The Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry, is hosting a Pre-Trial Fairness Act forum examining the history of the campaign to pass the Illinois Pre-Trial Fairness Act and how it actually is being implemented in the criminal justice system despite strong opposition on Wednesday, December 6 at 7 pm.   Emma Gonzalez, Outreach Coordinator of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice (INPJ), will lead the discussion.   Emma Gonzalez, Outreach Coordinator for the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice. Each year, Illinois incarcerates nearly a quarter million people in 92 county jails. Most of these people were jailed not because they’ve been convicted of a crime but because they couldn’t af...

Harmful theologies of sin also encourage people to dwell in scarcity rather than noticing and sharing the abundance around us. What is the abundance around you today? How can you share it?

Growing up in a Christian society I have,  on more than one occasion, heard about giving generously and receiving glory. Many passages in the bible talk about giving to the Lord, giving to those in need. The implication of those … Continue reading →

  Maybe because their names and faces get lost in the grim glut of crime reporting. Maybe because no one knew their story—or their secret.  Maybe it’s because the Guardians at the gate want to protect our tender sensibilities.  Maybe it’s because outside of “those people” no one cares.  Or maybe it’s because some see a kind of rough justice acted out on the streets and prefer to let it go on as they used to whistle-by-the-graveyard the dark at lynchings that kept Black folk in their place. But someone must remember these Transgender people murdered every year simply because of who they are.  According to the Human Rights Campaign: 2022 saw at least 41 transgender and gender non-conforming people fatally shot o...

I almost forgot to do this blog post. I usually post in the morning, but at least I remembered this evening. Accountable is what I am trying to be – to myself mainly. But the holidays are coming so can I use them as an excuse? Why not? Excuses aren’t always explanations. People who confuse […]

I went for a walk to Wheelwright Park this afternoon. I still forget that the time change means the sun sets pretty early. By 4:30, it was already getting dark. As much as I enjoyed listening to the Great Horned Owls calling, there have been reports of Coyotes in the woods at dusk. So far, … Continue reading "Dusk"

Reading: Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front, by Wendell Berry Last Sunday, I told you about sitting down with the Rabbi from Har Shalom, and how the first people to call her after the Hamas attack were Christian Evangelicals. What … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with Rabbi Finestone, who serves Congregation Har Shalom, just down the road. We were speaking about the attack on October 7th, and what her community has been feeling since.  She shared many things … Continue reading →

TWH commemorates Trans Day of Remembrance, 2023, acknowledging the disproportionate violence against trans people. Continue reading Transgender Day of Remembrance 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

READING From Isabell Call, “Thanksgrieving" Although both Native American and Europeans had feasts expressing gratitude during harvest time, the Europeans who arrived on this continent were incredibly destructive to Native American communities. The Wampanoag man often celebrated as a friend of the pilgrims, Tisquantum, spoke English because traders had enslaved him and forcibly taken him to England. When he finally escaped and made his way back home, his community had all died from smallpox his captors had left behind. He was friendly to the pilgrims who moved into the land of his people because none of his own people were left. He was able to find work with the pilgrims as a translator and helped them negotiate treaties. But as we kno...

When I feel devastated by the images of premature babies in al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, without incubators, without oxygen, placed together for warmth, but some dying, (and finally I hear that they are being evacuated today)… When I feel devastated that the initial violence and hostage-taking of Israeli citizens by Hamas has been multiplied by […]

Conservative Christians in the U.S. are lining up to tell us that the Israel Hamas war is a harbinger of the End Times. A number of Bible-based preachers are telling their followers to get ready for the Apocalypse. Robert Jefress of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Tex., recently said: “We are on the verge of the … Continue reading "Says it right in the Bible"

We finish out our theme of Generosity by imagining what a community might look like when our generous natures are set free.

