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All Ages Worship (18 June 2023)

Please join us on Sunday (18 June 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Dad Jokes:  Humor as a Spiritual Tool in the Parenting Toolbox” with John Allen, Amanda Lawrence, and Susan Caldwell. Dad jokes, amiright?  The worse, the better.  You will more than likely hear a few of those this Sunday and also perhaps hear and … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (18 June 2023)"
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Upcoming Events Reminders for 17-18 June 2023 and Beyond

2023 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly Livestream Videos (21-25 June 2023 — Pittsburg PA — External Link) 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now
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Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 18 June 2023

Please join us on Sunday (18 June 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. This week, we will continue our discussion of Patrice Cullor’s An Abolitionist’s Handbook.  We will … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 18 June 2023"
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No Zoom (and In-Person) Lunch on Tuesday (20 June 2023) — Zoom Lunch Resumes 27 June 2023

There will be no Zoom lunch this Tuesday (20 June 2023). Please join us on the following Tuesday (27 June 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 … Continue reading "No Zoom (and In-Person) Lunch on Tuesday (20 June 2023) — Zoom Lunch Resumes 27 June 2023"
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Meditation with Larry Androes (17 June 2023)

Please join us on Saturday (17 June 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 (17 June 2023)"
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Difficult Transitions

“The transition was difficult. It’s hard to stop something that you’ve enjoyed and that has been very rewarding.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar How have you come through difficult transitions in your life?
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How Daniel Ellsberg’s Courage Led to Beacon Publishing the First Five-Volume Edition of the Pentagon Papers

Beacon Press joins others across America and the world in commemorating the life of the patriotic whistleblower and decades-long anti-war activist Daniel Ellsberg (1931–2023).
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Opinion: The Life We Deserve

June is usually referred to as “Pride Month.” However, this June is different: It’s Pride Month as always, but also “National Immigrant Heritage Month.” Continue reading Opinion: The Life We Deserve at The Wild Hunt.
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Opinión: La Vida que Merecemos

Junio generalmente se conoce como "Mes del Orgullo". Sin embargo, este junio es diferente: es el Mes del Orgullo como siempre, pero también el "Mes Nacional de la Herencia Inmigrante". Continue reading Opinión: La Vida que Merecemos at The Wild Hunt.
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What the Southern Baptist vote means

A few days ago, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to expel some local churches that had women as pastors. They kicked Rick Warren’s huge Saddleback Church, and they also kicked out a small church where as woman has been serving as pastor for three decades. If they’re suddenly kicking out a church where there’s been … Continue reading "What the Southern Baptist vote means"
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June 15, 2023

I’ve been researching the race riot that happened at the high school in my hometown in 1978 (I hope to have a blog post about it on the 45th anniversary of the actual event). Part of my research led me to a 2002 oral history interview with Phil Benicasa, for many years an elementary school … Continue reading ""
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Walking into the wrong funeral, and crying with the loved ones: A small Zen Meditation

      Michael Coren, a writer and late vocation priest in the Anglican Church of Canada whom I quite admire, recently offered an anecdote on social media. “I took a funeral recently where a woman told me at the reception that she was actually at the wrong ceremony. She didn’t know the deceased. I’d […]
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In Our Hands

This is an excerpt from a post I wrote in 2017. At first glance, it’s not the bright, sunshiny sort of thing one would expect under the theme of “delight” which we are focusing on in June 2023. Bear with … Continue reading →
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The UUA Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act: Decision will help to maintain sovereignty of Indigenous communities

The UUA affirms the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) because ICWA preserves Indigenous culture and sovereignty by protecting Native children from being removed during custody proceedings and placed with non-Native families. Continue reading "The UUA Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act: Decision will help to maintain sovereignty of Indigenous communities"
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PW June 2023

The June 2023 issue of Popular Woodworking has an article of mine about making a coopered leg hall table, but what's more exciting is a review of our art and craft school, ESSA. In a 3 page spread, editor Logan Whitmer describes the wonders of our small school as well as the beauty of Eureka Springs. I'm pleased to have yet another article in a national magazine, and also pleased to see ESSA receive the attention it deserves. Make, fix and create. Enable others to do likewise.
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“Search” – A Book Review

