In 2016, I wrote a post about gospel composer A. B. Windom, giving what little information I then had, and asking if anyone knew more. One or two people commented who actually knew Windom, and one or two others have added little tidbits of information. Windom is the person who composed “Now Let Us Sing,” … Continue reading "More on A.B. Windom"

"I believe that many Pagans would agree with President Carter's sentiments. At least, I hope they would. There’s much to love in Carter’s words – and many points of intersection with Pagan approaches to living in the world." Continue reading Jimmy Carter: Faith in Action at The Wild Hunt.

  a service presented at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Bedford, Massachusetts February 19, 2023 Opening Words  The opening words are from the sermon John Winthrop preached on board the Arbella, to the colonists on their way to found the new town of Boston.  "We must delight in each other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body." Time for All Ages: Stone Soup  One day a traveler came to a village, pulling a cart behind him. In the cart was an enormous cooking pot, 
and inside the pot was … nothing.  As he approached the village green, villagers came up to him,...

My interest in deacons and baptism in Universalist churches isn’t arbitrary, and it’s not about the past. It’s about the future. I figure the remaining Universalist Christians within the UUA are going to have to rely on each other and the ecumenical church more in the future, or perish. Those “new Universalists” who gather into … Continue reading "Why deacons and baptism?"

This week in my basement archives I revisited my life in Massachusetts in 2003 and 2004, during the time when its Supreme Judicial Court declared that to deny civil marriage to same sex couples was unconstitutional. In the six months following their declaration, state legislators were arguing over trying to stop it from happening, or […]

A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation   (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) —o0o— As most of you will know, Friday 24th February, saw the first anniversary of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. It struck me that it might be helpful to use this moment to reflect, not upon its start a year ago (really nine years ago), nor the current state of the conflict but, instead, on how it might end and, indeed, on how most wars so far have ended. It is well known, or at least it was once well known, that at the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920) immediately following the First World War, a British staff office...

Nikki Giovanni--young, Black, and revolutionary. Note —No new blog posts were made since Wednesday, February 22 because an ice storm in McHenry County caused a power outage here which was not restored until late Thursday afternoon.  Sorry for the inconvenience to regular readers. Nikki Giovanni was born in 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee in a closeknit family.  She was inspiredby her grandmother, a natural storyteller, to explore the use of words.  After growing up in a middle class Black suburbof Columbus, Ohio, she attended Fisk University in Nashville, one of the most prestigious of the historically Black colleges. At Fisk not only did she find her voice as a poet and writer, but she was immersedin the Civil Rights Movement and the ...

“Among other wonders of our lives, we are alive with one another, we live here in the light of this unlikely world that isn’t ours for long.” -John Daniel What are some of the other wonders of your life?

Please join us on Sunday (26 February 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Who Are You in the Story?  Drawing Wisdom from the World’s Religions” with the children, youth, and adults of All Souls. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (26 February 2023)"

Please join us on Sunday (26 February 2023) as we begin a new series in our our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is still meeting via Zoom. We have several persons in the adult religious education class who are new to our faith tradition and others who would … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 26 February 2023"

Please join us next Tuesday (28 February 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 (25 February 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 (25 February 2023)"

“The key is yours, Sheri Ann. A gift of understanding, perhaps.” My child-self showed up at that moment and answered, “Only my ancestors call me that.” “I know,” she answered. Continue reading Winter’s Work at The Wild Hunt.

  Children's Story: “When I was a little girl”…..Feb. 28, 2010 When I was a little girl, I was kind of adventurous. I liked to be a little bit different from everyone else and try things that others didn’t want to try, like standing on my hands and using my cape to try to fly. I wasn’t too afraid of getting in trouble because my parents didn’t usually spank me and all I had to do was very sincerely say sorry and promise never to do it again. The worst punishment was to have to go to my room and be on my bed and NOT READ! That was the worst of all. One day my little sister Jeannie and I and a little boy named Drew who my mother babysat, were out in our backyard in Portland playing. I had my big rubber boots on, because it was...

