Martin Luther King lays on the balcony of Memphis's Lorraine Motel moments after he was shot as aids point to where they believe the shot that killed him was fired. Except for the month of April, this blog is generally in the business of history.  But in this month dedicated to poetry, things that matter can get short shrift.  Take today.  It is the 55th anniversary of a gut-wrenching occasion that left a scar on the nation and on many of our hearts. It was on April 4, 1968 that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was gunned down as he stood on the balcony of a Memphis motel.  He was in the city to complete some unfinished business—a march in support of striking garbage collectors, a follow up to an earlier march where violence had br...

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: UK petition to recognize handfasting, Miami Seaquarium to release Lolita, community announcements, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of April 3, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

I saw my first butterfly of the season — a Mourning Cloak — while out walking yesterday afternoon.

This bowl was the best of 6 I made in a one day pottery class at ESSA. I left it to be sold in a fund raising auction, or as a gift to our director... her choice. The others, having turned out not quite so nice have been passed along as dog bowls. You get to a point in life when enough is enough, but we never outlast our need to create. I made this simple illustration of the scaffolding required for a revolution. Make, fix and create....

This is the eighth of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday. The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE VIII. PROOFS OF THE FINAL RESTORATION II. CORINTHIANS, I. 20. “FOR … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the eighth lecture"

For 30+years, PIE volunteers at Jackson/Unity Learning Academy, have been reading and biking buddies, field trip chaperones, incentive store clerks and servers of monthly dinners when they also help distribute groceries to families. The post Salute to Pie Volunteers appeared first on BeyondBelief.

I was disappointed to see the 1927 issues of the Christian Leader (the Universalist denominational magazine) unavailable at the Hathi Trust site. They fell into the public domain on January 1, but since they had been misdated as 1930, they were not available. A small (but nicely worded) email of complaint to the people at … Continue reading "Sometimes a complaint works!"

A Gentle Reminder from Godde: Go where you are called,for too shall I be there.Be not afraid of the roador the lack of one –I will move mountains for you.Consider it already done.Child, breathe. Perhapsyou are not meant to know.For now, just simply be. And so it is.Blessed Be.

Rowan Lynam Revisions to Our Whole Lives prioritize ensuring that everyone locates themselves in the materials. </p>

I have been ruminating a lot about imagination and how it is part of liberation work. One of the most imaginative and creative books I read was Alexis Pauline Gumbs’ Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals. Even the title of the book sparks imagination and wonder. Weaving lessons from whales and dolphins to the … Continue reading Finding Inspiration

      Had a hard time entering the text of the sermon, so am posting this link to the recording of the service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-tFUveBfFs&ab_channel=PacificUUFellowship

 This video from Lee Valley is wonderful.  https://vimeo.com/810678294/9e796d6b76

Amanda Gorman at the 2023 Grammy Awards where she took home a trophy for spoken word. Amanda Gorman , now just 25 years old, has staked her claim as the voice and conscience of her generation.  The former national Youth Poet Lauriat and wonder kinder burst onto the stage in her bright yellow dress reading a poem for Joe Bidens inauguration.  She has since produced new poetry collections and children’s books as well as making her mark as a fashion icon. Her verse is unabashedly topical and frequently hopeful even when confronting uncomfortable issues like racism.  But even she was driven to near despair after the Uvalde School shooting in Texas where nineteen students and two teachers were executed while seventeen others were injured...

This morning, the members of First Parish in Cohasset voted to call me as their next settled minister. We followed a non-standard path to this vote, and did not follow the UUA’s suggested contract-to-call procedure. Actually, somehow the lay leaders and I both missed the fact that there was a recommended process. After we had … Continue reading "Non-standard process"

Danish runologists have interpreted a bracteate from the Vindelev Hoard as the oldest known inscription that mentions the god Odin. Continue reading Earliest known runic inscription of Odin found on amulet in Danish gold hoard at The Wild Hunt.

