Jan & I have now seen two episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. We both have enjoyed them very much. We thought of it sort of as the original Star Trek, but done better. I’m pleased to note that at Rotten Tomatoes, the pros give it a […]

Welcome to my home, please ignore the mess, it is well lived in. I tell this to everyone that enters my home because, well, I’m embarrassed by the clutter that always seems to gather in the corners, then spill out … Continue reading →

                                               Mary Oliver in 1964 . Mary Oliver , who was born this day on September 10, 1935 in Maple Heights , Ohio , a semi-rural suburb of Cleveland, was the rare contemporary American poet who was both widely read and critically acclaimed.   She was the bestselling American poet whose books are still bought and read by people who do not read poetry.   But she has also won the Pulitzer Prize , National Book Award , numerous other honors, and academic recognition despite never completing a bachelor ’ s degree. Her work celebrates and explores nature, often as an empowering force of the feminine.   She has mastered, if she did not invent, feminist neo-transcendentalism

Jim Beasley started volunteering with the Boys Scouts and a simple charge: “Get home with the same number you left with.” Not so different from volunteering with a bike club. Beasley helped start All Souls’ first Bike Club at McClain 7th Grade Academy in 2014—the same year Humble Sons Bike Company started a club at Emerson Elementary. The paths—or bike lanes—would continue to cross. All Souls continued sponsoring Bike Club at McLain until the school closed in 2019. Then the church began providing volunteers for clubs at Unity, Gilcrease (now John Hope Franklin) and Monroe Middle School as clubs started […] The post It’s Time for Bike Club! appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Yes, I definitely enjoy this medium more than the acrylics I used for the first version. I’m not sure whether that’s because I prefer a stick of pigment to a brush, or oils to acrylics, or both, I’d have to try brush painting with oils to find out. I have oil paints, but it’s been […]

Every once in a while, someone asks me if they can get notified by email when I post something on this blog. There are several solid email notification solutions for WordPress that charge a fee — but I can’t justify spending any more than I already do on this website. And all the email notification … Continue reading "Email notifications"

A scandal at the British Museum has led to a curator being fired for the theft of potentially thousands of objects and the resignation of the museum's director. Weekend Editor Eric O. Scott argues it should lead to rethinking the structure of large institutions like the British Museum. Continue reading Editorial: Theft and woe at the British Museum should lead to change at The Wild Hunt.

The first sermon in the 11 part series, lives of the spirit. The post Lives of the Spirit appeared first on Colin Bossen.

The September 10 forum talk features Richard Skolnik, a Yale instructor in Global Health with decades of related worldwide experience. It will focus on the fact that "the health of anyone, anywhere is the health of everyone, everywhere.” Richard will pay particular attention to the health, social, economic, and ethical reasons why global health is so important, and use examples from COVID to highlight why we should care even more now about global health than before. He will also offer suggestions about the measures that concerned people can take to try to ensure that more people, in more countries, have a chance to be as healthy as possible.

Join us as we gather for the beginning of a new church year, as we pause to remember just what it is that makes this "church."

It’s easy to get confused sometimes about our own relative importance. I mean we ARE the center of our individual lives – at least if we are not excessively codependent on someone else. And what we do matters, for ourselves and other people, both near and far. Like in wave theory, the ripples from our […]

        The living way is like a well: You can constantly use it, and yet it never dries up.It is the eternal boundlessness;Birthing the infinite worlds. It is hidden from sight and yet always present.I have no idea who gave it birth.It is older than God. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 4 (my […]

                                Roger Connor of the Troy Trojans hits the first big league grand slam in 1880. In the early years of Major League Baseball home runs were hard to come by.   Ball parks were small, but the ball was dead—much softer with a less elastic core than modern balls.    Bats were heavy slowing down bat speed.   Pitchers had yet to perfect a 90 mile per hour fast ball.   It took a dead eye, prodigious strength, a bit of luck, and usually a tail wind to get a ball over the fences.   Instead of waiting for big innings where sluggers clear the bases, as in the modern game, it was small ball—singles, doubles, stolen bases, daring slides with sharpened spikes high, plus a lot of walks and hit ...

