“I believe that we’re all entitled to our pain—that there’s no hierarchy of grief or fear, in which someone else’s pain invalidates our own. If anything, giving voice to our pain metabolizes it; we come to hold it instead of it holding us. Better yet, sorrow is an invitation to recalibrate our hearts so that … Continue reading Sorrow

We've had a challenging week as a number of students and one staff member were out with illness and possible exposure to covid-19. But it was a good week with students building interesting things with blocks and making bird feeders with the outdoors study group.  My assistant Dustin suggested the use of glue sticks for gluing blocks of wood together and we found that even though glue sticks are often  almost worthless on paper, they do work with blocks of wood. They are far less messy than wet glue and far safer than hot glueguns. Adding glue sticks to assembly kits we hope to develop will make them a more complete kits, less reliant on other things being provided from a household supply. I've been working on an op ed piece I hope will...

A new documentary that will explore the history and evolution of the Temple of Witchcraft is due to be released late-Spring, early summer. Continue reading Temple of Witchcraft documentary soon to be released at The Wild Hunt.

Jeff Milchen While many corporations offer feel-good commercials promoting multiculturalism and equality, their political arms (like the Chamber of Commerce) and political investments perpetuate the dominance of wealth over our elections and the public interest.

        Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born at the All Saints’ vicarage in Cheshire, England, today, the 27th of January, in 1832. His family produced military men and clerics. His great grandfather a bishop in the Church of England, his father a country priest, later Archdeacon of Richmond. The family were Anglo-Catholics. Charles’ […]

  The grim reality is that 77 years after the world got confirmation of the breadth of the Holocaust anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States and in Europe.   As the last survivors of the death camps and the Allied soldiers who liberated them dwindle the collective memory has dimmed.   Pollsconstantly show that younger people are at best foggy on the reality—many can’t place World War II within 50 years on a timeline, are unsure who the combatants were and on who was responsible for barely understood atrocities.   Holocaust denial is on the rise spread mainly by those who try to mask their own intentionsto “complete the job.”   Right wing nationalism is making a comeback in Europe making substantial gains in several...

When you can’t find ordinary explanations it’s time to start looking for magical explanations – and sometimes we do. But if you feel like you’re being hexed, there’s an ordinary explanation you may be overlooking.

What a liberating example Janet set with her year of butterflies! When she was very tired or didn’t get to her drawing until very late in the day, she would draw one freehand. Here’s my equivalent, done with Paint 3D (not sure what’s 3D about it, as I did not get that adventurous). It was […]

“If there is one thing that I appreciate about our Unitarian Universalist Association’s invitation to siding with love in these current times, it is that the invitation invites love as an active force in our lives. So much of our understanding of love can be passive—we talk of ‘falling’ in love, or of being ‘helplessly’ … Continue reading Love

Spain moves forward with a proposed resolution that would offer reparations and restitution for those accused of witchcraft in the country's history. Continue reading Catalonia seeks reparation for Witchcraft victims and awards prize to Judith Butler at The Wild Hunt.

  Wordle, Wishes, and Boundaries In the beginning was the Wordle.  Some people liked it, and some people didn’t. And then more people liked it, and they began posting about it on social media, especially Facebook. And so then more people found out about it. Some people liked it, some people didn’t.  So, what can we learn about systems theory from the current zeitgeist of Wordle?  First things to understand:  There will not be an objective truth that is universally agreed upon. Is Wordle good, is it bad, should people share or not share … this is all immaterial. The issue is: What are your wishes? What are your boundaries?  A wish is something you’d like, but in healthy relationships, it is not an expectation. It is not a bo...

    “For the past six months, more than 61 million children in roughly 36 million families across the U.S. have received a monthly payment of $250 or $300 per child… [But] tax credits that would have landed in families’ bank accounts beginning Friday, January 14 won’t happen because the Senate could not agree to extend them.” — Coalition on Human Needs     The Child Tax Credit (CTC) ended December 30, 2021. It lifted 9.9 million U.S. children out read more... The post Action Alert: Urge Your Legislators to Renew the Child Tax Credit (CTC) appeared first on Promise the Children.

