Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world. The science of awe suggests that opportunities surround us daily and their physical and mental benefits are profound. Yet how often do you truly seek out and embrace awe? Can we create more awe in our … Continue reading Actively Seeking Awe
The landmark report of the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change, Widening the Circle of Concern, lifts up the importance of theology in our anti-racism/anti-oppression work. That may be surprising to many. Why is theology important? Rev. Roger Bertschausen is the Interim Minister at First Unitarian Society in Madison. He previously served as the Senior Minister … Continue reading Why Theology Matters
Every year Earth Day is celebrated around the world to show support for environmental protection. The April 25 service will focus on a few of the many individuals who have dedicated their lives to saving our precious planet. See the UUConnect for the service logon information or click on April 25 in the calendar.
Our 3rd principle lifts up “acceptance of one another and spiritual growth in our congregations”. Let us revisit what this means as our congregations become increasingly more diverse theologically. See the UUConnect for the service logon information or click on April 18 in the calendar.
Our three primary congregations plan to collaborate more closely going forward with an expanded ministry. It’s a bold initiative to support our Unitarian Universalist movement in the region and spiritual growth as individuals. It offers expanded programing and more ways to become connected and involved for all ages. See the UUConnect for the service logon information or … Continue reading Flourishing Together in NE Wisconsin
The Christian Easter story tells us of angels intervening to roll back the stone covering the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, thus releasing the resurrection. This metaphor of death and rebirth has a modern corollary in the struggles against the current opioid crisis. Local efforts to roll back the stone of addiction and bring recovering … Continue reading Rolling Back the Stone
For two millennia, Christians have been told that the Jewish leaders and people have been responsible for the death of Jesus of Nazareth. The evidence for this belief comes primarily from the four Gospels of the Bible. After the Jewish Holocaust occurred during World War II, there has been much debate about the veracity of this claim. Several … Continue reading Who is Responsible for Killing Jesus of Nazareth?
At the vernal or spring equinox, the sun is exactly above the equator. For a handful of hours, day and night are of equal length. Instead of winter slamming into summer, spring balances out the transition between the other two more extreme seasons. What are the gifts and opportunities of balance? Join us for this … Continue reading Welcoming Spring
We are living in a time of tribal identity and division. As Nelson Mandela once said, “When we dehumanize and demonize our opponents, we abandon the possibility of peacefully resolving our differences, and seek to justify violence against them.” The divisions in our country have been in our country’s history for a long time. There … Continue reading Listening Beyond Strong Beliefs
Empathy (and the lack of it) has arisen as an issue in this year’s Presidential campaign. In addition, recently there was a rather startling thought piece in the New York Times entitled “The Trouble with Empathy.” All this talk about empathy has caused me to reflect further on this human quality, which I believe is … Continue reading May Your Pillow Catch Fire!: A Sermon on Empathy