Back in 1981, I wrote a poem that meant so much to me at the time–an expression of the spiritual path I was attempting to follow as a social change activist. It is interesting to me to read it today–do I still agree with it or not? Since that time, I have been involved in […]

WE LAUGH, WE CRY: the role of the Holy Fool Rev. Kit Ketcham April 2, 2023 Say, didja hear this one? A Unitarian Universalist family moved into a new neighborhood. Their little girl finds a new playmate living next door and they are happily getting to know each other. One day, the playmate says, “We’re Episcopalians, what are you?” The UU child thinks hard for a moment, puzzling over this question and finally says, “I’m not sure, but I think we’re American Association of University Women”. Or what about these one-liners” You may be a Unitarian Universalist if: You are unsure about the gender of God Or you think the trinity is “reduce, reuse, and recycle” Or you consider them the “ten suggestions” instead of ...

This is the seventh of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday. The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. Lecture VII. PROOFS OF THE FINAL RESTORATION. “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the seventh lecture"

                        HOW TO PREPARE AND DELIVER A (ZEN) DHARMA TALK James Ishmael Ford “So the hymn comes to a close with an unsteady amen, and the organist gestures the choir to sit down. Fresh from breakfast with his wife and children and a quick […]

Human actions have thrown our environmental systems off kilter. What is needed to rebalance and center the rhythms and patterns that sustain life on our planet? Would changing our understanding of ourselves as a small part of a complex whole connected to the rest of life on our planet help? Rev. Gail Lindsay Marriner has been the minister at UU Santa Fe since 2011 and has enjoyed every minute of it! Before coming to New Mexico, she served congregations in the greater Boston area, Houston, Texas and Duluth, Minnesota. Her present distractions include harvesting Swiss Chard and Miner’s lettuce in greenhouse and learning how to throw pots.

Cloudy sky and dark mountains reflected in a quiet lake with green grass in the foreground. There are always clouds over head it seems, and more mountains to climb. I finally tested negative for Covid half way through the week and am feeling much better. I am still not 100% yet. Is anyone ever really […]

April has been named National Woodworking Month, so if you've not done it, now's the great time to start. In celebration I've been hand-cutting dovetails, and in just under two weeks will teach box making classes at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.  Put April 17-19 on your calendars. April 17 I'll do an evening presentation on the Wisdom of our hands, a subject that affects us all, whether celebrants of National Woodworking Month or not. On Saturday I'll teach a box making class open to drop-ins or full day participants. It will be demonstration only. On Sunday, a few students will join me for a hands-on class. For that, registration is required. The photo shows a walnut jewelry box in the making. It also shows that hand cut d...

As an artist, I often prickle at the way imagination is talked about in our culture. It’s often framed as if, besides children, it’s only uniquely talented adults (artists, writers, etc.) who get to have imagination — as if it’s something that’s either inherent to you and easy to access, or that you don’t have … Continue reading Creativity

Billy Collins reading in 2008.  His performances are always packed. Billy Collins is a contemporary American poet best known for his easy accessibility and actually being able to sell his popular collections.  Dubbed “the most popular poet in America” by Bruce Weber in the New York Times , he served two terms as the U.S. Poet Laureate, from 2001-2003.  Poetry and poets are often themes of his verse.  This particular effort is perfect for National Poetry Month and echoes some of my own feelings. The Effort Would anyone care to join me in flicking a few pebbles in the direction of teachers who are fond of asking the question: “What is the poet trying to say?” as if Thomas Hardy and Emily Dickinson had struggled but ultimately f...

On the one hand, I’m not a big fan of the proposed revision to Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) bylaws. On the other hand, the current UUA “Seven Principles” sound old and fusty, like they were written forty years ago (oh wait, they were written forty years ago). I’m the opposite of … Continue reading "Controversy"

TWH's Editor-in-Chief, Manny Tejeda Moreno, sits down with three of the much-hyped chatbots - ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing Chat - to find out what artificial intelligence thinks of Witchcraft and Heathenism. Continue reading What does AI think of us? at The Wild Hunt.