Weekend Editor Eric O. Scott looks back at Kennedy vs. Bremerton, a U.S. Supreme Court case that eviscerated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and was proven this week to be based on a lie. Continue reading Editorial: Coach Kennedy’s lies are business as usual at the U.S. Supreme Court at The Wild Hunt.

NEW PROGRAM! Creating “Wholistic” Wellness Facilitator: Cynthia Menard (she/her), Director of Education Unitarian Church of Marlboro & Hudson Need an energy boost? Dealing with chronic symptoms that never quite resolve? Looking to tune up your overall level of wellness? Join me for this series of three 90-minute workshops designed to help you build a regular wellness   [ … ] The post New Program: Creating “Wholistic” Wellness appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Friday FUUN: New this year, Rev. Alice is introducing Friday FUUN — monthly community building activities for anyone looking for something to do on a weekday afternoon. Folks of all ages and genders are invited to join us for tea in the Knight Room on Friday, Sept. 15 from 1:00-3:00 pm. This kickoff event will feature   [ … ] The post September 15 ~ Friday FUUN! ~1:00-3:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

        Me, I’m endlessly fascinated by the monks and nuns we now call the Desert Fathers and Mothers. They represent a movement that began in the third century in what we think of today as Israel and Palestine, Syria, Arabia, and most of all in the Egyptian desert. They first captured my […]

The Cambridge Unitarian Church, September 2023 A short  “ thought for the day” was 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— Last week I introduced you to the “Creed of Life” written by Imaoka Shin’ichirō, the Japanese advocate of free-religion or, if you prefer, a “creative, free spirituality.” I suggested that the congregation in Cambridge where I am the minister should seriously consider informally adopting it as its own highly diverse community’s centre of gravity to help it continue its journey towards the creation of a meaningful, contemporary, creative, free spirituality....

Note —Re-posting an almost annual blog post. There is no escaping it.   A scab is pulled off a barely healed wound.   Opportunists and con men scramble to once again jump to wrong conclusions, scapegoat strawmen, and bend the occasion to serve their ambitions and blood lust. I dread it every year.   But it will not leave me or, I suspect, any of us alone. But as horrible as those images etched indelibly in my mind are, is it wrong to say that I miss the days just after?   Remember?   For a little while Americans loved each other, found comfort in each other’s arms.   Divisions melted.   We were united by grief, and yes, even some righteous anger.   Even the world mourned for us.   Some of us even dared hope that the sense of...

Please join us on Sunday (10 September 2023) at 11:00 AM for “What We Carry ” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell.  Members of the All Souls Choir will sing. This service will also include a “blessing of the backpacks.” Everyone — children, youth, and adults — are welcome to bring their backpacks, briefcases, musical instrument cases, … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (10 September 2023)"

Please join us after the 11:00 AM worship this Sunday (10 September 2023) for our second Sunday potluck with live music featuring Bob Jordan, Gail Burt, and Jean Kelly. Bring a dish to pass — or just show up because we usually have plenty of food — join us for an afternoon of good food, … Continue reading "Second Sunday Potluck with Live Music (10 September 2023)"

Artist Sunday is our annual celebration of the arts — songs, instrumental music, poem, prose, dance, and more. This service is a celebration of the great diversity of creative expression among our All Souls members and friends. Artist Sunday will also include a visual art show and sale in the Religious Education wing. To learn … Continue reading "Artist Sunday Coming Soon — 17 September 2023"

For this Sunday (10 September 2023), our children (Pre-K thru Grade 5) will be using a program adapted from Moral Tales (a Tapestry of Faith curriculum by Alice Anacheka Nasemann and Elisa Davy Pearmain). The children will use stories as a way of learning to make choices in accordance with their Unitarian Universalist beliefs and … Continue reading "Pre-K thru Grade 5 Children’s Religious Education (10 September 2023)"

For this Sunday (10 September 2023), our middle and high school youth will experience our 8 principles through artistic expression. of their choosing — photography, other visual art media, or creative writing. Their works will be featured in an exhibition at the end of the curriculum. The All8 curriculum is the creation of Jil Novenski … Continue reading "Middle and High School Youth Religious Education (10 September 2023)"

Please join us on Sunday (10 September 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. On this Sunday we begin reading the UUA Common Read for 2023 — On Repentance … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 10 September 2023"

We will have our monthly building and ground work day on Saturday (9 September 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We will have tasks for all ages and abilities — indoor and outside.

