It is difficult to know if my articles about Soyd in Woodwork Magazine and my blog Wisdomofhands.blogspot.com have had any effect on developments like this: https://www.sloydexperience.org In any case, it is true that woodworking can have profound effects on child development. And it is truly time for all schools to recognize it. Sloyd, until a few years ago when I began writing about it, was a forgotten movement in American education. My writing about it, has, I think, had some effect. If you want to know more, please go to the Wikipedia Educational Sloyd article that I wrote or use Educational Sloyd as your search term in the box at upper left. Several of my articles can be found here: http://wisdomofhands.blogspot.com/2010/05/links...

  I had a dream the other night. I was walking down the street and past a bum sitting on the street. I’m guessing a bum. Lots of reasons for lots of people to be sitting on the street. He seemed to be nodding off, probably drunk. Maybe. If I didn’t note, hard to say […]

Caught in the rain–it can be a disaster, or a moment of unexpected joy and laughter. The kind of laughter that bubbles up from deep inside of us and helps us simply enjoy the present moment. When have you had a moment of unexpected joy and laughter recently?

Folk singer will Norm Siegel will bring his diverse repertoire to the Compassion for Campers benefit at Crystal Lake Brewing.  Compassion for Campers (C4C), the program that provides essential gear and equipment to the unhoused and underhoused population of McHenry County, has scheduled a special benefit program.   Compassion for Campers is Counting On You will be held at Crystal Lake Brewing, 190 North Main Street, Crystal Lake on Wednesday, August 30 from 6 to 9 pm. According to C4C coordinator and spokesperson Patrick Murfin, the program which distributes its supplies at the Community Services Days at Willow Friendship Center, 100 South Main Street in Crystal Lake on the first and third Fridays of every month is in dire need of oper...

Reposted from June 15, 2014 We take our first breath the moment we are born, and not until our last breath at the moment we die do we cease to depend on the air that surrounds us.  Although most of … Continue reading →

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: The Parliament of the World’s Religions convenes next week with more Pagan presence than ever, and more Deeds, Triumphs, Elevations, Events, and even wooden robots! Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of August 6, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

Since the time human beings became conscious of their existence, of the reality that they will die, and of the awareness that birth creates new life, they have wondered where they came from, why they were there and what happened to them when they died. They regarded these happenings with awe and with fear, and in that awe and fear they worshipped the powers of the natural world. They came to believe that supernatural beings controlled the sky, the earth, and their lives. In the circles around the hearth fires of their caves they began to create stories of how […] The post A Theology of Evolution (Excerpt) appeared first on BeyondBelief.

The bus yesterday showed us the temperature and time all the way from Sevilla, Spain, to Faro, Portugal. This ain’t Fahrenheit, folks. The bus was air-conditioned, but shortly after the temperature hit 42°C (107.6°F), we made a pit stop and could experience it for ourselves. Whoof. It was a 15 1/2 hour day of travel […]

Voted best looking picket line of 1919--Actors' Equity on strike.  The militancy of women actors was a major factor in the success of the strike. Note — The current epic SAG-AFTRA and Writer’s Guild strikes against motion picture, television, and streaming service producers is in its second month with no end in sight.   This post recalls the roots of the theatrical labor movement in the U.S. The current SAG-AFTRA strike is built on roots tracing back to the formation of Actors' Equity in the early 20th Century. Two long time interests of this blog—labor history and the performing arts in America—intersect today.   On August 7, 1919 the Actors ’ Equity Association launched a bitter 30 day nationwide strike for recognition and...

