“A Unitarian Universalist can believe anything.” – Michelle Huneven interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR (April 23, 2022) When a dear and trusted friend of mine recently reached out to me and excitedly told me that I needed to read the book Search by Michelle Huneven, I winced at first and informed her that […]

14 years old in South Carolina in 1944 and accused of a double murder and rape, George Junius Stinney, Jr. had no chance of a fair trial. The slender 14 year old was led to the execution chamber at South Carolina’s Central Correctional Institution in Columbia on June 16, 1944.  He was so small that he did not fit well into the adult size electric chair.   The Bible he had carried with him to his doom was taken from him and used as an impromptu booster seat.  Officials struggled with the straps that held him down because they could not be properly tightened down to his scrawny arms and legs.  The face mask hung loosely.  With the first jolt of 2,400 Volts the mask was knocked off of his face revealing his wide open, tear filled ey...

A Prayer for Freedom - Week of June 19, 2023 Lover of Liberation, teach us to be suspicious of the long legacies of white supremacy and enslavement practices that adapt from season to season and era to era, to keep power available to a few and leave even those who...

I’m in Venice with my daughter, and Joy got her passport and arrives tonight. Munchkin asked what I want for my birthday, which is today, and what else could I possibly want? Another day like yesterday? I am beyond blessed to have life, my family, work that sustains me, and time to enjoy this beautiful […]

On this, my birthday, I am ever aware of the passage of time. I notice how much has changed in the last year, and I ponder how much might change in the next one. I cherish each gray hair left on my head, representing experience and resilience. I honor that nothing can stay the same. … Continue reading Birthdays

In her first installment, Liz Watkins chronicles her path to ministry and the challenges and joys of seminary training. Continue reading A Call to Ministry at The Wild Hunt.

This is another piece of spalted wood forming the lid of a box. I'll add a lift tab along the front edge before adding mite keys to strengthen the box corners.  I'm lucky to have a few pieces of interesting wood hanging around waiting for their best use. Make, fix and create... Assist others in living likewise.

Staff Writer As her time as UUA President winds down, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray shares a message of appreciation for the work we’ve done together and excitement for what’s to come.

Richard CLF member, incarcerated in NY Do you believe in heaven? Then there is no end. Do you believe in hell? Then there is no end. Do you believe in spirit? Then there is no end. Will man destroy what God has wrought? Maybe. You’d think we’d learn That we don’t really count in the […]

DONNA CLF member, incarcerated in CA My experience has taught me that many adults who seek a new spiritual connection have, like myself, been particularly sensitized to the suffering of the world. Maybe some people have been taught to be sensitive in this way. Either way, I would like to see us broaden our empathy […]

GARY CLF member, incarcerated in NC “Transition” has become a byword in the corrections field over recent years. It has come to encompass classes bearing such fanciful titles as “Thinking For A Change,” “Crossroads,” “Men In Transition” and “Ethical Choices.” Yet, despite these, recidivism rates in the U.S. run from 41–79%. How is this possible? […]

 Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The sixth episode contains stories of homeschooling. This was one of my favourite episodes as it contains some really funny, touching, and interesting accounts of this time

Every summer our community pool opens Memorial Day Weekend with a party. After that weekend it opens daily at 11:00 right after swim practice ends.  For over 5 years and counting a group of women, myself included, head to the … Continue reading →

The Book of Cernunnos, the new devotional anthology dedicated to the Lord of the Animals – and of many other things – is now available.

Most illustrations of the famous kite fly get it wrong--Ben out doors, the lightning actually striking the kite, his son William either absent or depicted as a small boy.  This one gets most of it right as Ben and his 19 year old son seek shelter from the rain in a shed.  The only err in this one is Franklin is holding the wet string above the key, not by the dry ribbon below it.  William holds the Lyden Jar which is charged by electrical discharges from the clouds, not by a direct lightning strike of the kite. Like a youthful George Washington chopping down the cherry tree, Benjamin Franklin flying the kite in the lightening storm is an image known to every school child.   Unlike the cherry tree myth, Franklin really did fly a kite ...

Or what if, worse, I don’t love them? Love is a many faceted thing. So is liking. Having connections with. Delighting in the presence of. All of these are many faceted. We have a cultural framework of parenthood that suggests it should be all beauty, all roses, that as parents we should be overflowing with …</p> The post What if I don’t like my child? first appeared on For Parents of Children w/Chronic Illness.