    One who embarks on the path of awakening aspiring to master Wisdom is a Bodhisattva motivated by Great Compassion, taking the Great Vows to save all beings with the cultivation of Samadhi, and not seeking Liberation for one’s own sake alone. Zhanglu Zongze There are three critical meditation manuals within the Zen tradition. […]

It is easy to see gluttony as a sin if one confines it to the obscene hoarding of wealth. But what else are we taught to hoard, to amass great quantities of without sharing with others? People are harmed by the hoarding of love, for example, sequestering it away as if it were finite. How … Continue reading Hoarding

A magazine ad from the much ballyhooed launch of Ford's new Edsel for the 1958 model year. It was a mercy killing, of sorts.   On November 19, 1960 the Ford Motor Company announced it was ending its Edsel brand in just its third model year.   Named to honor Henry Ford ’ s only son and a former company president who had died in 1943 at the age of 59, the car was launched amid considerable fanfare in 1957 for the ’58 model year. It was a large car aimed at the mid-range market and had several break-through features and unique styling.   It was the styling the public noticed first, dominated by the shield-shaped center grill that was a radical departure from the horizontal grills that had become standard on post-war on cars.   The p...

Bride's Mound, a site in Glastonbury with ties to the goddess and saint Brigid, is set to receive improvements thanks to new funding. Continue reading Bride’s Mound, sacred to Christians and Pagans, set to receive renovations at The Wild Hunt.

Please join us on Sunday (19 November 2023) at 11:00 AM for annual Thanksgiving worship service and potluck feast. Our annual service of Thanksgiving begins with a short service in the sanctuary followed by an inclusive communion ritual in the social hall and culminating in our annual feast. All are welcome. Please sign up here … Continue reading "All Ages Worship and Thanksgiving Feast (19 November 2023)"

There is no Pre-K thru Grades 5 religious education class this Sunday (19 November 2023). Our children and their teachers will remain in the sanctuary and join us for the Thanksgiving feast. Next Sunday (26 November 2023), our children (Pre-K thru Grade 5) will resume using a program adapted from Moral Tales (a Tapestry of … Continue reading "No Pre-K thru Grades 5 Children’s Religious Education This Sunday (19 November 2023) — Class Resumes 26 November 2023"

There is no middle school / high school youth religious education class this Sunday (19 November 2023). Our youth and their teachers will remain in the sanctuary and join us for the Thanksgiving feast. Next Sunday (26 November 2023), we will explore the 7th principle (“respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which … Continue reading "No Middle and High School Youth Religious Education This Sunday (19 November 2023) — Class Resumes 26 November 2023"

Please join us on Sunday (19 November 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is normally a dual-platform class — however, we are meeting only using Zoom for today’s class because the social hall will be set up for Sunday’s Thanksgiving Feast. We will continue reading the … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 19 November 2023 (online using Zoom for this week only)"

Please join us on Saturday (9 December 2023) from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM for our All Souls Holiday Park-It Market and Moving Sale. Join us as a vendor — Calling all painters, sculptors, bakers, writers, fabric artists, jewelry makers, artists, artisans and crafters of all kinds — join us on 9 December 2023 for … Continue reading "All Souls Holiday Park-It Market and Moving Sale (9 December 2023)"

If you are looking for a place and time where you can join others and celebrate the holiday with others, please join us on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, 23 November 2023) at 2:00 PM for a Thanksgiving Day potluck dinner. It probably will not look as elegant as the picture shown above.  However, if you are … Continue reading "Thanksgiving Day Potluck (23 November 2023)"

Our monthly building and grounds work day is normally on the second Saturday of each month. For November 2023, it will be on the third Saturday (18 November 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Last weekend, we had LA-AID guests staying in our building and the weather was uncertain for outdoor tasks.  Because of … Continue reading "Monthly Building and Grounds Work Day (18 November 2023)"

  Mickey Mouse--and Minnie--figure predominately in promotions of Disney Studio's 100th Anniversary even though the iconic rodent is five years younger.  It would be hard to miss hoopla over Walt Disney Studio’s 100th Anniversary.   But Walt, his brother Roy, and a handful of loyal employees faltered and struggled the first five years after his most successful cartoon series Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was literally stolen out from under him.   When Mickey Mouse, the creature who eventually took center stage, made his first public appearance on this date in 1928.     Mickey in Steamboat Willie. On November 18, 1928 Steamboat Willie , an animated short film was released to theaters.   According to the carefully constructed myth creat...

Please join us on Saturday (18 November 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (18 November 2023)"

Paul Klee, Angelus Novus, 1920 (source) A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation.  (A recorded version of the following piece can be heard at this link)   —o0o— Ludwig Wittgenstein memorably noted in his Philosophical Investigations that: §.115 “A picture held us captive. And we could not get outside it, for it lay in our language and language seemed to repeat it to us inexorably.”   Wittgenstein recognized that the influence of our inherited pictures of the world, often served to obscure important truths from us, and as an illustration of this, he  once offered his students a thought experiment: Imagine a rope tied tightly around a...

