As we recognize the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which was overturned this summer, All Souls member Barbara Bannon reminds us of the importance of continuing to fight for reproductive justice. When a person’s reproductive organs are controlled by the State they are owned by the State! If we want to remain free citizens capable of making our own family planning and reproductive choices we are apparently going to have to band together and be considerably more vocal about our desire to remain free. This isn’t just about abortion. The draconian bills and laws that […] The post Forced Birthing appeared first on BeyondBelief.
Come join UUs this Sunday, January 22, to celebrate and learn about the Lunar New Year. KokHeong McNaughton will lead this fun class from 9:30 – 10:15 AM at the church. All ages are welcome! See you there!!!
I’m doing my best to avoid that cliche, pamphlet-fodder question, “What are the Unitarian Universalists?” It may not be a meaningful or knowable question anymore, and the answer usually says more about who’s answering than it ought. Instead, I’ll ask other questions; first, where are they found? Where is this community found? Conventionally, this would … Continue reading "Where are the Unitarian Universalists?"
“Grounding ourselves into a deep gratitude for the miracle of our bodies - however they look, move, and interact with the world around us - includes not only a celebration of our individual physical beings, but also a deep reverence for the intimacy of our connections. After all, our bodies do not exist in a vacuum - we physically interact with countless structures, systems, and communities each day that impact, and are impacted by, our flesh, bones, and spirit. For some of us, these interactions are predominantly empowering moments of welcome and respect. And for some of us, we encounter confusion, denial, and outright rejection as our norm. As Unitarian Universalists, we have historically embraced the breadth of our lived experiences...
Today is the festival that celebratesthe beginning of a new year on the traditional Lunar Chinese calendar—the Year of the Rabbit. It is the fourth in the twelve-year periodic cycleof animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit is a symbol of intellectand cautiousness. Traditional lore holds that the rabbit was among the 12 animals who raced to the Jade Emperor in a cosmic contest that ultimately determined the order of the zodiac signs. Though it was a weak swimmer, the rabbit used its brain, opting to cross the river portion of the course on a raft. This year, like the animal, it is important to approach everything in a smart, deliberate way. In China, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival sin...
If you liked Psychic Witch and you want to take the next step on your magical journey, read Mastering Magick and work through the exercises. Truly mastering magic is the work of a lifetime, but this book will help you make substantial progress on this path.
“By no means are we [Unitarian Universalists] perfect; we often fail as much as we succeed. Yet even when ‘we have broken our vows a thousand times,’ we return to this essential work of justice and liberation for all.” -Rosemary Bray McNatt How do you deal with failures along the road to freedom and liberation?
Over the years I have come to understand that the informal work is equal in importance to the formal, as it grants us the opportunity to expand the “reach” of our magical consciousness into our “mundane” lives. Continue reading The Magic of a Regular Practice at The Wild Hunt.
When a minister is removed from fellowship, or resigns from fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Ministerial Fellowship Committee sends out email announcing the minister’s name, and the reason for removal from fellowship, or the reason for resignation. These emails go out to all other ministers, and also, I believe, to key congregational lay … Continue reading "Stressed out"
In the September, 1829, issue of The Congregational Magazine, a cranky correspondent complains about an innovation of which he does not approve: “To the Editors.— … Many of your friends were surprised and amused to read, in your number for June, of a minister being ‘installed’ over the Congregational Church in Belfast, and of an … Continue reading "Innovation"
Please join us on Sunday (22 January 2023) at 11:00 AM for “The Forest or the Trees” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service. Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA 71106 if you are able to do so. … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (22 January 2023)"
For thousands of years, the word “minotaur” meant only one thing; it was the singular creature of King Minos. That beast had the body of a man but the head of a bull (some ancient sources said it was more like a centaur, with a bull’s body and a human head, but I give them […]
Barack Obama was unusually active with clemency orders and pardons in his last days in office. In 2017 Barack Obama spent the last days of his Presidential term churning out sentence commutations. Hundreds were given to non-violent drug offenders facing draconian sentences under the exceptionally harsh Federal Sentence Standards, the most vindictive in the world. But there are so many of those victims of the failed war on drugs that the commutations hardly made a dent in the American gulag. Also given leniency were some white collar criminals, the kind of offenders that drew the more stingy grace of Obama’s predecessor George W. Bush. Even a beloved baseball icon, Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants who was convicted on ...
