Yes, Love blesses me, Even as the sources and symbols of my pain look on. Love blesses me from its infinite well, And I turn and notice… that goodness and kindness and grace, follow me everywhere, everywhere I go. -from “Psalm 23 for this moment,” by Kevin Tarsa Read the rest here. How can you … Continue reading Infinite Love

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "25 September 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "18 September 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "11 September 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "4 September 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

By Alicia Kennedy | The day after category 1 Hurricane Fiona had left the entire archipelago of Puerto Rico with no power, caused destructive flooding, and generally unleashed catastrophe in most places, tourists were back to normal in Old San Juan. My husband and I biked throughout the metro area to take stock of the damage and hear just how many generators were running—the hum and smell of burning diesel were constant—and when we returned, we saw the photo shoots continuing as planned: Women in their best dresses with full faces of makeup, flip-flops on their feet and Instagram-ready heels in hand; men attempting to keep up, carrying heavy cameras or maybe just a selfie stick. Bars were full because what else were we going to do? B...

Black cats make up a large portion of the animals in shelters and rescues that are frequently hard to find homes for. Binx's Home for Black Cats is dedicated to helping to change that and improve the overall image of the black cat. Continue reading Finding a home for black cats at The Wild Hunt.

Lord Alfred Douglas and Robert Sherard were not the only members of Oscar Wilde’s circle to be featured in the pages of spiritualist publications. So I thought I would share a few snippets found in the archive. Maurice Salis-Schwabe’s mother, Mary, was an associate of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research and wrote […]

      Today within the Christian liturgical calendar is Michaelmas. Or, and actually my preferred name, for the holy day, today, is the Feast of the Saints Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. Or, maybe you would prefer the shorter while still more accurate version, today is the Feast of the Archangels. It’s an important […]

  Stories of Courage A Multigenerational Storytelling Service with Rev. Alice Anacheka-Nasemann   Join us as Rev. Alice introduces the October worship theme of Courage with storytelling and reflection. This service is suitable for all ages and children are especially welcome! Childcare is available in our nursery wing for babies and very young children.  We are   [ … ] The post Sunday, October 2, 2022 ~ Stories of Courage ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

I’m not one to belong to groups. I didn’t have a want or need to belong to one. My Covenant Croup is the exception. I’m in a covenant group at UUCG. I have been part of this group for over … Continue reading →

      Today within the Christian liturgical calendar is Michaelmas. Or, and actually my preferred name, for the holy day, today, is the Feast of the Saints Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. Or, maybe you would prefer the shorter while still more accurate version, today is the Feast of the Archangels. It’s an important […]

  This idealized print celebrates a decree by Napoleon extending emancipation to all of the lands conquered by the Empire. France became the first nation in the modern era to grant its Jews emancipation under the law—full equality of citizenship rights and the removal of all traditional encumbrances that had been historically placed on the community—on September 28, 1791 by Emperor Napoleon I .   The edict was in line with the liberating thought of the Enlightenment, and the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which guaranteed freedom of religion and free exercise of worship .   The new edict when further both in its specificity and in provisionsthat recognized the freedom of the Jewish community, as well as i...

As those of us in relationship with Judaism mark the High Holy Days, our hearts fill with hope and fear, turning and settling, mystery and agency, accountability and acceptance. -from “Call to Gather for the High Holy Days (Days of Awe),” by Leah Ongiri To what do you hold yourself accountable?

Heather McDuffee I wasn’t really “born this way.” I grew this way. Continue reading "Be-coming Out"

In addition to logging and wildfires, the forests of giant redwoods are also facing increasing threats from tree poachers. Continue reading Tree Poaching Threatens Redwoods and Other Old Growth Trees at The Wild Hunt.

Every Body Is Sacred! Join Side With Love for the official launch of our latest organizing campaign, UPLIFT Action! This virtual event will be held on Thursday, October 13th at 5pm PT / 6pm MT / 7pm CT / 8pm MT. Register at https://bit.ly/UpliftActionLaunchParty. We'll be honoring the sacred importance of bodily autonomy with several of our partners and Unitarian Universalists from around the country who are faithfully organizing for LGBTQIA+, Gender, and Reproductive Justice. Come be a part of this special event where we proclaim "Every Body is Sacred!" and celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of every person and launch ourselves into action!

