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We Three Kings The Feast of the Epiphany—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                              We Three Kings is given the full Anglican High Church treatment by the choir of King's College, Cambridge. The Christmas season officially ended yesterday as the Catholic Church and Western Christian denominations that borrow its liturgical calendar observe the Feast of the Epiphany today. In the United States and some other countries, the feast is now celebrated on the First Sunday after New Year ’ s Day which would have been January 7 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 wonder that my Unitarian Universalists , who deny the whole Three-in-one God...
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A mystery is something in which I am myself involved

Full moon over Victoria Street, Cambridge A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation.   (A recorded version of the following piece can be heard at this link)  —o0o— Following on from last week’s thought for the day in which I reflected on Jane Hirshfield’s poem, “A Small-Sized Mystery,” I want to remain close to one of the basic points I made which was that, despite all the very bad stuff happening in our world at the moment, both at home and abroad, there always remains in play the mystery of the world’s appearance and reality which is not something that can properly or fully be understood through human categories, whether moral,...
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Solvang drawings

The nice thing about having my sketchbook with me everywhere is that when we’re waiting for the food to arrive at a restaurant, I can draw what’s on the table. When we were in Solvang, we went to dinner at a place that had these nice oil lamps on the tables, with their irresistible patterns […]
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A Time of Mystery and Reverance by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 12/17/2023

  Unitarian Universalists are not a chosen people; we are a choosing people.  And because of that the ideas of mystery and reverence are complicated.  Each of us holds different beliefs.   When was the last time this congregation participated in a beliefs survey?  Let’s try one this morning.  If you’re comfortable doing so, raise your hand if You are absolutely certain there is a god/goddess/divinity of any kind; You are fairly certain there is a god/goddess/divinity of any kind; You are fairly certain there is not a god/goddess/divinity of any kind; You are absolutely certain there is not a god/goddess/divinity of any kind; You don’t know if there is a god/goddess/divinity of any kind; Please raise you hand if you feel none...
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Lights in Dark Times--A Reflection on Diwali by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 11/12/2023

I have had many friends who are Hindu and who celebrate Diwali.  They have spoken of it with great joy and reverence.  But before we explore a little about Diwali, I think it would be best to share a common understanding about Hinduism, for Diwali came out of the Hindu tradition—even though today it is celebrated by Sikhs, Jaines, and Buddhists and even people with no particular religious tradition.   Hinduism is a collective term applied to the many philosophical and religious traditions native to India.  In a strict sense there was no 'Hinduism' before modern times, although the sources of Hindu traditions are very ancient.  Hinduism has no defined starting point that anyone has been able to discover. The traditions which flow i...
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Waking Up to Shorter Days with a Generous Heart by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 11/5/2023

I don’t know about you, but once Daylight Savings Time kicks in and it gets dark around 5:30 PM, I don’t just notice the shorter days, I physically feel them.  I try to rush home before it gets dark.  I am less prone to go outside in the evening.  It just feels like I have less time in my day, despite there being the same number of hours. It is easier for me to become more self-focused, even a little stingy, because I perceive there is less time to get my needs met.  And I have noticed that it is easier for me to experience larger swings in emotion, perhaps again because there seems to be less time to stop and process my experiences.  I can’t even imagine what it would be like in Alaska, where the day can be as short as 5 ½ h...
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What Do We Do? The War in Israel by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 10/15/2023

This has been a nightmare week for the people of Israel and of the Gaza Strip.  And for me and for those I care about in Miami, well, our hearts are breaking.  I have Jewish, Muslim, and Christian friends who are all feeling pain, fear, and uncertainty how we might best respond to the war in Israel.  As I have listened, offered pastoral care, comfort, and what advice I had to offer, the last line in our chalice lighting in one form or another kept running through my mind: “Let us bring this Unitarian Universalist heritage into our world and our lives today.” How do I, how do you, and in a broader how do we Unitarian Universalists bring our heritage of peace, justice, compassion, respect, and love into the world and our lives in th...
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What UUs Do You Know? by Reverend Tom Capo preached on 10/1/2023

  I want to repeat the chalice lighting I read today: “The great are the pillars of fire in this dark pilgrimage of humankind: they stand as everlasting witnesses of what has been, prophetic tokens of what may still be, the revealed, embodied possibilities of human nature.  Great deeds cannot die; they, with the sun and moon, renew their light forever, blessing those that look on them.” When I think of Unitarian Universalists, yes, you and I and UUs across the world, I think of people who actively embody their values in their lives and in the world.  I think of people who aren’t just sitting in a chair on a Sunday morning.  Unitarian Universalists find ways to make a difference in the world.  I’ve known countless UUs in my 2...
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Meditation with Larry Androes (6 January 2024)

Please join us on Saturday (6 January 2024) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (6 January 2024)"
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Spiritual Discipline of Love

We are asked to wonder how we would be different if we centered our lives on “the spiritual discipline of Love.” What would it mean for our actions and reactions if we practiced love as a discipline–trying to love, failing at love, and then using those failures to learn to love better? How would your … Continue reading Spiritual Discipline of Love
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Sunday, January 7 ~ Let It Snow! Sunday Worship Online Only ~ 10:30 a.m.

Stay safe and warm at home, and enjoy Sunday Worship online!   Zoom Link      [ … ] The post Sunday, January 7 ~ Let It Snow! Sunday Worship Online Only ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
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Reading the Silmarillion

Ultimately, whether he intended the Silmarillion to function as a national epic for England, Britain, the Anglosphere, or the entire world does not really matter all that much. What matters is that he succeeded. Continue reading Reading the Silmarillion at The Wild Hunt.
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January Programming from Side With Love

As the Side With Love staff returns to work after a brief break, we’re looking forward to celebrating 30 Days of Love in a few weeks. Beginning Monday, January 15, we’ll have a variety of offerings we hope we inspire you and help sustain your commitment to liberation and justice this year.  In addition to our special offerings for 30 Days, we have a variety of events this month for congregational staff and lay leaders, listed below. Please share with your congregation! And finally, if you haven’t heard, we’re delighted to announce our new UU the Vote Democracy Strategist, Nora Rasman. We’re so excited about the impact UUs will have on democracy and electoral justice this year. If you aren’t already subscribed to our UU the V...
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Noted without comment