Please join us next Wednesday (13 September 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is going dual-platform — join us from home using Zoom or in person in the social hall. Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Please join us on Saturday (9 September 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (9 September 2023)"

The State of Florida adopts the use of the Classic Learning Test, a preferred exam of conservative politicians used predominantly by Christian institutions, for admissions to public colleges and universities Continue reading Florida approves a college entrance exam favored by some Evangelical Christians at The Wild Hunt.

Our bodies, all different and with different abilities, sometimes need attention and repair. Medical attention, body and energy therapies, mental health work, devices that make things more accessible, and spiritual practices can all help us attend to the necessary repair of our bodies. How can you attend to the repair of your body today?

Publishing has been my opportunity to participate in a cause which best puts to use the skills I acquired throughout college.

Having opened my mail to a headline that made me literally cry out, “Oh, god, no!,” I just sent this to my Congresswoman. Dear Ms. Pelosi, I am extremely distressed that you are running for re-election. We have effectively been deprived of one of our senators for several years; Kentucky is now in the same […]

The Congregational Consulting Group blog has a new post by David Brubaker titled “Social Movements and Congregational Responses”: “Congregations [in the U.S.] often experience conflict in response to social movements in the world around them. Since World War II, movements regarding civil rights, the war in Vietnam, the ordination of women, and human sexuality—each vitally … Continue reading "“Social Movements and Congregational Responses”"

One of the benefits of being an editor for these reflections is that I get to see what everyone is writing before they are published. Earlier this week, Jenn Yi wrote something that really struck deeply within me. In Jenn’s … Continue reading →

The Lady Elgin at dock. When folks think of shipwrecks and maritime disasters, their thoughts turn to the Titanic and other famous sinkings on the briny deep.  But in fact, the disasters with the most loss of life have occurred on our inland water ways.  By far the heaviest loss of life was on the riverboat Sultana overloaded with former Yankee prisoners recently liberated from Rebel prisons.  The ship’s boilers exploded in April 1865 near Helena, Arkansas killing over 1,800. Even ships at dock have not been safe.  In 1915 the Eastland , a passenger steamer out of Chicago, rolled over at her moorage when passengers, Western Electric employees on a day excursion, rushed to the dock side to wave goodbye to family and friends.  844 w...

A Prayer for Refuge with Ourselves Beloved, when we are anxious, frightened, weary, angry, confused, and alienated from our sense of being whole, of belonging, or of being enough, may we pause and breathe, creating spaciousness with you. May we create spaciousness that can be a refuge, a place to...

After a summer that’s been cool and rainy, it’s going to be hot all week here in Massachusetts. Records are going to get broken. Some local school districts are worried, because of course schools aren’t air conditioned in Massachusetts. We never used to need air conditioning in September. In other news, clean up continues in … Continue reading "Hot weather"

I have finished this painting, or rather, I’ve stopped working on it. It’s not totally unsatisfying, but I couldn’t get the precision either of line or of color with acrylic paint. Joy and I went to the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at the De Young today, and aside from the beauty and gut-punching power of his […]

After 50 years of serving the community, the Findhorn Foundation announces it will cease educational operations by the end of September 2023. Continue reading Findhorn Foundation closes educational programmes at The Wild Hunt.