  “A Unitarian Universalist can believe anything.” – Michelle Huneven interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR (April 23, 2022) When a dear and trusted friend of mine recently reached out to me and excitedly told me that I needed to read the book Search by Michelle Huneven, I winced at first and informed her that […]
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A Legal Lynching in South Carolina Fried an Innocent Child

14 years old in South Carolina in 1944 and accused of a double murder and rape, George Junius Stinney, Jr. had no chance of a fair trial. The slender 14 year old was led to the execution chamber at South Carolina’s Central Correctional Institution in Columbia on June 16, 1944.  He was so small that he did not fit well into the adult size electric chair.   The Bible he had carried with him to his doom was taken from him and used as an impromptu booster seat.  Officials struggled with the straps that held him down because they could not be properly tightened down to his scrawny arms and legs.  The face mask hung loosely.  With the first jolt of 2,400 Volts the mask was knocked off of his face revealing his wide open, tear filled ey...
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Prayer for Freedom

A Prayer for Freedom - Week of June 19, 2023 Lover of Liberation, teach us to be suspicious of the long legacies of white supremacy and enslavement practices that adapt from season to season and era to era, to keep power available to a few and leave even those who...
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Lions, tides, and a tower

I’m in Venice with my daughter, and Joy got her passport and arrives tonight. Munchkin asked what I want for my birthday, which is today, and what else could I possibly want? Another day like yesterday? I am beyond blessed to have life, my family, work that sustains me, and time to enjoy this beautiful […]
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Birthdays

On this, my birthday, I am ever aware of the passage of time. I notice how much has changed in the last year, and I ponder how much might change in the next one. I cherish each gray hair left on my head, representing experience and resilience. I honor that nothing can stay the same. … Continue reading Birthdays
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A Call to Ministry

In her first installment, Liz Watkins chronicles her path to ministry and the challenges and joys of seminary training. Continue reading A Call to Ministry at The Wild Hunt.
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more spalted wood

This is another piece of spalted wood forming the lid of a box. I'll add a lift tab along the front edge before adding mite keys to strengthen the box corners.  I'm lucky to have a few pieces of interesting wood hanging around waiting for their best use. Make, fix and create... Assist others in living likewise.
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A Farewell Message from UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

Staff Writer As her time as UUA President winds down, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray shares a message of appreciation for the work we’ve done together and excitement for what’s to come.
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Beyond the “End”

Richard CLF member, incarcerated in NY Do you believe in heaven? Then there is no end. Do you believe in hell? Then there is no end. Do you believe in spirit? Then there is no end. Will man destroy what God has wrought? Maybe. You’d think we’d learn That we don’t really count in the […]
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The Gift of a Sensitized Soul

DONNA CLF member, incarcerated in CA My experience has taught me that many adults who seek a new spiritual connection have, like myself, been particularly sensitized to the suffering of the world. Maybe some people have been taught to be sensitive in this way. Either way, I would like to see us broaden our empathy […]
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Rethinking the Transition Out of Prison

GARY CLF member, incarcerated in NC “Transition” has become a byword in the corrections field over recent years. It has come to encompass classes bearing such fanciful titles as “Thinking For A Change,” “Crossroads,” “Men In Transition” and “Ethical Choices.” Yet, despite these, recidivism rates in the U.S. run from 41–79%. How is this possible? […]
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Stories of Riverside in the Pandemic: Episode 6: The challenges of homeschooling

 Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The sixth episode contains stories of homeschooling. This was one of my favourite episodes as it contains some really funny, touching, and interesting accounts of this time
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Water Temperature

Every summer our community pool opens Memorial Day Weekend with a party. After that weekend it opens daily at 11:00 right after swim practice ends.  For over 5 years and counting a group of women, myself included, head to the … Continue reading →
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The Book of Cernunnos is Now Available

The Book of Cernunnos, the new devotional anthology dedicated to the Lord of the Animals – and of many other things – is now available.
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How Ben Franklin’s Stormy Kite Fly Helped Win the Revolution

Most illustrations of the famous kite fly get it wrong--Ben out doors, the lightning actually striking the kite, his son William either absent or depicted as a small boy.  This one gets most of it right as Ben and his 19 year old son seek shelter from the rain in a shed.  The only err in this one is Franklin is holding the wet string above the key, not by the dry ribbon below it.  William holds the Lyden Jar which is charged by electrical discharges from the clouds, not by a direct lightning strike of the kite. Like a youthful George Washington chopping down the cherry tree, Benjamin Franklin flying the kite in the lightening storm is an image known to every school child.   Unlike the cherry tree myth, Franklin really did fly a kite ...
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What if I don’t like my child?