“Oh God, don’t envy me, I have my own pains.” -Barbra Streisand When have you been able to notice the pains of someone you envied?

As I watched the current two seasons, I often found myself driven to tears, not because of sadness, but because I felt it was so profoundly healing to see. Here, I saw myself in a world that still had its challenges but was still far more accepting than the one I had grown up in. Continue reading Heartstopper: On Queer Youth and Eldership, or What a Long Gay Trip This Has Been at The Wild Hunt.

According to the BBC, Elon Musk recently shared “an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it ‘actual truth’.” Of course, Musk has denied that he’s antisemitic. And no doubt he’ll insist that he’s just a free speech advocate. But his remarks are yet more evidence that platform decay has progressed quite far on X, the platform formerly … Continue reading "The unlamented decline of the platform formerly known as Twitter"

“I have been wondering what the morning glories know. Is it envy that compels these vines to strangle other flowers arising in their path? Or perhaps self preservation, to climb these walls, forsaking humbler beings, winding greedy stems around the trellis in their hungry pursuit of light.” -from “Joy,” by Terri Dennehy How can you … Continue reading Morning Glories

I used to think that generosity was a money thing, that you had to have‘enough’ money to be able to give it away. Like all those foundations thatsponsor the PBS shows I watch. This was, of course, before I realizedhow … Continue reading →

These dashing Swedish officers had nothing to do in the Anglo-Swedish War. What if they gave a war and nobody came?   That is essentially what happened in the Anglo-Swedish War which was declared on November 17, 1810 and dragged on for two years without a shot being fired by the belligerents.   It was a sham war between two erstwhile allies—and still secret de facto ones. The faux conflict was a footnote to the international intrigue playing out in the background and on the periphery of the titanic Napoleonic Wars.   It is so obscure that for a while the Wikipedia entry on the paper war was altered by some prankster to claim that the British invaded Stockholm by sea, executed Crown Prince Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte and most of the gov...

As Icelanders evacuate from the town of Grindavík, TWH speaks with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, allsherjargoði of the Icelandic Heathen organization Ásatrúarfélagið, about how the seismic activity and potential volcanic eruption has affected local Heathens. Continue reading Icelanders evacuate Grindavík as volcanic eruption looms at The Wild Hunt.

We hope you enjoyed last night's Green Sanctuary 2030 Community meeting with Rev. Kelly Dignan from the UU Ministry for Earth as much as we did!  Rev. Kelly offered lots of great resources in her presentation (see the video recording or slides) and the community offered several in the chat.  We encourage you to sign up for updates from the UU Ministry for Earth - www.uumfe.org - to receive their resources like Monthly Musings and their Earth Day Resources (emailed to subscribers on February 1).   You can reach out to Rev. Kelly directly at kellydignan@uumfe.org.   RSVP for UUMFE's Winter Solstice Celebration: Light for All on the Darkest Night.  This celebration is part of the Clean Energy as a Human Right webinar series including,...

If thoughts of the holidays and their traditions fill you with anxiety and dread, I encourage you to take an honest look at the traditions you’re following, and then actively choose which ones you do and don’t want to continue.

Sunday, November 19 Generosity Unleashed: Living Fearlessly in the Spirit of Giving   Fear and a sense of scarcity can constrict generosity, while gratitude and a sense of abundance promote giving. Join us this Sunday, November 19, as Rev. Alice reflects on what it means to live fearlessly in the spirit of giving. “Be grateful in   [ … ] The post Sunday, November 19 ~ Generosity Unleashed: Living Fearlessly in the Spirit of Giving ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Our culture teaches us to want what others have–all of advertising is based on this–and so envy is a natural result. Sometimes, this is due to a real lack, but so often it is simply due to outside forces teaching us not to be content with what we have. When have you felt envious? How … Continue reading Envy

As someone who identifies as a man, I cannot say that I have given birth in the biological sense. As the father of three, I can say that I have been called alongside the person who physically gave birth to … Continue reading →

Ralph Chaplin, then the editor of the  Industrial Worker,  wrote this poem, later set to music.  Pictured is Frank Little, the tough IWW hard rock miners organizer who was lynched in   Butte, Montana in 1917. For many of us November is a melancholy month .   Often slate gray skies silhouette naked trees in a chilling wind.   Death seems at hand.   But so is its handmaiden—remembrance.   After all, the month begins with All Souls/Day of the Dead when the memories of ancestors and loved ones are honored.   English school children still chant “Remember, Remember the Fifth of November,” now a harmless nursery rhyme about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot but was once an annual call to riot and mayhem against Catholics not only...