NOT KILLINGA Consideration of Zen’s First Grave Precept James Ishmael Ford Death and with it, killing is a great conundrum. Half of the conundrum of life and death. The fact of it. And how we engage it. Even, actually, how we think about it. One of the axioms of our Zen way is that everything, […]

Please join us for the 3PM showing of “Everything, Everywhere, all at Once” at our local theater with a spaghetti dinner in the Fellowship Hall to follow. Buy your ticket online or at the theater. Pasta and sauce will be provided. Bring a dessert, bread, salad or bottle of wine to share. RSVP to Barb …<p> Sala and Spaghetti Dinner Read More »

This is the sixth of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday. The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE VI. PROOFS OF THE FINAL RESTORATION. ISAIAH VII. 3. “AND ONE … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the sixth lecture"

Today in the wood shop I've finished cutting the pins for small dovetailed jewelry chests and am ready to transfer the marks to the sides from the tops, so that the tails can be cut.  These are mitered dovetails so that on the front and back edges of  the chests, the joints will appear cleaner. To accentuate the dovetails, they'll stand proud of the surfaces by 1/8 in. to offer a decorative effect. It's been a couple years or more since I last made hand cut dovetail joints. But the skills come back. Make, fix and create... Assist others in learning lifewise.

“We have an obligation to imagine. It is easy to pretend that nobody can change anything, that society is huge and the individual is less than nothing. But the truth is individuals make the future, and they do it by imagining that things can be different”-Neil Gaiman How have you imagined something into reality?

  It’s National Poetry Month Again!  If you have been visiting here for a while, you know what that means—it’s our 12th annual round-up of daily doses of verse!  If you are new, here’s the scoop.  Every day the month I will feature poets and their poems.  I aim to be as broad and inclusive as possible to style, subject, period, gender, race, and neglected voices.  I don’t want just a parade of the usual dead white men, but a lot of them did write some damn fine poetry, so they have their place here too.  As always, selections follow my own tastes and whims.  Yours may be different.  But I am open to—eager for—suggestions, especially for contemporary writers.  I do not subscribe to dozens ...

Vulnerability was the Soul Matters theme the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair New Jersey focused on this month. My congregation has been following the themes for a few years now and they really make you reflect and work on the issues. In 2023, one would think that for us, as people in general, vulnerability would […] The post Vulnerability and Paganism — many still hide in the broom closet appeared first on Nature's Sacred Journey.

Please join us on Sunday (2 April 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Companions for the Journey — Reflections by James Peck, Gail Burt, and Ernie Cowger. 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 you … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (2 April 2023)"

Easter Worship Service and Egg Hunt (9 April 2023) Announcement of Special Congregational Meeting (16 April 2023) 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now

Children and youth will attend the worship service for the first 15-20 minutes and then are dismissed to their classes. We are now discussing peace, social justice, and the interdependent web and these ideas connect to our Unitarian Universalist faith. Elementary class with Ash McLain and Kevin Henry will designing a friendship banner that will … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Classes — 2 April 2023"

Our adult religious education class is taking two Sundays off. The class will not meet this Sunday (2 April 2023) or on Easter Sunday (9 April 2023). We will resume 9:00 AM on Sunday, 16 April 2023. We will be trying a dual-platform service and will welcome participants in person in the social hall and … Continue reading "Adult Religious Education Taking a Break (2 and 9 April 2023)"

As a follow up to my recent post on Unitarian groups in the U.S., I thought I’d look at a few religious groups that promote or support the doctrine of universal salvation. There are a great many Universalists out there, some of whom belong to a few small Universalist denominations, though many individual Universalists remain … Continue reading "Universalist groups in the U.S."