Or what if, worse, I don’t love them? Love is a many faceted thing. So is liking. Having connections with. Delighting in the presence of. All of these are many faceted. We have a cultural framework of parenthood that suggests it should be all beauty, all roses, that as parents we should be overflowing with …</p> The post What if I don’t like my child? first appeared on For Parents of Children w/Chronic Illness.
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lift lid box

This is a new lift lid box. The lid is spalted maple and the body of the box is elm. Note the direction of the wood grain, and that the mitered corners are glued side grain to side grain, making it an easy box to make. Make, fix and create...
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Embracing Change

“A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.” – Nikki Giovanni How have you learned to embrace change?
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CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery

CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery — June 14, 2023 In its final report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called on “all religious denominations and faith groups who have not already done so to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples. . .” (Call to […] The post CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.
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A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities

A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities — June 14, 2023 Each year, the Board of Trustees reviews and updates the goals and strategic priorities of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). These are sent out in advance of each Annual General Meeting, and member congregations, through their delegates, discuss and vote on these goals […] The post A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.
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Editorial: There is Plenty of Panic Fuel

Editor-in-chief, Manny Moreno warns the increasing trend by Evangelicals to demonize alternative beliefs and practices that has the potential to fuel a reprisal of the Satanic Panic of the 80s. Continue reading Editorial: There is Plenty of Panic Fuel at The Wild Hunt.
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Thinking of Edward FitzGerald and his rendition of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat.

                                          A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread – and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness – Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow! It was today, the […]
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At the Dawn of Liberation, All Trans People Need Basic Civil Rights and Need Them Now!

By Leslie Feinberg | Capitalism is one of the most irrational economic systems imaginable: those who do the most, get the least, and those who do the least, get the most. How can such a system continue? It couldn’t if the vast, laboring majority got together to fight for a new, more equitable economy.
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Providing People in Migration More Pain Than Promise

The Biden Administration’s efforts to secure the border have only caused more hardship for people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Hypothetical Argument, Real-life Harm

Jeff Milchen U.S. Supreme Court Threatens Dangerous Exceptions to Public Accommodations Laws.
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Quest June 2023

June 2023
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Navigating Transition

The months of May and June often bring transitions related to academic promotions, graduations, and other milestones related to the culmination of years of dedication and hard work. At this time of year, we often celebrate loved ones as they move from one phase of life into another. We wrap up another year in the […]
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Makers of Ukraine...

This box is unusual in that the grain runs vertically rather than around the box. Gluing edge grain to edge grain eliminates the need of other joinery techniques.  In the meantime, as I'm working in my shop there are others whose purpose is more profound. The makers of Ukraine... https://makezine.com/article/maker-news/makers-in-defense-of-ukraine/  Make, fix and create...
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Stories of Riverside in the Pandemic: Episode 5: Family life, kids and adapting under lockdown

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The fifth episode features stories of family life, parenting, and raising children in a time of pandemic. This was a tough time for children and families, and those caring for
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Venice

We are in Venice! Minus Joy, because she is still waiting for her passport. Public service announcement: If you need a new passport, imagine how long each stage would normally take and double it. This part of the State Department is so understaffed, or whatever, that it’s not even possible to get an appointment in […]
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Dancing in the Seats

Our Rev. Jan is retiring. Our congregation had a retirement party for her. It was a sad and joyous celebration. Sad because she is leaving. Joyous for the time she was with us and for the beginning of a wonderful … Continue reading →
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An Experience of the Gods that Left Me Floored

Seven questions and answers about the Gods and our experiences of Them, Pagan books, spiritual practices, and the concept of grace.
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The History and Emotional Reactions to Flag Day