I didn’t realize until after I’d drawn this that the location has a name very similar to a name in our family, the branch that came to the US from Lebanon.

The war in Israel and Gaza is horrific. Here in this country, there is disagreement about what to do. People are staking out positions; to even name the positions is to take a position, because of the way you describe the different positions. I’m not particularly adept at politics, and I feel the proverbial deer … Continue reading "What to do"

Online magazine Atmos takes on the myth that living in space, or on other planets, is going to help us with ecological disaster here on Earth, in their article “Sorry, Billionaires. Space Won’t Be Our Climate Haven”: “…Space is so terrible that in order to be a better option than Earth, one calamity won’t do. … Continue reading "Space is not the answer"

Correspondent Star Bustamonte continues a series of articles exploring how AI and large language models are impacting Pagan publishing. Continue reading AI biases, “hallucinations” and the larger implications at The Wild Hunt.

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” —Nelson Mandela

There is a famous joke about early-20th century U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, who was known as a person of few words.

How do you relate to the idea of sin, and/or the idea of atonement?

“Brothers of Healing” is an original song written by CLF member Maverik Storm. Maverik wrote this about the piece: “I hope this can be an anthem for those who are healing, who know brokenness, and those who are committed to advocating for change. I hope that if this song reaches the hearts, minds, and voices […]

The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is a great community of communities made up of people connected and committed to reminding each other that we are more together, that we can take turns at the resistance, that cultivating and growing communal joy is part of what helps us stay stronger and focused on the […]

Side With Love joined Denise Abdul-Rahman from Black Sun Light Sustainability, Shina Robinson from Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and Miguel Yanez-Barnuevo from Environmental and Energy Study Institute for an informative discussion on ways you can turn your faith into action to create hubs of climate resilience for our communities. This was the second session of our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right. Below are resources from the webinar: Video Recording: Hubs of Climate Resilience (1:20, embedded above) Presentation slides Slides from Denise Abdul Rahman, Black Sun Light Sustainability Slides from Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo, Environmental & Energy Study Institute Slides from Shina Robinson, Asian Pacific Environmental Net...

                Eight years ago, Jan & I retired from our respective positions, she as research librarian at the wondrous Perkins School for the Blind, and me as minister of the First Unitarian Church of Providence. We shrunk our worldly goods as best we could, sold our home, and […]

Amanda Udis-Kessler Holy Reconciler, help us make peace with each other. Continue reading "Grace Notes"

I have to admit I am struggling with the theme of Generosity this month. This may come as a surprise, since most of our UUCG family knows that I have a heart of giving to others through my time and … Continue reading →

Sometimes, our reactivity (even anger) is provoked by the lack of clear boundaries in our lives. How do you make your boundaries clear to others? How do you re-establish boundaries that have been crossed?

  The Jefferson Memorial on Washington's Tidal Basin. When Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial eighty four years ago today on November 15, 1939 it was just plain good politics.  He was planning to run for re-election in November for an unprecedented third term which was sure to elicit howls of outrage by Republicans who could hardly stand to utter his name.  The country’s recovery from the Great Depression had not only slowed but had slid backwards as a new recession hit the already shaky economy—a recession brought on in no small part to his agreement with Congress to belt tightening budget cutting after years of stimulating the economy with free spending.  Even Southern Democrats, who by in larg...

While the world weeps over the bloody religious conflict in the Middle East, the smaller conflicts that concern folks stateside might seem trivial in comparison. However, I believe that if we practice cross-religious dialogue in safer, easier settings like a good friendship, we can learn skills that can transfer to higher-stakes situations. Imagine a world […]

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe Just click on a photo to enlarge it   About the reserve Beechwoods was originally planted in the 1840s, and Medieval plough terraces are still visible beneath the trees. The original beech trees are all mature, and beech-bark fungi combined with autumn gales has caused many of them to fall in recent years. Saplings have sprung up in the gaps, and the wood is now developing a more varied structure. West of the old wood, local people planted a new area of broadleaved trees in 1992. These trees will mature to provide a range of habitats to complement the old wood. Beneath the beech trees, delicate white helleborine orchids thrive on the dry chalky soil, pushing up t...