“May your helmets stay clipped for protection of your magnificent mind. May your tires stay full and may your spirits be filled with hope and love today. May you feel the freedom of the bike, the freedom to journey together, and the freedom in connecting to your deeper self.” -from “Blessing of the Bikes,” by … Continue reading bikes

Over Memorial Day weekend, we stayed at a guesthouse in Leicester, NC.  The house was solar powered, completely off the grid.  Its water came from a spring-fed creek, delivered by gravity.  With a propane stove and refrigerator, all our needs … Continue reading →

The Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Plano, Texas, posted the following statement on its Facebook page on July 23 (a similar statement appears on its website): “Firebomb Attack on July 23, 2023 at Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Plano “On Sunday, July 23, 2023, between 12:00 am and 12:30 am, a firebomb attack took place … Continue reading "UU congregation in Texas firebombed"

Carol and I are still investigating natural dyes. At the moment, we’re looking for dyes that (a) we can use with kids, (b) will work well for tie-dyeing cotton t-shirts, (c) are in season right now and can be easily collected by kids, and finally (d) are plentiful (i.e., we’re not going to collect endangered … Continue reading "Natural dyes, continued"

In Terry Pratchett’s book Monstrous Regiment, there’s a deity known as the Duchess. She was once a real, live Duchess for a tiny country called Borogrovia. But at some point she became deified, in large part because Nuggan, the actual god of Borogrovia, made so many things taboo — or, in the terms of the … Continue reading "Unwanted deification"

Sprocket Wagner reviews "The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration" by Derrick Watson and Anna Woofenden, a cookbook that combines recipes with thoughts on faith and justice. Continue reading Review: Just Kitchen at The Wild Hunt.

                                          (A few years back I shared a retelling of case two in the Wumenguan, the Gateless Gate. It turns on the master Baizhang’s encounter with a fox. I’ve polished it a bit, and here’s […]

My homily from the 2022 Flower Communion service on gun violence and the rise totalitarianism. The post Flower Celebration 2022 appeared first on Colin Bossen.

We hiked to a labyrinth in the Marin Headlands this week. Which is sort of redundant when you think about it. Both are walking meditations. Hiking clearly is meditative for me. It isn’t a race, although I would feel like the tortoise if it were one. I am not fast. I am usually careful how […]

In the excitement of the fledgling robins, I didn’t post about our Lammas harvest. The photo is of our fruit and veggie harvest of August 1st. It has been a great year for blueberries! We have also harvested some kale–there is more that wants to be cut today– some zucchini, some raspberries, and more cucumbers. […]

Sit with some blocks, or some art supplies. A blank paper and a pencil. A lump of clay, maybe. Let your creativity play. Let go of an attachment to a particular outcome, and just create. Let your creativity play today.

Oppenheimer may be eye opening for generations for whom nuclear catastrophe seemed a distant possibility.  Note— The recent release of the highly praised film Oppenheimer must be a thunderbolt for the two, maybe three generations who grew up without the daily dread of imminent nuclear annihilation.   This blog post, first appearing in 2012, looks back at growing up expecting to die in a nuclear war. August 6 is always, inevitably, the day a city full of human beings was obliterated by the first use of an atomic weapon.   No matter what else happened on this date, it is always Hiroshima Day .   I don’t think my daughters ’ generation, or my grandchildren have any idea how we were shaped and warped by the long shadow of that mush...

Desde aquí, se puede ver el vuelo de las palomas desde arriba. Un perspectivo muy raro y bonito, lo cual desafortunadamente mis videos no expresraran. Sin embargo, los mosaicos romanos son bellísimos. Y los jardines son llenos de fuentes.

It is hard to ignore a crying baby. Likewise, while the climate change and global warming deniers still exist, it is hard to ignore repeated environmental issues, such as the impact of widespread smoke from Canadian fires on air quality in the United States. Continue reading Opinion: Gaia is using her safe word. Will we listen? at The Wild Hunt.

Please join us on Sunday (6 August 2023) at 11:00 AM for “I’ll Go Anyhow . . . Saviors, Shepherds, and Mountain Goats” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA  71106 if … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (6 August 2023)"

During the summer, our children and youth participate in various fun artistic and creative activities. On this Sunday (6 August 2023), our children and youth will create cards of support for Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Plano TX with Ash McLain and Noah Wagstatff. Two weeks ago this Sunday, the church building of Community Unitarian … Continue reading "Cards for Community — Summer Activities for Children and Youth (30 July 2023)"

Please join us next Tuesday (8 August 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.