My dad was practically addicted to home repair.  Squeaky door? Done — fixed!  Special table built into the wall by the phone? Built and installed!  I so admired this about my dad; and it also meant that he was in a constant state of doing, doing, doing. Having conversations with my dad were difficult, as … Continue reading Doing, Doing, Doing

I recently asked some of our families what brought them to the fellowship. Some of their answers were, “I was looking for a community that held my values,” “We were looking for a progressive religious community in which our daughter, Kristi, could find community, values, acceptance, tradition, knowledge of traditions,” “I wanted my kids to […]

Bob and I share this amazing gift…  We are stackers! You show us a flat surface and we will fill it. Our stacks at home include the following:  What are our UU stacks? What piles of faith do we protect? … Continue reading →

  The maxim says, “a dead fish rots from the head down.”   Case in point, the Orange Menace and former Resident of the United States, his cabinet and other appointees, the GOP in Congress—most noticeably Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell—and a slew of Red State governors .   Corruption, venality, bigotry leavened with incompetence and willful ignorance.   As many have noted it’s not your father’s Republican Party.   But…</span> Those of us of a certain age remember when Republicans were stodgy and conservative but generally not crooks, or madmen.   I never thought I would say that I miss those guys. A good way to see just how far the modern Republican Party has gone off the rails is to review the career of Illino...

Yesterday we installed a new dust collector at ESSA with the intention of improving the noise level and teaching environment. It's made by Harvey and has a low profile, fitting neatly between table saws, and at a height low enough that materials can pass over.  I'm preparing for a class at ESSA on building small cabinets, that begins on Monday. Make, fix and create... Assist others in learning likewise.

I've made a few walnut legs to fit to boxes. They are easy to make and assemble, and can be shaped using the band saw, scroll saw and sanding to a variety of interesting shapes. My book, Designing Boxes is now in the editing stage, and an illustrator has been assigned to take my drawings to a more refined state. On editing, I'm grateful to be working with Peter Chapman, former director of Taunton Books, and with whom I've worked before. To make the legs, I simply cut a miter down one side of a piece of walnut, then cut it into lengths. I tape the mitered edges together with glue and then after the glue dries, I had a reinforcement piece that also serves as a place upon which the box rests as the legs are attached. Today I'll assist with ...

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe   Just click on any photo to enlarge it.

Pagan leaders from various traditions gathered on the shores of Lake Michigan during Parliament for a ritual to empower the fight for freedom. Continue reading “Be the change that we desperately need” – Fighting for Freedom at Parliament at The Wild Hunt.

By Mike Rose | Educational opportunity depends on more than what happens within the schoolhouse. Employment, housing, food security, healthcare, safe streets—these are the social and economic issues that significantly affect how children do in school. They are the core problems in the community where I grew up, and in the many communities in our country that bear resemblance to South Central Los Angeles.

There is an old wisdom story about an elderly person who plants fruit tree saplings. When asked why they are planting trees that they will never see bear fruit, they reply that they are doing it for the next generation, who will be able to reap the fruit and have enough to eat. What are … Continue reading Future Generations

The Culture Shift Tool A new blog post by Erin Horvath and Amber Bellemare Coming Thursday, September 21 The post The Culture Shift Tool first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post The Culture Shift Tool appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

The History and Purpose of the Responsibility Covenant A new blog post by Erin Horvath and Amber Bellemare Coming Thursday, September 14 The post The History and Purpose of the Responsibility Covenant first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post The History and Purpose of the Responsibility Covenant appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, the newly-elected president of the Unitarian Universalist Association offered words of inspiration, support, and shared values to congregations throughout the country as UUs celebrate Ingathering this month. Continue reading "Unitarian Universalists Kick Off the New Congregational Year with Ingathering: Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt offers words of inspiration, support, and shared values for the new year in her first Ingathering video"

There is a small group of individuals who take up a most important task each week on Sunday mornings at UUCG. They are our Greeters. We have outside greeters who are in the parking lot. We have inside greeters just … Continue reading →

DanaLee Simon Self-compassion was one of the best gifts I gave myself. Continue reading "Enoughness"

Part one in a series examining the work and impact of UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

I’m one of the most order-obsessed people I know, but I’m yearning for wildness. Because the roots of the wild are still very much in us, and the wolf and the dog both howl at the moon.