On Sunday November 19th, children and youth will attend multigenerational service in the Great Hall with their families. It includes our annual Bread Communion. The nursery opens for children under age 5 at 10:15. No RE sessions, 8/9 OWL, or Youth Group Meeting this week. Next week, November ... read more . The post Religious Education News appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

our correspondent Elyse Welles attends a conference on Victorian mourning practices and notes their relevance in Pagan communities and how they might promote healing during grief. Continue reading Mourning Practices Need a Comeback: Solutions for Modern Society’s Difficulties in Processing Grief at The Wild Hunt.

In the wake of harmful legislation across the country bringing harm to many trans people and their families, join us as we reflect on the many trans lives taken from us in 2023. All are welcome. 2023 UUA TDOR SERVICE ... read more . The post UUA Transgender Day of Remembrance Service Monday Nov. 20, 4 pm (online) appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

On Monday, November 27th, at 6 pm, join in a discussion on Zoom about There, There, a debut novel by Indigenous American author Tommy Orange, a member of both Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. There, There offers stories of twelve characters facing conditions in urban reservations in their struggles ... read more . The post Discussion of There, There, by Indigenous American author Tommy Orange appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

I went to our new Museum of Eureka Springs Art to do a repair on the desk we brought in a few days ago, and found another piece of my earlier work had been delivered to the museum needing repair. This piece is a music stand I made for Crescent Dragonwagon to give to her 6 ft. 5 in. amateur violinist, Ned Shank. After his death, it ended up with John Mitchell, a well known art and antiques dealer in Eureka Springs.  The back leg was broken, so is now being glued back in place, making use of the original mortise and tenon joint. Back in its day Ned had it ornamented with crystals hanging from the  upper ribs. The music stand will  soon be ready to stand once again on its three legs. Make, fix and create...

As we approach the commemoration of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we are thrilled to announce that the All Souls Unitarian Church, in collaboration with the All Souls LGBTQ & Allies, has been entrusted with hosting this significant event on November 20th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. It is an immense honor for our church to serve as the host of such a crucial gathering. The post Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance appeared first on BeyondBelief.

One of the advantages of working with solid hardwoods is that furniture made from them can be repaired, while veneered furniture can present greater difficulties. Today I'll do a bit of repair on the office furniture I'd made for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, preparing it for another 20 year's use. In the wood shop I'm making progress on stash boxes.  The first photo shows cutting parts to length last week. The second photo shows the boxes partially sanded and ready for making drawers. Make, fix and create...

Over my lifetime, more than one person has come along with the message that in the midst of conflict or potential conflict, we should presume the best of the other party’s intention. The fact that more than one person has … Continue reading →

Our anger over injustice can be turned into fuel to help us move justice forward.  We can use that anger to say no to oppression and violence wherever it is found. What are you called to say “no” to in our world?

Civilian pilot Eugene Burton Ely at the controls of his Curtis bi-plane. He had been flying for about six months. When a young, self-taught pilot named Eugene Burton Ely left the deck of the U . S . Navy cruiser USS Birmingham in a primitive stick, bailing wire, and canvas winged Curtis pusher biplane on November 14, 1910 he barely escaped with his life and his aircraft intact but raised the curtain on naval aviation . Ely, a 24 year-old Midwesterner from Iowa , may seem like an unlikely aviator .   But in those early days of aviation, he was not untypical of the kind of daydreaming tinkerers and speed enthusiasts who were drawn to the new opportunities in the sky. He was born in the farming community of Williamsburg, Iowa on October 2...

Today was my day off for the Veterans Day holiday, and I managed to come down with bronchitis. What a waste of a holiday. I’m ill enough that I can’t do anything fun, but not so ill that I can sleep all day. By mid-afternoon, I got so bored that I was reduced to watching … Continue reading "Guts"

There’s no avoiding it: as soon as I start posting drawings like this and the previous one, some people will evaluate them politically. Am I showing too many images of ___ and not enough of ___? What do I mean by giving attention to ___ instead of ___? Etc. I can’t say these aren’t political. […]

Interdependence is our theme for November, and trust is what allows our interdependence to best function and flourish. Trust. Sissela Bok says:“Whatever matters to human beings, trust is the atmosphere in which it thrives.”Whatever matters, trust is the atmosphere in which it thrives. How is that atmosphere in your life? How is it in our congregation? Maybe it could be better. In the 1992 Disney cartoon movie, Aladdin, there are two moments when Aladdin holds out his hand to Jasmine and asks her, “Do you trust me?” The first time, Aladdin is a street urchin, and Jasmine’s in disguise as a commoner. The second time, he’s in disguise as a prince and she’s in her element as a princess in the palace. Would you trust him? Neithe...