The Universalist, one of the two national Universalist newspapers of the 1880s and 1890s, is available online and with searchable (if imperfect) text. It also gives a view from “the west” namely Chicago and Cincinnati. What does it say about deacons? In one case, it speaks of a deacon who participated in the 1887 Universalist … Continue reading "Deacons in The Universalist"

Tuvalu sees its first case of COVID two years after the rest of the world

Today’s walk took me a little further than intended, and dusk was settling in before I started heading home. Though I was hurrying a little, I stopped to admire a large rock outcropping that rose about twenty feet above a small artificial pond. Although the face of the rock was only about ten degrees away … Continue reading "Rock"

When I was teaching 3rd grade in AL and then again later in GA I used the poetry from Shel Silverstein’s books often with my students. They were great for teaching language learning and the rhythm of metered words. They … Continue reading →

A Prayer for Dreaming A World Made Whole with Climate Justice Hello, Beloved, help us make today a better day by choosing climate justice over expedience, by choosing creating room for those in need of refuge, displaced by drought, floods, fires, climate-fueled storms, rising seas, by choosing to bear witness...

The Christian season of Lent is a season for spiritual preparation. Of making room for the holy, of centering ourselves to be able to receive something sacred into our lives. How do you prepare your spirit to receive something sacred?

Universalists loved their newspapers. They spread Universalist doctrine and culture, particularly in areas where there there were no churches or no resident ministers. Controversies played out in them, news propagated through their pages and late into the pre-consolidation era, the polity required notices be published in them. Last week, I found more than a decade … Continue reading "Universalist newspaper family tree"

as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, February 18, 2023 He drew a circle that shut me out–Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.But Love and I had the wit to win:We drew a circle that took him in! Those words might be familiar. They have long been popular in Unitarian Universalist circles. […] The post Widening Love’s Circle appeared first on Colin Bossen.

Toronto-based Indian filmmaker receives protection from Indian high court after being persecuted for depicting the Goddess Kali smoking while brandishing a Rainbow Flag. Continue reading Indian Supreme Court Protects filmmaker for depiction of Goddess Kaali at The Wild Hunt.

By Gayatri Patnaik and Christian Coleman | In her compelling Boston Globe article “Celebrating Black History Month as Black History Is Being Erased,” Renée Graham writes that Black History Month this year has a specific purpose and burden, “and that burden is not for Black people to bear alone.” The challenge, Graham notes, “is to save this crucial American history from being eroded book by book, law by law, and state by state.” We couldn’t agree more.

In preparation for a class in Portland, Oregon, I decided to test a router bit that cuts 5/32 in. finger joints. Because of the size of the bit, I decided to build a dedicated router table using my large Makita router, one that's rarely used in my shop. You can see the set-up and results in the photo. It has limitations, being useful only for boxes about 2 1/2 in. high or for drawers of similar height height. An advantage of this method is that all four sides of a box can be clamped together on the sliding portion of the jig to be cut at the same time. Two cuts (and some additional fiddling about) and you've got a box. Make, fix and create... Assist others in learning lifewise.

here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind … Continue reading →

      Karl Jaspers and the Path of the Spiritual if not Religious James Ishmael Ford Karl Theodor Jaspers was born on this day, the 23rd of February, 1883, Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, in Germany. He began studying law but changed to medicine, taking his doctorate in 1908. Two years later he married Gertrud […]

For our Christian siblings around the world, today is Ash Wednesday, a day to ponder, among other things, the mortality of all living beings. Rather than be a sad occasion, though, it is an opportunity to fully embrace all of what it means to be human. Lora Brandis writes this prayer for the day: “Dear … Continue reading Mortality

I’ve been intrigued by the Tower of Babel for a long time, so I’ve decided to really dig into it via art (and maybe writing) by making it my Lent project. Every day, an exploration of some aspect or interpretation or tangent of this very brief (nine verses, Genesis 11:1-9),  enigmatic story. Here’s the first.

Natalia Harrell shot and killed someone in Florida. She was six weeks pregnant. She was apprehended and put in prison. Now she has filed a petition with the Florida courts saying lack of prenatal care in prison is endangering the life of her fetus — or, to use Florida’s term for a fetus, her “unborn … Continue reading "Legal personhood"

I’ve been working through my study list and will be reporting out more soon. But since this is the first day of Lent, I thought I’d add a project to the mix (which I may or may not complete by Holy Week.) Long ago, I learned that I am more likely to read a document … Continue reading "Transcribing Ballou on the Parables"

For neurodivergent individuals, navigating and learning the tarot can be extra challenging. A new tarot deck created by Pamela Coe seeks to change that. Continue reading A new, neurodivergent-friendly tarot deck at The Wild Hunt.