A deep commitment to justice helped shut down one of the most notorious detention centers in the United States.

I have a part inside of me that understands that every other human and I belong to each other. Granted, that part of me understands that this is a lofty notion, and so it often remains quiet . Other parts … Continue reading →

The International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals archives its collection at the Internet Archive. One of the surprising discoveries is a 1937 article by Catholic convert Lord Alfred Douglas in a publication called Modern Mystic. “Lord Alfred Douglas, who contributes an article to this issue,” wrote the editor, “is perhaps the […]

A Mormon news site published a series of essays from leaders of religiously affiliated colleges and universities titled “Dare to Be Different.” I support the right of religious groups to operate their own schools. But they have to choose what comes first.

          By some forms of reckoning it was on this day, the 28th of September in the year 551 before our common era, that the sage Kǒng Fūzǐ, “Master Kǒng,” or commonly 孔子; Kǒngzǐ, or to most of us, Confucius was born. I am not regular in noting this day as it rolls […]

Thomas Crapper & Co. toilets are still in common use in the United Kingdom. As a blogger who covers historical events and personages both great and small, it is my sad duty to occasionally disabuse you of your most cherished illusions. Like this one:  The standard flush toilet was invented by Sir Thomas Crapper in the Britain in the 19th Century, lending his name to human solid waste disposal, the waste itself, and anything else that stinksfor any reason because it was emblazoned on his products. Wrong on two or three major counts but containing the kernel of truth. On the other hand, the self-appointed myth busters who claim that the whole thing is a lie and that there never was a Thomas Crapper are also wrong. Thomas Crapper, plumber ...

On Saturday, Pope Francis spoke to a gathering of one thousand people under the age of 35. He said, in part: “‘The first market economy was born in the 13th century in Europe through daily contact with Franciscan Friars, who were friends of the first merchants. That economy certainly created wealth but it did not … Continue reading "People who no longer like capitalism"

My young adult daughter was visiting for a couple of weeks. She loves our dog. She would be mid sentence, or mid task, and catch a glimpse of our dog, and she would stop and smile and say “look how cute”. I might have walked by several times and not have noticed, but she would … Continue reading Presence

A recent ruling in Texas and preventative HIV medical treatment could have impacts that Pagans should be aware of. Continue reading Recent ruling undermines religious freedom and the ACA at The Wild Hunt.

As part of our mission-centered policy-based governance, each year the new Board of Trustees has a retreat to consider the year to come. They work on getting to know one another, choosing an Annual Focus of Ministry, Open Questions for the congregation, work projects from ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Sept. 27th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

RE classes began this past Sunday! It was such a joy to look around the Great Hall and see so many Children and Youth, and then to see them transition to their classrooms for the in-person start of another RE year! It was a good ... read more . The post Religious Education News – Sept. 27th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Join UU Schenectady member and mindfulness Buddhist practitioner, Tamara Geveci, for six sessions of shared in-person meditation and mindfulness practice. All are welcome for any or all of the Fall sessions in the Emerson Room (or maybe outside if the weather allows). This will be ... read more . The post Mid-day Meditations – Six Tuesdays from 3-4 pm appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

If you are new to this faith or this congregation, or if you’d just like to learn more about both, then come to Getting To Know UU! This is a 3-session course featuring learning and conversations with Rev. Wendy, Rev. Lynn, UU history expert Ernie ... read more . The post Learn more about UU & UUSS! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

In October, we will read the 1985 classic The Color Purple, written by Alice Walker, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Topic: BIPOC Book Discussion on ‘The Color Purple’ Time: October 24, 2022 06:30 PM Contact Kat Wolfram with questions, or ... read more . The post BIPOC Book Group Discussion October 24 at 6:30 pm appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

By Bev Rivero | To everyone’s delight, beloved ABC comedy, “Abbott Elementary,” has returned for its second season! The award-winning show has earned fans across every demographic and pulls off being sweet while still being grounded in the reality faced by staff and parents navigating the public school system.