  Note:   We’ve been here before but slightly updated to account In case you hadn’t noticed today is officially Flag Day , a demi-holiday easily overlooked.  It is celebrated by displaying the American Flag.  Veterans groups often organize solemn flag disposal ceremonies .   No other country on Earth makes quite the fetish of its flag as does the United States.  The word idolatry comes to mind.  At its worst it elevates the symbol—the Flag—over the substance—the democratic values espoused in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution.  It is an absolute truism that those who wrap themselves most in the Flag—and these days that is not just a figurative term—are the most disingenuous and dangero...
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Shifting Focus

I have spent most of the last twenty years working in sexuality education, in one way or another. It’s been good for me. I hope I’ve been able to inspire many teachers and facilitators with the materials I’ve created to work with young people directly. I hope I’ve been able to provide many of the …</p> The post Shifting Focus first appeared on For Parents of Children w/Chronic Illness.
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Herman Hesse’s “Butterflies: Reflections, Tales, and Verse” A Review

                                            When the rain beats down on the pear blossoms, a butterfly flies up. A Zen koan by way of Dahui Zonggao   Butterflies: Reflections, Tales and Verse by Hermann Hesse Selected by Volker […]
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Cycle of Becoming

Ouroboros, the ancient symbol of a snake devouring its own tail, is a powerful representation of the interconnectedness of all nature as well  the lifecycle stages of birth, growth, death, and re-birth. Our earlier selves continually feed our later selves as we mature, creating a continual cycle of death and re-birth of self. -Lori Stone … Continue reading Cycle of Becoming
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Wednesday Photo: Walking with the dog onto Midsummer Common, Cambridge

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Anders Lindborg and John Sevigny’s Kodak T-Max P3200 recipe Just click on the photo to enlarge it  
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Remembrance and honoring the deities of desecrated Pagan shrines

TWH speaks with Robert Schreiwer, founder of the Heathen tradition of Urglaawe, and the livestreamed ritual remembering the desecration of Pagan shrines. Continue reading Remembrance and honoring the deities of desecrated Pagan shrines at The Wild Hunt.
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Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – June 13th

June is many things, including Pride month. This year, we are especially grateful for our many GLBTQ+ ancestors and kin who have worked, danced, played, struggled, lived and loved before us and alongside us. Some of us have been activists for a very long time, ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – June 13th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Religious Education programming Sunday June 18th

Children and youth will be attending the multigenerational service in the Great Hall with their families this Sunday. Come to the Welcome Table to pick up an Activity Bag for your child so they can follow along with the service. Childcare for children 5 and under ... read more . The post Religious Education programming Sunday June 18th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Plans for Our RE Program Next Year: This Could Be Your Time to Volunteer!

We’re planning a more robust Religious Education (RE) program for 2023-24, with plans for each grade level. We’d like to offer RE for each age every Sunday that’s not a multigenerational Sunday. We’d like to lighten the load for RE teachers by having teams of 4. That ... read more . The post Plans for Our RE Program Next Year: This Could Be Your Time to Volunteer! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education for Children, Youth and Adults

As part curricula for the faith development of children and youth next year, we are working to offer the year-long Our Whole Lives (OWL) program at the 8th /9th grade level, and the 9 week programs of K/1 and 5th /6th grade OWL in the ... read more . The post Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education for Children, Youth and Adults appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Co-Financial Advisors’ Statement on Actions Following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution

Chris Chepel , David Stewart UUA Co-Financial Advisors, Chris Chepel and David Stewart, provide a statement about actions following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution. Continue reading "Co-Financial Advisors’ Statement on Actions Following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution"
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Stories of Riverside in the Pandemic: Episode 4: Pregnancy and childbirth, under lockdown

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The fourth episode features stories of pregnancy and birth. These are stories of two families, living round the corner from each other in Riverside, who reflect on what it was
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Juneteenth—Freedom Day Festival in Woodstock to Feature Full Program

The Juneteenth—Freedom Day Festival on historic Woodstock Square on Saturday, June 17 from 3 to 5:30 pm has announced a full program for the celebration of the date for the remaining 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas first heard news of Emancipation.   The commemoration of that event has spread from Texas and now is observed nationally as a day of Jubilee and freedom.   The event in Woodstock represents the first ever such celebration in McHenry County.                                                                       Kenneth Davis, Chicago bluesman of the Ken Davis Group, has been added to the Festival line up. The program will include an invocation and a benediction by the Rev...
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The Delight of Playday