Shreveport / Bossier City World Religion Day Celebration (2:00 to 5:00 PM on Sunday, 22 January 2023) Matsiko World Orphan Choir — Free Concert (26 January 2023) Congregational Business Meeting (immediately after worship on Sunday, 29 January 2023) Although the deadline for turning in 2023 pledges has come and gond, we still need your help … Continue reading "Upcoming January 2023 Events Reminders for 21-22 January 2023"
Please join us on Thursday (26 January 2023) at 6:30 PM for a free concert by the Matsiko World Orphan Choir. We’ll be hosting the choir at the church where they will sleep in sleeping bags. We will be feeding them Wednesday and Thursday evening. Watch your email later today for an opportunity to sign … Continue reading "Matsiko World Orphan Choir — Free Concert (26 January 2023)"
Children and youth will attend the worship service for the first 15-20 minutes and then are dismissed to their classes. After the holiday break, we are now discussing the wisdom of the world’s religions is one of the six sources of our Unitarian Universalist faith. It’s important that we gain an understanding of teachings and … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Classes — 22 January 2023"
Please join us on Sunday (22 January 2023) as we continue our our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is still meeting via Zoom. We are now reading and discussing the book God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by Mirabai Starr. We … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 22 January 2023"
Please join us next Tuesday (24 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.
Please join us on Saturday (21 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 (21 January 2023)"
Alan D.D. relates his decision to resume therapy after ten years, and writes about how Witchcraft and therapy can work together, but neither is a substitute for the other. Continue reading Witches Also Go to Therapy at The Wild Hunt.
Alan D. D. relata su decisión de reanudar la terapia después de diez años y escribe sobre cómo la brujería y la terapia pueden funcionar juntas, pero ninguna es un sustituto de la otra. Continue reading Los Brujos También van a terapia at The Wild Hunt.
“Do not be alone right now. Any liberation—all liberation—is collective liberation. My freedom is bound with yours and yours with mine. Inextricably.”-Karen G. Johnston Seek some company that reminds you of your inherent worth.
Hitchhiking near Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1936, photograph by Walker Evans 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— Many years ago I came across a metaphor (see the very end of this piece) which suggests that when we join a religious community we’re doing something like catching a moving train and that, together, we’ll be on our way. Now, many traditional religious traditions think that this metaphor fits them well. This is because not only can they point to the historical track lying behind them that has got them to the particular point in time when a ne...
Sunday, January 22 Finding Our Center: Reflections in Rhythm Led by Dave Curry There are many practices that can help people become grounded and centered, such as meditation or yoga or walking in Nature. Dave Curry approaches the act of centering through drumming and rhythm. Like chanting a mantra, rhythmic drumming can be used as a [ … ] The post Sunday Worship: January 22 ~ Finding Our Center: Reflections in Rhythm ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
On the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision that legalized access to abortion, Unitarian Universalists remain committed to reproductive justice, despite the changed legal landscape. Continue reading "On the 50th Anniversary of Roe v Wade, Unitarian Universalists Remain Committed to Reproductive Justice"
Faith leaders and congregants are expanding their abortion-rights curriculum, partnering with clinics and abortion funds, and ramping up spiritual counseling services for pregnant people who want abortions. For that reason, we are back again with our transformative three-part Reproductive Justice Congregational Organizing Series. This work is not new. It is part of a long history where people of faith work to protect reproductive freedom. For this series, we are strategically identifying teams within congregations to be part of a mobilization strategy to support abortion care networks. In many of our religious traditions, our sacred texts always depict sacred people who resist unjust laws to do justice and to show kindness and c...