Our weekly adult religious education class will continue their two-week break on Sunday (6 August 2023). Please join us when we resume our adult religious education class on 13 August 2023 at 9:00 AM. This dual-platform class meets on most Sundays at 9:00 AM in person in the Social Hall and via Zoom.

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 August 2023, we choose the OUTNorthLa Film Festival (formerly known as the North Louisiana Gay and Lesbian Film Festival). The OUTNorthLA Film Festival returns to the Robinson … Continue reading "OUTNorthLa Film Festival — August 2023 Give-Away-The-Plate Recipient"

Sometimes play comes with rules, designed to make things safer or fairer. Sometimes rules are healthy boundaries, sometimes rigid injunctions. What are the rules associated with your playfulness?

Lincoln's Income Tax proposal was bitterly opposed by Democrats and mocked in the press.  Here he is not only depicted as a court fool, but his exaggerated nose is meant to suggest that he was a "greedy Jew." Nobody , and I mean nobody—not even liberals—likes paying taxes.   Especially income taxes.   We are aware of the need to fund the essential work of government, and may even support wider spending for public benefit, but when the tax bite falls on us personally, it hurts.   On August 5, 1861 President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the first American income tax.   It was a provision of the Revenue Act of 1861 .   The new tax was   3% on all income above $800 to be,   “…levied, collected, and paid, upon the annual in...

          So here we are, hanging by a thread whilst hopes are endangered by a cultish frame of mind. How did we get here?           Go back to 2009 and the notorious Town Hall meetings where folks inexplicably shouted at their elected reps and old goats wrestled the way old goats do—shoving and falling on […]

“What is this?” I ask the receptionist. “Oh," she replies, "we just opened the exhibit earlier today. It is the world’s oldest runestone.” Continue reading Returning to Mythical Times in Ringerike at The Wild Hunt.

          One of my favorite bands begins each performance with the national anthem and a tribute to all military, living and dead, who have protected our country.           Well and good. This time, at tribute’s end the lead singer added that while all may not be perfect America, honoring those willing to risk life to […]

In college, someone told me to think about the things I loved when I was younger, because those things would bring the most joy in my career. Books meant everything to me as a kid. Beacon was a great fit because of my political science degree and nonprofit internships in college. Also, I mostly read nonfiction.

Years ago I'd purchased some tiny shaker knobs from a major supplier. I found them again on Ebay. To accentuate the black lines formed in the spalted sycamore, I stained them black with a magic marker. Just a bit of design fun. Make, fix and create. Assist others in learning lifewise.

When I was a child, my Italian-American elders taught me the games of our culture–bocce on the lawn, pinochle at the card table. Those memories are special to me as an adult. -Michael Tino (CLF) What are the games you associate with your cultural heritage?

On the one hand, Córdoba in August wasn’t the most strategic choice, even before our visit coincided with a heat wave. On the other hand, this light. This  light.

  A mob of recently discharged soldiers armed and organized by local employers and authorities raid the Vancouver Labor Temple injuring the Labour Council Secretary, a female employee, and a longshoreman.  Other labor leaders were hunted down and arrested and/or simply kidnapped.  The rank and file of the striking unions, however, continued to conduct the one day General Strike as planned. O n August 2, 1918 Canada saw its first General Strike, a well-planned and highly effective one day protest in Vancouver , British Columbia over the suspected murder of labor activist and draft opponent Albert “Ginger” Goodwin.   It came during a war year punctuated by several strikes and labor unrest in the key industries in western Canada inc...

 It's not a good thing when your lawyers claim that they need to delay the case in order to review the tremendous amount of evidence they have against you.

Drawn yesterday during lunch at the Mercado Victoria.

A Prayer for Loving These Curves and Angles Beloved, here, let my flesh settle, lean back against this tree, against your body, against this couch, my curves and angles meeting and adjusting against the curves and angles of this world as they meet and adjust with me, us, together, connecting...

