Target moves Pride Month items and removes others with Pagan motifs caving to conservative pressure and false claims on social media. Continue reading Target moves Pride Collection and removes “Satanic” items after backlash at The Wild Hunt.

A series on UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

Wonder can lead us to excitement sometimes. Natural curiosity bubbles up and leads us in interesting directions. What is exciting in your life today?

Cow-parsley on Ditton Meadows, Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire I repost here a short piece I wrote on the 12th May, 2017 because, just a moment ago, I re-read the poem it contains, and thought that a few new/current readers of this blog might find it helpful . . . A couple of days ago I walked over to Fen Ditton and took the photo here (just click on it to enlarge it) showing Ditton Meadows looking wonderful in the sun with its refulgent late-spring, May-mess of cow-parsley. Sitting in my study today working through the many emails in my inbox following a couple of weeks leave, my mind wistfully wandered back to the meadows and I reflected on how easy it can sometimes be to miss the beauties of spring entirely. That salutary thought, in turn,...

Earlier this week, I wrote about practical magic. One aspect of practical magic is the simple act of reaching out toward another being in generosity. The versions of this are as many as there are human beings, I suspect. Reaching … Continue reading →

          For most of America, Transcendentalism was a literary movement. However, in fact it was a theological and spiritual revolution within American Unitarianism and only incidentally a literary phenomenon. As it is with movements of various sorts there are any number of moments that could be named the “beginning” of Transcendentalism. […]

  Jesse Owens running for Ohio State University breaks a record at the 1935 Big Ten Track Meet. On May 25, 1935, James Cleveland Owens , an athlete on the Ohio State University (OSU) track team, demolished three World Records and tied a fourth in 45 minutes at a Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor .   The jaw dropping accomplishment did not go unnoticed. Jesse Owens was born in Alabama in 1913, one of eleven children.   He was 9 years old when his family moved to Cleveland , Ohio , where he was recruited to run track by a junior high school coach while working part time jobs to support his family.  Owens set his first records in the high jump and long jump at Fairmount Junior High School under coach and life-long mentor, Charles Riley. O...

For many years, the tagline of this blog read: “A post-modern heretic’s spiritual journey.” I finally decided a more accurate tagline is: “A post-modern heretic’s journey through ecological spirituality.” Maybe that’s too specific… but for now it feels like “ecological spirituality” is a better descriptor.

This lovely example of a Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) was just off the trail in some conservation land near our apartment. This is one of the flowers I missed most during out thirteen year stay in California, so it was especially good to see one my first spring living back in Massachusetts.

Want a box that has a lid that opens as though it's hinged, but in which no hinges are required?  This simple prototype is the key. The first time I used this technique was in my book Simply Beautiful Boxes, my second book. The piece of plywood is a stand-in as I finish making the real lid. At this point the box and others are ready to glue up, and  lids will be fitted later. The way this lid works is that as the lid is raised at the front, it is confined by the back edge falls into a deeper groove at the back where it stands in place with no lid support needed. When closed, it simply falls into place where it is confined within the four sides. I think readers of my new book, Designing Boxes , will like this box. Make, fix and create.

The green frogs are back in the pond. I saw one about a week ago, but yesterday I managed to get a photo. As I got near, another frog dove down to the bottom–so there are two. Once again it is lovely to sit by the pond quietly, watching them sit quietly. And we now […]

Archeologists in Sweden announce a new find of petroglyphs in the Bohuslän countryside near Tanum. Continue reading Stunning find of petroglyphs in Sweden at The Wild Hunt.

“It isn’t all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.” ~ Gene Roddenberry Sunday, May 28 ~ To Boldly Go: Lessons from Star Trek Led by Lay Preacher Dan Stack Dreaming of – and trying to build – a better future is common activity for Unitarian Universalists. This week, Lay Preacher   [ … ] The post Sunday, May 28 ~ To Boldly Go: Lessons from Star Trek ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

“All the world is waiting for youAnd the power you possess” -Wonder Woman theme song What are the powers you possess that the world is waiting for?

A Tennessee UU congregation welcomes the radical action of a state representative passionate about gun control.