Each month we dedicate all of our non-pledge income to an organization doing the work that best embodies our Unitarian Universalist principles and values. For the month of April 2023, we choose Highland Center Ministries. As a member congregation of Highland Center Ministries, we designate that organization as our Give Away the Plate recipient twice … Continue reading "Highland Center Ministries — April 2023 Give-Away-The-Plate Recipient"

Please join us next Tuesday (4 April 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is going dual-platform — join us from home using Zoom or in person in the social hall. Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Please join us on Saturday (1 April 2023) 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. Please note that this group is still meeting via Zoom.  You will need … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (1 April 2023)"

Weekend Editor Eric O. Scott looks at recent transgender coverage in TWH to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility. Continue reading Editorial: Transgender Day of Visibility should be a Pagan day of action at The Wild Hunt.

By Ricky Tucker | This portion of my July 26, 2020, interview with preeminent trans advocate, model, and icon Gia Love was pure joy for me on a lazy Sunday afternoon. She is a joy to be around, and accordingly, in the aftermath of a summer stricken with the murders of Black, trans, and Black trans people (which we discussed), I wanted to ask her about how she finds and leans into joy during these cruel times as a thinking and socially engaged person sitting at the intersection of those identities. Luckily, the concept of trans joy is central to her ethos, pathos, and logos. She also cast a spotlight on some of the limits of the not-for-profit industrial complex when servicing Black women of trans experience. Enjoy.

From April 1-30, 2023, any Unitarian Universalist may submit suggestions and ideas through this online form for ways they recommend modifying the Article II Study Commission proposal. Continue reading "Article II Idea Submission Form Now Live Until April 30, 2023"

This is the fifth of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday. The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE V. ANOTHER OBJECTION CONSIDERED. TITUS II. 11, 12. “FOR THE GRACE … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the fifth lecture"

Today in the wood shop I'm cutting dovetails using the Moxon vise that I made for an article in Quercus to hold the stock. It works well. I'm also using a dovetail marking gauge I developed with the help of Veritas tools to mark the lines along which to cut.  This marking gauge is unlike the other marking gauges on the market in several ways. It has a scale allowing the dovetails to be scaled up or down from a central mark. That mark can be seen rather than hidden by the body of the jig. So instead of measuring this side and then that side, measuring for each pin or tail is reduced to one mark. Another advantage is that with the outside edges being square, it serves also as a square in laying out the other marks required. Veritas chose ...

          On its first day, April is all about fools. What is it that we so love being fools or making fools of others? Google this if you really care but it’s been practiced by virtually every nation and culture. The ancient Romans did it. And St. Pat’s day should move to April, given those […]

We are allowed to get tired while we work to build a world of liberation. We are allowed to rest, to catch our breath. What we can’t do is stop. Our persistence in demanding the reality we want for the present and future is what keeps us on track. Our persistence helps us to bring … Continue reading Rest But Don’t Stop

Jeff Milchen All of our voices are needed to stop a wave of hateful bills.

It was about 25 years ago when I went searching for a new therapist that I recognized some deep vulnerability … and some gifts. I knew going into my relationship with the therapist I’d been seeing for many months that … Continue reading →

A Prayer for Dreaming A World Made Whole with Racial Justice - Week of April 2, 2023 Shelter, Refuge, and Home of Justice, Equity, and Compassion, invite us to dream daily and work daily and dwell daily in the co-creation of making this world whole in regards to racial justice....

Abigail Adams, painted here as the first mistress of the Executive Mansion in Washington D.C., kept up a frequent and detailed correspondence with her husband John while he was in Philadelphia attending the Continental Congress. Note —This has become a semi-traditional wind-up for Women’s History Month here. On this date in 1776 as the Revolutionary War was still young and Boston was besieged by George Washington Abigail Adams sent a letter to her husband John who was in Philadelphia as a Delegate to the Continental Congress from their home in Braintree, Massachusetts.  The success of the war against the most powerful empire in the world was far from assured and the Declaration of Independence, of which John was a prime mover, was ...

