In November 2022, UUSC staff members traveled to Thailand to gain deeper insight into the realities of life in Burma at the moment. Today in Burma, pro-democracy actors are resisting total control by members of the military attempting to gain total control of the country. These military officials formed a junta and attempted a coup […]
Buffalo Bill Cody--still a handsome man in 1916. On January 10, 1917 a family gathered around the bed of a dying man in Denver, Colorado. His health had been failing for some time and he was in great pain from renal failure. His great mane of white hair was soaked with sweat. The day before a Catholic priest with whom he had become friendly was called to the bedside and the 70 year old allowed himself to be baptized into the church and receive the Last Rites . When the old plainsman , soldier , hunter , scout , and showman drew his last breath it was international news. Buffalo Bill was dead. Coincidently so was the man named William Fredric...
Though centering can be a metaphorical way of describing your place in the universe and our core values, you can also physically and emotionally center using this practice. To do this, use the following steps. First, orient your body to … Continue reading →
I had very strange dreams a couple of nights ago. I make an effort to not remember dreams, on the theory that they’e waste products of you imagination. But I do remember that an old acquaintance appeared in a dream wearing bright red-orange lipstick; this is someone who would never wear lipstick in real life. … Continue reading "Dreams"
Taken with a Fuji X100F Just click on the photo to enlarge it. Taken back in March 2018 on the edge of Stourbidge Common whilst walking back into town after a cold and occasionally snowy walk out to Fen Ditton.
COP15 was held in Montreal in December, and while an agreement was reached, the commitments made by participants are non-binding. Continue reading Global Agreement on Biodiversity at The Wild Hunt.
The path to liberation starts by knowing oneself and being clear about what it means to show up in the world as a thriving human being. The more we show the world who we are, what we believe, how we love, we become disentangled with the false promise that there is something out there in … Continue reading Inside Ourselves
These professional achievements are not my own as each of these things I’ve accomplished alongside you—many members, friends, community leaders, my fellow workmates, and All Souls leadership and Board of Trustees. The post My love letter to All Souls appeared first on BeyondBelief.
A fun factoid. All three of the earliest dateable examples of printing, a piece of paper, a printed book, and a printed book using moveable type are Mahayana Buddhist texts. The oldest existing printed text that is dateable is the Mugujeonggwang, the Great Dharani Sutra, and was printed in Korea somewhere between 704 & […]
The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop Hill south of Beaumont, Texas in 1901. Photo by John Trost. On January 10, 1901 after almost nine years of poking useless holesinto a salt dome formation near Beaumont, Texas in the southeast corner of the state near the Louisiana line and Gulf Coast some nearly busted and discouraged wildcatters watched in amazement as oil geysered 150 feet in the air from a well head at a rate of 100,000 barrels per day. It took nine days before the well was brought under control. When the well began pumping instead of spewingan oil boom was set off around the Gulf Coast, an industry was disrupted and transformed, and the door was opened to the age of the automobile for better o...
Editor’s note: Sherree shares a blessing acrostic she wrote. You may use this in a number of ways. Try reading it out loud, slowly three times and notice the shifts in yourself. You may want to try and write a … Continue reading →
Announcing a new on-line class from Under the Ancient Oaks: “Tarot For Divination” begins January 26 and runs for 11 weeks. This class is intended for anyone and everyone who wants to learn to read Tarot – no previous experience required.
Religion News Service reports: “If you’re an exvangelical who has been scrolling through TikTok lately, you may have stumbled across a duo singing what sounds suspiciously like evangelical worship music. Until you hear the lyrics. ‘Anyone who is captured will be cut down and run through with a sword,’ they sing in harmony, guitar strums … Continue reading "Songs and signs — Isaiah 13:15-16 and Genesis 19:6-8"
In this week's Pagan Community Notes, a Queer Reading list, new fiction on Witches of World War II, lithium mining in Thacker Pass, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of January 9, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.
Like a lot of people in the last few days, I watched the drama play out in the US House with both a little shock and not a little schadenfreude. When they hit the 11th vote, I called my mom … Continue reading →
“When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them. Where they speak out for the privileges of a puny group, I shall shout for the rights of all mankind.” ―The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, lawyer, civil rights activist, and the first African-American woman* ordained an … Continue reading Inclusion
Temple Grandin laid out a case for hands on learning in this article in the New York Times. If you've not read my book, The Wisdom of Our Hands: Crafting, A Life, I hope you will do so. Make, fix and create. Assist others in learning lifewise.