“‘Of course, I did it!’ she blazed.’And why not?… It’s all right to talk about respectability if you’ve been educated so you can get by and be respectable, but when you have nothing back of you, you have to take things as they come….” A character being interrogated by the fictional lawyer Perry Mason, in … Continue reading "Noted without comment"
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I Ask No Monument: The Legacy of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (Santa Barbara)

A sermon calling for a reimagining of the Unitarian Universalist canon. The post I Ask No Monument: The Legacy of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (Santa Barbara) appeared first on Colin Bossen.
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From Displacement to Resilience: The Banaban Journey

Rewriting our narratives starts today
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Hey, Ho, the Wind and the Rain from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                        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.  The play included five songs with lyrics by the Bard .   Although the original melodies were not preserved when the play was finally...
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FatCon Seattle, prologue

Good morning. That is, it is 1:56 am on the 5th of January, 2024, so I suppose it’s technically morning.…</p> The post FatCon Seattle, prologue appeared first on Taking Up Space.
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Love and Transformation

This is another of my own musings on the proposed new expression of our Unitarian Universalists principles. Transformation is an expensive word that means change. Its Latin roots imply the changing of the shape of something from one thing to … Continue reading →
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Pagan Community Notes: Week of January 4, 2024

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, scholars at Harvard Divinity School post an open letter regarding Rabbi Wolpe's comment and a possible dialogue, Cornellian elevation, events, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of January 4, 2024 at The Wild Hunt.
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Immeasurable Love

“That Which Causes Our Souls to Take Flight, encourage us in these difficult days. Remind us that those beyond our circles, our borders, our walls are embraced by the same immeasurable love by which we are held. Help us demonstrate kindness in all that we do. And grant that we may, indeed, have as much … Continue reading Immeasurable Love
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Intersectional

Christian Cooper, a self-described gay Black nerd, writes: “Some African Americans — some of the ones who aren’t LGBTQ — dismiss the gay experience because, unlike Black folk, gays can blend in at will…. Being Black and gay, I find the ‘Who’s More Oppressed?’ sweepstakes exasperating. There can be no winner, and it creates the … Continue reading "Intersectional"
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Sunday, January 7 ~ Janus: Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards ~ 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, January 7 Janus: Looking Forwards, Looking Backwards With Rev. Alice Anacheka-Nasemann   The start of a new year is a good time to take stock. This Sunday, January 7, Rev. Alice will lead us in a worship service reflecting on the milestones of 2023 and welcoming in 2024.  “In the New Year, never forget to   [ … ] The post Sunday, January 7 ~ Janus: Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
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THanks for NOAH Success!!

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Our Ordinary Lives as Gates to Zen’s Awakening

              Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.[1] Within weeks of my arrival at the first church I was to […]
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Dear Me, I Love You

Dear Me,  As I sit down to write this letter to you, I reflect on how far you’ve come in your life. From a child who only knows of love as painful and prideful to a woman that is so … Continue reading →
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Blessing: In the New Year, May Unitarian Universalists Carry Each Other

Beth Monhollen Let's forgo the pressure of resolutions and spend time in healing community instead.
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Here We Come A-Wassailing—The Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2022-‘23

                                                         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 eve of the Feast of the Epiphany and the end of the Christmas Season.   In England especially it was one last eruption of gaiety and mirth before the more somber and sacred reflection of the Epiphany—somewhat analogous ...
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Love is a Choice

“We are not automatic lovers of self, others, world, or God. Love does not just happen. We are not love machines, puppets on the strings of a deity called “love.” Love is a choice—not simply, or necessarily, a rational choice, but rather a willingness to be present to others without pretense or guile.” -Carter Heyward … Continue reading Love is a Choice
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Odysseus, the Sirens, and New Year’s resolutions

Odysseus's encounter with the sirens raises questions about willpower and self-control. Psychologists say they might not be necessary to accomplish resolutions. Continue reading Odysseus, the Sirens, and New Year’s resolutions at The Wild Hunt.
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Love and Equity

Our proposed new way of considering our principles has invited me into this series of reflections. These are my musings. What is equity, and what would it be or mean without being rooted in love? Equity recognizes that while it’s … Continue reading →
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New Year’s Resolutions: 5 Things You Can Do to Support Justice For Immigrants

As we celebrate a New Year, here are some things you can do to lift up those exercising their human right to migrate.
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fathers of...

There were two men credited as the fathers of the manual arts training movement in the US. Both had attended the 1876 American Centennial World Exposition in Philadelphia celebrating the founding of the United States. Among the exhibits were a huge (the world's largest) steam engine that powered 11 acres of machinery along with an exhibit of the "Russian system" of manual arts training. Calvin Woodward taught mathematics at Washington University, and John Runkle taught math at MIT. Both had observed that as fewer of their students came from the farm where direct from real life learning had built a foundation for abstract studies, students were having greater difficulty understanding concepts in math.  The answer of course was for them t...
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A Response From One Of The Pagans

In December 1946, author and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis published an essay in Strand Magazine titled A Christmas Sermon for Pagans in which he argued for the moral and ethical superiority of Christianity. He distinguished between “Pagans” (“the backward people in the remote districts who had not yet been converted” and to whom Lewis showed […]
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Embracing Justice at All Souls: The Justice League Sermon Series and Beyond

In the heart of our community at All Souls, justice is more than a theme—it's a call to action. As we step into the New Year with The Justice League sermon series, we're also shining a light on the various justice teams that are the lifeblood of our activism. The post Embracing Justice at All Souls: The Justice League Sermon Series and Beyond appeared first on BeyondBelief.
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Toast, Boast, and Oath

Sarah Klinger Osborne What “toast, boast, and oath” might you offer this January? Continue reading "Toast, Boast, and Oath"
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Last Christmas By Wham!—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                                        Last Christmas by Wham! Last night I caught the broadcast of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions which I don’t think I ever did before.   It was an impressive class of Honorees including Chaka Khan, Sheril Crow, Willie Nelson, and Rage Against the Machine.   But the posthumous induction of George Michael reminded me that Wham! had one of its biggest pop hits with Last Christmas , a catchy and perky holiday romance song that led to Maria Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You . The U.K. slip cover for the Last Christmas single. Because Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? on which Michael sang was released t...
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Wednesday Photo: Moon over the Wimpole Hall estate

Photo taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe Click on the photo to enlarge  
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Acts of Love

Small acts of kindness and connection can show love for another. It is amazing how these small acts add up into a greater love than we can know. Practice small acts of love today.
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Church Administrator Position Open Now!