I was scrolling through Reddit last night; one of the subreddits (themed communities) I read is called r/DataIsBeautiful. One post had a ranking of the favorability of United States religions and the Unitarian Universalist came out quite low: net negative 10%, nestled between the Falun Gong and the Seventh-Day Adventists. Oof. So I went to … Continue reading "YouGov and the Unitarian Universalists"
We cannot eliminate hunger, but we can feed each other. We cannot eliminate loneliness, but we can hold each other. We cannot eliminate pain, but we can live a life of compassion. “Accepting This” by Mark Nepo Sometimes the overwhelm, … Continue reading →
Edgar Allan Poe in rare daguerreotype. He may be the most widely influential American writer ever . He is certainly among the most widely read. More than two hundred years after the birth of Edgar Allan Poe on January 19, 1809 he is easily the most widely read writer of the 19th Century, and not by just captive college studentsbut by ordinary readers who continue to plunk down hard money for collections of his stories and poems. He is credited with inventing the modern detective story. In The Murders in the Rue Morgue his hero, C . Auguste Dupin was a brilliant eccentric who undertook the investigation of the grisly and baffling murders of a woman and her daughter after reading...
Prayer of Choosing Love - Week of January 22, 2023 Courageous Grace, may we notice our choices in how and whether we love, that love is not some place we can send a postcard from, but a verb, to be renewed everyday by our doing. Love is a feeling, nourishing...
“In the United States, Protestantism has been both the privileged religious discourse and the discursive frame privileged in efforts to define both ‘religion’ and race,’ alongside a host of other modern categories. Such was the case even as race, framed as secular, modern discourse, was hailed as the principle of social organization that trumped religion … Continue reading "Noted without comment"
“We cannot submit ourselves to a system that does not serve us nor anyone but a few elite who care about nothing but our death and subjugation. We must engage our sovereignty. We must learn of our own power and strength through the resiliency our ancestors have passed to us.” -Jaque Fragua, Indigenous (Walatowa-Jemez Pueblo) … Continue reading Sovereignty and Resiliency
Researchers in Norway have uncovered what they believe to be the oldest example of runic writing at a site near Tyrifjorden dating back as far as 1,800 to 2,000 years. Continue reading “The most sensational thing:” The oldest runestone discovered in Norway at The Wild Hunt.
Jeff Milchen Responding to the effects of the June ruling that voided key elements of Roe v Wade requires us to build a lasting movement focused on cultural transformation and justice.
More than 3,000 volunteers from 400 Unitarian Universalist congregations from across the country contacted more than 2 million voters as part of UU the Vote’s nonpartisan civic engagement efforts in 2022. Continue reading "UU the Vote Reached 2 Million Voters During the 2022 Elections: UUA’s Nonpartisan Civic Engagement Initiative Emphasized Strengthening Democracy, Organizing for Justice and Accountability in 12 States and Across the Country"
Editor’s note: This is a candle meditation and centering practice. If you can, light a candle and place it in front of you. Sit with the candle and its flame for a few minutes becoming aware of your breath and … Continue reading →
It confirms what we’ve known for the past two years—and then some. The January 6 committee’s report shows that our former despotic cheetoh in chief incited a mob with false allegations of voter fraud to storm the US Capitol and overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. Talk about moving the goal post of being the sorest loser. In the most violent way possible, too. Available to the public, the testimony and findings stacked against him are steep—over 800 pages worth.
First British press report of a German Zeppelin raid. They were the pride of Imperial Germany, the very symbol of the industrial and technological superiority that was destined to make it the undisputed supreme world power and absolute master of Europe . The giant Zeppelin airships designated with unsentimental Teutonic efficiencysimply L3 and L4 were hauled from their enormous hanger sheds in the dawning of January 19, 1915 in Fuhlsbüttel. Each was laden with enough fuel for more than 30 hours in the air and armed with eight explosive bombs and 25 incendiaries and then cast off on a fateful mission. That mission was personally approved by Kaiser Wilhelm II himself. The war which touched off with the assassination of the hei...
I awakened in the middle of the night and looked out the window of the upper berth. Rain blurred the view. The GPS on my phone said we were in Buffalo, but I saw nothing distinctive. I had gone to bed before nine o’clock, so it was no surprise when I awakened at half past … Continue reading "Lake Shore Limited — Hiawatha Service"
Taken with a Fuji X100V Just click on the photo to enlarge it. Taken this afternoon on a much needed walk along the River Cam from the city centre to Fen Ditton.