        “Never did I hear such language from a human being. Without one moment’s intermission, she would talk from an hour to an hour and a half, holding her audience spellbound.” A reporter’s description cited in Christianity Today Aimee Semple McPherson died on this day, the 27th of September, in 1944. The […]

Most of my life I belonged to everyone else but myself . I was molded to put my needs on the back burner to take care of everyone else. I couldn’t live my life.  My mother suffers from borderline personality … Continue reading →

Almost all of this 1880 Championship team was back for another romp to the crown a year later.  Cap Anson front and center.  My beloved Chicago Cubs have been terrible this year after a management fire sale of stars and an announced rebuilding.  They remain 21½ behind their old rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals and in third place in the National League Central despite a recent meaningless winning streak.  But the team’s dedicated fan base continues to plunk down money and show up at Wrigley Field.  Sure, they didn’t sell out every game this year, but the stands are normally fuller than many teams in tight playoff races. The team also continues to be the biggest visiting team draw in baseball as the vast Chicago diaspora turns out...

Join us at our first ever Trunk-or-Treat on October 29 in the lower parking lot!

“The Book of Life is open before us. It tells stories of sadness and happiness, despair and hope, stagnation and change, and a peaceful stillness that transcends both. May you be written in the Book of Life. May you write your own name there, in shining ink stirred together from the tears of the past … Continue reading The Book of Life

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, US Congress has more Indigenous representation than before, M. Macha Nightmare receives croning, Pagan Pride announcements, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of September 25, 2022 at The Wild Hunt.

Juglans elaeopyren, Texan Walnut in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden Taken with a Fuji X-T2, straight out of camera Just click on a photo to enlarge it

Join us this Wednesday, September 28 for dinner, chapel and FREE classes! Dinner begins at 5:30 with chapel and music at 6:30 and classes at 7. You do not need to attend chapel to take part in our classes. The post Wednesday Connections Classes Return This Week appeared first on BeyondBelief.

I am in Franklin Indiana to teach at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking and am looking forward to a great week making boxes with friends, both new and old.  While I'm here Marc Adams and his wife Suzie will be headed to Boston where he'll make an address to the American Society for Surgery to the Hand at their annual conference.  While I'm here, my cousin Mary Lou will be visiting my wife in Eureka Springs.  I'm reminded that things tend to move in fascinating ways, circles mostly.  I'm here, Mary Lou is there at home in my place. Her husband, Michael, my dear friend, is no longer with us, but had arranged with a friend of his, Rose Ann Reser, to translate for me, an essay by Alfredo Bosi, from Portuguese, Os Trabahos de Mao, The w...

                                        Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues. On September 26, 1937 Bessie Smith, the Empress of the Blues, was critically injured in an auto accident on a dark highway between Memphis, Tennessee and Clarksdale, Mississippi.  She died of her injuries hours later at a segregated hospital in Clarksdale for Blacks only. Most people take as gospel the story that she died because she was refused admission to a hospital for Whites only.  But it turns out not to be true, at least in the exact form that has assumed the status of legend. The story seems to have originated with John Hammond, the legendary record producer, critic, and talent scout who was instrumental in promoting careers of l...

Our sense of belonging is often tied to our five senses. Things that I see belong to me and my experience, and so, in a way, I belong to them. I know what a rose looks like, a mountain, a … Continue reading →

        The Lord is good to meAnd so I thank the LordFor giving me the things I needThe sun and rain and the apple seedYes, He’s been good to me. John Chapman was born on this day, the 26th of September, 1774. Several different dates are given for his death. I’m going […]

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "28 August 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "21 August 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "14 August 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"

“The Days of Awe begin with us tonight. May the next ten days be days of reflection, introspection, and peace. May we prepare ourselves for the changes in the year to come.” -Debra Haffner Spend some time introspection about the past year.

  SEARCHING FOR GRACE Rev. Kit Ketcham, PUUF, Sept. 25, 2022            As I’ve met with the four coffee klatch groups this past month, I’ve noted the heavy, heavy load that accompanies trauma, hearing about trauma in others, and dreading the impact of the next traumatic moment.          At our Water Ceremony on Sept. 11, we had asked each participant to name a trauma that, for them, had been life-changing, unexpected, and shocking.  When Meredith and I read the cards at the end of the ceremony, we were both in awe of the heavy load each person there was bearing.            Not just in their own lives but also in the awareness of the load their friends and neighbors were experiencing.  Right now, we are a...

TWH provides an update on its coverage of a new Chinese law that intends to crack down on unapproved religious sects, referred to by the Chinese Communist Party as xie jiao. Continue reading New Chinese broadcast rules ban dissent and religion at The Wild Hunt.