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, NYC has a zodiac display from Dior, Crossings of the Veil, announcements, and Alaska's amazing transparent ice lake. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes Week of November 13, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

Reverend Tina will be speaking about her sabbatical experience at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, Oregon.

Part two of "The Gift of Generosity" -- Our generosity goes hand in hand with our ability to trust others... especially those who benefit from our gifts.

Years ago I heard a Buddhist phrase–“The cup is already broken.” Its intent is for us to meditate on the transient nature of all of our reality. If we think of the cup as “already broken,” we can appreciate the cup now, and not be attached to keeping it in the future. At least, that […]

Presented at the Unitarian Church of Quincy, Illinois 12 November 202 3 In the traditional wheel of the year, fall is when things come to a conclusion. You can see different aspects of that theme in the season’s two major holidays: Thanksgiving is about harvest, and Halloween is about death. The great UU preacher and author Forrest Church once summed up all of religion as “our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die”. That’s what I want to talk about today. Most of us deal with that challenge, at least in part, by practicing denial. Yes, we’ll die, but let’s not think about that right now. This is the attitude Don Juan cautioned Carlos Castaneda against when he told him to “use Death as an adviso...

Shelley Jackson Denham Gentle darkness, soft and still, bring your quiet to me.

The first service at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett this November featured four speakers sharing reflections on generosity in addition to the homily and, though Iparticipated as a speaker, I found myself further inspired by the thoughts of our … Continue reading →

Sometimes, things just make us angry. Sometimes, that anger is intense and hot and needs to burn. We wrongly relegate that hot, hot anger to the list of “negative emotions,” as if there is such a thing. What makes you burn with anger?

A popular British magazine illustration of the police charge on marchers in Trafalgar Square in 1887. There sure are one hell of a lot of Bloody Sundays.   Could make your head spin.   A Wikipedia Disambiguation page lists 18 between 1873 and 1991 and I am not sure the list is definitive.   The first was a Reconstruction Era race riot in Colfax, Louisiana in which White Democrats attacked Black Republicans and Militia members trying to defend the ballot results of an election.   Between 50 and 160 Blacks were killed, most executed after surrendering and their bodies dumped in the river.   The most recent was on January 13, 1991 in Vilnius, Lithuania when Soviet troops opened fire on civilians protesting rising prices in newly indepe...

For the most part, we can do what witches and Pagans do to whatever degree we desire. At the same time, we need to pay attention to our environment and be ready if a situation gets out of hand, beginning with seeing things as they really are and taking care of ourselves.

The food was bad, the magic was bad, and both were written by people who had all of this knowledge they forgot to put down on the page. But making food felt like the easier version of reading the grimoires. Troubleshooting instructions, handwriting alterations, and crossing out some steps altogether made me more confident in both the kitchen and the sacred circle. Continue reading The Kitchen Ghost at The Wild Hunt.

Friends, we need to be careful with our language.

I got in 3 hikes this week for a total of 18.3 miles. It included one mountain, not the tallest around, but still a mountain. The fall and the spring are my favorite times to hike. Not too hot like the summer and not too wet like we hope the winters will be. Winter here […]

Don’t let anyone call you lazy. Rest when you need it, and maybe when you want it. Resist the siren call of violent extractive capitalism. You do not need to earn rest–and it is not sloth just because someone else thinks you shouldn’t be resting. Rest when you want to today.

The cast of Dad's Army , Private Godfrey is on the left An address given on Remembrance Sunday 2015 and reposted here on Remembrance Sunday 2023 as I am currently away on a week of leave. READINGS: Ecclesiastes 9:17-18: The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Two passages by William Stafford from Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and War : William Stafford, Kim Robert Stafford, Milkweed Editions, 2003: 22 March 1968 The Fallacy of Retrospective Certainty: People can select in the past certain events or persons and ascribe to them a crucial role in what eventuated. Sighting back past a chain of occur...