The Parish House of First Parish in Cohasset is directly opposite Cohasset Common. I’ve seen small groups of two or three Wild Turkeys skulking around in the bushes at the edges of the Parish House grounds. But today I saw about fourteen Wild Turkeys making their way across the common, out in the open, as … Continue reading "Turkeys on the Common"

Todd Eklof — a former Unitarian Universalist minister who was removed from fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) over disagreements on approaches to anti-racism and other matters — is the new president pro tem of the recently-organized North American Unitarian Association (NAUA). The NAUA joins the American Unitarian Conference (AUC) as a group that … Continue reading "Another Unitarian group in the U.S."

New research in social psychology examines how cultural differences impact how heroes and heroism are perceived. Continue reading Researchers find that Heroism is framed by cultural differences at The Wild Hunt.

By Gabel Strickland | The proud subversiveness of a pirate’s lifestyle often makes them a heroic figure for the marginalized. For the politically, socially, and economically oppressed, pirates are a vessel (get it?) through which to see their own liberation, representation, and revolt against the powers that be. At sea, the enslaved can be free, the disenfranchised can vote, people can even create new identities—and legends—around themselves.

This is the fourth of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday. The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE IV. DURATION OF PUNISHMENT CONSIDERED. GENESIS XVIII. 25. SHALL NOT THE … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the fourth lecture"

“Loving Spirit of Life, Thank you for this world where beauty so abounds, and for all our many fellow souls, whose beauty we sometimes forget to honor. Grant us the strength, wisdom, and persistence to keep beauty alive, and help us learn to shine with so much love and determination that any that seek to … Continue reading Keeping Beauty Alive

Focus —Barbara Villandry Barbara began her career working for Shawmut Bank, first in operations and then in Human Resources handling employee communications and activities.  Shawmut awarded Barbara a scholarship to Simmons College to attend a specially designed undergraduate management program sponsored by the National Association of Banking Women.  She continued at Simmons earning her Master’s degree in Communications Management.      Barbara moved to academia when she became Assistant Director of her graduate program at Simmons College.  From there, she became Chair of the Communications Programs at Hesser College in Manchester, NH where she developed and managed a program in radio and television broadcasting, and a program ...

If we asked the writers here who have been reflecting on vulnerability during the month of March, I suspect they would tell you that this has been a hard and challenging theme. Some of the themes we write about seem … Continue reading →

I want my intestine healed So for the third time They gave me a temporary Gave me a temporary stoma Which I cover with an Cover with an ostomy bag To collect all of the The poo that it excretes And I change it every 4 days or when needed I want my intestine healed … Continue reading I Want My Intestine Healed

Tomáš Masaryk,    Founder and first President of Czechoslovakia. It is never a good sign when your national legislature cannot agree on the name of your country—or the punctuation of the name.  It is a worse sign when the argument gets so nasty that the world press begins to mock it as the Hyphen War.  It was certainly not a good omen for, as Prince might have constructed it, the Nation Formerly Known as the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.  The nation came into existence in the tumultuous aftermath of World War I.  Its boundaries, as established by the Treaty of Versailles, included the largely ethnic Czech lands of former Bohemia and Moravia in the west, and Slovakia which also encompassed significant areas ethnic Poles to th...

TWH correspondent Elyse Welles shares the magic of her spiritual travel to Ireland and Brigid's Well. Continue reading Pilgrimages: Brigid’s Blessing at The Wild Hunt.

presented at the Unitarian Church of Quincy, Illinois March 26, 2023 When an ostrich buries its head in the sand as danger approaches, it very likely takes the happiest course. - Charles Sanders Peirce One of the things I learned growing up in Quincy is that news happens somewhere else. Years later, I heard ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne capture the experience perfectly with a twist on an old sports cliche. On paper, he said, it was obvious who would win the upcoming game. “But football games aren’t played on paper, they’re played inside TV sets.” That was my experience of the news: It all happened inside a TV. The images on the screen might be of DC or New York or some city on the other side of the world, like Saigon or Tel Aviv. Occas...