(This circle will be held once a month, usually in lieu of our traditional worship service; please join us in our beautiful sanctuary the rest of the month for our regularly-scheduled worship services!) February 26, 2023 10:30am – Noon Unitarian Church of Marlborough & Hudson 80 Main St., Hudson, MA Cost: Free; donations welcome   The   [ … ] The post “Soul Matters” Sharing Circle Sunday ~ In Lieu of Regular Sunday Worship ~ 10:30 am – Noon appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Ash Wednesday: A Small Zen Meditation James Ishmael Ford “You should realize that although firewood is at a dharma-stage of firewood,  and that this is possessed of before and after, the firewood is at the same time independent, completely cut off from before, completely cut off from after. Ashes are the dharma-stage of ashes, which […]

The New Age Spiritualist Collaborative is a new group forming as part of Spiritual Growth and Community Center at the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson. We’ll be exploring modalities such as mediumship, divination, energy healing, and astrology with the aim of evolving consciousness by understanding our soul’s place in the Universe. Each meeting will be   [ … ] The post SGCC: New Age Spiritualist Collaborative ~ Monthly on 4th Thursdays beginning 2/23 appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

McHenry County NOW has asked that the Holiday Inn Chicago NW Crystal Lake Convention Center, an IHG Hotel, to cancel the Exposing Radical’s War on Kids event scheduled for February 25 beginning at 8:30 am. Charlie Kirk , known for his racistand anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, is scheduled as a guest speaker along with several other speakers who follow the same agenda.   Kirk is an activist and talk radio host. He founded Turning Point USA with Bill Montgomery in 2012 and has served as its executive director since. He is the CEO of several Turing Point affiliated groups and Students for Trump. He is also a memberof the radical right Council for National Policy. Hate peddler Charlie Kirk is the star attraction at the Saturday event at the Cryst...

Despite this window in the  Congressional Chapel  in the  Capitol ,  the popular image of Washington in reverent prayer receiving the so-called  Vision of Valley Forge  was invented out of thin air. Note— For the first time since 2012 Ash Wednesday and George Washington’s Birthday coincide.   Ash Wednesday.  Since the entirely spurious story of the Vision at Valley Forge was reportedly made in 1859 reminiscences by 99-year-old Anthony Sherman, who was supposedly present with Continental Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777 and overheard Washington tell an officer that an angel had revealed a prophetic vision of America to him.   There is no other confirmation of this and the recollections or revels recounted second...

  “The Universal School Meals Program Act will make breakfast, lunch, and after-school snacks free for every public and nonprofit private school student, regardless of family or community income, improving student academia and ending school lunch shaming.” Daily Kos via The Action Network     According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 6 children — or 13 million children — face food insecurity. Children who lack access to healthy food options have a more difficult time learning. Kids read more... The post February Action Alert: No More Hungry Kids! Support Universal School Meals appeared first on Promise the Children.

What if, for some reason, we could no longer use the word love. But, let’s say, we still wanted to convey for ourselves and for others the things love means to us, between us, and about us.  What words would … Continue reading →

Magic and witchcraft are available to everyone. You don’t need an invitation and you certainly don’t need anyone’s permission. The power is there for the taking. But you have to take it, nurture it, tend it, and most importantly, exercise it.

Conventional American Christianity tells that when we pray in groups, we are supposed to bow our heads with our eyes squeezed shut. I understand why people insist on bowing their heads: the conventional Christian God is supposed to require this gesture of obedience and submission. But why must our eyes be shut tight? I understand … Continue reading "Eyes wide open"

Whether it is called Mardi Gras, or Carnival, or something else entirely, many people around the world today celebrate an opportunity to cut loose in extravagant display before the more somber season of Lent begins. How can you cut loose today?

By Sheryll Cashin | As a daughter of civil rights activists from Alabama who knew Dr. King personally, it is a great honor to address you today for a Sunrise Celebration of him! And it is a joy for me, as a writer, to address librarians. I want to begin by thanking you for your service, for what you do to bring books and truth for free to the masses!