Check out our job posting and share it with skilled folks you know who might be a good match for UUSS! https://uuschenectady.org/about-us-2/church-admin-job-opening/ The post Church Administrator Position Open Now! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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January Theme: Love at the Center

The Article II Study Commission, connected with the UUA, has issued its ‘final update’ and now we have the chance to interact with and give feedback about it. The first section (purposes) ends with the line: “The UUA will actively engage its members in the ... read more . The post January Theme: Love at the Center appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – January 2nd, 2024

Happy Gregorian New Year, Everyone! What is 2024 needing from each of us? and from UUSS? What do we need to remember from the past so that more presence arises in the present? What do we need to release so we bring more peace into being? What might ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – January 2nd, 2024 appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Religious Ed this Sunday, January 7th, 2024

We will have regular Religious Education (RE) sessions for grades K-7 , 8th/9th grade OWL, and Senior High Youth. Here is the schedule: The nursery room opens at 10:15 and is available for children under 5 years old. The 8/9th grade OWL group meets in their room at ... read more . The post Religious Ed this Sunday, January 7th, 2024 appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk

Welcome to a new year of reading BIPOC authors and being with one another to share ideas, perspectives, and learnings. We begin 2024 with James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, written in 1974. Join us for the book discussion on Monday, January 29, at 6 ... read more . The post James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Witchcraft accusations get pushback in Africa

Though much work remains, two recent events in Africa highlight some resistance against witchcraft accusations. Continue reading Witchcraft accusations get pushback in Africa at The Wild Hunt.
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If I Love Me, I’ll Let Go

To liberate, to set something free. “If you love me, let me go,” words spoken a few times, and many songs feature it in their lyrics. One song in particular is “This is Gospel” from Panic! At the Disco. The … Continue reading →
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Swiss Christmas by the Smothers Brothers—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                                      Some Smothers Brothers Christmas spirit from their 1963 album curb Your Tongue, Knave! Word came that Tommy Smothers died the day after Christmas at age 86.   Another milestone figure of my generation gone.    Tommy was, of course, one half of the folk/comedy duo The Smothers Brothers.   He was the blonde older brother on the string base, mentally slow and slightly addled who was argumentative and jealous of his brother.   That would be Dick, the supposed brains of the act and a straight man on guitar.   In reality, Tommy was highly intelligent and shrewd and was the main creative force of the pair. The brothers united as...
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Love At The Center

For many years, Unitarian Universalists have noted that while it is the most often sung word in our hymnal, love was not present in the principles of our faith. Now we are being asked to imagine a faith that holds love at the center. We are being asked to imagine a faith that has, at … Continue reading Love At The Center
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Editorial: Will 2024 bring more spiritual violence?

TWH's editor-in-chief, Manny Tejeda Moreno, looks forward to 2024 through a review of the documentary "The Mission," whose story of a Christian missionary killed by an uncontacted tribe unwilling to be converted portends a continued rise in spiritual violence. Continue reading Editorial: Will 2024 bring more spiritual violence? at The Wild Hunt.
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Dual affiliation

Last year, the Universalist Christian Association recognized my ordination and I have full standing within it, meaning I have dual affiliation with it and ministerial fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association. Here is the news piece. If you a minister who holds to universal salvation and and looking for standing — or training and ordination … Continue reading "Dual affiliation"
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Divination for 2024

The reading for 2024 is quite positive, but also quite challenging. This is not a year for sitting on the sidelines: not in your personal life, not in your spiritual life, and not in your work to build a better world here and now.
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The Year Draws to its Close

The year draws to its close — this is my last president’s note of 2023, written in the holiday season. The season is traditionally a time to pause, and to give and receive. I shared my thoughts about generosity and gratitude recently, in the Los Alamos Daily Post. I hope that this holiday season is …<p> The Year Draws to its Close Read More »
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A Panoramic UU View of . . . Liberating Love

Happy New Year! May your year be filled with love that liberates and transforms. We hope you will join us for our RE programming during this new year! Peace, Rev. Tina DeYoe Director of Lifespan Religious Education
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I Wish You All the Brightest Possible Blessings in the Months to Come

Happy New Year! The new year of course brings with it the desire and the intention for change. We make promises to ourselves about those things we hope to improve in ourselves. Sometimes, we put a little too much pressure on ourselves to change in the New Year, or we create a list of resolutions …<p> I Wish You All the Brightest Possible Blessings in the Months to Come Read More »
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Love and Light?

This is a phrase that was made popular by the New Age movement of the 1980’s and 90’s.  Perhaps it was the equivalent of “thoughts and prayers” in that it was a phrase to say to others when you meant … Continue reading →
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odd but true

Happy New Year. It's odd but true that every small thing we do has what the bankers call "serial effect."  You bounce one check putting your account into overdraft and the next follows. We make very small choices going this way or that, and the course of our lives is forever changed by each choice we make.  Unfortunately we are not given clear maps, and the shortest distance between two points is almost never a straight line. Also, it seems that very small decisive moments can make all the difference in the world, while at the same time, we may feel and seem powerless in response to catastrophic world events. But what is the power that we have, and what can we do with it? A number of years ago friends brought me a slender volume publis...
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Happy New Year by ABBA—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                                      Happy New Year-- ABBA For Americans New Year ’ s Day is a kind of low key and lethargic holiday.   Many New Year ’ s Eve revelers nurse hangovers.   For other’s it is a spend the day in pajamas and robe affair to veg out in front of the tube to watch the Rose Parade and endless college bowl games .    It is the biggest day of the year for ordering pizza delivery . For many Americans New Year's day means drinking coffee, nursing a hangover and watching the Tournament of Roses Parade from Pasadena. There have not been many songs for January 1.   For years we were stuck with U2’s first big hit, New Year’s Day releas...
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Year in review, pt. 2