This is a new lift lid box. The lid is spalted maple and the body of the box is elm. Note the direction of the wood grain, and that the mitered corners are glued side grain to side grain, making it an easy box to make. Make, fix and create...

“A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.” – Nikki Giovanni How have you learned to embrace change?

CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery — June 14, 2023 In its final report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called on “all religious denominations and faith groups who have not already done so to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples. . .” (Call to […] The post CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities — June 14, 2023 Each year, the Board of Trustees reviews and updates the goals and strategic priorities of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). These are sent out in advance of each Annual General Meeting, and member congregations, through their delegates, discuss and vote on these goals […] The post A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

Editor-in-chief, Manny Moreno warns the increasing trend by Evangelicals to demonize alternative beliefs and practices that has the potential to fuel a reprisal of the Satanic Panic of the 80s. Continue reading Editorial: There is Plenty of Panic Fuel at The Wild Hunt.

                                          A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread – and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness – Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow! It was today, the […]

By Leslie Feinberg | Capitalism is one of the most irrational economic systems imaginable: those who do the most, get the least, and those who do the least, get the most. How can such a system continue? It couldn’t if the vast, laboring majority got together to fight for a new, more equitable economy.

The Biden Administration’s efforts to secure the border have only caused more hardship for people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Jeff Milchen U.S. Supreme Court Threatens Dangerous Exceptions to Public Accommodations Laws.

June 2023

The months of May and June often bring transitions related to academic promotions, graduations, and other milestones related to the culmination of years of dedication and hard work. At this time of year, we often celebrate loved ones as they move from one phase of life into another. We wrap up another year in the […]

This box is unusual in that the grain runs vertically rather than around the box. Gluing edge grain to edge grain eliminates the need of other joinery techniques.  In the meantime, as I'm working in my shop there are others whose purpose is more profound. The makers of Ukraine... https://makezine.com/article/maker-news/makers-in-defense-of-ukraine/  Make, fix and create...

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The fifth episode features stories of family life, parenting, and raising children in a time of pandemic. This was a tough time for children and families, and those caring for

We are in Venice! Minus Joy, because she is still waiting for her passport. Public service announcement: If you need a new passport, imagine how long each stage would normally take and double it. This part of the State Department is so understaffed, or whatever, that it’s not even possible to get an appointment in […]

Our Rev. Jan is retiring. Our congregation had a retirement party for her. It was a sad and joyous celebration. Sad because she is leaving. Joyous for the time she was with us and for the beginning of a wonderful … Continue reading →

Seven questions and answers about the Gods and our experiences of Them, Pagan books, spiritual practices, and the concept of grace.

  Note:   We’ve been here before but slightly updated to account In case you hadn’t noticed today is officially Flag Day , a demi-holiday easily overlooked.  It is celebrated by displaying the American Flag.  Veterans groups often organize solemn flag disposal ceremonies .   No other country on Earth makes quite the fetish of its flag as does the United States.  The word idolatry comes to mind.  At its worst it elevates the symbol—the Flag—over the substance—the democratic values espoused in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution.  It is an absolute truism that those who wrap themselves most in the Flag—and these days that is not just a figurative term—are the most disingenuous and dangero...

I have spent most of the last twenty years working in sexuality education, in one way or another. It’s been good for me. I hope I’ve been able to inspire many teachers and facilitators with the materials I’ve created to work with young people directly. I hope I’ve been able to provide many of the …</p> The post Shifting Focus first appeared on For Parents of Children w/Chronic Illness.

                                            When the rain beats down on the pear blossoms, a butterfly flies up. A Zen koan by way of Dahui Zonggao   Butterflies: Reflections, Tales and Verse by Hermann Hesse Selected by Volker […]

Ouroboros, the ancient symbol of a snake devouring its own tail, is a powerful representation of the interconnectedness of all nature as well  the lifecycle stages of birth, growth, death, and re-birth. Our earlier selves continually feed our later selves as we mature, creating a continual cycle of death and re-birth of self. -Lori Stone … Continue reading Cycle of Becoming

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  

TWH speaks with Robert Schreiwer, founder of the Heathen tradition of Urglaawe, and the livestreamed ritual remembering the desecration of Pagan shrines. Continue reading Remembrance and honoring the deities of desecrated Pagan shrines at The Wild Hunt.