I’m writing a series of blog posts with TV recommendations for church because sometimes church is about joy for joy’s sake. For the first post, we’re staying right with the joy with a list of shows that are accessible, easy … Continue reading →

As local governments are wielding extreme power over weak and vulnerable people, we need to be efficient and precise in our efforts to fight back and protect at-risk communities. Oftentimes, those who are in a position to support those who are at risk are not directly impacted by the harms that put them at risk. This can result in wasted energy, time, and resources. In this Skill Up, we will explore how we might ensure that our organizing/strategy efforts are rightly aligned so that impacted communities get what they need and that our energy, time, and resources are most effective. Skill Ups are our monthly series of trainings on organizing skills to help build our UU the Vote and Side with Love Volunteer Squads and help YOU build strong...

First, An Announcement. Like every June, soon All Souls will gather everything we own with rainbows and plaster it all over our bodies and parade float to march, dance, sing, and sweat our way down Boston Avenue.  Please come join us for float building and parade time! Watch future church communications for more details. Tulsa Pride Festival organized by Oklahomans for Equality will be from Friday, June 23rd to Sunday, June 25th with events at Guthrie Green and Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. More information on the festival can be found at Oklahomans for Equality website. Pride Comes Before a […] The post Pride appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Have you ever noticed how extraordinarily messy creativity can be? Think finger painting in a preschool class, and you’ll get there. My children were all creative and artistic, and my home was filled with crayons, coloring books, pencils, drawing and … Continue reading →

I was a guest at the Berryville Rotary meeting yesterday where I was invited to speak. All were respectful as I went on a bit beyond the normally allotted time. Education is a matter that is of interest to all. In my news each and nearly every day I've read of gun violence in schools and about the epidemic of anxiety and depression among  our teens. Our children are overwhelmed by their engagement in social media and they are not being offered means through which to attain and maintain the better mental health offered through the arts.  Schools have become places where students are constantly controlled while being measured in reading and math and the pressure is on. The pressure is on. The pressure is on. And we really need to pull th...

Sue Ferguson If I’m not cultivating an open heart and watching for the helpers, the teachers, and the angels, I may miss them when I need them the most. Continue reading "Helpers, Teachers, Angels"

Is it any wonder many witches are inspired by the story of Lucifer and his cry of non serviam? But is he the best ally in a society where Christianity is already in steep decline? How can we understand the devil in a polytheist context?

Shoe making in 1805 was still very much a hand craft but in busy cities like Philadelphia many shops had grown beyond a master and maybe a single journeyman and apprentice to shops employing up to a dozen deeply changing traditional relationships and encouraging journeymen to organize to deal with their employers who were now more like bosses than craftsmen sharing a bench. On May 25, 1805 the officers of a local union of shoemakers were arrested in Philadelphia for leading a strike, one of the first such organized work stoppages in American history.   Local employers brought charges against them for criminal conspiracy to violate English Common Law that banned schemes to force wage increases.   The strike was broken. In the post-Revol...

 Taken with a Fuji X100V using Anders Lindborg and John Sevigny’s Kodak T-Max P3200 recipe Just click on the photo to enlarge it

Faithful Funday – Bring your child to the K-3rd grade classroom before the service to sign them into this multi-age RE session. (There will not be a “Time for All Ages” during the service this week.) Leah Purcell and Courtney Berber will be leading this ... read more . The post Religious Education programming this Sunday, May 28th: Faithful Funday! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

For RE programming in the summer we invite adults from the congregation to present activities on a topic they are interested in. This could be gardening, star gazing, history, art, games, engineering, or almost anything else. Leah Purcell can help anyone prepare a session. We’ll ... read more . The post Volunteers Needed for “Summer Stars” (Sundays in July and August) appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

From Leah Purcell, Interim DLRE We’re planning a more robust RE program for 2023-24, with plans for each grade level. We’ll run sessions of Our Whole Lives (OWL) at the Junior High, the 4th /5th and the K/1 level. The Junior High level runs the entire ... read more . The post Plans for Our RE Program Next Year: This Could Be Your Time to Volunteer! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Periodically, we will have a message from a member of the UUSS Staff Team. This week, Kristin Cleveland, our Congregational Life Coordinator, shared the following message:  A month from today I’ll be attending the annual gathering of UU membership and congregational life professionals, held this year ... read more . The post Reflections on Connections appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Research published last week reports that species loss may be more alarming than previously thought. Continue reading Research say species loss is “considerably more alarming” at The Wild Hunt.