In part 1, I reviewed the year in U.S. religion. In this second part, I’ll review they year in Unitarian Universalism. How non-UUs viewed us Let’s start with how others perceived us this past year. Unitarian Universalists are a tiny, tiny group, but we made the news with four stories this year. I’ll start with … Continue reading "Year in review, pt. 2"
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The Best of the Weekend Section, 2023

Weekend Editor Eric O. Scott reviews the best of the weekend section from 2023's offerings in The Wild Hunt, including the most popular article of the year, Meg Elison's "Barbie is the new Inanna." Continue reading The Best of the Weekend Section, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.
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The Story of 2023

As we move into a new year, we look back on the year ending. What are the stories of this year that will stay with you? What are the stories yet to be written in 2024? Blessings for the new year, beloved.
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“Seeds for the New Year” and Good Luck Foods Bagel Brunch

This New Year's Eve, we will watch a brief set of videos by UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt, featuring "Winter Blessing," "Bridge of Flowers," and "Seeds for the New Year." Then join us for a hearty breakfast of foods said to assure good luck in the New Year:  black-eyed peas, herring, long noodles, things that are golden (cornbread), green (collards), or red (pomegranates), and things that are round (bagels).  Let's attract as much good fortune as possible in 2024, beyond the good fortune of being together. Contact Felicia Orth if you are willing to contribute a good-luck dish.  Happy New Year!
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Weekly Bread #253-4

I missed posting last week. My excuse? Christmas, and the my wife’s birthday the day before. Everyone needs a holiday sometime and we shouldn’t need excuses in order to take them. It has rained most of the last few weeks, a good thing for California, but not so good for hiking. We got a few miles in on the […]
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Ritual and Liturgy in Zen

            A student of the intimate said to the master Yunmen, “The radiance serenely illumines the whole universe…” Before he finished Yunmen asked, “Aren’t those Zhangzhuo’s words?” The student said, “Yes.” Yunmen said, “You have misspoken.”  Gateless Gate, case 39 I never graduated from High School. At 38, when I […]
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Sabbatical activities: grad school

When I started planning my sabbatical, I thought, “Ooh, I’ll have all this time. I could take two classes at United rather than my usual one per term.” I quickly realized that this would soak up a great deal of the time freed by sabbatical, that there is no hurry to move through my program, […]
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Santa Claus — the mystery and wonder in mythical beings

Magic is everywhere. In December, the Soul Matters theme was mystery. If you ask me, that is only the beginning.  Starting in December, there is the mystery of Santa Claus and his famous reindeer. Some people won’t allow their children to believe in him because they claim he is Christian. Catholics do refer to him […] The post Santa Claus — the mystery and wonder in mythical beings appeared first on Nature's Sacred Journey.
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Auld Lang Syne—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

Scottish regimental bands and pipers did much to spread Auld Lang Syne across Queen Victoria's far flung Empire. Note —Second of a holiday two-fer for New Year’s Eve Although there have occasionally been other songs that made feeble attempts to displace it, New Year ’ s Eve belongs firmly to Auld Lang Syne and it promises to remain supreme in defiance of any and all changes in musical tastes and styles. Most of us know that the song comes from a poem by the revered Ploughman Poet and Scottish national icon Robert Burns.   But you may not know the whole story.                                     The Scottish Ploughman Poet Robert Burns. After his first blush of fame with the publication of his Kilarnock Poems ...
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Same Old Lang Syne—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                                      Dan Fogelberg's autobiographical Same Old Lang Syne . Note —A holiday two-fer today for New Year’s Eve.                                         Illinois singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg. Dan Fogelberg ’s 1980 masterpiece Same Old Lang Syne is set on a dismal Christmas Eve but it repeated riff on Old Lang Syne make it feel like a New Year’s song as well.   The Peoria, Illinois native based the song on his own experience running into a high school sweetheart at a liquor store on a slushy Christmas Eve during a visit home. Whichever rainy holiday eve it is, the song struck a deep chord with many.  ...
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All Ages Worship (31 December 2023)

Please join us on Sunday (31 December 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Each and Every Step” 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. Our … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (31 December 2023)"
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Children and Youth Religious Education (31 December 2023)

For this Sunday (31 December 2023), our children and youth will be preparing snack bags for Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention (LA-AID).  These snack bags will be used by immigrants as they travel from Shreveport to relocate with families and friends. For next Sunday (7 January 2024), our children and youth classes will resume … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education (31 December 2023)"
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No Adult Religious Education on 31 December 2023 — Class Resumes 7 January 2024

The adult religious education class will not be meeting this Sunday (31 December 2023). The adult religious education class will resume on 7 January 2024 at 9:00 AM with part 1 of the film Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness.  The class will watch part 2 on 14 January 2024. The class will be meeting in … Continue reading "No Adult Religious Education on 31 December 2023 — Class Resumes 7 January 2024"
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Zoom (and In-Person) Lunch on Wednesday (3 January 2024)

Please join us next Wednesday (3 January 2024) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is 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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Salinas Valley

We went south for a few days after Christmas to meet up with friends and hike in the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains. The route took us down through the Salinas Valley. At one point a patch of sun on the otherwise clouded hills was so striking that I considered stopping to take a picture, or […]
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Take What You Need

“And the best news of all: this taking what we need and leaving the rest behind isn’t only a one time thing. We can do it anytime. Looking back over our lives, we can hear the stories anew, choosing where to focus our attention and where to widen our view. We can let go of … Continue reading Take What You Need
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To Honor the Gods

If we really believe in practicing world-affirming religions, then we should affirm the world we live in by working for the good of the planet and all that live upon it. Continue reading To Honor the Gods at The Wild Hunt.
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Congratulations to Prof. Ronald Hutton

The Wild Hunt congratulates Prof. Ronald Hutton! Continue reading Congratulations to Prof. Ronald Hutton at The Wild Hunt.
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A Small- Sized Mystery — A New Year’s Eve meditation