As I’ve aged, I’ve gotten dizzier. It seems inadvisable to stand or turn around too quickly. Sometimes these bouts of dizziness culminate into a dramatic episode of vertigo where I cannot navigate my home, much less the world outside my … Continue reading →
This early anti-Jackson cartoon lampooning his anti-bank policies shows a loyal Martin Van Buren cleaning up after Old Hickory's jackass. It was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, uses of the donkey as the symbol for the Democratic Party. But it didn't take immediately. Anti-Democrat cartoonist Thomas Nash used the Tammany tiger as the party mascot at first. The Democrats did not embrace the donkey until well into the 20th Century, long after the GOP had adopted the elephant. Note— Yesterday we examined Andrew Jackson’s stunning victory at New Orleans in 1815. Today we look at one of the most consequential results of the battle—the creation of America’s oldest political party. The Democratic Party was founded...
When Epiphany was still simply Epiphany and not so easily confused with January 6th, I met my friend Sarah at the neighboring church she pastored. Near the start of 2021, we sat in her minister’s study and nibbled on star-shaped … Continue reading →
This May will mark twenty years of my blogging, with more than 4,200 posts behind me. But for the last few years, I’ve been writing very little; I hope to change that, sparked by recent events by one well-know social media outlet, and a bit of encouragement I found there. The meltdown of Twitter is … Continue reading "Reviving blogging?"
I asked my daughter for a drawing prompt, and she texted back, “Wires.” Then I drew for about 90 seconds and fell asleep. I did more tonight, enjoying the play of abstraction. But also, between that prompt and missing my wife, I noticed a substation (I think that’s what it was) and took a couple […]
ANDRE: “OK. Yes. We’re bored now. We’re all bored. But has it ever occurred to you, Wally, that the process which creates this boredom that we see in the world now may very well be a self-perpetuating unconscious form of brain-washing created by a world totalitarian government based on money? And that all of this … Continue reading "“Somebody who’s asleep will not say no”"
CHALLENGES: our Comfort, our Concerns, and our Creativity Jan. 8, 2023 Rev. Kit Ketcham As I’ve enjoyed our Coffee Klatches in December and have thought about the topics discussed, it’s become clear to me that each region of our parish has common thoughts about certain subjects, many of them similar. It’s exciting to see the positive effect of the new energy and ideas that have come with folks who have arrived in our parish in the past couple of years. Not only did we survive the pandemic in pretty good shape, but we gained some really incredible new members and friends. We are not the PUUF of the past; we are becoming the PUUF of today and the future. Let me run down the list of topics di...
TWH welcomes back Nathan Hall, who writes about the new year as a time to concentrate on healing and shadow work. "As ever, this is a great time to be a Witch or magickal person. There can be no wrong time, really, because we often consciously attempt to work as conduits for manifesting the needs of the universe, and by extension, our little place in the world." Continue reading Reflecting on Healing Journeys in the new year at The Wild Hunt.
Liberation feels like a giant concept, hard to define, and hard to visualize sometimes. It’s easier for me to think about small things that make me feel free – being with friends who make me feel like myself, meeting new people who share my values, learning new truths that shift my worldview for the better … Continue reading Small Things
For three weeks in June 2022 Evan Rose drove to and from his 50th Dartmouth College reunion. Along the way, he stopped at several sites associated with Civil Rights and Civil War, including the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN and Harper's Ferry, WV. Evan will speak about his travels and answer questions.
It's the beginning of a new year. Appropriately, our theme for this month is "Finding Our Center." This week, we begin with an exploration of the ways the spark at our own center makes itself known.
I notice that today, the 8th of January, marks the beginning of the American Democratic party in 1828. While the mythic origins of the party are with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s Democratic-Republican Party, the actual history is much later. The party was gathered largely through the work of Martin Van […]
We only got out on the trails twice this last week because of the rainstorms that have been hitting our area. “Atmospheric Rivers” they are calling them. We used to call them downpours. If the downpours were too intense and lasted too long, the rivers and creeks flooded. They are comparing this series of storms […]
Lee Valley, one of my favorite woodworking suppliers, has a kit for getting started in whittling. The kit includes a Frost sloyd knife, protective carving gloves, two flex cut gouges, other miscellaneous supplies, and two roughed out carving blanks along with instructions. What a satisfying way to pass a few hours and to have something to show for it! https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/supplies/project-materials/115105-make-it-yourself-hand-carved-basswood-birds-kit?item=MK111 Make, fix and create. Assist others in learning likewise
This 1922 illustration show General Andrew Jackson on the breast works in the Battle of New Orleans with his Tennessee Volunteers, Army Regulars, and Jean Lafitte's pirates. Few if any of the Tennesseans would have been in buckskin and coonskin caps, Most had at least fragments of uniforms after months of campaigning against the Creeks and capturing Mobile from the Spanish. Probably the most important battle ever fought after a war ended occurred on January 8, 1815. Thousands of British troops, including regiments that had distinguished themselves in the Napoleonic Wars and elite units of Royal Marines,were shattered by murderous fire from make-shift American breastworks manned by U.S. Volunteers,Regular Army, local militia (includ...