In his debut article for TWH, Trevor Leach reports on the new art installations of Shahzia Sikander that seek to exemplify and honor the feminine divine and offer a nod to RBG. Continue reading “to breathe, air, life” – NYC hosts new monuments to the feminine divine at The Wild Hunt.

Facilitation: Leading Gatherings with Grace and Impact led by experienced facilitators Rev. Cathy Rion Starr, Side with Love Leadership Development Specialist; and Elisse Ghitelman, Side with Love Squad Leader View the Skill up on Vimeo Skill Up Slide Deck - includes all the links & resources shared Sunday and those below  Chat thread from the training How to Facilitate Meetings the NO Magic way – 350.org – really solid & simple guide 350.org Online Training Monster Manual – Slide Deck Template with a lot of great online activities (See more Facilitation resources from 350.org)   Meetings that Work – UUA from 2005 – lots of good stuff, even though some is outdated More Tools:  Building Safety In a Group – Training for Chan...

A panel of experts led by U.S. Ambassador Kelley Currie discussed the findings of the 2023 report, “How Do We Survive in the Future?: Atrocity Crimes in Karenni State.”

I love being on my porch, swinging on my two seater with Hunny by my side. I will just sit and watch the trees dance with the wind. I laugh when I see squirrels chase each other up the trees. … Continue reading →

When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something. – John Lewis  Today would have been John Lewis’ 83rd birthday. Millions of people have been inspired by Lewis’ courageous commitment to racial justice and electoral justice. Along with other people of faith and conscience like James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo, John Lewis is a spiritual elder and ancestor who invites us to side with love rather than fear.  Last year, hundreds of UU congregations and individual UUs worked tirelessly ahead of the 2022 election, which helped us reach more than 2 million voters during a time when voter suppression was strong. Inspired by Lewis’ famous quote – Never, e...

Pub Theology Facilitated by:  Caitlin Eaton-Robb Date/Time:  Monthly on 2nd Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Cost:  No participation fee; purchase your own refreshments Location:  Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company, Marlborough, MA Come join UCMH at Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company in Marlborough !  We welcome atheists, agnostics, humanists, people of all faith traditions, and people   [ … ] The post SGCC: Pub Theology ~ Monthly on 2nd Thursdays appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Event: cUUpCakes ~ Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Date/Time: Sunday, April 23, 12-2 pm Facilitators: Dot Russell and Carien vanGelder Cost: Free, donations to UCMH welcome   Please join Carien vanGelder and Dot Russell to explore a small bit of the “UU Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” curriculum.  We will be will be exploring   [ … ] The post SGCC: Cakes for the Queen of Heaven (cUUpCakes) ~ Sunday, April 23, 12:00-2:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Radical Christianity is about encountering the God of love. It is first and foremost rooted in the discovery of a universal and unconditional source of love at the heart of reality and within each person. God is the name we give to this source of love. It is possible to have a direct and real personal encounter with this God through spiritual practice. We encounter God, and are nourished by God,

Staff Writer As President Susan Frederick-Gray’s term winds down in the coming months, UU World will be sharing content to honor her legacy and contributions to our faith movement.

There are downsidesto having been raised vaguely Protestant and residing in sometimes inhospitable northern climes.  Perhaps the biggest is regardingwith wistful envy the liberating extravagance of Carnival and Mardi Gras .   It is the un-religious holiday—a day of wallowing in the ways of the flesh and merry making before getting down to the serious and unpleasant tasks of the proper piety of Lent . Revelers are crowding the French Quarter again in New Orleans. Catholicsseem to know how to take advantage of the opportunity, especially in warm places where the streets beckon—New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro most famously.  But folks from countries where Romance languages are spoken can find ways to celebrate even in icy Quebec City....

“We form a web of compassionate listening when individuals among us, embodying vulnerability, name the fears that grip their hearts, the joys that buoy their spirits. We speak the language of love.” -Erika Hewitt How can you embody vulnerability today?