A month ago, I glanced at the Dollar Store wall calendar tacked next to my desk.   It showed the beginning of the Hindu Festival of Diwali as October 12.   I leaped into action and dusted off a semi regular post about the celebration and put it up on Heretic , Rebel, a Thing to Flout .   Unfortunately, the esteemed Chinese publisher of discount calendars failed to update Diwali for 2023.   There are deep lessons of research and confirmations for the crow-eating Old Man. Other than the date screwup the original post is still a reasonable presentation of the joyous festival.   If you missed it the first time visit   Celebrating the Victory of Light Over Darkness Diwali is a Festival of Light

I get most of my online news from BBC.com. I’m also a regular online reader of Religion News Service, which covers the news beat I’m most interested in, the role of religion in culture. But I’ve put off subscribing to other online news outlets. If I want local news, I’ll go out and buy a … Continue reading "Subscribed"

Please join us on Sunday (12 November 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Breathing In, Breathing Out” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell — the All Souls Choir will sing. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA  71106 if … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (12 November 2023)"

For this Sunday (12 November 2023), our children (Pre-K thru Grade 5) will be using a program adapted from Moral Tales (a Tapestry of Faith curriculum by Alice Anacheka Nasemann and Elisa Davy Pearmain). The lesson for this week is “Courage and Perseverance” (featuring a Buddhist story on the courage to do what is right … Continue reading "Pre-K thru Grade 5 Children’s Religious Education (12 November 2023)"

This class is an exploration of our eight Unitarian Universalist principles through artistic expression. On this Sunday (12 November 2023), we will explore the 6th principle (“the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all”). The All8 curriculum is the creation of Jil Novenski (Director of Religious Education — Community Unitarian Universalist … Continue reading "Middle and High School Youth Religious Education (12 November 2023)"

Please join us on Sunday (12 November 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. We will continue reading the UUA Common Read for 2023 — On Repentance and Repair … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 12 November 2023"

Our monthly building and grounds work day is usually on the second Saturday of each month. For November, we are moving our building and grounds work day to the third Saturday (18 November 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM We have LA -AID guests staying with us through the second weekend in November and … Continue reading "November 2023 Building and Grounds Work Day Moved to 18 November 2023"

The building will be going on the market sooner than we initially anticipated so the sign will be out front soon. Even knowing this is coming, we did not want you to be blindsided by the sign’s appearance. Board President Sally Wood will be calling congregants to schedule small group meetings to keep everyone updated … Continue reading "Building Sale Update — 11 November 2023"

Archeologists have uncovered a 2700 year old state of a lammasu, an Assyrian guardian deity, near modern Mosul, Iraq. But the story of how an artifact known to scholars since the 1800s was finally excavated shows how archeology and heritage must contend with war, looting, and political turmoil. Continue reading Archeologists uncover an 18 tonne lammasu – for the second time at The Wild Hunt.

An all too brief tribute to my friend Tupak Huehuecoyotl. The post Tupak HuehuecoyotlTupak (1952-2023): Rest in Power appeared first on Colin Bossen.

 It’s just over three years since the podcast associated with this blog began and so, as a little celebration of that, and to say thank you to all of you who take the time to listen, here's the theme tune to the podcast. I wrote this piece of music many years ago as a birthday present for my wife, Susanna, without whom very little would be possible.  It’s been played live a fair few times in various bands I’ve worked with, but for a long time it remained unrecorded. Then, in 2017, the opportunity arose to record it in the midst of a session that, alas, never got released.  Hey ho . . . but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I doubt it will ever get a proper release, so this mini-release here will have to do. I hope you will enj...

Yesterday I drove to Jacksonville, Arkansas to pick up furniture that I'd made years ago that's being donated to the new Museum of Eureka Springs Art. I had made the furniture for Paul Harvel, then director of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce for his office in their new building in downtown Little Rock. The office overlooks the Arkansas River.When Paul retired from the State Chamber, the furniture went with and was used in his offices at Chambers of Commerce in Fort Smith, Russelville, and Jacksonville, and for a time was loaned as the office furniture for the director of the largest advertising firm in the state.  You can see that it was well traveled before arriving back here in Eureka Springs. Today we'll be setting it up in it...