By Samira K. Mehta | I have never worn a “Meat Is Murder” t-shirt to Thanksgiving dinner. Clearly, I have thought about doing it, and while I would like to be able to claim that I have not done so because it would be rude or because I have deep-seated reservations about Morrissey, really, I have not done so because I have never been quite enough of a Smiths’ fan to have ever made the jump from buying CDs to buying t-shirts.
“Because love is an act of courage—not fear—love is a commitment to other people. No matter where the oppressed are found, the act of love is a commitment to their cause—the cause of liberation. And this commitment, because it is loving, is dialogical…. Only by abolishing the situation of oppression is it possible to restore … Continue reading Loving the World
A decrease in the projected rise of global temperature, reduction in cost for utilizing solar and wind energy, and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples at the World Economic Forum could all indicate shifts in the politics of climate change. Continue reading Is there a new era of Climate Change Politics on the horizon? at The Wild Hunt.
Open Creativity Studio Facilitated by: Elisa Abatsis Date/Time: Monthly on 1st and 3rd Thursdays, beginning 2/2 Cost: $5/class suggested donation Location: UCMH Union Hall Is there something you’d like to create in 2023? Give yourself the gift of dedicated time to work on your project in the company of fellow creatives. Bring your novel-in-progress, your half-knitted [ … ] The post SGCC: Thursday, February 2 ~ Open Creativity Studio ~ 7:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
Zen as a Way of Magical Realism James Ishmael Ford Yangshan Huiji had a dream. In it he traveled to Maitreya’s hall, where he was led to the third seat. No sooner had he sat than a senior monk struck the bell and announced, “Today the one sitting in the third seat will preach.” […]
Quilting is a spiritual, mental and physical practice for me. While I quilt, my internal chatter quiets down. I focus on one seam, then another seam until individual pieces become a whole creation. Sometimes, because to “err is human,” all … Continue reading →
Susan Frederick-Gray The current changes being proposed to Article II of the UUA Bylaws, which contains the seven UU Principles and Purpose, are part of a longer history of ongoing reflection and change as we live into the fullness of our living tradition. Continue reading "From the UUA President: Why Change Our UU Principles?"
Erika A. Hewitt Celebrate 100 Years of the Flower Ceremony! The first Flower Ceremony was held in Prague, in June 2023, led by Rev. Norbert Čapek. Continue reading "Flower Ceremony Centennial"
The Rev. Joseph Tuckerman. With all due respect, Jane Adams, move over. Adams, the legendary founder of Hull House in Chicago is popularly credited as the original American social worker. That was never quite true, although she did help make it a profession. Nor did she quite invent the settlement houseconcept for serving the needs of immigrants, although Hull House certainly set the standard. Decades earlier a Unitarian minister was doing similar work in the slumsof Boston. Although nearly forgotten today, the Rev. Joseph Tuckerman probably deserves the title of our first Social Worker. It did not seem a likely career path. Tuckerman was born to a very c...
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "27 November 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "20 November 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Here is the Transgender Day of Remembrance Service by Louisiana Trans Advocate Shreveport Chapter. For our livestream video of worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook or have a Facebook account to view this video. You can find the Transgender Day of Remembrance Service here.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "13 November 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "6 November 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
I boarded the Lake Shore Limited at the Framingham station. I would have taken the commuter rail from Cohasset to South Station, except I have a complicated parking situation, and had to leave my car in overnight parking. The section of the Lake Shore Limited that runs from Boston to Albany is a small consist: … Continue reading "Lake Shore Limited"
I’ve recently learned of a group Unitarian Christians in German-speaking countries. I can’t quite get a sense its theological center, but based on its links seems to fall in the “biblical Unitarian” camp, which is more conservative than the American Unitarianism in living memory. This focuses on biblical proofs of the unity of God, an … Continue reading "Unitarian Christians in Germany and Austria"
“We want more soul, a higher cultivation of our spiritual faculties. We need more unselfishness, earnestness and integrity of high and lofty enthusiasm and beacons of light and hope, people ready and willing to lay time, talent and money on the altar of freedom.” -Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, 19th Century US poet, author, and Unitarian, … Continue reading The Altar of Freedom
Phyllis Curott talks about her new book and her approach to redefining the meaning magic. Continue reading Redefining the meaning of magic – An interview with Phyllis Curott at The Wild Hunt.