Nelson Mandela Raises his Fist: A Meditation on a Zen Koan James Ishmael Ford The Case Zhaozhou Congshen went to a hermit’s cottage. At the entrance he called out, “Anybody in? Anybody in?” The hermit appeared in the doorway and lifted up his fist. Zhaozhou replied, “The water is too shallow for a ship to […]

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s climate justice programming was named a top ten finalist in ecoAmerica’s American Climate Justice Leadership Awards for 2023. Continue reading "UUA Named Top 10 Finalist in ecoAmerica’s American Climate Leadership Awards: Side With Love’s Climate Justice Programming Highlighted; Award Winners to be Celebrated on March 30th"

I gave a sermon about vow three years ago. It’s been a while, and it’s an important – indeed, a vital – matter. I think we need to revisit the question: what is the great vow of your life? As I said then and remind you now: we are defined by our commitments, our promises, our vows. In that previous sermon, I didn't mention the 13-century Sufi Muslim poet Jalaluddin Rumi, but this time let me begin there -- because it's Ramadan, and because of Rumi's line about breaking our vows. I need to preface the verse from Rumi, though, with a moment to honor what is popularly overlooked about Rumi. He was Muslim – profoundly so. He probably had the Koran memorized. His major work, the Masnavi , Rumi described as “the explainer of the Ko...

This is the third of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday. The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE III.OBJECTION II. HEBREWS XII. 14. FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN, AND … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the third lecture"

The Gareth Knight Conference held its second annual event in Glastonbury which is centered on Knight's influential and immense body of work concerning esotericism, occult and magical studies and practice. Continue reading Second annual Gareth Knight Conference held in Glastonbury at The Wild Hunt.

UUs have long been part leaders in powerful multifaith movements fighting for trans and queer rights and liberation. Join UPLIFT Action and Side With Love staff for this webinar, lifting up the faithful work UUs are engaging in right now in the context of the wave of hateful legislation and violence against trans and queer people. We'll hear stories from congregations and State Action Networks on the ground, and point toward ways you and your community can take meaningful action. View the recording Speakers included: Rev. Erin Walter, Texas UU Justice Ministry Rev. Jami Yandle, Texas UU Justice Ministry Alex Kapitan, Transforming Hearts Collective Rev. Elizabeth Mount, UU Church of Cheyenne, WY Congregational Leaders from Tennessee Valle...

Sunday, April 2, 10:30 a.m. The Peace of Trees “The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence,” wrote Trappist monk and peace activist Thomas Merton. “The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. . . . It destroys the fruitfulness of our own   [ … ] The post Sunday Worship: April 2 ~ The Peace of Trees ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my … Continue reading The Persistent Widow

DeEtte Waleed How can I be love instead of being anger and fear? Continue reading "How Can I "Be Love"?"

On Monday, three adults and three children were killed at an elementary school in Nashville, TN in a mass shooting that also left the shooter dead. With rage and heartbreak, we acknowledge this horrific act of violence: both the unique, precious lives taken and the all-too-common manner in which this violence was perpetuated. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those who were killed; with the school and the community who must pick up the shattered pieces in the wake of tragedy; and with all those for whom this latest act of violence will re-expose layers of trauma and grief caused by too many other similar atrocities.  As a nation, we have developed patterns when it comes to acts of mass gun violence generally (this is the 130th so fa...

Elaine McArdle  Association offers a leading voice in the media and new resources.

I just started doing water aerobics and walking in the riverwalk at my local aquatic center. I love water aerobics because I feel free. I can run, jog and do jumping jacks with very little pain. I can hop and … Continue reading →

The Cambridge Unitarian Church, taken from Christ’s Pieces in February 2023 A short  “ thought for the day” to be offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church following the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation, on the 19th April, at the church’s Annual General Meeting(AGM)   (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) —o0o— For many years now, in my annual report prepared for the AGM of the Cambridge Unitarian Church, I have talked about us being in a transitionary time between old and new ways of doing church. This is still true today but, and it is a vitally important “but,” we are now clearly right on the cusp of beginning whatever the new way of doing church is to be. In the late nineteen...