By Amy Caldwell | As we entered our second year of the pandemic, early in the spring of 2021, I was reviewing the changes and additions the monastics of the Plum Village Center for Engaged Buddhism had made for our revised and expanded edition of Thich Nhat Hanh’s classic collection of meditations, “The Blooming of a Lotus.” Upon hearing of Thay’s death last Friday, my mind returned to my reading and that time.

        DREAMING THE JESUS PRAYER James Ishmael Ford I find Jesus and the Jesus Prayer on my heart a fair amount of late. And only a little less, Mary, for me as the great Western manifestation of Guanyin. Which in the joining in my heart I guess speaks volumes of me and […]

Atena Danner If I want well-being to be my truth, I must reclaim and protect it. Continue reading "The Rest That Will Heal Us"

Last week, a philosopher called Thomas Nail (whose work on Lucretius I particularly admire) published a helpful introductory paper called What is the Philosophy of Movement?  A few minutes ago I printed a copy up for an interested member of the congregation and, as I did this, it occurred to me that there may be others of you who read this blog who might be interested in having sight of it as well.  I share it because I am fully persuaded that any coherent (enough) modern liberal religion/philosophy must have at its heart just such a philosophy of movement. As teachers everywhere love to say: Discuss! https://www.academia.edu/68573598/What_Is_the_Philosophy_of_Movement

Former Vice President and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and  27-year-old Megan Marshak seen on the wintery streets of New York swathed in fur--not quite the usual attire of political aid and personal assistant. I can’t help myself.  In retrospectit seems like such a quaint little scandal.  Charmingreally—the short naked final tumble of the recent Vice President of the United States and one of the wealthiest men in the country.  It seems almost like a May-December romcom with a dark twist ending.   Compare that with the multiple scandalsand affairs of the last Resident of the United States—think Stormy Danniels, teen age beauty queens, and boastful pussy grabbing. When Gerald Ford became President after Richard Nixon's ...

“What, exactly, are we doing when we invite love into our lives? Surely we know that it’s much tidier without it, when things stay at a distance. And yet: I’m sucked in every time, seduced by the possibility of an expanded heart. I hope that never changes.” -Amanda Poppei Invite love into your life today, … Continue reading Messy

  presented in a Zoom session of the Unitarian Church of Quincy, Illinois January 23, 2022 First Reading In his 1915 novel Of Human Bondage , William Somerset Maugham wrote:   A Unitarian very earnestly disbelieves in almost everything that anybody else believes. And he has a very lively sustaining faith in he doesn’t quite know what. Second Reading In 2012,  April Fools Day fell on a Sunday. So Rev. Erika Hewitt preached a sermon on UU jokes. She started out by telling a few: Each religion has its own Holy Book: Judaism has the Torah, Islam has the Koran, Christianity has the Bible, and Unitarian Universalism has Roberts' Rules of Order. But eventually she raises the same issue Maugham had poked at almost a century before: Our tole...

The discovery of a large longhouse in Norway could provide more insight for Pagans of Norse traditions; and climate change a possible factor in the Norse abandoning Greenland around the end of the 15th century. Continue reading New developments in understanding Medieval Norse Culture at The Wild Hunt.

Hello, hello~ We hope this finds you well, whether you are reading this from a place that is beautifully snowy, or from someplace a bit warmer. And if you are not well, that you will reach out to us, to a family member, friend, or loved ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Jan. 25th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Upcoming RE Classes: K-6 EXPERIENCES WITH THE WEB OF LIFE: These nature lovers will meet again Sunday morning, 2/6, from 9:30-10:15. Our 2/6 topic will be squirrels. Ask your children to watch for squirrels and keep a list of the places squirrels are seen. Also be sure to check out ... read more . The post RE This Week – Jan. 25th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

How would you express your connections to UUSS? To the Earth? To the Holy/Mystery/More? Using the theme “Connected in Love, We Nurture the Flame” as a spark of inspiration, you are invited to write a poem, chalice lighting, chalice flame releasing, prayer, meditation, a short ... read more . The post Calling you who find a spiritual home with UUSS appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