A sermon reflecting on the exhibition "Libuše Jarcovjáková: The Photographer as Dissident."

    Tonight, the 25th of September, 2022, starts Rosh Hashanah this evening with sunset. Celebrations and observances will continue on for ten days, culminating in Yom Kippur. In the Jewish calendar these are High Holy Days, the “Days of Awe.” This Rosh Hashanah is a New Year and marks the year 5783 in the […]

Crow has decided that it's safe to migrate once again. But, before she leaves, she has a few worries she wants to talk over. Join us as we give a warm send-off to Tina DeYoe as she heads off on her ministerial internship.

I only got two hikes in this week because of various meetings and a doctor’s appointment. My health is good – given my advancing age at least- and I got my flu shot and my arm still aches some after 23 days. It is worth it though. I am waiting on my omicron enhanced COVID […]

The man Ornette Coleman called the greatest tenor player in the world, Pharoah Sanders, has died at age 81. He may have been the greatest tenor player in the world, but I tend to think of Pharoah Sanders as the master of spiritual jazz. His extended musical meditation on peace, called “Hum Allah Hum Allah … Continue reading "Pharoah Sanders"

Building relationships with your local nature spirits isn’t complicated, but neither is it easy. It requires demonstrating good hospitality and responsible living, consistently, over a long period of time.

Back in the days when I was in school one of the little factoids that I learned that stuck with me was that the first newspaper in the Colonies was Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick which was issued on September 25, 1690 in Boston. What I was not told in school was that within days of first appearing and before any second edition could be printed, it was suppressed by the Governor and Council of theMassachusetts Bay Colony.  This 20th Century illustration show a boy peddling newspapers on the street which are eagerly being picked up by readers.  No one know if Editor Benjamin Harris employed news boys.  More likely he or apprentices from Richard Price's printing shop circulated them to water-front coffee houses and taver...

Lately, my life is small, as if I am looking on to life happening nearby, just like these frogs looking out over the edge of the pond. So many big things going on in the world, much frightening, some inspiring, but all of it feels somehow at a distance. I haven’t had a lot of […]

We all have an innate desire to be loved, but that moment of realizing that love is a mutual experience can be one of awe. The surprise, the joy, and the care are special moments that make love real and worth risking heartache over and over again. -JeKaren Olaoya (CLF) When have you found awe … Continue reading Risking Heartache

Despite all their violently macho bravado, even the gods have empathy. Continue reading Column: Bloody Dreams and Blue Giants at The Wild Hunt.

We're looking for donations that encourage experiences with other congregants, gift cards, and homemade treats.

  Selected from MOSTLY SITTING HAIKU from a Chapbook published in 1978 By Allen Ginsberg The short poems (here) range from purest haiku through wry senryu to several which are simply poems, outside any genre save that of Coleridge’s ‘the best words in the best order.’ They are mostly about sitting, not in the studied […]

Please join us this Sunday (25 September 2022) at 11:00 AM for “What Do You Mean, ‘Happy New Year?'” with Rev. Barbara Jarrell and Barbara Deger. This is a service honoring Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All … Continue reading "All-Ages Worship (25 September 2022)"

On 2 October 2022 at 11:00 AM, we will have our annual Blessing of the Animals worship service. All of our animal friends are invited to join us in the sanctuary for a special service celebrating our shared home in the interdependent web of all existence. Bring your furry, feathered, scaled, or finned friends — … Continue reading "Next Week — Blessing of the Animals (2 October 2022)"

Please join us on Sunday (25 September 2022) at 9:00 AM for “WhUU Dat (yeah, we did that . . . join us anyway)” via Zoom and facilitated by Susan Caldwell and Barbara Deger. This Sunday we will continue our exploration of Unitarian Universalist theology by taking time to explore how we express ourselves when … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 25 September 2022"

As the church year begins, our classes will be meeting separately for activities and discussion around our Unitarian Universalist principles and how they fit into our history and our daily lives. For most weeks, they will be joining together for part of the hour to continue work on the updated mural in the middle and … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education for 25 September 2022"

Please join us next Tuesday (27 September 2022) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Henri Giffard's steam powered dirigible in 1854. Regular readers of this blog may have noticed a recurring interest in innovations in transportation and communications—the things that have tended to tie togetherour shrinking world.  But sometimes I am stunned to discover an innovation years—decades—before I ever suspected.  Take the notion of powered flight—the ability to propeland control some kind of aircraft over a distance by a mechanical engine.  I assumed that it would require some sort of internal combustion engine.  I never even considered the possibility of steam—the engines themselves were heavy and required quantities of water and fuel, not to mention the inherit dangers of fire, heat, and flying cinders. So imag...