A Rutgers student later painted this imagined view of the first official college football game. According to historians of American sports the first official college football season got underway on November 6, 1869 when teams from Rutgers College, now Rutgers University, and the College of New Jersey , now Princeton University, got together on the Rutgers campus for a rough and tumble game of football which was sanctioned and approved by both colleges.   It was a short season.   The next game was played by the same teams at Princeton one week later.   Season over.   Just two teams and two games. The Queensmen of Rutgers won the first game by a score of 6-4 but the New Jersey Tigers came back in the re-match to win 8-0.   The anal re...

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

As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm that inspiration can come from the laughter of a child, the beauty of a forest, some of life’s challenges, meaningful conversations, an experience of the Holy, traditions in our family, music, and/or in the lines of a poem. What inspires ... read more . The post September Theme: Sources of Inspiration appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Fall doesn’t technically come for a couple of weeks yet but the trees are already starting to change color in our neighborhood. The light is also beginning to change as the sun rises a little later and sets a little earlier and a little lower. ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Sept. 5th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

              It was today, the 5th of September, at 12:53pm (Eastern time), 2006, that I put up my very first blog post. It was a Gary Snyder poem. Lew Welch jut turned up one day,live as you and me. “Damn, Lew” I said,“you didn’t shoot yourself after all.”“Yes I […]

Sunday, September 10 Water Communion Ingathering Honor the waters that touch our lives: rivers, oceans, lakes, and tears of joy and sorrow. In this family worship service we will celebrate our coming together after the summer months. Bring water from a source that you visited this summer or find sacred and together we will create a   [ … ] The post Sunday, September 10 ~ Water Communion Ingathering ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

We all experience brokenness in one way or another. Sometimes, what is broken can be repaired. Sometimes that repair takes some expertise. And sometimes, what is broken needs to stay broken and we need to find a way around the brokenness. How have you experienced brokenness?

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, an Evangelical group crashes Cleveland Pagan Pride, Jupiter enters retrograde, leatherback turtles and Pagan announcements and events. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of September 4, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

A Labor Sunday sermon devoted to that ever important subject, "how to form a labor union." The post How to form a Labor Union appeared first on Colin Bossen.

You are welcome here. You are home. We begin every service with a version of this sentiment, and this reassurance every week is a powerful one to me. It says, “we will take you into our hearts with open arms … Continue reading →

Yesterday at this time, I'd boarded my flight home from Atlanta, and was ready for takeoff. The Atlanta airport is believed to be the busiest in the US with more traffic even than LAX in Los Angeles or JFK in New York. Today I'm sitting on my front porch. Rosie has a stick to chew. A gentle breeze is passing through the trees and it looks like it might rain. I had a curious ride from the Woodcraft Store in Alpharetta, Georgia to the Springhill Suites at the Atlanta airport where I spent the night prior to my flight. The driver was talkative as he wove in and out of lanes, telling me that if they were to attach an alternator to each wheel of the car, it would need neither a battery nor engine, as the power for propulsion would be provided...

                              Young George Eastman around 1880. Until George Eastman came along photography was a cumbersome process with bulky equipment which required as much skill at chemistry as on focusing the lens .   It was reserved for professionals and very wealthy amateur dilettantes .   Although the process fascinated the public, each individual print image was expensive.   An individual or family might sit once or twice in their lifetimes for a stiff portrait which became an instant priceless family heirloom .   Eastman changed all of that on September 4, 1888 when he was granted a patent for a box camera that used the revolutionary roll film that he had developed and patented in 1884.   The same day he...