Best song I’ve ever heard about domestic violence: “Johnny’s Girl” by Spirit Artis. The music is not complex: mostly Artis’s expressive voice, with her understated guitar accompaniment, and a touch of overdubbed harmony singing. The song is powerful enough that it doesn’t need any more than that. In a podcast, Artis said this is a … Continue reading "Song"

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: Return of a Native Totem, a new Witch-themed bar, a "spirit hunt", announcements galore, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of February 20, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

Although I realise it won't be everyone’s “cup of tea,” I thought some of you would be interested to see this religious naturalist Lent course by Donald Szantho Harrington prepared for his Unitarian, Lenten Manual in 1980. It was based upon some of Henry Nelson Wieman’s work and that of his wife, Regina Westcott Wieman. I first ran it for my own congregation in Cambridge (UK) during 2014 whilst a group of us were exploring both Weiman's thought and religious naturalism in general. Since then I've kept this blog live and available for anyone else to work through should they be so minded. Here's the link to its front page updated for Lent 2023: https://memorialunitarian. blogspot.com/

The colt,unsteady gait to gallop—               beside long, barbed fence; The woman,her walk a melody—               his crude, roving eyes; The lovestruck,blush leaping hot to cheek—               legislation, lost; The ravenous,hand to silken pudding—               labels, searched like prayer; The family,to broad table, beaming—               Door shut, bolt fastened; The young,rounds of laughter lifting—               silent social norms; The flagwaving for unity—               red line, pipeline split; The men,yearning to be held tight—               lone superhero; The book,affirming a way through...

Note— A Version of this post last appeared in 2019.  Now updated. Finding it hard to get into the spirit of the day, Bunky?  Are pictures of George and Abe, fly-over panoramas of Mt. Rushmore, your kid’s cherry tree and log cabin school projectsmagneted to the refrigerator, mattress sales, crazy deals on Korean cars, and all the bunting in the world not doing it for you this year, eh Bunky?  Can’t erase the fetid stench of corruption, betrayal, ignorance, racism, and lingering around White House despite a new resident and through disinfectant makes you want to retch when you hear the word President?  You are not alone, Bunky. Well, suck it up!  Pull up your big boy/girl panties!  Take a stroll down memory lane with us today t...

A Prayer for Dreaming a World Made Whole - Ash Wednesday, 2023 Lover of Ordinary People and Ordinary Abundant Blessings, may we join You in dreaming a world repaired and healed and full of justice and joy, not just for a few, but for everyone in every land and every...

Start treating your Self like someone you love. J. Mike Fields, Life Coach Love shows up in most religious traditions as a most important thing. Jesus’ famous words agree with the teachers of his Jewish tradition that loving God and … Continue reading →

My daughter has a lot of people she calls her “best” friends. She sees no conflict in naming more than one person her “best friend forever.” There is no competition for her love, and no ranking of who is better than the others. To her, the love of friendship is based in abundance and not … Continue reading BFFs

For at least a few moments, before we had children, Carri and I had this one perfect moment where we had a sense of control about who our kids would be. See, we adopted through foster care, and as a part of … Continue reading →

Yelp.com used to be my go-to online source for finding religious communities in a given area. In the San Francisco Bay area, I could type in my location, plus the search term “Religious organizations,” and I’d get a fairly complete list of religious communities, including communities that had no other web presence. But here in … Continue reading "Online tools for finding religious diversity"

The Carnival of Viareggio is one of Italy's most spectacular and this year several floats and happenings had Pagan themes. Continue reading Pagan themes abound at the Carnival of Viareggio at The Wild Hunt.

    Here in the Los Angeles area there’s a breaking news story. A local Catholic bishop has died. A gun is involved. There’s little information more than that. It strongly suggests suicide. A sadness. Always. But given the conventions of the Catholic church (and most of Christendom) regarding suicide, a strange silence from the […]

So far, we've talked about loving the neighborhood as ourselves - heart, soul, and strength - and about the act of charity as an inroad to a bigger love. But what about those times we feel we cannot love? How can we love everyone with our own fragile, fallible spirits?

So far, we've talked about loving the neighborhood as ourselves - heart, soul, and strength - and about the act of charity as an inroad to a bigger love. But what about those times we feel we cannot love? How can we love everyone with our own fragile, fallible spirits?