Kitty and Arlo A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation.   (A recorded version of the following piece can be heard at this link)  —o0o— Over the last week, thanks to the wonderful fact that the temporary manse on New Square has room enough to welcome guests, Susanna and I have had the pleasure of being able to host a family Christmas for the first time during the 23 years I’ve been the minister here. Susanna’s two children, Sara and Jim, their partners Eugene and Alba, and their respective children, Phoenix, aged 6, and Armando, aged 14 months, shared a Christmas Day lunch with us, and later on we were joined for a few hours by an old...
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What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? —Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

Zooey Deschanel's and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's seemingly impromptu home video of them singing What are You Doing New Year's Eve?  went viral in  2011 and boosted the song to pop standard status.  Back in the day everyone who was not a misanthrope or a shut-in went out on New Year ’ s Eve .   The toffs wore their white ties and tails or elegant evening gowns and furs to don paper hats and dance the night way to orchestras in sprawling Art Deco ballrooms .   At least that is what all the old movies taught the rest of the Depression and war weary populous.   But those average Joes and Jills also went out and celebrated with their own funny hats and noise makers in urban ballrooms, lodge halls , piano bars , and neighborhood saloons . ...
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Meditation with Larry Androes (30 December 2023)

Please join us on Saturday (30 December 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (30 December 2023)"
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End of Year Drive

It’s been a busy week! Before we say goodbye to 2023, we need to ask for your support one more time. Continue reading End of Year Drive at The Wild Hunt.
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Year in review, pt. 1

It’s been an eventful year, both for U.S. organized religion generally, and for Unitarian Universalism in particular. In this post, I’ll start by reviewing some of the key developments in organized religion in the U.S. In a second post, I’ll review some of the explosive developments within Unitarian Universalism. 1. Culture wars and religion Religion … Continue reading "Year in review, pt. 1"
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Rabbi Wolpe declines invitation to speak with modern Pagans

Holli Emore, director of Cherry Hill Seminary, reached out to Rabbi David Wolpe for an interfaith conversation following his article "The Return of Paganism" earlier this week in The Atlantic. But Wolpe declined, claiming his article was not intended to address modern Pagans. Continue reading Rabbi Wolpe declines invitation to speak with modern Pagans at The Wild Hunt.
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Fragments of Themselves

“I’m writing my story so that others might see fragments of themselves.” – Lena Waithe When have you experienced a fragment of yourself reflected in a story?
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Zen Monasteries, Training Temples, Zen Centers, & Sanghas

                  The master Baizhang was charged with naming a founding abbot for Mount Daigu. He called his community together and set a full water bottle in their midst. He said, “Don’t call this a water bottle. What will you call it?” The head monk responded, “It’s not […]
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Leonard Bernstein Conducts The Carol of the Bells—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                       Leonard Bernstein's Christmas Album. The other evening, I caught Bradley Cooper’s highly lauded bio pic Maestro at home on Netflix.   Conditions for viewing were not exactly a hushed and darkened theater.   Three and a half year old granddaughter Matilda spent most of the evening cavorting, singing, dancing, hoping, and sometimes just racing around the house.   She drowned out a lot of the dialogue.   But I saw enough to recognize a superior, maybe great, film that moved me. A theatrical poster for Bradly Cooper's Maestro . Producer and director Cooper seemed to inhabit Leonard Bernstein so completely that moments into the movie you believe you ...
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What Lies Beyond

We have to stop and be humble enough to understand that there is something called mystery.Paulo Coelho I am attracted to mystery, to what cannot be easily explained, if explained at all. I was the child who believed Santa would … Continue reading →
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Pagan Community Notes: Week of December 26, 2023

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, we celebrate Kwanzaa and share forthcoming events as well as record and share Pagan responses to The Atlantic magazine's publication of an anti-Pagan article by Rabbi David Wolpe. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of December 26, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.
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Compassion for Campers End of 2023 Fund Appeal

A video from December 2001 with images of Compassion for Campers' 13 years of solidarity and support of un-housed humanity in McHenry County. I know that most of us are deluged at the end of the year by fundraising appeals for causes we have supported in the past, from charities that bought your e-mail address from somebody else’s list, or targeted you from social media algorithms.   You can’t support them all.   But if you haven’t made up your mind about tax deductible contributions yet, I ask you to consider Compassion for Campers.   We serve the unhoused and housing insecure of McHenry county by supplying life saving camping gear and equipment, hygiene and basic health care items, non-perishable food,   and assorted items fr...
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Sacred Stories

“In all sacred literature, the hearts of the storytellers are revealed in the stories, their breath is felt in the words on the page, and we may be touched or moved or stirred by their ancient art. And maybe we can glimpse a truth that they saw, if we read closely and reflect on what … Continue reading Sacred Stories
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Mysteries of Life

The older I get the more I see that life is one mystery after another. Things that I do and things that others do. The way the world works is all a mystery to me.   I was driving and I … Continue reading →
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River by Joni Mitchell—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                        River by Joni Mitchell. CBS broadcast the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors.   First up for recognition was Joni Mitchell, who now stands and walks with difficulty since recovering from a devastating 2015 brain aneurysm rupture but was in good spirits as the story of her life unfolded on stage along with many of her finest songs.   Among them was River from her 1971 album Blue sung by Brandi Carlile.   It was a breathtaking, wounded, and personal song off the most highly regarded album of her long career.   It is also a Christmas song like none you ever heard before or since.    Mitchell, of course, is the iconic Canadian singer/songwriter, who emerg...
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Walking: An Essay by Henry David Thoreau

        I have friends who suggest anything they really like doing is a spiritual practice. When they’re not just being cute or ironic, as some of my friends do, the principle they seem to rely upon for this assertion is that such things as knitting, bowling, cooking, all involve concentration and at […]
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Poets

“What do you do with the secret verses of your heart? With your need for redemption, the story without words? With paradoxical truths, too private and nuanced to share, that cannot be printed or spoken aloud? “You weave their energy into a poem, carefully, carefully, over and under and through, luminescent strands that cannot be … Continue reading Poets
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A look ahead: Tarot Prospectus for 2024