Labor Day has come again — at least, the United States version of Labor Day. Everywhere else in the world, Labor Day is celebrated on May 1. But not in the United States. May 1, 1886, was the date of a general strike throughout the United States for the right to an eight hour day: … Continue reading "Happy Labor Day"

I have lived 20 years in the Bay Area and 13 in San Francisco, all of them as a leftist, without seeing a performance of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Until today! We went to Dolores Park to see their Labor Day performance, and enjoyed a packed lunch, the always-gorgeous weather of these three square […]

There are moments, when I’m in a Zoom meeting especially, when I cannot help but express my feelings on my face. Sometimes those are not things I wanted other people to see. I have been told in private chats to “fix my face,” and yet, sometimes expressing those things is healthier than bottling them up. … Continue reading Fix Your Face

I want to love the world. I really, truly do. But it’s hard, you know? There is so much division, exclusion, judgement… Where do we begin doing the work of welcoming that honors our interconnectedness and the understanding that our … Continue reading →

Sunday, September 10 is Homecoming Sunday, and we’re ready to welcome you back with a fun day of fellowship, free hotdogs (while they last) and a message on this month’s theme of Faith from Rev. Marlin Lavanhar. In advance of Homecoming Sunday in 2019, Rev. Lavanhar wrote: It seems as if humanity is at a spiritual crossroads in which one fork leads to more fear and division and the other leads to more love and greater cooperation. In an effort to grow love and cooperation All Souls has discovered that in a pluralistic society different spiritual languages and styles of […] The post Be. Here. Now. appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Classic American Labor Day image--flag waving but inclusive. Note —This is an updated version of an almost annual holiday blog post. Today is officially Labor Day in the United States, a Federal Holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September since 1894.   For most people it is just the last hurrah of summer, an occasion for one last cookout and the gateway to fall and football season.   In most cities and towns, the labor movement is not even perfunctorily acknowledged.   The press mostly uses the occasion to annually either write the obituary of unions or to denounce them as powerful and greedy bullies, depending on the political inclination of the outlet. While most of us working schlumps are grateful for the day off (if we g...

A few months ago, one of my audiobook apps suggested the book Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The American Art of Decluttering Before You Die. The author, who calls her(?)self Messie Condo, is very funny, straight-shooting, and potty-mouthed. I really enjoyed it, and she has already had a significant effect on my approach to, well, my […]

Carol and I have been doing as little as possible over this holiday weekend. We talked about driving somewhere, but driving is always a nightmare on Labor Day weekend. So, we’ve been sleeping late and doing some desultory housecleaning. And I took a couple of walks at nearby conservation areas. On Friday, I went to … Continue reading "Labor Day weekend"

I had a great class with the Woodworkers Guild of Georgia and will be headed home in the morning.  I ws too busy to take photos Make, fix and create... Assist others in learning likewise.

The Smithsonian Institution will begin repatriating a collection of human brains collected unethically and with the intent of proving white superiority. Continue reading The repatriation and grisly history of the Smithsonian’s ‘racial brain’ collection at The Wild Hunt.

Sometimes, what is needed to begin the repair of a relationship is a true apology. An apology that admits that one did wrong and that seeks to heal the harm done. An apology that makes it clear that one understands how to do better next time. When have you experienced the power of an apology?

What is a Bee City? Why become a Bee City? What does it take for Los Alamos to become one? What are some of the common concerns? Contrary to popular news media hype about declining bee population from colony collapse syndrome, honey bees, which are introduced from Europe, are not in danger of extinction, but some of our native bees are. To say we need to “save the bees” by raising more honey bees is like saying we need to save bald eagles from extinction by raising more chickens. What can we do to help save our native bees? Come find out more.

Advocates of the slow travel movement seek out opportunities to add thematically inspired stops to their journeys. House of Rain by Craig Childs tracks the dispersion of the Chaco civilization across the southwest. Ancient Ruins and Rock Art of the Southwest by David Grant Noble provides a guide to archaeological sites. These books inspired and directed my side trips to some very interesting Native American sites in 2023.

I spent part of the last week in Yosemite. The picture above is from the trail around Mirror Lake and has a partial side view of the iconic Half Dome. It looks different depending on the angle and where you are standing. It also depends on who you are in that moment. As a child, […]

Note:   It was my privilege to be asked to speak—and to host one year—from 2015 to 2019 at the annual Labor Day Event on Woodstock Square sponsored by McHenry County Progressives.   Today we will look back at the meat of my talk in 2016—a Presidential election year that turned out to have disastrous results.   Specifics about that race are now dated, but the themes they represent remain.   My remarks on the working class virtue of solidarity were adapted from earlier material, including one of my Labor Day sermons at the old Congregational Unitarian Church in Woodstock. The Old Man explaining the Working Class Virtue of Solidarity at the 2016 Labor Day event in Woodstock Square. We gathered here last year [2015] for the first t...