The Pew Research Center studied a group of over 17,000 women to see what emotions were connected with spiritual well-being, and found that experiencing a sense of wonder on a regular basis was directly connected to a sense of wholeness and balance. How have you experienced wonder contributing to your spiritual well-being?

I love a good post-apocalyptic story.  I grew up on movies like Mad Max,  BladeRunner, and Soylent Green.  When Cli-Fi (Climate Fiction) became a named genre, I was elated to find a host of books curated for my particular weirdness like N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series, Tatterdemalion by Sylvia Linsteadt, and of course, the life-changing Earthseed series by Octavia Butler.  (I confess, I don’t know if this prepares me for a lifetime working on climate justice or if it just gives me a reference point of “Whew, it’s not that bad, yet.”)   Our society loves a good story of survival after collapse, but what about a vision where all beings thrive? It seems easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine a world withou...

RELIGION FOR THE WORLD OF TOMORROW Imaoka Shin’ichirō, President, Japan Free Religious Association (In “News Digest of the IARF”, No. 54, July 1964, pp. 10-11) —o0o— Religion of tomorrow is not necessarily a new religion. Almost all established religions will survive as a religion of to-morrow if they only follow the footsteps of Jesus who was himself a man of religion of to-morrow in his own days. Jesus had no idea of withdrawing from Judaism and remained a faithful Jew for life. He said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Jesus was not, however, satisfied with Judaism as it was. He reformed and even revolutionized Judaism in many respects and that was ...

                              Rev. Norvel I. Brown, lead pastor of the Cary United Methodist Church in Cary Organizers of the Junteenth—Freedom Day Festival to be held on held on Saturday, June 17 from 3 to 5:30 pm on the historic Woodstock Square are proud to announce that the Rev. Norvel I. Brown, lead pastor of the Cary United Methodist Church in Cary, will bless the proceedings with an invocation and benediction. Rev. Brown is a powerful speaker who recently stirred attendees at the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Day Breakfast sponsored by Faithbridge.   Norval I. Brown was born on June 17, 1954, the 251st anniversary of the birth of John Wesley.   He was raised in the farming community of Brandywine, Maryland, ne...

When we talk about “magic” a few things typically come to mind: a stage act that involves sleight of hand or smoke and mirrors; antiquated thinking that has been replaced with science; or mental delusion (sometimes referred to as woo … Continue reading →

Thank you to everyone who attended All Souls Fills Empty Bowls, the annual fundraiser for the All Souls Community Resource Bank! We raised over $2700 to serve our community partners with staple groceries, fresh produce, frozen meat, and breads. Through the year we work with Vernon AME, Lindsay House, Empower Families, Women in Recovery, the Day Center, and our Partners in Education school Unity Learning Academy. If you were unable to attend and would like to support the Community Resource Bank, go to AllSoulsChurch.org – click Donate, and choose Community Resource Bank in the dropdown menu. Here’s how we enjoyed this lovely evening! […] The post All Souls Fills Empty Bowls: Photos appeared first on BeyondBelief.

    After I shared my ChatGPT “homily on love” in the style of “James Ishmael Ford” one of my kinder friends assured me the voice was no where near like mine. Way too saccharine. Which I appreciated until I realized the object of saccharine was not actually clear. Another agreed that it wasn’t my […]

Today Hunnicutt Tree Service (Aaron and Kyle) cut dead white oaks on our property that will be milled into lumber for future use. The logs are large and will make great lumber once dry.  I expect to be able to make a number of pieces of fine furniture from this wood harvested in my own woods. One of my blog readers reminded me of one of my earlier blog posts from March 14, 2016. It is about poet William Carlos Williams and his line, "no ideas but in things." You may  find it to be a useful read. https://wisdomofhands.blogspot.com/2016/03/no-ideas-but-in-things.html Make, fix and create... Assist others in living likewise.

A French peasant in his smock and wooden sabots dances with his wife at village café in this early post card. I’ve heard it called the second most dreaded instrument in the world, after the banjo.   But I am partial to the banjo.   I admit to having a harder time warming up to the accordion which I associate mostly with amateur musicians in local talent contests, and Polka , a popular form of dance music to which I never took a shrine to even though my wife’s father Art Brady and her uncle Al Wilczynski played on Chicago radio in successful Polka bands after World War II . But I may have been harsh in my judgment.   It turns out that the instrument can be versatile and applied to a wide range of musical styles.   It also made ma...