2023 June The Path of Delight – Playday – Lydia Patrick Like most dogs Millie loves to look out the window. If a car passes she sees it. If an animal runs through the yard she lets us know. If … Continue reading →
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An interesting development

According to a recent news article, Vermont, Maine, and Maryland have removed time limits for law suits about sex crimes. Massachusetts, Michigan, and Rhode Island are currently considering such legislation. What this means is that if you were abused by someone as a child in these three states, you have the rest of your life … Continue reading "An interesting development"
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Let us name it … ASS

People talk about “artificial intelligence.” They get corrected by people who say, It’s not intelligence, it’s “machine learning.” But actually machines don’t learn either. All this false terminology isn’t serving us well. It obscures the fact that the humans who design the machines are the intelligences at work here, and by calling the machines “AI” … Continue reading "Let us name it … ASS"
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Fleeting Moments

“I hope we will take one good look at the passingness of things, the precious fragility of everything. A single blade of grass, a much loved coffee mug, a fading photograph, a quick kiss; all speak of the wonder and transitoriness of life-and-death within the interdependent web. There is beauty and wonder in this existence. … Continue reading Fleeting Moments
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Pagan Community Notes: Week of June 12, 2023

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: thor's Oak Kindred joins Race Against Hate, Bible banned in SLC, OKC apparently OK with publicly funded religious schools, Elon Musk looking for Witchcraft VP
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Key Things to Know About General Assembly 2023

Elaine McArdle A quick guide to the speakers, events, and business of this year’s Unitarian Universalist Association annual meeting.
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Statement from the UUA Board About Proposed Revisions to Article II

Statement from the UUA Board About Proposed Revisions to Article II of the UUA Bylaws Continue reading "Statement from the UUA Board About Proposed Revisions to Article II"
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Cold Rain Did Not Dampen Woodstock Pride Fest Fun

Some of the Tree of Life Woodstock Pride Parade contingent before the rain intensified.  Bottom Row Sam. Ted Funn, Leah Mikkelson, Rev. Jen Gracen.  Top Row Judy Stettner, Jesse Bowen, Julie Huddle, Sandy Ekhert, Judy Beyer, Ron Relic, and Nick Madaus on the tractor.  Well, it was cold—hovering around 50° —with   light rain or drizzle all day yesterday for the annual Woodstock Pride parade and event, but it did not discourage a large and enthusiastic crowd until the last hour.   Judy and Marc Stettner; Julie Huddle; Leah Mickkelson; Ryan, Wendle, and Blossom Broussard; Rev. Gracen, Virgina, and daughter Adie, Carol Ciccotosto, and the Old Man were among those who shivered and shared good news about the   Tree of Life Unitarian...
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Recalling the Remarkable Harriet Martineau, Transcendentalist, & Mother of Sociology

    Harriet Martineau, British novelist, lecturer, abolitionist and theological thinker was born on this day, the 12th of June, in 1802. She’s always been a favorite of mine. The family were active English Unitarians of Huguenot descent, her father a deacon at the famed Octagon Chapel in Norwich. The family was comfortably middle class. […]
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Queering Our Covenants

I saw how through these fixed identities and supporting structures, we the people are separated one from another. I suffered then and now because of the identities which separate me from others. Our Covenant brings us back to one another. The post Queering Our Covenants appeared first on BeyondBelief.
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self-actualization

  When we understand the role the hands play in human development, in the growth of character, intelligence and creativity, we also begin to grasp the importance of the arts in education and the necessity of bringing an increasing number of artists into schools and applying their hands (and minds) in the education of our children. Understanding the role of the hands in education also provides a clear rationale for woodworking education. Woodworking in schools is still important despite the concerted effort of many school administrators to do away with it. An interesting point is made by American amateur woodworkers, when they call what they do in their woodshops “sawdust therapy.” We humbly note the beneficial psychological effects ...
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Eight Minutes of Delight

They show up in my social media from time to time: lions, chickens, lizards, owls, goats, bears, donkeys, kangaroos, deer, cows, ducks, cats, parrots, koalas, pigs, even fish and of course, dogs, so many dogs–all engaged in whatever acrobatics needed … Continue reading →
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Tiny flower