The inscription in the Cambridge Unitarian Church ’s  Memorial Garden   A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation  (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) —o0o— Picking up on something I noted two weeks ago, last week I wrote a short thought for the day for you about Jesus’ commandment “to love one another” (John 13:34) and why, when it is understood in a certain way, I think it can be called a “new commandment.” I also noted that the new commandment to love one another seems central to any religion worth its salt and it has always seemed to me that this commandment alone, this alone, if it is do...

Please join us this Saturday evening (24 September 2022) at 7:00 PM for an in-person screening of the documentary film Slave State. This is a documentary film inspired by the book Slave State:  Evidence of Apartheid in America by Curtis Ray Davis II. All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church is honored to host a screening of this … Continue reading " Slave State Documentary Screening (24 September 2022)"

Please join us on Saturday (24 September 2022) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. 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 is free and open to all. For more information, contact Larry … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (24 September 2022)"

One of the reasons I love teaching and interacting with students, especially the small ones, are the moments of awe that happen on a daily basis. There is an incredible energy that erupts when a being is learning and growing, and you can witness it in front of you.  When a person has a moment … Continue reading Teaching

Redlined communities or “sacrifice zones” also bear the highest energy burdens in the country, with low-income communities spending three times more of their income on energy costs. I’m sure these percentages are much higher now as energy costs have skyrocketed in the past year. Urban heat islands plus high energy burdens plus poor air quality combine to increase incidents of violence and mental health crises in redlined communities, which leads to increased incarceration and criminalization of people of color. In short, it's impossible to separate struggles for climate justice and racial justice, because they are so deeply intertwined both here in the US and across the globe. As part of the deal to pass the Inflation Reduction Act...

Talk about an affront to human life. In a bait-and-switch tactic to push the Right’s anti-immigrant message, FL Governor Ron DeSantis paid to send 50 migrants like cattle on an airplane from San Antonio, TX, to Martha’s Vineyard, MA. The migrants were told they’d land in Boston, where they could get expedited work papers. On top of that, hundreds of thousands of people across Puerto Rico are waiting for water and power to be restored after Hurricane Fiona knocked out power lines and collapsed infrastructure with massive flooding. A rough way for Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month to start.

“What are these pillars, Gramma? Why do they feel so strange?” She stopped on the sidewalk and looked at me over the top of her glasses and said, "You ask strange questions, Sheri Ann." Continue reading Column: Remembering and Keeping at The Wild Hunt.

This week in the Clear Spring School wood shop, my Kindergarten students made letter holders, that could also be used to hold napkins at the kitchen table. There are very good reasons for kids to make useful art. It goes home with them and establishes a great relationship between home and school. When children see the things they've made celebrated by use in the home, they know that they and their work is valued and appreciated. A carefully crafted item is concrete evidence of learning. And when the parents ask their kids, "what did you do in school today?" it's a question easily answered, and the kids are very proud of their work. For this project, I re-sawed white pine to make thinner stock for the front and back of the letter holder, ...

Giving the Checkers speech, Nixon sat behind the kind of home desk many middle class men used to pay the monthly bills.  He outlined his financial history in great detail asserting he and Pat lived pay check to pay check and were in debt with mortgages and bills. As scandals go these days the “Millionaire’s Club” or Fund Scandal that nearly bumped young Senator Richard Nixon off the 1952 Republican Party ticket, seems like a tempest in a tea pot.  It involved only $18,000 raised from political supporters in California—most of them wealthy men—to cover political expenses such as travel, hotel, meals, mailings, and telephones and such for a “permanent campaign” until the Senator was up for re-elect...