I fault no one for doing what they need to do to take care of themselves or for realizing they belong on a different path. But I give thanks for those who persist on this journey to worship the Gods, learn more about Them, and experience Them for ourselves.
Turmoil appears frequently in our lives. Whether it appears in the form of war, political disruption, or an internal battle with individual goals such as getting in shape, connecting with others, or quitting a bad habit, the need to resolve the turmoil begins with the active action of acknowledging the reality that appears before us. Continue reading The Responsibility of Bearing Witness in the New Year at The Wild Hunt.
CEASE FROM EVIL A Reflection on the First Precept of Zen Buddhism James Ishmael Ford Today we’re inaugurating a series of reflections on Zen’s precepts. From one angle we can consider them the moral or ethical container of our spiritual discipline. But, really, it’s more complicated than that. Different Zen communities approach […]
The sage advice of giving those who you love roots to come home to, wings to fly and a reason to stay defines liberation to me. It indicates freedom to live a good life. -Judy DiCristofaro (CLF) What gives you roots and wings?
Please join us on Sunday (8 January 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Ignorance and Bliss” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. Rev. Barbara is in the pulpit this Sunday as we continue our season of focus on World Religions. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service. Please join us in person at All … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (8 January 2023)"
Please join us on Sunday (8 January 2023) as we resume our our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM after our two week holiday break. Our adult religious education class is still meeting via Zoom. After discussing the first chapter, we are now discussing the next two chapters of the book God of Love: … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 8 January 2023"
Children and youth will attend the worship service for the first 15-20 minutes and then are dismissed to their classes. The wisdom of the world’s religions is one of the six sources of our Unitarian Universalist faith. It’s important that we gain an understanding of teachings and stories that shape the lives of our neighbors, … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Classes Resume 8 January 2023"
The annual World Religion Day event returns as an in-person event in the Shreveport / Bossier City area for the first time since 2020: Date: 22 January 2023 Time: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Location: Highland Center Ministries, 520 Olive Street, Shreveport LA 71106 This is an time to come together and celebrate the great … Continue reading "World Religion Day Returns (22 January 2023)"
We are announcing time and location for next congregational meeting: Date: Sunday, 29 January 2023 Time: 1215 PM Location: All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA 71106) or on Zoom (Link // meeting ID — 872 7273 9606) On the Agenda: Presentation of the 2023 Budget Selection of the 2023 Nominating Committee … Continue reading "Congregational Meeting Announcement (29 January 2023)"
All Souls members and friends — we need your 2023 pledges by 15 January 2023. Money in the collection basket is great, but a pledge helps us know how to budget for the needs of the church in the coming year. You are the best judge of your finances and capabilities. Don’t give till it … Continue reading "2023 Pledge Drive"
Epiphany by Kevin Roddy (Source) A short “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful Meditation —o0o— In western traditions of Christianity, the season of epiphany, which has just begun, centres upon a short legendary tale told only by Matthew (2:1-12) concerning a group of Zoroastrian astrologer-priests out of the east who, guided by a star, take a long journey west to visit and make obeisance — that is to say, to pay deferential respect — to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Matthew tells us that whilst passing through Jerusalem they inform King Herod that they are looking for the newborn King of the Judaeans and Herod, in reply, asks them to return to him once ...
Please join us next Tuesday (10 January 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.
“All academic thinking, whether right, left, or middle, is conservative in the extreme…. Nobody wants to hear what he [sic] hasn’t heard before.” — Hannah Arendt, in a letter to the philosopher Richard J. Bernstein, quoted in Jordi Graupera, “A Philosophy Professor’s Final Class,” New Yorker magazine, January 3, 2023. What Hannah Arendt says applies … Continue reading "Conservatism"
Fannie Farmer with her famous level cup and student Martha Hayes Ludden. Farmer is seated due to her partial disability due to a stroke. On January 7, 1896 a book that revolutionized American kitchen and changed the lives of women was published for the first time. The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book was compiled and written by the school’s 41 year old director, Fannie Farmer. It was comprehensivein scope, and well organized. Packed with detailed , step-by-step directionsand specific measurements of ingredients, it allowed home cooks—both hired help and homemakers—to create consistent meals that turned out the same every time. Not only was it an immediate best seller, but Farmer kept it up to date through 21 more editio...