I’m so excited to finally share this with you! My first book of poetry, Something Resembling God, is now available on Amazon. This collection is so close to my heart – they are all poems about the many beautiful, messy, human ways we relate to The Divine. It feels like a love song for the […]

The horizon is so expansive when you are near the ocean. The waves have their own rhythm and the sand brushes lightly against your skin, even if there is only a slight breeze that day. Better not to go too near the sea during a storm because a howling wind might drive the sand to […]

I’m so excited to finally share this with you! My first book of poetry, Something Resembling God, is now available on Amazon. This collection is so close to my heart – they are all poems about the many beautiful, messy, human ways we relate to The Divine. It feels like a love song for the […]

The powder magazine of the Negro Fort explodes killing nearly everyone inside.  Note the fort flies a British ensign and, ironically, the red flag of no quarter. On July 27, 1816 two United States Navy gun boats opened fire on a small but modern and professionally constructed fort on the Apalachicola River near the Gulf of Mexico.  After wasting a few rounds to find range one of the boats fired a round of hot shot which landed within the walls of the fort on the powder magazineresulting in a thundering explosion that completely destroyed the fort and killed almost all of the 300 defenders, their families, and refugees inside.  That round has been variously called the deadliest cannon shot ever fired by the Navy or by any U.S. armed fo...

A confession: there is a kind of envy that sometimes creeps up in me when I notice famous people, like authors with many popular books, or those widely praised or described as “influencers” and “visionaries.” (Especially when those books are most similar to my own one book.) I grapple with the fact that in the […]

It’s important to celebrate our successes. It’s also important to examine our failures, so we can figure out where we went wrong, so we can do better next time. These are some of the most common reasons why Tarot readings and other divinations go wrong.

I was reminded of this old New England story recently. It’s one of those stories utterly pointless stories you tell in the winter when there’s not much else to do. Back in the days of coastal schooners, there was a sailor who lived in Gloucester. He lived with his wife in a small house right … Continue reading ""

“These are friends. They are loves. It’s kind of a surprise that you should love someone so much who would eat the butter on the table if they could get away with it, and gets endless hair on the sofa when they aren’t even supposed to be on the furniture.” -from “When Your Best Friend … Continue reading Animal Friends

Storm Faerywolf surveys some positive stories for the queer community, include memorials to the Rainbow Dead, surprisingly encouraging words from the Pope, a new queer superhero, and the scientific advancement of the erection. Continue reading Through a Glass, Queerly at The Wild Hunt.

Piqiang Fault, China (source)   A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation   (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) —o0o— Last week, drawing on a poem by Mary Oliver, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, I brought to you a single, religious naturalist thought to consider, namely, that the earthquake must not be thought of as the sharp sword of God but, instead, as simply another wild body loving its life. As a whole, my piece was directed at encouraging us to continue to display a love of life through the material movements of our own wild bodies.  And, despite how it initially de...

                                                  William Wells Brown in 1847 at the time of the publication of his first book of memoirs. His life was as compelling as any characterher ever created—up from illiterate slavery to international celebrity as a pioneering Black author and leading abolitionist.   In his day William Wells Brown was nearly as famed as Fredrick Douglassbut today is barely a footnote in American literaryand social justice history.     This post aims to help fix that. Brown was born in 1814 or ’15 near Lexington , Kentucky in the racially complex circumstances common to slavery.   His motherElizabeth had both African and Native American ancestry , and she was held in bondage by...

Friendship is how I know love is real. People who choose to be in each other’s lives, for no other reason than the fact that they enjoy each other’s company. It is so pure and beautiful. Friendship can be serious, silly, high maintenance, low maintenance. It is fluid and wholesome and life-giving! – Marin Smith … Continue reading Love Is Real

Please join us on Sunday (19 February 2023) at 11:00 AM for a child dedication service for Effie Violet Turner by the congregation of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church — Shreveport, Louisiana.  Rev. Barbara Jarrell will be leading this service. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service.  Please join us in … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (19 February 2023)"

Building and Grounds Work Day (Saturday, 18 February 2023) 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now

Children and youth will attend the worship service for the first 15-20 minutes and then are dismissed to their classes. After the holiday break, we are now discussing the wisdom of the world’s religions that is one of the six sources of our Unitarian Universalist faith. It’s important that we gain an understanding of teachings … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Classes — 19 February 2023"

Please join us on Sunday (19 February 2023) as we continue our our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is still meeting via Zoom. We are now reading and discussing the book God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by Mirabai Starr. This … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 19 February 2023"