June is many things, including Pride month. This year, we are especially grateful for our many GLBTQ+ ancestors and kin who have worked, danced, played, struggled, lived and loved before us and alongside us. Some of us have been activists for a very long time, ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – June 13th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Children and youth will be attending the multigenerational service in the Great Hall with their families this Sunday. Come to the Welcome Table to pick up an Activity Bag for your child so they can follow along with the service. Childcare for children 5 and under ... read more . The post Religious Education programming Sunday June 18th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

We’re planning a more robust Religious Education (RE) program for 2023-24, with plans for each grade level. We’d like to offer RE for each age every Sunday that’s not a multigenerational Sunday. We’d like to lighten the load for RE teachers by having teams of 4. That ... 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.

As part curricula for the faith development of children and youth next year, we are working to offer the year-long Our Whole Lives (OWL) program at the 8th /9th grade level, and the 9 week programs of K/1 and 5th /6th grade OWL in the ... read more . The post Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education for Children, Youth and Adults appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Chris Chepel , David Stewart UUA Co-Financial Advisors, Chris Chepel and David Stewart, provide a statement about actions following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution. Continue reading "Co-Financial Advisors’ Statement on Actions Following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution"

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The fourth episode features stories of pregnancy and birth. These are stories of two families, living round the corner from each other in Riverside, who reflect on what it was

The Juneteenth—Freedom Day Festival on historic Woodstock Square on Saturday, June 17 from 3 to 5:30 pm has announced a full program for the celebration of the date for the remaining 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas first heard news of Emancipation.   The commemoration of that event has spread from Texas and now is observed nationally as a day of Jubilee and freedom.   The event in Woodstock represents the first ever such celebration in McHenry County.                                                                       Kenneth Davis, Chicago bluesman of the Ken Davis Group, has been added to the Festival line up. The program will include an invocation and a benediction by the Rev...

2023 June The Path of Delight – Playday – Lydia Patrick Like most dogs Millie loves to look out the window. If a car passes she sees it. If an animal runs through the yard she lets us know. If … Continue reading →

According to a recent news article, Vermont, Maine, and Maryland have removed time limits for law suits about sex crimes. Massachusetts, Michigan, and Rhode Island are currently considering such legislation. What this means is that if you were abused by someone as a child in these three states, you have the rest of your life … Continue reading "An interesting development"

People talk about “artificial intelligence.” They get corrected by people who say, It’s not intelligence, it’s “machine learning.” But actually machines don’t learn either. All this false terminology isn’t serving us well. It obscures the fact that the humans who design the machines are the intelligences at work here, and by calling the machines “AI” … Continue reading "Let us name it … ASS"

“I hope we will take one good look at the passingness of things, the precious fragility of everything. A single blade of grass, a much loved coffee mug, a fading photograph, a quick kiss; all speak of the wonder and transitoriness of life-and-death within the interdependent web. There is beauty and wonder in this existence. … Continue reading Fleeting Moments

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: thor's Oak Kindred joins Race Against Hate, Bible banned in SLC, OKC apparently OK with publicly funded religious schools, Elon Musk looking for Witchcraft VP

Elaine McArdle A quick guide to the speakers, events, and business of this year’s Unitarian Universalist Association annual meeting.

Statement from the UUA Board About Proposed Revisions to Article II of the UUA Bylaws Continue reading "Statement from the UUA Board About Proposed Revisions to Article II"

Some of the Tree of Life Woodstock Pride Parade contingent before the rain intensified.  Bottom Row Sam. Ted Funn, Leah Mikkelson, Rev. Jen Gracen.  Top Row Judy Stettner, Jesse Bowen, Julie Huddle, Sandy Ekhert, Judy Beyer, Ron Relic, and Nick Madaus on the tractor.  Well, it was cold—hovering around 50° —with   light rain or drizzle all day yesterday for the annual Woodstock Pride parade and event, but it did not discourage a large and enthusiastic crowd until the last hour.   Judy and Marc Stettner; Julie Huddle; Leah Mickkelson; Ryan, Wendle, and Blossom Broussard; Rev. Gracen, Virgina, and daughter Adie, Carol Ciccotosto, and the Old Man were among those who shivered and shared good news about the   Tree of Life Unitarian...