This past weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to lead – or I suppose it would be more accurate to say accompany – two young children on a walk through the woods.   We carried magnifying glasses so that we … Continue reading →

Prayer for Week of September 26, 2022 - Prayer for Wonderment Beloved, wherever we are and wherever we go may we dwell in, reach for, whirl into, and co-create wonderment. May these “wow” moments and “ahhhhh” experiences and utterances of true amazed joy make our hearts have wings, finding nourishment...

It is said that it was on this day, the 23rd of September in 1215 that the Emperor Shizu of Yuan, the founding emperor of China’s Yuan dynasty was born. We know him best as Kublai Khan. In 1816 the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge published “an opium-induced, orientalizing fantasia of the unconscious…” In Xanadu did […]

There are some rituals that often move us to tears including weddings, child dedications, ordinations, and installations. All of these ceremonies include covenants: promises that people make to one another, to themselves, and sometimes to the Holy about who and how they want to be. ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Sept. 20th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

RE classes begin this Sunday, 9/25!  To register your child(ren), click HERE : K-3 Wonderful Welcome: begins this Sunday, 9/25! K-3rd Children will begin in the Great Hall with their families and stay through the Story for All Ages, when they will join their ... read more . The post Religious Education – Sept. 20th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

The Adult Faith Development Team is proud to announce the exhibit, Creativity in Quarantine: UUSS Art and Craftwork from the COVID 19 Pandemic. The exhibit opens Sunday, September 25th, following worship service. Nearly 20 members of the congregation will share their artwork, photography, textiles and wood ... read more . The post Creativity in Quarantine: UUSS Art and Craftwork from the COVID 19 Pandemic appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Join us every Sunday after service from now until election day! Together, we’ll write letters and postcards to help Get out the Vote. You can design your own voting button. Sign up to be a poll worker. Ask about opportunities for text-banking, phone-banking, and voter ... read more . The post #UUtheVote Countdown to Election Day! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Albany, Montgomery, and Fulton Counties are in medium while Schenectady County is holding steady in low. This is good news as school has started and so far, even with a bit of a bump in cases, it hasn’t been huge. May this continue for all ... read more . The post COVID 19 Update – Sept. 20th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

The arrival of the September Equinox brings celebrations of gratitude and harvest for the northern hemisphere, and the blush of spring for the southern hemisphere. Continue reading Happy September Equinox! at The Wild Hunt.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a draft recommendation statement on Tuesday, suggesting that everyone under age 65 might benefit from screening for anxiety disorder. Before you jump to conclusions, you need to know a few things. First, this is still a draft statement. The USPSTF has released this draft for public comment. … Continue reading "Anxiety screening"

        Eihei Dogen died on this day, the 22nd of September, 1253, in Kyoto. He was fifty-three. And. Oh, my. What he accomplished in those fifty-three years… In his magisterial study, Dogen’s Manuals of Zen Meditation, Carl Bielefeldt begins by telling us “The Zen school is the Meditation school, and the character […]

Mobile soup kitchen, Germany, 1920 In Berlin, sometime between 1910 and 1929, the German philosopher Ernst Bloch wrote a micro-story that eventually appeared in his 1930 book,  Traces. I cannot get this story out of my head at the moment because it is speaking ever more powerfully of, and directly to, the present situation in the UK where under this new breed of Conservatives (although they are no longer Conservatives but full-blown, radical neoliberal ideologues) the policy is clearly to make the poor work for the rich even as they are forced into cold and hungry inaction and increasing isolation.        “What are you doing? I asked. I ’ m conserving light, said the poor woman. She sat in the dark kitchen, a long time alread...

There are times that you belong to a group but you won’t admit it . You spend most of your adult life denying it. Well, that was indeed me.  I would hear a name and memories would flood my mind. … Continue reading →

 The doomed boxelder tree and it hale neighbor, the five-trunk silver maple. It’s the Autumnal Equinox.  A year ago in the grey dawn I went out to retrieve the newspaper from the drivewayI was inspired. Equinox Eve Morn September 21, 2021 Murfin Estate Crystal Lake   The first few leaves flutter down             from the old, slowly dying boxelder             in the breaking grey light of dawn,             most of the thinning leaves not yet turned.   The vigorous five-trunk silver maple             whose crown enlaces it             has not even begun to turn             nor have any of the other trees             on our small lot.   A wind from the far-...

       —Lindsa Vallee

Click here for magpie song (12s)

“Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not, God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is … Continue reading Tears