As a member congregation of SCM, we share this request from their staff: “Many of our guests have requested personal care items such as toothpaste and deodorant for all genders. These items can be expensive and are often the most requested by our food pantry guests when ... read more . The post Urgent Request from Schenectady Community Ministries appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

    The other day I attended a zoom based meeting of a clergy group I’ve long belonged to. Its origins are as a Universalist clergy Lenten retreat, but wildly evolved since. Mostly its a small group of people invited into an annual gathering with an implied commitment to that annual gathering for as close […]

Next week on February 4 the XXIV Olympic Winter Games will kick off with an elaborate, self-congratulatory Opening Ceremony at the Bird’s nest a/k/a the Beijing National Stadium.  The games will be held amid even more controversy and drama then have become customary for modern Olympiads.  In protest to rampant human rights violations in China, especially the repression of the Muslim Uyghurs—some charge genocide—in the country’s far northwest, suppression of Hong Kong protests in 2019 and ’20, and a general harsh suppression of speech, art, and even the mildest protests, the United States and many of its Western friends and allies announce diplomatic boycotts of the games meaning that no government dignitaries or officials wil...

Everything doesn’t have to have a deep meaning or purpose. There’s a place for mindless entertainment and for guilty pleasures for which we should feel absolutely no guilt. You like what you like and you don’t need anybody’s permission to enjoy it.

“Under the right circumstances, playing with fire is a delight—imagine being gathered round a firepit as the crackling flames invite us to sing, dance, and roast a marshmallow or two.” -Melanie Davis Light a candle and delight in the dance of the flame.

How does one show this needlesl’s tiny white dots and squiggles using colored pencil on white paper? With difficulty, and eventually impatience and a quick end to the attempt. Sometimes I’m just too tired to put in the effort, but I’ll have many more opportunities.

        Mathew Sherling of Infinite Weird interviews Zen teacher James Ishmael Ford The illustration of James Ford is by Adrian Worsfold

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, Pagans remember Thich Nhat Hanh, Announcements, two positively Noteworthy stories. and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of January 24, 2022 at The Wild Hunt.

The White House is asking for our views on separating migrant families—let’s tell them!

Many educational theorists complain about the toys made for kids.  They note that most of the creativity is put in by the designers and manufacturers leaving little to exercise the creative imaginations of kids.  So today we did a simple experiment with each student being given 8 blocks. The idea was for them to observe their own creativity. Each came up with something different to made from their 8 blocks. When done with one project the students asked for 8 more to build something else. Of course this experiment was derived from Froebel's Kindergarten. One of our objectives is to develop a set of project kits that the kids can sell in their study of small business. You can buy kits for children to assemble at Lowe's or Home Depot, and...

I have learned to appreciate other people's lives and to be grateful for my own good fortune. I am grateful for the ability to help women who experience difficult situations in their lives. The post Centennial Awards: Sue Ames appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Certainly, it’s good practice to treat your dog as person-like – as having beliefs and desires entitled to a certain degree of concern and respect. It may be the case that your dog's person-like-ness is another pretend belief -- that they don't really have the feelings we attribute to them. But keep in mind that you and I might also not REALLY have the feelings we attribute to each other and to ourselves. So it's still unclear how much of a distinction to draw between human and canine emotional lives. Psychology professor Lisa Feldman Barrett argues that emotions are mostly socially constructed. There are, she says, two biological continua that are "real." There's the pleasant to unpleasant continuum, and there's the the high arousal...

Although it had an official premier at the Hollywood Theatre back on November 27, 1942 to make it eligible for the 1943 Academy Awards, Casablanca went into general release 79 years ago today on January 24 .  That coincided with the last day of the Casablanca Conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill which mapped out the general strategy for the Western Front in Europe and was a little more than two months since the city was liberated by the British in Operation Torch. Both events made the title instantly significant to war-time movie goers. Although Casablanca misses the top ranks of most lists of the “greatest” films of all time, it never fails to score at or near the top of list...