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: Update on Ivo Dominguez, Jr., Tucson bookstore creates safe space, Jason Mankey needs our help for Angus McMahan, Tokyo's litter samurais and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of May 22, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

During the night the two baby robins were back cozy in the nest. This morning, they came back out on the beam, one of them perching boldly on the edge. I was sitting at the kitchen table watching through the window, and then a few minutes passed by and suddenly they were gone! I went […]

One of the definitions of “wonder” is “the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising; a feeling of surprised or puzzled interest, sometimes tinged with admiration.” (Dictionary.com) Find something strange and surprising today.

Are you wondering if Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds can transform your congregation? They can! With 30% direct pay options for churches and nonprofits, IRA funds present a great opportunity for UUs to reduce our carbon footprint while cultivating communities of care and prioritizing climate justice. Even better, the UUA has funding options to help you maximize IRA funds! In this webinar, join Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President, to learn about how you can leverage UUA funding options with IRA funds for an even bigger impact. Watch the presentation on Vimeo View the slides Federal Funding for Energy at Houses of Worship resource hub from Interfaith Power & Light Google Drive folder with resources shared at the meeting Upcomi...

Someone left a comment asking me to ordain them as a minister in their own made-up religion. Uh, yeah, no. An easy web search would have revealed that only Unitarian Universalist congregations (not individuals) can ordain. Another easy web search would have revealed lots of websites that will ordain you upon request. So I deleted … Continue reading "Ordination"

Orcas off the Iberian Peninsula have been ramming sailboats, and have even managed to sink three boats, according to Live Science. Humans who claim to be experts on orcas think they know the reason why: “Experts suspect that a female orca they call White Gladis suffered a ‘critical moment of agony’ — a collision with … Continue reading "Orcas having fun"

I sit in my living room and look at everything that is all around and  I see that creativity is all around me. Everything was created by someone. The glass that I drink from was made by the creativity of … Continue reading →

      I asked ChatGPT to “write a homily on love in the style of James Ishmael Ford. It did. Sort of… Beloved friends, Today, gathered here in the sanctuary of our shared hearts, we come together to contemplate the radiant mystery of love. Love, that great and boundless force that flows through the […]

This afternoon, Eco Fest took place on Cohasset Common, right across the street from First Parish in Cohasset. Four of us — Ngoc, Matt, Carol, and I — staffed a table where kids could make seed bombs. (What’s a seed bomb, you ask? Make a thin wafer, maybe two inches in diameter, out of some … Continue reading "Eco Fest"

SianLuc Heart surveys the different forms of personal altars found in a variety of religious traditions, with a focus on ancient paganisms. Continue reading How were personal altars used in ancient Pagan traditions? at The Wild Hunt.

This sermon was offered to the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston in advance of a congregational vote on the Eighth Principle. The post New Horizons; Transformations, the eighth Principle appeared first on Colin Bossen.

There are a lot of pleasures in life. Enjoying delicious food has always been one of mine. The picture above is from a Mother’s Day Dim Sum lunch that our children treated us to. Did I end that sentence with a preposition? Yes, because sometimes you have to break the rules. And sometimes you just […]

“There is no end to the things that can awaken our wonder, from the majesty of the night sky to the smell of lilacs in the spring to the turning of the leaves in the fall. And it is all right here, a feast of epiphanies and astonishments in the daily round of our spiritual … Continue reading Wonder as Spiritual Practice

Have you been struggling, maybe for years, to wrap your mind around how and why Americans have become so bitterly divided? The social and political issues often seem to have such deep roots, but the disagreements regularly now go in confusing or alarming directions. More fire-accelerants seem to appear some weeks than there are sensible firefighters. We need clarity about what's driving this under the surface! Ezra Klein's 2020 book "Why We're Polarized" takes a deep and useful look at these issues. Reviewing its key points will be the basis for the next Second Sunday Forum. Tyler Taylor will discuss the book for about 25 minutes which will be followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A and discussion.

Join us for our beloved annual tradition as we celebrate the lush garden of our volunteers and leaders, and the beauty of our intermingled spirits. Please bring flowers to share with the congregation.