Medeola virginiana, sometimes called Cucumber Root or Indian Cucumber-root, is in bloom in the woodlands around Cohasset right now. As the name implies, the small root is crunchy and white and tastes like cucumber — but you kill the plant when you dig it up for the root, so I stopped foraging for it many … Continue reading "Tiny flower"
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Tangled

“The tangled things will always be here, in this moment I am living through, right now, whatever comes after.” -from “Tangled,” by Dawn Star Sarahs-Borchelt What are the tangled things you are living through right now?
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Anger and confusion over destruction of menhirs in France

There is controversy over the reputed destruction of 39 standing stones, or menhir, in the French village of Carnac. But the accounts of what happened are disputed between the Carnac government and a local archeologist. Continue reading Anger and confusion over destruction of menhirs in France at The Wild Hunt.
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100 Years of the Flower Communion

Reflections on the 100th anniversary of the flower communion, and the ritual's connection to anti-fascism. The post 100 Years of the Flower Communion appeared first on Colin Bossen.
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Joy

A sermon about joy and the Unitarian Universalist tradition. The post Joy appeared first on Colin Bossen.
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Los Alamos PRIDE

A service to kick off PRIDE week in Los Alamos. Guest Speakers: Luke Eigelbach and Melissa Goldman.
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Weekly Bread #226

We saw a bobcat this week while hiking. I have seen them before, but other times it was a quick glimpse from a distance. This kitty walked right by us on the trail and seemed more tired than we were. I hope it is OK; it was walking pretty slowly. Bobcats aren’t scary, not like […]
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A ZEN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST MEDITATION RETREAT (in Person & Online)

You are cordially invited to join us for a Zen retreat Wednesday Jun 21 – Sunday Jun 25, 2023 A multi-day Zen meditation retreat (Sesshin) hosted by the University Unitarian Church, in Seattle, Washington. We will meet in person and on Zoom. The meditation retreat will be facilitated by the Bright Cloud Zen practice group […]
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Two Brothers Start-up Launched the U.S. Auto Industry

Despite a shaky claim that the Duryea brothers built the "World's First Real Automobile", an honor usually ascribed to Gotlieb Dahlmer, this post card commemorates the brother's first factory in Springfield, Massachusetts.   Ask an American school child “who invented the automobile?” and the kid will probably say Henry Ford .   Which, of course, is flat-out wrong.   The automobile had many fathers.   Ford was relatively late to the game.   What he did do was revolutionize the manufacture of the machines by replacing the hand-built methods of the carriage makers and bicycle builders who dominated the early industry with the modern assembly line which so greatly reduced costs that cars went from the realm of playthings for the we...
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Separation

“For all who left a relationship in order to save your heart, may your own heartbeat be your blessing. Its rhythm, its particular kinships, its unique rhythm. May you know your own heart as God’s blessing. “For all who had to set boundaries in order to keep your mind intact, may your own mind be … Continue reading Separation
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Hail Fenrir: Celebrating the Troth’s New Position Statement

Luke Babb celebrates a revision to the bylaws of the Troth that will allow for members to conduct rituals in honor of all beings connected to the ancient Germanic polytheistic tradition. Continue reading Hail Fenrir: Celebrating the Troth’s New Position Statement at The Wild Hunt.
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And a world begins under the map—On the need to make errors and poetically, creatively, magically, invoke new worlds of being

One of my many falling-apart maps  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— This piece begins and ends with a reading of a poem by the American poet and pacifist, William Stafford (1914–1993), called “ Course in Creative Writing .” Course in Creative Writing by William Stafford They want a wilderness with a map— but how about errors that give a new start?— or leaves that are edging into the light?— or the many places a road can’t find? Maybe there’s a land where you have to sing to explain anything: you blow a little whistle just right and th...
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No smoke here right now…

We’ve had two weeks of very cool rainy weather, and that counter-clockwise low pressure weather system has kept away the wildfire smoke from Canada, while folks to our south are facing orange skies and unsafe air. Still, we’ve paid attention, following the news, and thinking about what might happen if it does come our way. […]
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Donald J. Trump Presidential Library