Office Administrator Position Open as of 1/16/2022 The Unitarian Church of Los Alamos is hiring a part-time Office Administrator. The Office Administrator will support the life of the church by tending to day-to-day operations of the church office. Essential functions include bookkeeping, communications, and managing room rentals. Please visit this link for a complete job …<p> Now Hiring Read More »

“I invite you now to join me in that promise: to continue the struggle for life, liberation, and justice even when it’s hard, when it feels impossible, when it hurts so badly we’re sure that we’ll die. This invitation to eat and drink does not rest on any identity, does not rest on perfection, but … Continue reading Continuing

This month the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, New Jersey’s focus is on the meaning of intention. This is part of the January Soul Matters’ theme of “Living with Intention.” Intention is essentially your goal, what you want to happen. When Pagans prepare spells, we put our intent into them. I try to explain this […] The post A clear concise intention is vital for spells and life appeared first on Nature's Sacred Journey.

Weekend Editor Eric O. Scott reviews the new film by Joel Coen, "The Tragedy of Macbeth," adapted from Shakespeare's play. Continue reading Review: “The Tragedy of Macbeth” at The Wild Hunt.

Going through the old boxes from Boston are taking a long time. The other day, I came upon a few folders from the part-time private practice I had in feminist therapy for women. Of course, most of my notes from that practice were previously shredded for confidentiality’s sake. But a few notes and cards from […]

Not much to say today, but there is something I think about just showing up as promised. I have committed to weekly postings, so here it is. L’Chaim! My average weight this week is up 1 pound for a total loss of 162.2.

I’m interested in what we believe. In particular, I’m interested in those things that we believe but don’t really believe – the things we pretend to believe. And why we do that. Do you talk to your car? “Come on, start.” Or: “Please, please make it to the gas station.” St. Francis of Assisi talked to "Brother Sun," and "Sister Moon" -- to "Brother Wind," "Sister water," "Brother Fire," and "Sister Earth." He was liable to talk to any creature he encountered, calling it a sibling. If Francis had had a car, I imagine he would have talked to it, too. We don’t really believe our cars hear us, or understand, or in any way care about whatever we may be saying. A lot of us know our cars don't hear or care, yet we talk to our c...

Sometimes, even with our best intentions, we cause hurt and distress we might not mean. This week, we close out our exploration of intention with the need to understand how we impact the world around us.

      I’m touched by a small peculiarity within the announcement of the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh’s death. He died on the 22nd of January in Vietnam. But the announcement was received here in North America on the other side of the international date line, on the 21st of January. There’s a saying […]

We enter week two of 30 Days of Love lamenting the immoral blocking of the Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Voting Acts. It is disheartening to witness our elected leaders sided with vote suppression and against democracy. As a faith community committed to showing up for justice and for our communities, this will not stop us.   Join us for Week Two of 30 Days of Love . From January 24-30 we are focusing on Democracy & Voting Rights. This week’s offerings include multigenerational resources, healing meditations, political education, and collective action to support our community in our democracy and electoral work.  Our live events this week include: Action: Phonebank for Voting Rights on January 30. Political Education: January 27: We...

If you’re called to help establish or re-establish the worship of a deity for whom there is little lore, you’ve got a lot of work in front of you. But it’s doable work. What an amazing opportunity to make a difference for the future.

Native from southwestern Oregon to Baja California. From the Audobon guide: “The whorls of many knobby, closed cones help identify this species. Since the cones may become imbedded within the wood of the expanding, trunk, this species has been called ‘The tree that swallows its cones.’ When fires kill the trees, cones as much as […]

Shoichi Yokoi in police custody after his 1972 capture on Guam. On January 24, 1972 Shoichi Yokoi, a sergeant of the Imperial Japanese Army, was discovered on Guam.   He had spent 28 years hiding in the jungle despite learning twenty years earlier in 1952 that World War II was over, and Japan was defeated . On the other hand, he missed being toasted by a flame thrower or being a POW and collected his back pay. Amazingly, he was not the last Japanese hold out.   Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda had to be relieved from duty by his former commanding officer on March 9, 1974 in the Philippines and Private Teruo Nakamura , a member of an indigenous Taiwanese tribe and a colonial draftee, was captured by the Indonesian Army on December 18,1974 ...