Our tarot expert, Star Bustamonte, shares a12-month overview of the year ahead utilizing a different deck for each month. Continue reading A look ahead: Tarot Prospectus for 2024 at The Wild Hunt.
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Top 10 Best Books Read In 2023

The following are the top ten best books I’ve read since this time last year–in alphabetical order by the author’s last name because agonizing over a precise order would take all the fun out of remembering these books: Brothers in the Beloved Community: The Friendship of Thich Nhat Hanh and Martin Luther King Jr. by Marc […]
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Questioning Exploration

There were eleven new species discovered in 2023, and 21 were declared extinct, and NASA discovered six new exoplanets. With all this, the mysteries of the universe still sit at our door. I often question our exploration and the humans … Continue reading →
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Top 10 Posts of 2023

The Top 10 posts of 2023 on Under the Ancient Oaks: divination, a Storm Goddess, Pagan clothing and jewelry, and a lot about the conflicts going on in this world and in the Otherworld.
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Harambee by Rita Marley for Kwanzaa—The Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24 Festival

                                                                    Kwanzaa song Harambee by Rita Marley. Today is the second day of Kwanzaa which was created in 1966 during the blossoming of a period of Black Nationalism by Maulana Karenga , a Black studies scholar and a leading Los Angeles militant who was born Ron Everett in Parsonsburg, Maryland on July 14, 1941 Beginning on December 26 and running through January 1, candles are lit representing African values.   Each of the values is given a Swahili name.   Today is day two— Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): “To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.” Kwanzaa was meant to be a family centered...
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Police departments vs. labor

Starting with the George Floyd protests in 2020, we began hearing calls to defund police. Police departments, so the thinking went, mostly served White interests, and thus tended to support White supremacy. This argument may have been valid, but it ignored other interests that have controlled police departments in the U.S. “On May 28, 1937, … Continue reading "Police departments vs. labor"
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Wednesday Photo: A toy nativity

Photo taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe   Click on the photo to enlarge
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The Story That Is Forgotten

Today is my dad’s birthday. For many years, his story got forgotten in the story of the holidays happening at this time of year. While we try to make his birthday special, it will always be at Christmas time. -Michael Tino (CLF) What are your stories that are too often forgotten?
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Editorial: “The Atlantic” publishes another attack on Pagans. Where are Pagan voices in its pages?

TWH's editor-in-chief Manny Tejeda Moreno responds to Rabbi Wolpe's atrocious attack on Paganism in the pages of "The Atlantic." Continue reading Editorial: “The Atlantic” publishes another attack on Pagans. Where are Pagan voices in its pages? at The Wild Hunt.
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Family Secrets

Every family has their secrets. The not so big one on my mom’s side was that she had a child out of wedlock and gave him up for adoption. I found this out when I was about 7 or 8 … Continue reading →
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Two gift articles

Today I offer two gift articles from the New York Times related to the hands and the wonders they bring. One involves knitting and the other blacksmithing. Both, while one is noisy and the other not, offer solace to the soul. Make, fix and create...
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Good King Wenceslas for St. Stephen’s Day, Wren Day and Boxing Day—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

The Irish Rovers' popular and a little rowdy Good King Wenceslas earns them a warming drink reward in this video. Today is the second day of the 12 Days of Christmas, a day with multiple personalities as we will see.   We will celebrate with an English carol about a Bohemian princeling/saint. The Brits and the residents of other former pink blotches on Queen Victoria ’s globe spend today, Boxing Day , storming the malls and shops on what is usually the busiest retail sales day of the year. Disgruntled gift recipients hit the refund and exchange desks and others spent the gift cards and even old fashion cash.    But unlike most Yanks they do it on an official National Holiday as a paid day off.   Officially December 26 is just anoth...
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Wonder and Mystery–Lamb Song

This is a song I wrote in college in 1982. Since then I’ve been married, worked for 38 years before retiring, and raised 3 children with my best friend in this world. We had no clue what we would become … Continue reading →
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Christmas Eve ‘23 [Poem]

Every Christmas EveFor the rest of my careerI will preach about the yearI cried through the entireChristmas Eve service. Every lesson,Every carolAccompanied by quiet sobsWho chose their sacred momentTo proclaim the truthThat set them free –Grief takes no holidays. Some ChristmasesAre just sad ones,And that’s ok –You can crythrough the entire service.Just don’t you dareLeaveUntil […]
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Choosing to Love, Anyway – Christmas Eve 2023

Readings: Homily Homily – Choosing to Love, Anyway  In Bethlehem tonight, the usual extravagant Christmas celebrations have been canceled. In place of Glorias echoing across the land, there is war and grief, all across Palestine and Israel, and in Gaza. As the … Continue reading →
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Birthing Peace

We have waited, hopeful, for the birth of love into the world. We have waited, hopeful, for the birth of joy and peace. Let every heart now prepare them room. Let heaven and nature sing the good news of the arrival of something new. We have arrived here as weary travelers longing for a rest, … Continue reading Birthing Peace
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Wishing you a Blessed Newtonmas!

        “Nature and nature’s laws lay hid in night; God said ‘Let Newton be” and all was light.” Alexander Pope Me, I like Christmas. Actually I love it. But here I am in the early hours of Christmas day. And my thoughts drift in several ways.. For one. We’ll be celebrating the […]
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Go Tell It On the Mountain—The Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2022-‘23

                                                                      Go Tell it on the Mountain sung by the Blind Boys of Alabama. Of all the announcement carols Go Tell It On the Mountain is unusual for a number of reasons.   It is not European but rooted in the American Black Community and dated to the era when the end of slavery flourished.   It is not an announcement by the Heavenly Hosts, but an instruction to a whole people to spread the good word.   And because of its connections to the Civil Rights Movement , it doubles as a Christmas Carol and a liberation anthem . Watch Night when African-Americans gathered on New Year's Eve to greet the news of the Emancipation Proclamation.   Man...
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beyond troubled times