Please join us on Saturday (7 January 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 (7 January 2023)"
You’ve probably heard about the website Elon’s Jet, which tracks one of Elon Musk’s private jets (he apparently has several; this just happens to be the one he uses most often). Well, the person running that website just calculated the total carbon emissions of Elon’s jet in the year 2022 — 1,895 tons of CO² … Continue reading "Elon’s jet"
With just two days to go, I made use of one of my few free days to go downtown and get a few supplies: gift wrapping paper, thick craft rope, glue, and a big burlap bag. I had found out what to do: instead of having someone dressed as Santa delivering gifts, I would have someone don a homemade Yule Goat costume. Continue reading A Low-Kew Nordic Yule at The Wild Hunt.
On this day, Christians around the world celebrate gifts given to the infant Jesus by royal travelers from afar. What gifts do you give to the world today?
Sunday, January 8 Finding Our Center: Reconsidering the Unitarian Universalist Principles & Purposes After more than two years of intense study and discussion, an appointed commission has suggested a significant rewrite of the article in our Unitarian Universalist Association bylaws that includes both the Principles & Purposes and the Sources of Our Faith. Join us [ … ] The post Sunday, January 8 ~ Finding Our Center: Reconsidering the Unitarian Universalist Principles & Purposes ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. The rushed heart and the arrogant mind lack the gentleness and patience to enter that embrace. Beauty is mysterious, a slow presence who waits for the … Continue reading →
I had a rather thrilling experience as I was flipping through my phone’s photos to find the reference photo for this drawing. I saw a photo I had taken of the half-finished drawing and thought for a few moments that it was the original. Hyperrealism is seldom, if ever, my goal, but to have successfully […]
Prayer of Reckoning with History - Week of January 8, 2023 Wisdom, may we have the strength, courage, and curiosity to examine our heritages, histories of harm and histories of healing, and attend to which stories we choose cause harm or healing or other effects here and now and in...
We Three Kings performed by Mediaeval Baebes. The Twelve Days of Christmas season officially endedyesterday. The Catholic Church and WesternChristian denominations that borrow its liturgical calendar observe the Feast of the Epiphany today . It is a fitting wrap-up for our annual Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival. In the United States and some other countries, the feast is now celebrated on the First Sunday after New Year ’ s Day which will be January 8 this year. Theologically it is a celebration of the revelation to the world of Jesus as the fully human God the Son. As such it celebrates a facet of the Trinity . Little...
Holli S. Emore, MDiv, the Executive Director of Cherry Hill Seminary and founder of Temple Osireion, shares about her recent pilgrimage to Egypt. Continue reading Pilgrimages: “I returned changed, as one should following an initiation” at The Wild Hunt.
The poet Toi Derricotte told us that “joy is an act of resistance,” and we know that resistance is liberation. We are free when we feel joy and live with love on our hearts. -JeKaren Olaoya (CLF) Express joy as an act of resistance and liberation today.
Pam, the minister at the Unitarian Universalist congregation just down the street in Scituate, told me about “Healthy Congregations,” a nonprofit that carries on the work of Rabbi Edwin Friedman and Peter Steinke. Friedman applied Murray Bowen’s family systems theory to congregational life, which is outlined in his book Generation to Generation. Beginning in the … Continue reading "“Healthy Congregations”"
Bob and I practiced hot yoga for a time in AL and in GA. We loved it and probably would still be going if the drive to Decatur was not so long and traffic laden. This hot yoga is a … Continue reading →
Hey, Ho, the Wind and the Rain from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night performed by Alfred Decker. Tonight is the final night of the Twelve Days of Christmas as celebrated in William Shakespeare ’ s comedy Twelfth Night . The fantasy romance included a shipwreck , star-crossed lovers , cross dressing , and ultimately a happy ending —an Elizabethan rom-com . It was first produced on February 2, 1602— Candlemas , the Anglican end of the extended Christmas season —at the hall of the Middle Temple but was set on Twelfth Night , January 5.
Today’s article comes to us from Amethysta Herrick who reviews the science and data on the recent fusion breakthrough. Continue reading Science Perspectives: Lawrence Livermore National Lab and the Futility of Nuclear Fusion at The Wild Hunt.