“May we, now or anytime, here or anywhere, alone or with any number of others, focus on affirming what we love, what we cherish, what inspires us no matter what; putting fear on notice that our hearts, minds, and spirits will not accept its invitation. For that is what faith is: focusing on what one … Continue reading Fear

Please join us on Sunday (23 January 2022) at 11:00 AM for “It Ain’t Easy Lookin’ Up” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. Our service will be livestreamed on Facebook Live here. Our virtual coffee hour after worship is back. Sol in Minneapolis will be hosting the virtual coffee hour using the Jitsi open-source videoconferencing platform.  You … Continue reading "Online All-Ages Worship (23 January 2022)"

Please join us on Sunday (23 January 2022) at 9:00 AM for our adult religious education class via Zoom. We are discussing episodes of the podcast Learning How to See with Rev. Brian McLaren, Father Richard Rohr, and Rev. Jacqui Lewis. They are discussing the 13 kinds of bias that Rev. Barbara mentioned recently in … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 23 January 2022"

We will continue to watch the local COVID numbers.  We feel encouraged by the cooling weather and the possibility of comfortable outdoor activities. We are not resuming regular classes for children and youth at this time because our classrooms are too small to be safe for unvaccinated children, and because we want some time to … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Updates"

Please join us next Tuesday (25 January 2022) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch (please note the new day of the week for Zoom lunch). Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Storm Faerywolf examines the concept of passion and its many effects in Witchcraft and Pagan practice. Continue reading Column: Passion And The Creative Value of Conflict at The Wild Hunt.

Sat, 09:22: Whole Foods seems caught in the #GreatResignation No express lanes but a long line to wait in! https://t.co/LM929xPrBn Sat, 10:34: RT @POTUS: Jill and I are saddened to hear two NYPD officers were shot last night — one fatally. We’re keeping them and their families in o…

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk known for popularizing the concept of “Engaged Buddhism,” has just died. (He died Jan. 22 in Vietnam, on the other side of the International Date Line, which was Jan. 21 here in the U.S.) He had been incapacitated by a stroke in 2014, and in 2018 finally received … Continue reading "In memoriam: Thich Nhat Hanh"

Get involved in the Article II Study Commission's work, participate in these resources and provide your feedback. Continue reading "Getting Involved with the Article II Study"

      Similar to Zen’s Ten Ox Herding pictures, Vajrayana Buddhism offers an illustration of the spiritual path using elephants. As with the Ox Herding pictures there are several different versions to the Elephant pictures. I stumbled upon a commentary by the Householder Dharma teacher Piya Tan Being Sin. I love the different angles […]

My father and I have an article in the most recent issue of KATALOG–Journal of Photography & VIdeo. “Life played out in images: The self-portraiture of Libuše Jarcovjáková” is our second piece for the publication. It is also a teaser for an exhibition of Jarcovjákova’s work that we’re planning for FotoFest 2022. KATALOG is a […]

Celebrating the Life of Barbara C. McLaughlin  Aug. 9, 1932 – June 12, 2021 Celebration of Life for Barbara McLaughlin Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady January 22, 2022      Gathering Music           ... read more . The post Order of Service appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

"Thus old Orion does his somersault/   across the heavens..." Today we blow the electron dust from the blog archives for two January entries with poems.  The first from this date way back in 2013 can be copied exactly as originally presented—the conditions described are virtually identical today. It’s the second really cold nightof the year here in McHenry County.  Still no snow on the ground but the weather guy on one channel says that if we cross our fingers and toes we could get a dusting tomorrow and the sleeveless weather babe on the competition sweeps her arms gracefully in front of the green screen and agrees. I stepped on the porch to crush some cans for recycling and took in the night sky.  There was a light thin and pat...

I believe the UUA’s “Copyright & Permissions for Hymn and Reading Use in UU Worship” may incorrectly lists two hymns as public domain or fair use. Jubilate Deo, hymn #393 — words and music are stated to be “fair use or public domain.” The words clearly are in the public domain. However, the music is … Continue reading "Two hymns not in the public domain"

The notion of “invitation” also draws me back to the biblical parables from my upbringing about welcoming the stranger and the church being open to all people. How do you make strangers feel welcome in your presence, and in institutions where you belong?