My talks with Gaia and our walks about her territory on a regular basis inspired me, terrified me, and reminded me that our Earth, our planet, is a precious gift that many, myself included, take for granted far too often. Continue reading On the Road to The Goddess Speaks: One Witch’s Experience at The Wild Hunt.

Humans have harmed the planet and disrupted the ecosystems in which we live. And yet, repair of our planet is possible, since living systems are able to heal if we let them. How can you contribute to healing our planet today?

Please join us on Sunday (3 September 2023) at 11:00 AM for “From You I Receive” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell.  Members of the All Souls Choir will sing. 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  … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (3 September 2023)"

During the summer, our children and youth participate in various fun artistic and creative activities. On this Sunday, the children and youth will make backpack charms to be given out next Sunday at our Blessing of the Backpacks (which will also be the first Sunday of the 2023-24 Religious Education year at All Souls).

Please join us on Sunday (3 September 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. We will be discussing an article by Washington Post columnist Christine Emba — “Men Are … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 3 September 2023"

We will have our monthly building and ground work day on Saturday (9 September 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We will have tasks for all ages and abilities — indoor and outside. Check back on our website and our Facebook page for additional details as we get closer to 9 September 2023.

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 September 2023, we choose Compassion for Lives. Compassion for Lives is an organization dedicated to helping individuals reintegrate into the community after incarceration. They also work with … Continue reading "Compassion for Lives — September 2023 Give-Away-The-Plate Recipient"

                                      John Ronald Reuel Tolkien died on this day, the 2nd of September, 1973. He was 81. Today at the Birmingham Oratory, the church where he recieved his first communion and confirmation in 1903, celebrated a requiem […]

Our semi-dwarf apple tree is bearing fruit for the first time this year, and we are excited for the dozen or so apples that will be ripe soon. How naive I was when I first decided to plant an orchard in our back yard. We started with two dwarf cherry trees in 2017, of the […]

Please join us on Saturday (2 September 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (2 September 2023)"

東京帰一教會 Tokyo Unitarian Church 日本自由宗教連盟所属 Affiliated with the Japan Free Religion Association A short  “ thought for the day” was 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— So, greetings to you all, especially if you are reading or listening to “Making Footprints not Blueprints” for the first time here at the start of Series 7. It’s particularly important to begin the thought for the day which follows with a brief note for those of you who will read or listen to this without knowing first-hand the context in which it was offered. This context is vitally im...

General Douglas MacArthur orchestrated the most humiliating surrender possible for the Japanese Empire and it's officer class. One day after six years of war in Europe began the even longer war in Asia and the Pacific officially ended on September 2, 1945.   On that day General Douglas MacArthur , Supreme Commander of the Allied Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) ordered members of the Japanese Government and High Command to assemble to sign the formal documents of unconditional surrender . The Japanese had been at war even longer than their Axis allies, since the 1937 invasion of China or, if you count low grade guerilla resistance, since the 1931 annexation of Manchuria .   For them, particularly the Imperial officer class who had pushed ...

      Noksowist, Bear Going Straight, was a Cheyenne, born in the Indian Territory, now western Oklahoma about 1847. His parents were Sleeping Wolf and Wah Nach. Spirituality seems to have been a driving force in his life. He is believed to have been one of maybe the youngest person to complete the sun […]

"Even after one thousand years of Christian influence and spiritual control, the wealth of ancient religious heritage sites found in this small stretch of countryside acts as a witness to the resilience of the Old Religion." Continue reading Pilgrimages: Searching for a Sanctuary in Norway’s Vestfold at The Wild Hunt.

Unitarian Universalists believe in the power of repair–that no one is beyond the chance to make things right. Come, let us engage in what it means to repair: in relationship with others, within ourselves, and for the world around us. When have you experienced repair in your life?