We seem to live in troubled times, and yet when we take matters into our own creative hands, things seem to fall into a better place. It might be easy to fall into despair, but it's also easy to surrender to the help and companionship of friends.  Lacking friends at hand, your own hands can be your friends, luring you into a meditative state.  I have found that I've been given a great gift in that I'm given the opportunities  to teach, both through my books and articles and through classes. When we empower others to discover their own creativity, expressed in the making useful beauty we are helping to create the world of peace and joy that all long for.  Along with season’s greetings and holiday cheer, I’m imagining all the wonde...
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I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day —Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2025-‘24

                                                                      Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Our first Christmas Day carol is my own personal favorite .   I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is unusual in that there is no reference to the Christ child , manger , Holy Family, shepherds , Magi , or even the Herald Angels .   Instead, it focuses on the message of those angels amid the ghastly carnage of war.   It was written not by famed Unitarian hymnist Samuel Longfellow , but by his brother Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , then America ’ s most honored and adored poet who had created national epics like The Courtship of Miles Standish , The Song of Hiawat...
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Christmas Eve by Candlelight

PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS NO MORNING SERVICE TODAY Join us for our annual Christmas Eve tradition of story and song, followed by a Christmas cookie reception in the Fellowship Hall
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The 4 Best Posts of 2023 You Didn’t Read

While I’ve come to accept that sometimes the Pagan community just doesn’t care about something as much as I do, there are times when I find myself screaming “this is important! Why are you not reading this?!”
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Homilía de Nochebuena (2023)

Mi homilía de Nochebuena (2023). The post Homilía de Nochebuena (2023) appeared first on Colin Bossen.
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The Pagan King: a Latvian medieval epic loaded with Pagan imagery

This is not a subtle film. This is like Game of Thrones without a hint of subtlety and stranger accents. Continue reading The Pagan King: a Latvian medieval epic loaded with Pagan imagery at The Wild Hunt.
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Which Story?

“If you came to this place expecting a tame story, you came to the wrong place. If you came for a story that does not threaten you, you came for a different story than the one we tell. If you came to hear of the coming of a God who only showed up so that … Continue reading Which Story?
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Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                         Luciano Pavarotti singing Adeste Fideles in 1978. Note —We need another for Christmas Eve.   After the brief serenity for   Mary, Joseph, and the infant comes the noisy hullabaloo of the Announcement carols. Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful ) is one of the most exuberant of announcement carols and is a perennial favorite for both choir performance and congregational singing at Christmas Eve services .   It is based on two Old Testament verses said to foretell the coming of the Messiah— Psalm 98, 96:11-12 and Genesis 3:17-18 but like other popular carols it is sung as if it is an announcement of the birth of Christ by angels on high. My...
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Songs of the Christmas Truce

        The Christmas Truce was a minor bit of passive resistance on the Western front in the First World War. Which was at the time called the Great War, and to our tastes terribly ironic, War to End all Wars. In 1914 English, French, and German troops paused in the battle. A […]
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Stille Nacht, Silent Night Plus Murfin Verse—Winter Holiday Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                       Silent Night sung by Boney M. By far the most beloved and sung of all Western Christmas carols is Silent Night .   It will be sung tonight at Catholic midnight masses, candlelight services like the Tree of Life ’ s in McHenry, by hardy carolers in neighborhood streets, in many versions on Holiday radio, and in family rooms around the Christmas tree. Two hundred and five years ago Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht was first performed at St. Nicholas parish church in the village Oberndorf on the Salzach River in the Austrian Empire.   Today Silent Night is by far the most popular traditional Christmas carol in the English speaking world and has been trans...
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tables and birdmouths

In the wood shop at ESSA I'm beginning a table making project. What I hope will be the end results are shown in the drawing. There will be four that will go in our Commons house that is used for meetings and for guest teachers to gather after hours. They can be arranged individually or assembled as a group for board meetings, and it's all part of the steady growth of our school. The four columns supporting the table tops are made using birdmouth joints commonly used in boat building to make hollow spars and masts. They are 6 sided and hollow so that steel rods can pass through, and so that lighter material can be used. The feet will rest on pads made from high density plastic that will keep moving them from marring the floor.  To start,...
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It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Ella Fitzgerald—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                           It Came Upon a Midnight Clear sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Note—Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day deserve bonus two-fer entries! In churches around the world this evening announcement carols will be central to the services.    Many are bold and glorious whether sung by massed choirs or by congregations that know them by heart.   Adeste Fideles ( O Come All Ye Faithful ) and the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel ’ s Messiah are two of the grander examples, although there are plenty of others in Christmas song books, but my personal favorite is much more modest. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear is one of the oldest and most beloved of American Chri...
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Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (24 December 2023)

Please join us on Sunday night (24 December 2023) at 6:30 PM for our Christmas Eve candlelight worship service (if your children want to participate in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song, please bring them by 6:00 PM for a short rehearsal). We will sing the carols with the original words, hear the Christmas Story … Continue reading "Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (24 December 2023)"
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All Ages Worship (24 December 2023)

Please join us on Sunday (24 December 2023) at 11:00 AM for our Sunday morning worship service.  On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will have a simpler service. There will be no children and youth religious education on this Sunday — all ages are welcome in the worship service and holiday busy bags will … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (24 December 2023)"
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No Children and Youth Religious Education Classes (24 December 2023)

This Sunday (24 December 2023) will be an intergenerational worship service. There will be no children and youth religious education classes happening during the worship service time. Our children and youth will be staying in the sanctuary for the worship service.
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Adult Religious Education Class Taking a Break (24 and 31 December 2023)

Our weekly 9:00 AM Sunday adult religious education classes will be taking a break for the next two Sundays — no class on 24 and 31 December 2023. We will have some special programming on 7 and 14 January 2024 — watch our website and social media announcements for updates.
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Zoom (and In-Person) Lunch on Wednesday (27 December 2023)

Please join us next Wednesday (27 December 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is 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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An unusual Christmas carol

Back in 1845, Thomas Commuck published a book of sacred songs titled “Indian Melodies.” Commuck called his book that because he was a member of the Brothertown Indian Nation. In the introduction, referring to himself in the third person, he tells why his published his book: “his object is to make a little money.” To … Continue reading "An unusual Christmas carol"
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More problems with captchas