A repost from April 8, 2014 Recent years have seen a proliferation of books, movies and weekly television shows involving vampires, werewolves, witches and ghosts.  I “enjoy” one of these shows.  Being Human, originally a British series, is about a … Continue reading →

Please join us on Saturday (5 August 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 (5 August 2023)"

Usually I ignore whatever employment advice LinkedIn sends me in their periodic emails. They usually notify me of religion jobs for which I’m wholly unqualified: pastor at an evangelical Christian church, priest at a Roman Catholic church, etc. I guess their job-matching algorithm can’t figure out what a Unitarian Universalist is. But today, I saw … Continue reading "Job alternatives for ministers"

New research suggests that the common ancestor of languages like Spanish, English and Hindu emerged about 8,000 years ago, resolving differences in two competing theories about the origin of Indo-European languages. Continue reading Study hints at when a common ancestor of Indo-European languages emerged at The Wild Hunt.

I’ve been researching natural dyes for textiles, and got interested in the possibility of using invasive species to make dyes. After all, if you’re going to pull up the plants anyway, why not do something with them? Here’s a list of invasive plants in Massachusetts, and also a list of plants likely to be invasive. … Continue reading "Natural dyes from invasives"

My 2023 sermon reflecting on the art and philosophy of the composer John Cage as a resource for deepening our spirituality. The post The Buddha Should be as useful as a can appeared first on Colin Bossen.

I’m struggling a bit at the moment. This shows up time and time again in early August – it’s almost like there’s something about this time of year that doesn’t agree with me. August is the worst month.

A repost from April 5, 2014 Everything has its music. Everything has the genes of God inside. Hafiz From time to time I become deluded into thinking that I am a permanent, fixed, unchanging being who always thinks a certain … Continue reading →

So far August hasn’t been too bad in the northwest boonies of your greater Chicago metroplex .   We escaped most of the devastating heat waves that have baked much of the U . S . although smoke from Canadian wildfires gave us the worst air quality on several days.   There was a severe drought in June, but a succession of thunderstorms and some soaking rain have greened things up considerably.   Those thunderstorms produced the most tornados , albeit mostly small EF0s and EF2s in the country this year, far north of the usual tornado alley .   This week has been pleasant and mostly dry with daytime temperatures in the 80s. Wildfire smoke from Canada obscured the sky at this McHenry County Metra commuter line crossing. So why am I not...

Have you ever had the experience of free time to fill with play? With adventure, with fun, with exploration, with laughter, with friendship? Time in which the cares of the world and of your life were secondary to just enjoying yourself? What would you do if you had a day of “free time?”

This is a walnut rocking chair I made about 30+ years ago for my daughter Lucy, who is expecting our first grandchild in early October. I retrieved it from the attic and gave it a fresh coat of Danish oil. Good as new and ready for another 30+ years. On the news today they were telling that some of the local landfills are overflowing. When something is made of wood...  is useful and lovely,  it won't become part of that problem.  Make, fix and create. Assist others in learning likewise.

Our correspondent, Liz Williams, unleashed the hounds ion the Salisbury Plain while we weren't looking! Continue reading England Round Up: Stonehenge, Salisbury, and White Horse at The Wild Hunt.

By Christian Coleman | Come on, Barbie! Let’s go party . . . in your library! You’re about to become Bookworm Barbie and read the days and nights away. Don’t worry about Ken. He’ll be fine because he’s just Ken. Now that you’re in your self-discovery era, you’ll have lots of questions. Like why you’re in a blockbuster summer movie and how the film industry works. We got you. And everything you want to know about empowerment for women and girls, beauty (and health) standards, life in plastic in the real world, the patriarchy, and all the badassery in women’s history is in these books from our catalog. Each sold separately!