    Harriet Martineau, British novelist, lecturer, abolitionist and theological thinker was born on this day, the 12th of June, in 1802. She’s always been a favorite of mine. The family were active English Unitarians of Huguenot descent, her father a deacon at the famed Octagon Chapel in Norwich. The family was comfortably middle class. […]

I saw how through these fixed identities and supporting structures, we the people are separated one from another. I suffered then and now because of the identities which separate me from others. Our Covenant brings us back to one another. The post Queering Our Covenants appeared first on BeyondBelief.

  When we understand the role the hands play in human development, in the growth of character, intelligence and creativity, we also begin to grasp the importance of the arts in education and the necessity of bringing an increasing number of artists into schools and applying their hands (and minds) in the education of our children. Understanding the role of the hands in education also provides a clear rationale for woodworking education. Woodworking in schools is still important despite the concerted effort of many school administrators to do away with it. An interesting point is made by American amateur woodworkers, when they call what they do in their woodshops “sawdust therapy.” We humbly note the beneficial psychological effects ...

They show up in my social media from time to time: lions, chickens, lizards, owls, goats, bears, donkeys, kangaroos, deer, cows, ducks, cats, parrots, koalas, pigs, even fish and of course, dogs, so many dogs–all engaged in whatever acrobatics needed … Continue reading →

Medeola virginiana, sometimes called Cucumber Root or Indian Cucumber-root, is in bloom in the woodlands around Cohasset right now. As the name implies, the small root is crunchy and white and tastes like cucumber — but you kill the plant when you dig it up for the root, so I stopped foraging for it many … Continue reading "Tiny flower"

“The tangled things will always be here, in this moment I am living through, right now, whatever comes after.” -from “Tangled,” by Dawn Star Sarahs-Borchelt What are the tangled things you are living through right now?

There is controversy over the reputed destruction of 39 standing stones, or menhir, in the French village of Carnac. But the accounts of what happened are disputed between the Carnac government and a local archeologist. Continue reading Anger and confusion over destruction of menhirs in France at The Wild Hunt.

Reflections on the 100th anniversary of the flower communion, and the ritual's connection to anti-fascism. The post 100 Years of the Flower Communion appeared first on Colin Bossen.

A sermon about joy and the Unitarian Universalist tradition. The post Joy appeared first on Colin Bossen.

A service to kick off PRIDE week in Los Alamos. Guest Speakers: Luke Eigelbach and Melissa Goldman.

We saw a bobcat this week while hiking. I have seen them before, but other times it was a quick glimpse from a distance. This kitty walked right by us on the trail and seemed more tired than we were. I hope it is OK; it was walking pretty slowly. Bobcats aren’t scary, not like […]

You are cordially invited to join us for a Zen retreat Wednesday Jun 21 – Sunday Jun 25, 2023 A multi-day Zen meditation retreat (Sesshin) hosted by the University Unitarian Church, in Seattle, Washington. We will meet in person and on Zoom. The meditation retreat will be facilitated by the Bright Cloud Zen practice group […]

Despite a shaky claim that the Duryea brothers built the "World's First Real Automobile", an honor usually ascribed to Gotlieb Dahlmer, this post card commemorates the brother's first factory in Springfield, Massachusetts.   Ask an American school child “who invented the automobile?” and the kid will probably say Henry Ford .   Which, of course, is flat-out wrong.   The automobile had many fathers.   Ford was relatively late to the game.   What he did do was revolutionize the manufacture of the machines by replacing the hand-built methods of the carriage makers and bicycle builders who dominated the early industry with the modern assembly line which so greatly reduced costs that cars went from the realm of playthings for the we...

“For all who left a relationship in order to save your heart, may your own heartbeat be your blessing. Its rhythm, its particular kinships, its unique rhythm. May you know your own heart as God’s blessing. “For all who had to set boundaries in order to keep your mind intact, may your own mind be … Continue reading Separation

Luke Babb celebrates a revision to the bylaws of the Troth that will allow for members to conduct rituals in honor of all beings connected to the ancient Germanic polytheistic tradition. Continue reading Hail Fenrir: Celebrating the Troth’s New Position Statement at The Wild Hunt.

One of my many falling-apart maps  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— This piece begins and ends with a reading of a poem by the American poet and pacifist, William Stafford (1914–1993), called “ Course in Creative Writing .” Course in Creative Writing by William Stafford They want a wilderness with a map— but how about errors that give a new start?— or leaves that are edging into the light?— or the many places a road can’t find? Maybe there’s a land where you have to sing to explain anything: you blow a little whistle just right and th...