Please join us on Saturday (22 January 2022) 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. The group is free and open to all. For more information, contact Larry … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (22 January 2022)"

Alan D.D. reviews the new Disney Villains Tarot Deck and Guidebook, written by Minerva Siegel and illustrated by Ellie Goldwine, from Insight Editions. Continue reading Review: Divining the future as a Disney villain at The Wild Hunt.

Alan D.D. reviews the new Disney Villains Tarot Deck and Guidebook, written by Minerva Siegel and illustrated by Ellie Goldwine, from Insight Editions. Continue reading Crítica: Adivinando el Futuro como un Villano de Disney at The Wild Hunt.

      The International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism has announced that today, the 22nd of January, 2022 (in Vietnam) the  beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh passed away peacefully at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam. He was 95. Nguyễn Xuân Bao was born in Huế in central Vietnam. At sixteen he entered […]

The Unitarian Universalist Association, along with other investors and members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, recently co-filed a shareholder resolution with Chevron triggered by human rights abuses in Myanmar.... Continue reading "Responding to shareholder pressure, Chevron to exit Myanmar over human rights abuses"

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: Observance of MLK Day, Witchual Workout, Scotland Witches, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of January 17, 2022 at The Wild Hunt.

      Out in social media universe I saw a posting about Zen Christians from my old friend on the way Ken Ireland. He provided a list of Christian clergy who are authorized in formal Zen lineages. And in the middle of the pack, there I was. I wrote him a query and he […]

One of the main things that Dr. King dedicated his life to was making sure that everybody had the right to vote. This year, considering everything that’s happening in our country and our democracy, to celebrate and commemorate the legacy of Dr. King, I’ve called on our congregation to bring signs to the MLK Parade, calling for Voting Rights and against voter deterrence and suppression. That is the message of our church and the focus of some of our justice teams again this year. The post Voter Fraud vs. Voter Deterrence: A call for Voting Justice appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Note:   I have posted this in one form or another on or around the Martin Luther King Day Federal Holiday for 11 years.   Long time readers may be sick of it.   Some of those who were offended in earlier rounds have left the building in a huff—or come to see that maybe it was not so far off the mark after all.   The thing is, year by year, it becomes more relevant.   Today is the Federal Holiday celebrating the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. He was born on January 15, 1929 and was asasinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis , Tennessee.   It was a long, hard fought effort to create a federal holiday, following proclamations in several states.   President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation creating the holiday in 1983 and it was ...

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. How are you expressing and understanding your role in the mutual destiny of all people today?

A collection of 28 Cambodian artifacts, including what may be a famous statue of Ganesha, are returning home after being surrendered by Netscape founder James H. Clark. Continue reading Looted relics, including a monumental statue of Ganesha, to be returned to Cambodia at The Wild Hunt.

In this sermon in honor of MLK's birthday, I consider where we might find revolutionary love today.

Sometimes you just get lucky – like I did this week on the Tomales Point trail. The elk were posing and I was able to capture the above image. It doesn’t really do justice to how awe-inspiring it was. The elk were all over the area that day, not just gathered around one waterhole. The […]

Dr. King and the work of perseverance.

    It was today, the 16th of January in 1786, that the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s Statute of Religious Freedom. Jefferson was a brilliant and troubled man. In my circles the troubled is mostly recalled in the moment. As it should be. There were some truly ugly aspects to whom the man was. And […]

I’ve noticed that sometimes when we talk about the 8th Principle, the whole idea of decolonizing our minds or actively challenging systems of oppression in ourselves and our institutions can seem super daunting. The way we have all been raised in white supremacy culture is a truly daunting issue, but it’s important to remember that […]

Thank you for your interest in my website and my work! If you would like to use a poem, blessing, or Time for All Ages posted on this site for a worship service/other professional UU use, the cost is $50 for one-time use. (This does not apply to the few pieces also posted here on […]

Retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, a veteran of multiple wars and two-time Medal of Honor recipient was tapped to lead a Fascist coup against the United States Government and President Franklin Roosevelt  The coup backers picked the wrong man. In 1934 a shadowy figure approached a highly decorated retired Marine Corps Major General with a startling proposal.  The officer was offered the opportunityto lead a force of thousands of Veterans largely recruited from the ranks of the American Legion on a march onWashington intended to depose President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  As the “Man on the White Horse” the General would be installed as a figurehead dictator taking orders from a cabal of wealthy bankers and industriali...