Our Lammas harvest festival blessing was being able to watch the fledging of the robins’ third brood of three chicks. (That makes nine chicks all together!) They had been getting active the last couple days so we were expecting it. But what a nice surprise to look out the window and see the first fledgling […]

My review of Marc Loustau's Hungarian Catholic intellectuals in contemporary Romania: reforming Apostles has just been published in Politics, Religion, and Ideology. The post Hungarian Catholic intellectuals in contemporary Romania appeared first on Colin Bossen.

UUSC partner provides life-saving support and services for those facing oppression, violence, and injustice because of their migratory status.

When I ask my piano students to do something whimsical on the keys, they typically play staccato, high pitched notes, at a fast speed. -Beth Murray (CLF) What sounds do you associate with being playful?

This month, we will explore how to reconnect with and reinvigorate the spiritual practices of play and playfulness. So often in our serious world we lose sight of the importance of play. What are your favorite ways to play?

A repost from April 16, 2014 When the time comes for a newly-transformed butterfly to emerge from the darkness of its cocoon, it faces a tremendous physical struggle.  There are stories of well-meaning people, by attempting to assist butterflies in … Continue reading →

Compassion for Campers (C4C), the program that provides essential gear and equipment to the unhoused and underhoused population of McHenry County, has scheduled a special benefit program.   Compassion for Campers is Counting On You will be held at Crystal Lake Brewing, 190 North Main Street in Crystal Lake on Wednesday, August 30 from 6 to 9 pm. Crystal Lake Brewing will the the venue for Compassion for Campers is Counting On You According to C4C coordinator and spokesperson Patrick Murfin, the program which distributes its supplies at the Community Services Days at Willow Friendship Center, 100 South Main Street in Crystal Lake on the first and third Fridays of every month is in dire need of operating funds.   Warm weather and soaring...

The next BIPOC Book Group Discussion will be held on Zoom on Monday, August 28th at 6:00pm. We’ll discuss the 2003 modern classic The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, as we explore Mexican-American culture and themes of social class, race, sexuality, identity, and ... read more . The post Discussion of The House on Mango St. appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Summer Stars sessions run through Sunday August 27th. Summer Stars is programming geared for children in kindergarten through 6th grade; older children and youth are welcome to come help out. Bring your children to the room next to the dining room before the worship service ... read more . The post Summer Stars K-6 activities For August! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Sunday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. Summer Worship On The Road:  20th Joint Summer Service Led by Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum at Stow/Acton UU Church All are invited to celebrate the 20th anniversary Joint Summer Service of neighboring UU churches hosted this year by First Parish Church of Stow and Acton. The service will be on   [ … ] The post Sunday, August 6 ~ 20th Joint Summer Service at Stow/Acton UU Church ~ 10:00 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

“The Conversation” website has an excellent piece titled “How Sport Became the New Religion,” by Hugh McLeod, professor emeritus at the Univ. of Birmingham (U.K.). McLeod traces the history of the rise of sport, and the concurrent decline of religion, over the past two centuries. From his perspective as a U.K. historian, he identifies several … Continue reading "“How sport became the new religion”"

…when I’m as old as this man, to enjoy life as he does. You can just feel the sun on your own skin. Right now I am working toward this life goal by spending hours in a museum, drawing and writing and marveling at art; and, at this exact moment, by making the most of […]

 I'm interested in setting up a regular contemplation group in Cardiff. Not necessarily for people who go to church, but for anyone who is interested in the deeper practices of contemplation/meditation that opens the heart directly to the reality of the love of God. This would be a radically inclusive space, trying to be guided by love not judgement. I already run monthly Contemplative Prayer and

A sermon on the tension between Unitarian and Universalist visions of salvation. The post Being, Becoming appeared first on Colin Bossen.

                       Astronomer Maria Mitchell from an 1851 portrait by H. Dassell.  Today the birthday of the woman who many consider the first professional female scientist in the world. Maria Mitchell was born on August 1, 1818 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. All of you with dirty minds can compose your own limerick now. She was raised as one of 10 children in a Quaker family and was a distant cousin of Benjamin Franklin. Her father William was an amateur astronomer who believed that observation of natural phenomena revealed the glory of God’s plan. Alone among her siblings young Maria was captivated by her father’s enthusiasm. At an early age she began reading his books and recording his observations. Her father wa...