In an essay titled “Jain Ecology,” Satish Kumar records a “water sutra” taught to him by his mother: Waste no waterDon’t ever spill itWater is preciousWater is sacredThe way you use water is the measure of youWater is witnessWater is the judgeYour wisdom rests on your careful use of water.(Satish Kumar, “Jain Ecology,” Jainism and … Continue reading "“Water is sacred”"
Photo of Fannie Lou Hamer from the Library of Congress My favorite quote comes from Fannie Lou Hamer, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” True liberation is interdependent, segments of the population may have certain privileges, but no one is truly liberated while there is a system of oppression in place. -Aisha Hauser (CLF) How can … Continue reading Until Everybody Is Free
For technical reasons passing understanding, I’m unable to post here except for a brief note via my phone – so here it is: Subscribe to Hold My Chalice at Substack!
Tim Atkins I’m proud to belong to a living religious tradition that embraces evolution, both scientifically and spiritually. Continue reading "Meeting the New Year"
Archaeological evidence, as well as information from myths and legends, shows that in a variety of Celtic settings, the center was the most cosmological point. Temples and ritual sites seem to have been focused on a central point or area, … Continue reading →
Finding and following this path was critically important to my spiritual growth and depth, and to my happiness. It continues to be a very good thing for me, and I want to share what I’ve found with others who need and want it. But it’s not for everyone.
Alan Lomax recorded Kentucky traditional balladeer Jean Richie for the Library of Congress in 1949. Note — As we close in on the end of our Winter Holidays Music Festival we will spend two days on the close of the Twelve Days of Christmas as observed in British tradition and the Anglican liturgic calendar on January 5. The next day, the Feast of the Epiphany or Day of the Three Kings will wrap things up. Twelfth Night is the eveof the Feast of the Epiphany and the end of the Christmas Season. In Englandespecially it was one last eruption of gaiety and mirth before the more somber and sacred reflection of the Epiphany—somewhat analogous to Mardis Gras or Carnival before Len...
Three of us were in the office in the early afternoon. Each of us was feeling a little bit grumpy. Each of us was glad to be done with 2022, and hoping that 2023 will be a little bit better. I told them my theory. Here we are, three years into a pandemic. Historically, pandemics … Continue reading "Grumpiness and ukuleles"
January is often a time when we push the reset button. Reflecting on our lives, we can make amends, make changes, and begin again in love. Change is not always easy and institutional change can be even more difficult as different folks have their own ... read more . The post January Theme: Change & (R)evolutions appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
Dear ones, As we prepare to be away for Sabbatical, there are so many details to tend to. Underlying all the specifics is a passion to support and sustain the shared ministries of the congregation. So, we are doing all we can to offer clarity and ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Jan. 3rd appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
Children in Kindergarten through 6th grade will start in the Great Hall for the first part of the service. Afterwards, they will meet in their own rooms: Wonderful Welcome (K-3rd grade) Love Connects Us (4th-6th grade) No Coming of Age session this week since they will be having ... read more . The post This Week in Religious Education – Jan. 3rd appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
During the time that the co-ministers will be on sabbatical, Rev. Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone will lead worship once a month, provide support for the Board and Staff, as well as be available for urgent pastoral care needs. Some of you have met her when she ... read more . The post Introducing the Sabbatical Coverage Minister, Rev. Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
Our Co-ministers will be on Sabbatical from Jan. 13-Mar. 24. During that time, we will have some really great guest worship leaders, including the Rev. Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone, as noted above. During this time, the Co-ministers will be engaging in deepening spiritual practices and some writing ... read more . The post Sabbatical Update appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
The tradition of the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia has deep roots and a connection to Paganism. Continue reading The Mummers Parade: Philadelphia’s Pagan New Year Celebration at The Wild Hunt.
ZERO TO THREE’s State of Babies Yearbook: 2022 provides policymakers with the information they need to advance state policies to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Telling the story of America’s babies is more important than ever. Share the State of Babies Yearbook: 2022 with your members of Congress and encourage them to learn more about how your state measures up on nearly 60 data points essential to ensuring that babies have what they need to thrive. Read: read more... The post January Action Alert: Share the 2022 State of Babies Yearbook With Congress appeared first on Promise the Children.
I am fat. This adjective is not an insult, nor does it come with any moral judgment attached to it. It is simply a description of my body. Doctors are routinely amazed when tests they run show that my heart, liver, and blood sugar are all healthy. And yet, at this time of year especially, … Continue reading Body Liberation
What does unconditional love mean? What does it gift to us in our lives? I first experienced unconditional love in my friendship with Lori Slawinski. I have been looking back on my life by going through old papers these last several weeks–my winter project. The other day, I reread dozens of letters from Lori from […]