mystical experience in your journey on this earth? Madeleine L’Engle says that “There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred.” Human beings have a need for the deep down moments that help bring meaning to the cycles of life. Reflections on where, and when, we experience the sacred. … Continue reading “The Deep Down Moments”
With the recent death of poet Mary Oliver, whose work touched deep veins among Unitarian Universalists, mid-winter is the perfect time to stop and appreciate the grace offered in her poetry. Running throughout it is a deep trust of the universe and a profound acceptance of the rhythms of life. The Adult Choir will sing … Continue reading “Her One Wild and Precious Life”
Hafiz wrote, “Out/of a great need/We are all holding hands/and climbing…” We think and speak often about trusting people in relationships, workplaces, and communities. But we speak less often about what we entrust to them. What happens when you put your life in the hands of other people? Practicing “habits of the heart” in spiritual … Continue reading “Belaying”
We are sorry to announce that services for Sunday, January 20th have been cancelled due to inclement weather. This weekend is the time the nation honors the birth and, of course, the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. It’s important to reflect on what honoring the legacy of King calls for from us. The key is … Continue reading “The Roll of Justice”
Much of what is possible – as individuals or in relationships and communities – is possible because of appreciation. How does appreciation change our lives, and is it more than just saying thank you? To me, appreciation is one of the most important spiritual disciplines.