I propose the location for The new Donald J. Trump Presidential Library to be  935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It is fittingly designed in the "Brutalist" architectural  style, resembling many of the buildings Trump has had built on his own behalf. As the  J. Edgar Hoover building it currently serves as headquarters for the FBI. It well fits a 4 year presidency marked by an unprecedented degree of graft, lying and corruption. Larger than most presidential libraries, it's eleven stories will be needed for the vast amount of evidence that must be preserved. I'm relaxing today after 5 days of class in which I was blessed with great students who helped each other and took great joy in learning. Three of my students wanted...
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The First American War in Korea Planted the Flag in Asia

A Korean map of the Hermit Kingdom.  The Han is the second major river from the south pictured on the map, the water  way to the capital Hanyang (modern Seoul.) A fat book could be made of forgotten and neglected American foreign wars or interventions. Take the war in Korea, for instance.   No, not the one when Harry Truman sent American forces to try to repel an invasion of the South by the Communist North in 1950, although I know veterans of that conflict have taken to calling it a forgotten war.   No, I have in mind an action nearly 80 years earlier.   Never heard of it?   Well pull up a stool and I will tell you all about it. In American military and naval annals, it is listed, mostly as a footnote, as the United States expedit...
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All Ages Worship (11 June 2023)

Please join us on Sunday (11 June 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Focusing on the Obvious” by Rev. Joy Walker. Most of us get so caught up with information fed to us by our eyes, nose, ears, mouth and hands that we sometimes miss a very promising blessing. Joy suggests that we stop focusing on … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (11 June 2023)"
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Upcoming Events Reminders for 10-11 June 2023 and Beyond

June 2023 Building and Grounds Work Day — 10 June 2023 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now
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Tie-Dye Sunday (11 June 2023)

Please join us on the first of our fun religious education Summer activities for children and youth — Tie-Dye Sunday. The Sunday before Father’s Day is our annual “Tie-Dye for Dads and Other Special People” in the religious education wing. Children and youth should bring a 100% cotton garment to tie dye. More than one … Continue reading "Tie-Dye Sunday (11 June 2023)"
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Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 11 June 2023

Please join us on Sunday (11 June 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. This week, we will continue our discussion of Patrice Cullor’s An Abolitionist’s Handbook.  We will … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 11 June 2023"
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Zoom (and In-Person) Lunch on Tuesday (13 June 2023)

Please join us next Tuesday (13 June 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.
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Predictable

Transitions are difficult for my autistic grandson. His mind, already on sensory overload, finds comfort in a predictable routine. I sometimes have to gently and lovingly convince him that he might enjoy the unexpected, even if it involves a different plan for the day. -Beth Murray (CLF) How might you make an unpredictable transition easier … Continue reading Predictable
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Finished with box class

I finished my 5 day box making class at ESSA and each student made about 4 boxes of different designs, using different corner joinery techniques. The box shown with keyed miter joints was a design that each of my students made before branching out and exploring their own design ideas. My books, The Box Maker's Guitar Book and Making Classic Toys that Teach have been re-released on Amazon and other sites.  The box is made from ash, spalted sycamore and walnut. With my teaching done for a while, I'll return my attention to my book about designing boxes. Make, fix and create...
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Exalting the Strange

This is the perfect time to acquaint ourselves with the spirit of Lobaria pulmonaria, because it offers a perspective that is refreshingly different - an antidote for this era or perhaps simply a balm to soothe. Continue reading Exalting the Strange at The Wild Hunt.
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Board Statement on the Prioritization Process for Amendments to the Article II Proposal

Board Statement on the Prioritization Process for Amendments to the Article II Proposal Continue reading "Board Statement on the Prioritization Process for Amendments to the Article II Proposal"
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Shadow

"All those qualities, capacities and tendencies which do not harmonize with the collective values – everything that shuns the light of public opinion, in fact – now come together to form the shadow, that dark region of the personality which is unknown and unrecognized by the ego." --Carl Jung "Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.” --Carl Jung “This day our days are diminished by one” a line from a Zen gatha reminds us. The time is precious: every moment of it. In particular, our time together grows short. I’ll be officially your minister until July 31, tho...
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Quietism as a Spiritual Method & Quietism as a Spiritual Mistake

    Jeanne Guyon died on this day, the 9th of June in 1717. Her life was complex, involved a very unhappy marriage, numerous deaths, and a lifetime of illness. She was also a mystic and author of a controversial text, A Very Short and Easy Method of Prayer. Madame Guyon’s treatise was an elaboration […]
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