It is only 11 days until Easter Sunday, so we are well into Lent and I was reminded that there is at least a mild rashof interest in and even observance of the season of personal sacrifice and contemplation of the Holy among my fellow Unitarian Universalists.  It was not always so. As heirs of the Radical Reformation and step siblings Unitarianism and Universalism as they evolved in the United States instinctively rejectedwhat they regarded as Popish trappings, liturgy,and anything that stood betweenhumans and a direct relationshipwith God.  While both remained in the 19th Century avowedly Christian in the Protestant  tradition that meant eschewing the priesthood,Episcopal authority, the mass, saints,the liturgical calendar and holy d...

In January, we moved into a subdivision that backs up to a Salt River tributary. Our backyard overlooks the canal and, on the other side of that, is an elementary school. Some days I go in the backyard just to listen to the sounds of children at play, to hear the sounds of children being […]

In this March session, we will make a simple stir-fried Shrimps with Broccoli using an induction cooktop. Los Alamos County is phasing out natural gas usage so, that by year 2035, new buildings will no longer be built with gas lines. Email KokHeong at kokheong@comcast.net for the Zoom link and to be put on an email …<p> Cooking with KokHeong Read More »

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s OWH Film recipe Just click on a photo to enlarge it A Cambridge street scene taken in February 2023

The Gareth Knight Conference held its second annual event in Glastonbury which is centered on Knight's influential and immense body of work concerning esotericism, occult and magical studies and practice. Continue reading Second annual Gareth Knight Conference held in Glastonbury at The Wild Hunt.

In this congregation, there are people with a variety of the(*)logies and Unitarian Universalism draws from many sources including direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder, the world’s religions, Jewish and Christian teachings on God’s love, humanist teachings of reason and science, prophetic people, and ... read more . The post April Theme: Earthly Journeys appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

This is the second of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE II. OBJECTION I ROMANS XI. 5. EVEN SO THEN, AT THIS … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the second lecture"

It was SO wonderful to be with many of you this past Sunday, for multi-platform worship, after being away for ten weeks! We were grateful to get to share a few things that we learned and experienced while on sabbatical, and to share in a ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – March 28th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Children in Kindergarten through 6 th grade will start in the Great Hall for the first part of the service. Afterwards, they will meet in their own rooms: Wonderful Welcome (K-3 rd grade) in the classroom next to the dining room Love Connects Us (4 th -6 ... read more . The post UUSS Religious Education on Sunday April 2 appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

ZEN COMMENTS ON AN ANCIENT KOAN Baofu and Changqing Go on a Picnic Blue Cliff Record, Case 23 Ken Ireland (Reprinted with permission from Koan Conversations by my old friend Ken Ireland. Ken is someone to know. Ken began meditation practice in the early 70’s while a Jesuit. Claudio Naranjo introduced him to zazen as […]

This is the first of the lectures in Paul Dean’s 1832 A Course of Lectures in Defence of the Final Restoration, an homage to celebrate the Universalist minister’s 240th birthday The numbers in brackets are the beginning of the page in the original. LECTURE I. QUESTION STATED, AND ITS IMPORTANCE. ACTS III. 20, 21. AND … Continue reading "Paul Dean’s Lectures: the first lecture"

Advisory opinion would do a lot for nations struggling with the climate crisis.

Following on from my last post, here is another interview with Rob Reiman. Although the interview begins in Spanish, Rieman speaks throughout in English. Highly recommended, by me anyway, as are his two books: To Fight Against This Age: On Fascism and Humanism and Nobility of Spirit: A Forgotten Ideal .