Pub Theology Facilitated by: Caitlin Eaton-Robb Date/Time: Thursday, February 2, 7 p.m. Cost: No participation fee; purchase your own refreshments Location: Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company, Marlborough, MA Come join UCMH at Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company in Marlborough ! We welcome atheists, agnostics, humanists, people of all faith traditions, and people who identify [ … ] The post SGCC: Thursday, February 2 ~ Pub Theology ~ 7:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
Free Your Inner Artist! Facilitated by: Jennifer Rambridge Date/Time: Monthly on second Wednesdays starting in January (1/11, 2/8, 3/8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/14); 7:00-9:00pm Cost: $5/class suggested donation Location: UCMH Union Hall Let your imagination take hold, and your spirit run free as we use acrylic paint and found objects while sharing time together seeing what we [ … ] The post SGCC: Wednesday, February 8 ~ Free Your Inner Artist! ~ 7:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
Family-Focused Pizza Party! Pizza, Snacks, Games, and CommUUnity! Who: Any of our UU (or UU-Curious) families in the Northboro, Hudson, Marlborough & surrounding communities! Where: Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson, 80 Main Street, Hudson, MA When: Sunday, January 29 from 1-3 pm New(er) to Unitarian Universalism and/or want to learn more? Join us for [ … ] The post CircleRE: Sunday, January 29 ~ Family-Focused Pizza Party! ~ 1:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
Thanks to the many members, friends, volunteers, youth and staff who worked to make All Souls’ participation in the 44th Tulsa MLK Parade a success! We had a new, freshly-painted float decorated with dozens of balloons and colorful banners, and a diverse group of marchers of all ages. It was a beautiful day to march for the cause of justice. Find more photos and connect with us on our Facebook page! The post All Souls at the MLK Parade appeared first on BeyondBelief.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929, and if he were still alive today, he would be celebrating his ninety-fourth birthday. I am always shocked to remember that he was only thirty-nine years old when he was assassinated; that’s five years younger than I am. I’m also holding in my heart […]
The Goldbergs premiered on CBS Television in 1948 after twenty successful years on radio in various incarnations. On the evening of January 17, 1948, The Goldbergs premiered on CBS Television. Most historians of the medium credit it with being the first true situation comedy on TV. It continued to run in different forms and under different titles until 1958 on three networksand in new episode syndication. It is not to confused in any way with the current ABC show of the same name. It was a spectacular professional achievement for its creator, Gertrude Berg. In its dawning years TV was almost totally dominated by men. But Berg produced, directed, wrote, and starred in every episode and had almost complete control of the prog...
What does it mean to find your center? I truly do not know. I looked it up on the internet and I still do not know what it actually means. I don’t sit and try to find my center. I … Continue reading →
Charles Gore was born on the 22nd of January, 1853, in London, to an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family. His great-grandfather was an earl, his grandfather a general. Following the path of privilege he was educated at Harrow and then Oxford, taking a first class in Classics in 1875. In the same year Gore […]
I recently learned that Martin Luther King’s famous idea of the “Beloved Community” apparently derives from pragmatist philosopher Josiah Royce. So on this Martin Luther King holiday, I decided to look into Royce. I’ve started looking through Royce’s The Problem of Christianity (New York: MacMillan Co., 1913), a series of lecture he delivered at Manchester … Continue reading "MLK and Royce"
In this Week's Pagan Community Notes, the upcoming Year of the Rabbit, With trial documents relocated, Parthenon Marbles likely to remain in Britain, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of January 16, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.
As the US celebrates the life and liberatory ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, we note that King’s liberation theology called him, time and again, to be on the side of the oppressed. To find ways of being in solidarity with those who suffered not only from racism, but also from militarism and … Continue reading Dr. King’s Liberation Theology
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:43-47)On this day, January 15, in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr was born in Atlanta. He went to Atlanta’s Morehouse College, and got a BA at age 19. Then: Crozer Theological Se...