We’ve had two weeks of very cool rainy weather, and that counter-clockwise low pressure weather system has kept away the wildfire smoke from Canada, while folks to our south are facing orange skies and unsafe air. Still, we’ve paid attention, following the news, and thinking about what might happen if it does come our way. […]

I propose the location for The new Donald J. Trump Presidential Library to be  935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It is fittingly designed in the "Brutalist" architectural  style, resembling many of the buildings Trump has had built on his own behalf. As the  J. Edgar Hoover building it currently serves as headquarters for the FBI. It well fits a 4 year presidency marked by an unprecedented degree of graft, lying and corruption. Larger than most presidential libraries, it's eleven stories will be needed for the vast amount of evidence that must be preserved. I'm relaxing today after 5 days of class in which I was blessed with great students who helped each other and took great joy in learning. Three of my students wanted...

A Korean map of the Hermit Kingdom.  The Han is the second major river from the south pictured on the map, the water  way to the capital Hanyang (modern Seoul.) A fat book could be made of forgotten and neglected American foreign wars or interventions. Take the war in Korea, for instance.   No, not the one when Harry Truman sent American forces to try to repel an invasion of the South by the Communist North in 1950, although I know veterans of that conflict have taken to calling it a forgotten war.   No, I have in mind an action nearly 80 years earlier.   Never heard of it?   Well pull up a stool and I will tell you all about it. In American military and naval annals, it is listed, mostly as a footnote, as the United States expedit...

Please join us on Sunday (11 June 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Focusing on the Obvious” by Rev. Joy Walker. Most of us get so caught up with information fed to us by our eyes, nose, ears, mouth and hands that we sometimes miss a very promising blessing. Joy suggests that we stop focusing on … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (11 June 2023)"

June 2023 Building and Grounds Work Day — 10 June 2023 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now

Please join us on the first of our fun religious education Summer activities for children and youth — Tie-Dye Sunday. The Sunday before Father’s Day is our annual “Tie-Dye for Dads and Other Special People” in the religious education wing. Children and youth should bring a 100% cotton garment to tie dye. More than one … Continue reading "Tie-Dye Sunday (11 June 2023)"

Please join us on Sunday (11 June 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 — 11 June 2023"

Please join us next Tuesday (13 June 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.

Transitions are difficult for my autistic grandson. His mind, already on sensory overload, finds comfort in a predictable routine. I sometimes have to gently and lovingly convince him that he might enjoy the unexpected, even if it involves a different plan for the day. -Beth Murray (CLF) How might you make an unpredictable transition easier … Continue reading Predictable

I finished my 5 day box making class at ESSA and each student made about 4 boxes of different designs, using different corner joinery techniques. The box shown with keyed miter joints was a design that each of my students made before branching out and exploring their own design ideas. My books, The Box Maker's Guitar Book and Making Classic Toys that Teach have been re-released on Amazon and other sites.  The box is made from ash, spalted sycamore and walnut. With my teaching done for a while, I'll return my attention to my book about designing boxes. Make, fix and create...

This is the perfect time to acquaint ourselves with the spirit of Lobaria pulmonaria, because it offers a perspective that is refreshingly different - an antidote for this era or perhaps simply a balm to soothe. Continue reading Exalting the Strange at The Wild Hunt.

Board Statement on the Prioritization Process for Amendments to the Article II Proposal Continue reading "Board Statement on the Prioritization Process for Amendments to the Article II Proposal"

"All those qualities, capacities and tendencies which do not harmonize with the collective values – everything that shuns the light of public opinion, in fact – now come together to form the shadow, that dark region of the personality which is unknown and unrecognized by the ego." --Carl Jung "Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.” --Carl Jung “This day our days are diminished by one” a line from a Zen gatha reminds us. The time is precious: every moment of it. In particular, our time together grows short. I’ll be officially your minister until July 31, tho...

    Jeanne Guyon died on this day, the 9th of June in 1717. Her life was complex, involved a very unhappy marriage, numerous deaths, and a lifetime of illness. She was also a mystic and author of a controversial text, A Very Short and Easy Method of Prayer. Madame Guyon’s treatise was an elaboration […]

The centerpiece of Biden’s border policy is more of a problem than a promise delivered.