What could be better than to watch baby robins venturing over the nest? Yesterday we saw their little heads popping up and then hiding back down in the nest. Today, they were out of the nest, onto the beam next to it! It is actually two beams with a lower beam between, so they can […]

          Me, I love saints. I love the whole category of saints, holy people of their various religions. Holy people who are not quite considered gods, but who partake of something special. Sometimes they’re martyrs for their faiths. Often they’re wonder workers, in large or small ways. They might have the […]

                         Fats Waller at the piano in an iconic image--bowler hat and jubilant  personality. Fats Waller was big in every way—big in girth, big in talent, big in personality, big in Jazz.   Unlike other pioneers of the new American music on piano like classically trained Scott Joplin of Memphis or the master of the New Orleans whore house bluesman Jellyroll Morton , Thomas Waller who was born in Harlem on this date in 1904 cut his musical teeth playing organ for street crusades and revivals led by his father, a lay Baptist preacher with a following in the growing Black community. He first played a foot pumped portable reed organ but learned piano, mostly on his own, while attending local public high scho...

Alan D.D. reviews "Conform or Be Cast Out: The (Literal) Demonization of Nonconformists," by Logan Allbright, from Moon Books. Continue reading Review: Conform or Be Cast Out at The Wild Hunt.

Alan D.D. reviews "Conform or Be Cast Out: The (Literal) Demonization of Nonconformists," by Logan Allbright, from Moon Books. Continue reading Reseña literaria: Conform or Be Cast Out at The Wild Hunt.

      I noticed how today, the 20th of May, is a feast for Lucifer in some parts of the Catholic liturgical calendar. Okay, Lucifer of Cagliari, a fourth century bishop of Cagliari in Sardina. Not much remembered these days outside of Sardina, he left a trail of controversy. His fame at the time […]

“I Wonder as I Wander” is a Christian folk hymn that imagines someone wandering through nature wondering about Christian theology. Imagine yourself wandering through nature. What theological questions would you be wondering about?

Join us on Sunday (21 May 2023) at 11:00 AM for “How is it With Your Soul?” with Claudia Harris, Jennifer Russell, and Sally Wood. Do you find yourself worried, sad, and struggling these days, and do you find many of the people around you feeling the same? Whether it’s the state of the state … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (21 May 2023)"

Spring Congregational Meeting — Sunday, 28 May 2023 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now June 2023 Building and Grounds Work Day — 10 June 2023 (see our web site for details coming soon)

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 personal spiritual growth and how these ideas connect to our Unitarian Universalist faith. Elementary Class — They will continue work on the banner they are designing as a group and will … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Classes — 21 May 2023"

Please join us on Sunday (21 May 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. This week, we will continue our discussion of Patrice Cullor’s An Abolitionist’s Handbook.  We will … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 21 May 2023"

Please join us next Tuesday (23 May 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.

Not only are abortion rights under attack but women's control over their own bodies is being criminalized. Note —A version of this first appeared on my blog back in its relative infancy in 2007. And I have re-run it when the simple right of meaningful reproductive choice has seemed particularly threatened.   The post was drafted in response to an appeal from NARAL Pro-Choice America for stories about life before Roe V. Wade for use in a new campaign in defense of women’s right to choose, which back then unexpectedly seemed under attack again.   Back in 2007 we were in shock that rights considered firmly and irrevocably won were once again under attack.   Fifteen years later that attack has become a tsunami.   Numerous attempts to...

The collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 (Picture source) 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— As many of you will be aware, serious concerns have recently revived about the state of some American and European banks, following the recent collapse of Silicone Valley Bank, Credit Suisse and First Republic. Although there are significant differences between the situation that is currently unfolding, and what happened in what is now known to us as “the 2007/2008 global financial crisis”, these new bank failures, quite naturally, remind many of us...

Please join us on Saturday (20 May 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 (20 May 2023)"

My younger sister was awarded her second master’s degree today. She now has twice as many master’s degrees as either of her siblings. So that must mean she’s twice as smart as us. Partway through the ceremony, I realized that it felt a little bit strange attending an in-person ceremony like this. There are fewer … Continue reading "Ceremony"

I remember beautiful stores in my home state of California that were cultural hubs, like Gaia in Berkeley, which hosted figures like the late Rachel Pollack and Allen Ginsberg, among numerous others, people who shared their unique talents and knowledge to an eager public... Alas, all these are now but a memory. Continue reading Opinon: Politics, the Economy, and the Growing Pagan Cultural Desert at The Wild Hunt.

The Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team is hiring! Our Democracy Strategist will work with Unitarian Universalist individuals, congregations, and institutions to equip, engage and mobilize them for impactful, values-based pro-democracy organizing. This person will deepen collaborative organizing partnerships with secular and multifaith coalitions and organizations who are working on voting rights, electoral justice, building multi-racial democracy, and fighting authoritarianism and fascism. If you have 5+ years’ experience with electoral and/or voting rights campaigns at the local, regional, and/or national level, look at the job description and apply!

“I sing because I… [have] found it the best way for me to express my joy or sorrow, and I can sense that people are sending back their own feelings. “But it also allows me to step into the emotional shoes of the composer—to step beyond an intellectual empathy with another person and imagine that … Continue reading Singing

By Catherine Ceniza Choy | November 6, 1968, at San Francisco State College was a watershed moment in United States history. It marked the beginning of the Black Student Union and Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) student strike, an action that would last five months and become the longest college strike in US history. The TWLF was a multiracial alliance of Black, Asian American, Latino, and American Indian students who demanded institutional change. Its constituent organizations included the Black Student Union, Latin American Student Organization, Mexican American Student Coalition, Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor, Asian American Political Alliance, and Intercollegiate Chinese for Social Action. Their activism led to the esta...

The group photo from the last day (just click on this, or any other photo, to enlarge it) This week, as minister of the Cambridge Unitarian Church, along with a number of other church members, I was pleased and honoured to welcome into our buildings eight monastics from Thich Nhat Hahn’s Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism for two-days of mindfulness meditation centred particularly on the theme of “healing ourselves and the earth.” I could write many things about this but, if you want to know more about Thich Nhat Hahn and Plum Village, I think the best place to go looking is their own website linked to above or, even better, to speak to the two members of our own community who have been very actively involved in it for many...

In the 1990’s I was introduced to labyrinths. At first, they were always large physical structures either built into the landscape like ours at UUCG (some massive, some tiny) or painted onto a giant canvas that could be spread out … Continue reading →

A Prayer for Asking for What We Need Hello, just me over here. Yup, me again. Still asking. Yes, I am still asking for what I need. I have noticed the differences between my desires, my wants, and my needs. Yes, and I really do need. I have gathered my...

The young radical, 1970 with Carlos Cortez (center) and old Wobbly Hungarians, older than I am now and in better shape. This was, as they say in the breathless movie trailer, inspired by true events   two years ago. The Old Radical Mid May 2021   Once the somewhat ragged beau ideal             of the Red and Black menace,             leather lung soapboxer,             master of the streets,             marcher of marchers,             dodger of tear gas and billy clubs.   Now a wreck and relic             half hearing aid deaf,             spasming afib ticker,             bad back, tricky ankle,             and pre-replacement knee.  ...

Elyse Welles describes the Tarxien temples and megalithic structures of Malta Continue reading Malta’s Mysterious Prehistoric Goddess Worship at The Wild Hunt.

We sent our school made flag boat on its journey down the White River. If you see it, note its location, call the school and send it further on its way.  

I often wonder how other people think differently than I do. I am fascinated by different kinds of brains, different types of intelligence, and the different ways that people make sense of the world. -Michael Tino (CLF) What is a unique way your brain works? What are connections you make that others do not always … Continue reading Brains

Rodney Katushabe will be the featured speaker at the Juneteenth--Freedom Day Festival on Woodstock Square. Organizers of the Juneteenth—Freedom Day Festival to be held on Saturday June 17 from 3 to 5:30 pm on the historic Woodstock Square are proud to announce that Rodney Katushabe will be the featured speaker. Katushabe just graduated with top honors from McHenry County College (MCC) and was elected as a student commencement speaker.   He is a young entrepreneur and business owner, a great motivator as well as passionate speaker. Rodney recently graduated from MCC where he earned an Associate of Arts degree within a period of less than one year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He was also involved in student organizations at the college ...