 

A repost from April 4, 2014 Caterpillars are shape shifters, and the chrysalis phase is when the “magic” happens.  It is one of those everyday miracles that occur all around us: somewhere in the midst of that darkness, a comparatively … Continue reading →

Can we please stop branding what white Unitarian Universalists do in an effort to be anti-racist as “the work”? I recently made reference to this language in a sermon delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville, Virginia, so I feel like some explanation might be in order.  Throughout my parish ministry, I know that […]

Summer’s halfway over, August is already here, and we’re in the thick of it getting ready to kick off a new church year on September 10th. Tina returned to church on July 16th, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to…

When we started taking public transit again on the downslope of the pandemic, I swore I would always wear a mask on transit. Close quarters, lots of people coming and going, usually inadequate ventilation–and look, I hadn’t gotten a cold the whole time I was masked for COVID, and I liked it. However, this summer […]

Perhaps my favorite fall flower is Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium spp.). There’s something about the color of the flowers and the color of the foliage that gets me, I don’t know why. I often have a strong emotional response to certain colors, and when sunlight catches the dull purple of Joe-pye Weed, I can feel it … Continue reading "Joe-pye Weed"

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, "'pagan and satanic" church firebombed in Texas, Republican candidate worried about Wiccan takeover, the August supermoon, and more news and announcements. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of July 31, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

My sermon celebrating Juneteenth, 2023. The post Juneteenth appeared first on Colin Bossen.

If you’ve been to All Souls lately, you’ve likely noticed a number of new faces around the building. We’ve assembled a great team and we’re excited to introduce the newest additions to our staff, each bringing their unique talents and passion to our organization. Samantha Beard is the new Accountant here at All Souls. Sam has worked in finance for over 11 years and looks forward to working with everyone here. She is a mother to 6 children, and is currently getting a bachelor’s degree in business and finance. Sam loves spending time with her family on the boat, camping, or […] The post Meet Our Newest Staff Members appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Note —Major League Baseball (MLB) recently reported that at the All Star Break attendance was up 9% over 2022.   So was television, cable, and streaming viewership and was topping pre-pandemic levels.   “Baseball is Back” crowed gloating press releases.   The success was credited to the new rules this season, including the time clock, which have shortened game time and encouraged more action on the diamond.   Maybe, but exciting playoff races and an emerging new generation of superstars also play a part.   So does relative labor peace which has not disrupted regular season play.   An owner’s lock-out in 2021 scrubbed most of Spring Training and delayed the season openers about a week. On July 31, 1981 a strike against Major...

Bento boxes are traditional Japanese bentwood lunch boxes. The rise of plastics has shrunk the market for beautiful wooden boxes, but worse is the aging out of the artisans making them. There are too few young men and women ready to carry on the work.  This link tells the story of a maker in Japan. https://www.goenne.com/post/encore-wooden-bento-box And this link shows how they are made. https://www.goenne.com/makingofbentoboxes Bento boxes, Shaker boxes, and Norwegian tiner are all boxes made through the bending of wood.  Make, fix and create... Assist others in 

Did you ever encounter someone who insisted that others be humble but who themselves was anything but? How did that disconnect make you feel? How have you learned how to be more authentically you?

A repost from April 2, 2014 When a caterpillar begins its life in an egg, it is completely unrecognizable from that which will eventually hatch; and of course, the butterfly it will one day become bears no resemblance to the … Continue reading →

Okay, friends! Let’s get into BARBIE! There will be spoilers, so if you haven’t seen it and don’t want the plot twists revealed, move along! Although I don’t think it will ruin your experience of the movie if you do know what happens: it might even enhance it. You decide. “Barbie” is a visual FEAST! … Continue reading "“Barbie” Isn’t As Feminist As They Want You To Think"