A Q&A with Sarah Rose Cavanagh | I was drawn into this topic for a few different reasons. First, I was watching the news and reading articles warning about a growing mental health crisis in our youth—and this was even before the beginning of the pandemic. As a college educator who studies psychology, and as the parent of a teenager, this news was of high concern to me, both personally and professionally. Second, I was observing these battles taking place in higher education, where one side argues that youth need more compassion, care, and flexibility, and the other side says that we’ve already given too much, and that young people need more challenge, exposure, and risk-taking.

It happens quite often that I end up loving a show that I won’t recommend to everyone.  Because it is particularly gory, explicit, or just plain weird, or really heavy in one genre (esp sci-fi or fantasy) that some people … Continue reading →

The movie version we all remember and treasure. Ten years ago, as I was getting ready for bed.   It was late.   I was idly flipping through channels while finishing a late night snack.   Then there it was.   On Turner Classic Movies (TCM)— The Maltese Falcon.   And I caught it only minutes after the opening credits rolled.   I was hooked.   John Huston ’ s 1941 directorial debut is one of those films you can watch over and over and it is fresh every time.   So, I watched.   Who needs sleep? Then in the wee small hours, after Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade delivers the classic closing line to Ward Bond ’ s befuddled detective, “That’s the stuff that dreams are made of,” before I can finally pack it in I discover that ne...

A Prayer for Compassion in Harsh Times Beloved, settle us down for some honest reflection on how we are with each other and ourselves. Help us take time to face what is true and real and how much we may be aiding and abetting a culture of fear and harm...

More than once in a high school classroom, I used the word “delightful.” To me, it was just a way of expressing an experience I had had.  I remember once commenting to a class that had just come into the … Continue reading →

  Peonies by Mary Oliver                     This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready to break my heart as the sun rises, as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers and they open --- pools of lace, white and pink --- and all day the black ants climb over them,  boring their deep and mysterious holes into the curls, craving the sweet sap, taking it away to their dark, underground cities --- and all day under the shifty wind, as in a dance to the great wedding,  the flowers bend their bright bodies, and tip their fragrance to the air, and rise, their red stems holding all that dampness and recklessness gladly and lightly, and there it is again --- beauty the brave, the exemplary,  blazing open....

Delight is like the butterflies flying around and landing on the thing that is joy. Ross Gay Isn’t the word delight delightful? Just try saying the word delight without smiling. Oh I know, there are all these quotes about delighting … Continue reading →

The transition of “immigrant” to “citizen” is seldom any one feeling. There are feelings of loss and grief so painful it takes your breath away. Feelings of security and pride in being able to cast a ballot. Feelings of anger at colonial borders which crossed you and not the other way around. In these ways … Continue reading Citizenship

The Southern Poverty Law Center has released its annual Year in Hate & Extremism report that includes several groups in the broad umbrella of Paganism Continue reading Pagan Neo-Völkisch groups included in Civil rights watchdog 2022 hate list at The Wild Hunt.

A copy of the original covenant of Second Parish in Hingham — since 1770 called the First Parish in Cohasset — appears in the ministry record book used from about 1741 to about 1796 by ministers of the congregation. Those ministers were Rev. John Fowle (minister from 1741-1747), Rev. John Brown (minister from 1747-1791), and … Continue reading "An 18th century covenant"

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs Decision (June 24) overturning Roe v. Wade, Side with Love offered this webinar to highlight reproductive justice and faith organizing on the ground in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Our speakers shared their proactive ongoing work, reactions to the new environment post-Dobbs, and what support and partnership looks like for them. Facilitated by Rev. Ashley Horan, Director of Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team; and Rev. Rob Keithan, Interim Steering Committee Co-Chair of SACReD, the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity and Minister of Social Justice at All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, DC. View the recording We're especially grateful to guests Beulah Osueke, D...

A series on UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

Woodstock Pride Fest is back this week and better than ever.   Recently named one of the best Pride Fests in Illinois, a full schedule of activities is already underway leading up to the colorful Parade and Festival on the Square this Sunday, June 11. With LGBTQ+ rights and safety under siege by reactionary forces, hate mongers, and opportunistic politicians around the county, Illinois has remained a bastion of unwavering support and the Woodstock Pride Fest as a beacon in once deep red McHenry County.   This year drag performances and vulnerable transgender youth have both been special targets and both will celebrated at the Fest sponsored by Woodstock Pride   supported by many community groups, welcoming communities of faith, busine...