For this month only, we are moving our second Saturday of the month building and grounds work day to the third Saturday of the month. Our monthly building and grounds work day will happen on Saturday (18 February 2023) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. We will have tasks available for all ages and abilities … Continue reading "Building and Grounds Work Day (Saturday, 18 February 2023)"

Please join us next Wednesday (22 February 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch (this event is on Wednesday for this week only). 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 … Continue reading "Zoom Lunch on Wednesday — This Week Only (22 February 2023)"

Please join us on Saturday (18 February 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 (18 February 2023)"

I’ve picked up the ukulele again, but there’s not a lot of live ukulele happening in southeastern Massachusetts. So I’ve been getting my uke fix watching the weekly video podcast of Hawaii Music Supply, which you can find on their YouTube channel. Yes, they promote their high-end ukuleles. Yes, there’s a lot of pointless chit-chat, … Continue reading "Long distance uke"

A passage in Richard Eddy’s Universalism in America says something to me about the period around 1803, deacons and baptism, three things I’m studying now. First, it’s worth knowing a recalling there were two associations or conventions that might make a claim to being “the Universalist denomination” and they ran side by side with some … Continue reading "Eddy: Contrasting the two early Universalist “denominations”"

Alan D.D. shares the practical ways in which his practice has evolved since he immigrated from Venezuela to the United States. Continue reading The practical magic of an immigrant Witch at The Wild Hunt.

Alan D. D. comparte las formas prágmaticas en las que su práctica ha evolucionado desde que emigró de Venezuela a los Estados Unidos. Continue reading La magia pragmática de un Brujo inmigrante at The Wild Hunt.

It's an exciting time to be a climate activist.  After years of fighting for federal support for equitable clean energy, we're seeing historic investments with enormous potential.  For UUs, who have been leaders in the faith climate movement, now's our time to shine.  Think big.  Think systems.  Think resilience.  Think love.  Think of all the ways our congregations can be hubs of climate resilience and community care.     How can we build our capacity as UUs to faithfully respond to these opportunities?  What would our communities look like if clean energy was a human right and all people could thrive?  With trainings on benchmarking and UU-specific funding strategies and leadership opportunities, we're skilling up to rise to...

The Sunshine Pearl-Clutching Brigade is back on their BS and doubling down. Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida banned a new AP African American Studies course under the pretense that it’s “indoctrination” that “runs afoul of [their] standards.” This is almost a year after the Florida legislature banned the teaching of “the state-sanctioned racism that is critical race theory” with the Stop WOKE Act. It’s giving unwoke on numerous levels.

I started 2023 by falling down the stairs and breaking both arms. I don’t recommend it. I am very grateful to The Author’s League because without their support, I do not know how I would have made it through the month. Funds from the Author’s League allowed me to take the necessary time to heal. […]

Finding Zen Teachers & Spiritual Directors James Ishmael Ford Empty Moon Zen “Vigorous people who study and practice Zen: You absolutely must meet a dharma teacher who, through right view, embodies the Way. Then stay close and serve them for three-five years. Ask for their instructions for body, speech, and mind; carefully, precisely follow their […]

Come learn from Zoe Johnston, UU Young Adults for Climate Justice, about ways to engage young adults in your congregation, especially with your Green Sanctuary 2030 and other climate justice organizing. How do we get young adults involved?  Where do we find them?  How do we support them?  In this Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting, we learned from Zoe Johnston with UU Young Adults for Climate Justice about ways to engage young adults in our congregations, especially with Green Sanctuary 2030 and other climate justice organizing.   View the webinar Download the slides Zoe shared some helpful framing for effective YA leadership, including:  Timing:  hold meetings outside of school and work hours Accessibility: hold meetings on Z...

Founder Richard Allen and his wife and the history of Mother Bethel AME Church are commemorated in this mural recently completed in the current church building. On March 28, 1796 the Bethel Methodist Episcopal Churchopened in Philadelphia.  It was the first American church organized by and for African Americans.  In 1787 Richard Allen and other free blacks were worshiping at the city’s St . George Church.  After angry parishioners literally dragged praying blacks from their knees, a small group withdrew determined to found their own congregationwhere they could worship safely and without interference.   Allen had been born a slave to a wealthy Quaker family in 1716.  As a child he was sold with a brother to another Quaker, Stokel...