Worshipping and working with deities from different pantheons isn’t as simple as filling your plate from different sections of the super buffet. It requires mindfulness and care, and a lot of work – sometimes double the work. But it can be done.

An invitation – whether it be to a party, or a new job, or even a chance to voice your opinion – means so much more when it is stated that “we want you.” Not a “Feel free to join us,” or “stop by if you can.” It’s a subtle difference but changes the whole … Continue reading Directness

Please join us on Sunday (16 January 2022) at 11:00 AM for “Free At Last?  Reflections on the Life and Legacy of Dr. King” by Dr. Jennifer Russell. Our service will be livestreamed on Facebook Live here. We will not be open for in-person worship service during the month of January 2022. Due to how … Continue reading "Online All-Ages Worship (16 January 2022)"

Please join us next Tuesday (18 January 2022) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch (please note the new day of the week for Zoom lunch). Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Please join us on Sunday (16 January 2022) at 9:00 AM for our adult religious education class via Zoom. We are discussing episodes of the podcast Learning How to See with Rev. Brian McLaren, Father Richard Rohr, and Rev. Jacqui Lewis. They are discussing the 13 kinds of bias that Rev. Barbara mentioned recently in … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 16 January 2022"

We will continue to watch the local COVID numbers.  We feel encouraged by the cooling weather and the possibility of comfortable outdoor activities. We are not resuming regular classes for children and youth at this time because our classrooms are too small to be safe for unvaccinated children, and because we want some time to … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Updates"

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and swims like a duck, it can’t possibly be a bird.” Keep that statement in mind. I will get back to it. There is a reason why, as old wags say, “a lie can travel halfway ‘round the world while the truth is still […] The post “It Can’t Possibly Be a Bird: Todd Eklof’s Ignorance of Covenantal Theology” appeared first on Dennis McCarty.

1 Text of Eklof’s sermon, “Correction: Ours Is a Liberal Religion, Not a ‘Covenantal’ One,” may be found at https://uuspokane.org/WP2/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CorrectionLiberalNotCovenantal.pdf It is worth nothing that, in the YouTube video of this sermon, Eklof repeatedly departs from the script and says things that are not in the text. The web addresses for the Fifth Principle Project’s […] The post “It Can’t Possibly Be a Bird: Todd Eklof’s Ignorance on Covenantal Theology” FOOTNOTES appeared first on Dennis McCarty.

"When I got some energy back, I sat down to tend my altars. The small chores of cleaning, sorting, and reorganizing took all of my attention. As I worked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the tattoo had changed something, had somehow shown that I was serious enough to have some credit." Luke Babb writes on the lessons and absences that made up their December holidays in 2021. Continue reading Column: Season of Light at The Wild Hunt.

    Today at our Saturday morning Empty Moon Zen gathering we were engaged in our once a month book discussion group. Currently we’re reading that classic text in our emerging Western Buddhism, When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödren. When discussing one of the points, Tom Wardle, one of our senior dharma teachers called […]

This Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, there is so much weighing on our hearts. Our nation is again in the grips of an enormous surge in Covid cases, overwhelming our hospitals and destabilizing schools, businesses, and more. Voting rights legislation is being held hostage yet again by elected leaders who refuse to protect us from election sabotage and voter suppression. Cultural battles are making their way into courtrooms, legislative sessions, and school board meetings, with opponents to abortion care, transgender rights, and honest conversation about race and white supremacy dominating the news and social media.  If ever there were a time our spirits needed nourishment, it is now. So in the midst of all that is hard, Side With Love i...

We had a great time on Thursday at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts as members of the staff and I made boxes. Shared experience in a common venture builds a sense of commonality, that we're all in this together, and even though each person in class was working on their own box, the journey through the process required taking turns at the saw and allowing for the needs of each other.  At one point I looked around the room at my students and each was holding their box as though it was a small child to whom they'd just given birth. That's directly a part of the nature of such things. In selecting woods for lids, the students would take a board and work out with each other which portion would become the lid of their box. If anyone out ...