Two truths approach each other. One comes from inside, the other from the outside, And where they meet we have a chance to catch sight of ourselves. “Preludes,” Tomas Transtromer If we are at home with our own center, we … Continue reading →
Zen and the Garden of Eden Wisdom from the Ancestors James Ishmael Ford Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We […]
Note: I have posted this in one form or another on or around the Martin Luther King Day Federal Holiday for 14 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 assassinated 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 first cel...
Drawing only 10 minutes or so means slow progress, but I’m enjoying myself, and the geometries that keep appearing in this structure the more time I spend with it.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "30 October 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "23 October 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "16 October 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "9 October 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services. This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats. For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live. One does not have to log into Facebook … Continue reading "2 October 2022 Worship Livestreaming Video"
Erick Dupree interviews Juliet Diaz, the writer of The Altar Within and Witchery, about her new imprint, Spirit Bound Press, which aims to publish more diverse and inclusive works in the magical, spiritual, and wellness categories. Continue reading Spirit Bound Press aims to disrupt magical publishing with diverse voices at The Wild Hunt.
I love the hymn, Freedom is Coming (#1035). Liberation can be articulated in in words, actions, and music. At a time when racial inequality is raging, there is a part of me that clings to the words, “Oh yes I know. Oh yes I know. Freedom is Coming.” With accents and fermatas in the music, … Continue reading So Long To Go
Due to the current weather and reports that it will get worse as the day progresses, we have made the decision to cancel today’s service and other activities. We’ll be back in session next week. Please be safe out there.
This past week, my beloved friend Estelle died. She had been living with her granddaughter Michele, and thankfully, she was at home with her family during her final days and hours. She had been in declining health for a while, but the shock of her death reverberated through a wide community of people who loved […]
When something isn’t working for you, try something else. I got these hiking boots awhile back, but had a lot of trouble braking them in. First it was blisters, but then I got better socks which helped some. After 4 or 5 miles though, my right foot would start hurting and I would have a […]
Twitter is in meltdown. Ash and Ryan want to bring back blogging. So they created a site called Bring Back Blogging. They have a simple idea: I’d add: Ash and Ryan aimed their pitch at artists, writers, etc., so I didn’t submit my blog to their directory. But the rest of us can do this, … Continue reading "Bring back blogging"
“The Clearing” Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worthy of rescue. –Martha Postlethwaite Happy 2023, Beloveds, and welcome to 30 Days of Love, Side With Love’s annual month of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice! Having recently marked both the Winter Solstice and Gregorian New Year, this is a period of pause and contemplation – a time to reflect upon what has been, take stock of what is, and dream about what...
Note: Today is the actual birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The public Holiday in his honor will be tomorrow, Monday, January 16. I will have more to say about that then in my annual rant. Today I am resurrecting a post in which Dr. King reminds us himself how truly revolutionary he was. When the Reverend Martin Luther King , Jr. was being held in jail in Alabamain 1963 he received a letter signed by several well-known White self-proclaimed racial moderatesand liberal ministers who decried the unpleasantness and social disruption of the on-going campaign against racial discrimination in Birmingham. Since he had unaccustomed time on his hands he took the time to patiently, even lovingly explainthe situation in Am...
The Archbishop of Sydney complains that Paganism doesn’t bring fulfillment, communion, and transcendence. He’s wrong. We are moving toward a post-Christian world, and Paganism is particularly well-suited for this time… for those who want it.
Recently my thoughts have turned to the place of hell in Christian thought. Back in 2021 the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of American belief in heaven and hell. It found across denominations from Catholic to Pentecostal to Fundamentalist in the aggregate ninety-two percent of those who identify as Christian believe […]
In a Religion News Service interview with Adelle Banks, Lewis V. Baldwin, a scholar of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s works, makes the following point: “[Dr. King’s] legacy is being hijacked, misinterpreted. For an example, on the extreme right of the political spectrum, there are those who argue that Dr. King was opposed to affirmative … Continue reading "Distorting Martin Luther King’s legacy"
Convocation 2023 UU Buddhist Fellowship Convocation is a biennial opportunity for UU Buddhists to sit together, compare notes on our sangha experiences, study and play together. We have been holding convocations since 2005. For each convocation we invite a guest teacher to offer dharma talks and teaching. In addition, there will be times […]