Brene Brown reminds us that twinkling holiday lights are a great metaphor for how joy works. We may expect it to come as a flood light, but rather it comes in small seemingly random moments. Remaining open to these moments is the key to being open to joy. Children’s RE Focus: We create joy by celebrating … Continue reading Remaining Open to Joy
It is essential that we know the final outcome of the first thanksgiving story and the role “God” played in it. It is another historic example of the abuse of religion; this one by our theological ancestors. Holding our history means acknowledging this legacy and preventing it in the future. See the UUConnect for the service logon … Continue reading The Rest of the Thanksgiving Story
Transcendentalism heavily influenced Unitarian theology in the early 19th century and its dominance remains with us today. Because of its influence, our theological development mirrors our ecological development. Over 200 years we have moved from an intense appreciation for nature, to a strong passion for environmentalism and saving nature, to a deeper understanding of the … Continue reading An Alternative Trinity – Nature, Humans, and the Divine
Tribalism is an accurate name for the animosity we are experiencing right now. But instead of accepting it, Robert Wright describes how we can work to overcome it in “How Mindfulness Can Heal the World”. His insight into evolutionary psychology and Buddhism offer us a path to heal our world. See the UUConnect for the service logon … Continue reading Overcoming Tribalism
Perhaps the greatest sign of covenant with the Roman Catholic Church is the act of kissing the Pope’s ring. It is supposed to be an outward symbol of a deeply felt covenant, yet history has shown that hasn’t always been the case. Although Unitarian Universalists don’t usually kiss rings, we do covenant to support each … Continue reading Kissing the Pope’s Ring
Thankfully, the darkness of the pandemic turned out to be more of a womb than a tomb. We used the long quiet time to reimagine the possibilities of our congregations and each Fellowship has moved boldly forward. We are now called to re-engage and together embrace new possibilities for our spiritual journeys. See the UUConnect for the … Continue reading Embracing the Possibilities of our Congregations
Spencer Johnson’s popular change management book “Who Moved My Cheese” provides a great parable about how we adapt to change. We can either sit around and hope our old favorite cheese will come back or we can go find a new favorite. The coming program year is bringing a lot of positive changes to our … Continue reading Our Cheese is Moving
This is the time every year in which your questions are the sermon. Because the service is virtual, it may work best to pre-submit questions to jimuumin@gmail.com. Otherwise, putting live questions in the chat box is always an option. See the UUConnect for the service logon information or click on August 1 in the calendar.
In addition to supporting congregations as they transition out of the pandemic, this year’s General Assembly was primarily focused on the institutional changes started four years ago. We are transforming ourselves into the truly welcoming organization we have always aspired to become. See the UUConnect for the service logon information or click on July 11 in the calendar.
This month we remember the 100th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies of racial violence in the United States, the Tulsa Race Massacre; an untold story kept hidden for almost a century. Driven by a climate of extreme racial tension and set off by merely a rumor, white supremist mobs destroyed “Black Wall Street”, … Continue reading Telling Untold Stories to Promote Equity and Justice