                                          So, what is spirituality, anyway? Philip Sheldrake is generally considered among the foremost academics studying the subject. He specializes in Christian spirituality. But out of his years of study has offered some insights into […]

I did some hiking this week, but didn’t take many pictures for some reason. These are the Dancing Lady Orchids currently blooming in a pot on my porch. They don’t bloom often, but when they do, they make me happy. Last week I wrote about how being a polio survivor affected my balance. Then this […]

How can messiness lead to beauty? How can messiness lead to much needed change? How can messiness lead to creating something beautiful together? Communal work to build the Beloved Community isn’t always easy and we will make mistakes. Being willing to embrace the messiness of this work and the imperfection, is a courageous act. This Sunday, let’s be courageous and experi-fail together as we begin the process of weaving our visions for a true Beloved Community together.

  President Dwight Eisenhower  signed legislation making "In God We Trust" the official National Motto.  He surrounded himself with clergy making sure to include a Muslim, a Rabbi, and Buddhist but significantly none of the Catholic prelates who had been the motto's driving force.  The non-observant casually religious President was clearly uneasy over the implications of what he was doing. The crest of Cold War and Anti-Communist hysteria may have passed by July 30, 1956, but there was still plenty of residual energy.   President Dwight D. Eisenhower, perhaps somewhat reluctantly, signed a bill that designated the words “ In God We Trust ” as the official Motto of the United States .   The year before Congress acted to require ...

“Amanda learned a big lesson that day. She learned that you cannot decide what people need help with. You have to ask them what they need you to do and then do that. She also learned that sometimes, if you ask a stranger what they need, you might just make a friend.” -From the story … Continue reading Help

No one wants to return to the closet. To do otherwise, we need to weave strong armor that will resist the weapons of our enemy, whether they be political, legal, or community directed. Continue reading Opinion: Walking with the Gods at The Wild Hunt.

Kristoffer Hughes’ The Book of Druidry is advice and guidance that will be invaluable to those who want to build a Druid practice grounded in Celtic wisdom. It will also be helpful to anyone on a Pagan path even if they aren’t a Druid. Highly recommended.

    Looking the precept up simply as a translation from the Bramajala Sutra from which our Soto Zen sixteen precepts come, we get something pretty straight forward: “Not to be stingy, or encourage others to do so.” Looking to versions offered by contemporary western Zen teachers we find a variety of angles. Perhaps with […]

I love sharing photos of beauty in the yard. But it is harder to know how to share the challenges and failures. I actually feel like a failed gardener right now. Yes, there are little harvests, yes there are elements of beauty. But there is so much that is overwhelming. I don’t enjoy “weeding” which […]

Taking my time (and tea) with Franco “Bifo” Berardi and Kiasmos (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) It’s that time of year when, thankfully, I am able to down tools for the month of August for some rest, recreation, re-thinking and restoration, And where that last word really means, re-story-ation. Consequently, it is likely that nothing will appear on this blog for the next month. So, dear readers, as always, I thank you for dropping by now and then to read one of my pieces, to look at the photos I have posted or, perhaps, even to listening to an episode of the podcast. And in all cases, your continued support is much appreciated, and I look forward to re-connecting with you again in September. B...

“Humility is really important because it keeps you fresh and new.”-Steven Tyler What keeps you fresh and new?

The movement of starlings on Stourbridge Common, Cambridge   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— One of the problems about religion, at least as it is generally practised in the European and North American context, is that so many of its leaders and practitioners end up overly focussing upon providing people with putative, final, propositional answers about how God and the world ultimately is. Right belief about these things, “orthodoxy”, to use the technical term, comes firmly to the fore. Not surprisingly, therefore, as a minister of religion, peo...

I went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston yesterday (in part so I could take advantage of their air conditioning on a steamy, stormy day). Major art museums in the West tend to be strange places, because they are typically full of deities from many different cultures. We in the West may have … Continue reading "Astarte"

Please join us on Sunday (30 July 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Assimilation . . . The Good Kind” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. 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 are able to … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (30 July 2023)"