Teamsters renewed their strike after the Citizen's Alliance reneged on recognizing representation of warehouse men and other inside workers.  Mass picketing and flying squads both resumed, but without the clubs and weapons used in the May street brawls.  Police responded with tear gas and clubs at first. After the short-lived truce between Teamster Local 574 and the steadfastly anti-union employers ’ association, the Citizens Alliance , aggressive picketing to prevent th e movement of scab trucks resumed in Minneapolis .   There was no immediate repeat of the epic scale confrontations of the Battle of the Market District on May 21 and the Battle of Deputies Run on May 22, but skirmishes between flying squad pickets and police and Ci...

“In the beginning, the Voice was expressing itself, as God. The Voice was and is within the Creator, its vibration shaped the universe, and birthed everything that is. Its breathing fills everything with light that thrives in nurturing darkness.”   John … Continue reading →

Another worthy citizen science project…. Here in New England, the Native Plant Trust trains people to be Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCVs) for the New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP): “PCVs support professional botanists and State Heritage Programs by gathering vital data in the field. Across the six states of New England, PCVs conduct field monitoring, … Continue reading "Citizen science project"

Congregations and ministers agree that periodic evaluations of the minister are part of a healthy congregational life, but HOW to evaluate the minister in a way that strengthens the minister’s connection to the congregation can be a puzzle. It is too often the case that ministers feel “picked on” during …

Newly published research offers a hopeful antidote for death cap mushrooms. Continue reading Death caps may have met their match at The Wild Hunt.

By Margaret Peacock and Erik L. Peterson | “No moral code or ethical principle, no piece of scripture or holy teaching, can be summoned to defend what we have allowed our country to become,” Matthew Desmond says in his transformative book, “Evicted.” Six million Americans are out of a job. Many are surely losing healthcare, unable to pay the rent, have children going hungry. But this situation has been happening to the poor in our major cities long before the pandemic.

“Remembering that the universe is so much larger than our ability to comprehend, let us…stop trying to reduce the incomprehensible to our own petty expectations, so that wonder—that sense of what is sacred—can find space to open up our minds and illumine our lives.” -Marjorie Newlin Leaming When have you let go of a petty … Continue reading Petty Expectations

A series on UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

Today in the Clear Spring School wood shop we made a "flag boat," that we'll launch in the White River tomorrow. The boat is made from white oak and we'll see how far it floats before being found (if found) and picked up. Make, fix and create...  

The E-book of Finding Our Way Home is now available! You can get an EPUB version at lulu.com for $9.97. (The link should take you directly to the book, or you can search by author and title.) In 3-5 weeks there will also be versions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other ebook stores. […]

Tania Márquez When we become fully aware of our limited time on earth we can still leave behind flowers and songs. Continue reading "Flor y Canto"

Romantic relationships involving different religions present special challenges, but those challenges can be overcome with acceptance, respect, love, and with the willingness to practice alone.

This reflection started with a bottle of seeds. They are Morning Glory seeds.  Morning Glories are among my favorite flowers, and they are really easy to grow.  They make some of the most stunning flowers in the summertime that you … Continue reading →

The strike kitchen run and managed by wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts fed thousands daily and was part of a carefully planned and organized mass strike. After the surprising and relatively easy victory which secured recognition from Minneapolis ’ s coal yards for little Teamster Local , drivers and warehousemen from other local industries flocked to the union clamoring to join.   The Trotskyist led union responded with an intense, but necessarily secretive organizing drive.   They went public on April 15, 1934 at a mass rally attended by 3,000 at a rented theater downtown.   In addition to rousing speeches by leaders Vincent R . (Ray) Dunne, his brothers Miles and Grant, and Swedish born Carl Skoglund, the Central Labor Cou...

Following up on Sunday’s post — I discovered that the Poetry Foundation has a great short essay on “Asian American Voices in Poetry,” with links to lots of poems by dozens of poets. Thre are links to some stalwarts of the older generation of poets, including well-known figures like Maxine Hong Kingston. Among the older … Continue reading "Asian American poetry webpage"

by Bethany Russell-Lowe (Millennial) and Sharon Wylie (GenX) This past March, we attended a gathering of UU ministers, a time for us to rest together, to worship together, and to learn together. During a collegial discussion about the future of church in an increasingly secular world, the idea arose that …