A reader emailed me saying that he had been prevented from entering a comment by my captcha plugin (Simple Cloudflare Turnstile); he got a message saying he had to verify he was human but was not given a problem to solve. Reading the online forum for this plugin on WordPress.org reveals that others have had … Continue reading "More problems with captchas"
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British Museum and British Petroleum are bedfellows again

The British Museum has announced a new £50 million partnership with the oil company BP after an apparent break between the two institutions earlier this year. Continue reading British Museum and British Petroleum are bedfellows again at The Wild Hunt.
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Weavers

Here we are together each facing our different human tasks or maybe the same central one: to embrace the lessons life delivers to discern and respond as we grow to refuse harm and cherish flourishing May we know ourselves as vessels of infinite possibility Holders of each other’s heartaches and tales of joy alike weavers … Continue reading Weavers
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Samadhi and Zen

          A student of the intimate asked the master Huguo, “What about when every drop of water has become ice?” The master replied, “It will be shameful once the sun has arisen.” Book of Serenity The heart of Zen meditation, what makes it go, is samadhi. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, samadhi […]
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the need to do real things.

My essay in the Front Porch Republic will be published in mid January, so in the meantime I'm reviewing material for a second essay that I hope will find a home in another publication. It is interesting how deep the resources are that promote hands-on learning over the lecture style teaching that we normally subject students to. It is shameful what we put students through in school. That such boredom is acceptable illustrates how little we value human culture and our kids and the development of their minds.  Lecture based learning is proven to be strikingly ineffective, and yet, in schools teachers and administrations persist for they are given little opportunity to  make the changes that are most necessary. This snippet from an articl...
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“The Eternal Buddha is no one else but the Eternal Christ” — A Christmas Day Meditation

Nativity Scene by Eiichi Kotozuka (1906-1979) A Christmas Day meditation offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) —o0o— Imaoka Shin’ichirō  (1881-1988) was a living legend in Japan who influenced the development of progressive and liberal religion in that country and who was also one of the key figures in the founding of the “yuniterian” [sic] movement there. He was also a key figure in the inter-faith organisation called the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), and in a recent biography about him by George M. Williams, he has been described as being “a Bodhisattva-Kami-Christian-Unitarian-sage — the Emerson of Japan.” He was so...
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The Quantum Manger — A Christmas Eve Meditation

This image was produced by ChatGPT 4 after asking it to produce a black and white drawing of an empty manger standing alongside a manger with a small child lying in it that could accompany this Christmas Eve Meditation A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation.   (A recorded version of the following piece can be heard at this link)  —o0o— Back in March [2023] I listened to a Financial Times podcast on the subject of quantum computing because I was interested in understanding, as much as a non-mathematician and physicist can, what the basic difference is between a classical computer and a quantum computer. To help people like me, Madhumita ...
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Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry—The Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

The 1953 Columbia re-recording was featured on this LP ad is the one most commonly heard on Christmas radio. American kids have their own category of secular Christmas songs , most centering on or around that Jolly Old Elf a/k/a Santa Clause , St . Nick , Kris Kringle , etc. You have to forgive the greedy little buggers for not focusing on the birth of a baby and the whole savior and Messiah thing .   A fat guy with a bag full of toys and flying reindeer trump all the Holy stuff .   The songs include ditties like Jolly Old St. Nicholas , Santa Claus is Coming to Town , and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer .   And the most successful singer of such songs was cowboy crooner Gene Autry who became the children ’ s Bing Crosby in the post-...
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Hard Candy Christmas

Some of us have gone numb and non-functional; others are deep in the season and lighting candles, decorating trees, celebrating the return of the Sun, and practicing so many other traditions and acts of faith and love that this writer cannot name them all. I, myself, am holding space in the in-between this year. Continue reading Hard Candy Christmas at The Wild Hunt.
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Meditation with Larry Androes (23 December 2023)

Please join us on Saturday (23 December 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (23 December 2023)"
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Finding Identity Through Story

“My struggle to find a solid identity is also true for other parts of me—as an artist, a pagan, and a person—as if everything that’s led me here are only interruptions and obstacles, instead of part of what makes me the more whole person I am today. The shift, for me, occurred by telling my … Continue reading Finding Identity Through Story
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Sunday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve Candlelight Service ~ 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Live Harp Music by Jessica Siegel Celebrate the spirit of Christmas in a family worship service that honors the life and teachings of Jesus. Sing your favorite Christmas carols, enjoy beautiful harp music, and experience the beauty and peace of our annual candle-lighting ceremony. “And   [ … ] The post Sunday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve Candlelight Service ~ 7:00 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
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The Christians and the Pagans by Dar Williams—The Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2022-‘23

                                                                 Dar Williams performs her song The Christians and the Pagans live. Note — One more for the convergence of neo-pagan Winter Solstice observations and Christmas. Back in 2012 my wife Kathy and I splurged on a then rare night out to take in a concert teaming Loudin Wainwright III and feminist/lesbian folkie Dar Williams .   Wainwright was the draw for us.   I was only dimly aware of Williams and don’t think I had ever heard one of her songs.   She ended up blowing us away.   And one of her most memorable songs was The Christians and The Pagans .   Like many of her compositions it was autobiographical about she and her lesbian lov...
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It’s A Mysterious Life

For the past twenty-odd years, ever since I was old enough to truly ponder it, the mystery of the meaning of life has taken up a fair amount of space in my mind. My emotions surrounding this big unknown (that … Continue reading →
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Happy Solstice!

For a Solstice treat, Margy and I went to Kettle Cove beach a little before sunset. Santa was gathering seaweed for the garden. Now you might not think Santa would be out on Solstice, but the ancient European pagans laid claim to this gentle gift-giver from the north much before St. Nicholas. In fact, in […]
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A Meditation on Christmas Ghosts

                  Here we are, rushing toward Christmas. For various reasons, I find myself thinking of Charles Dickens and particularly his wonderful novella, A Christmas Carol. Some of my friends actually read the original story, a few even aloud, annually. Others watch one of the many film versions. […]
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Turn the Year Around

Earlier this month, we featured a reflection by CLF’s Rose Gallogly about writing her own Winter Solstice Story. Rose has kindly shared the story with all of us–it is linked below. Each time a new being was introduced to the world, the Moon whispered to them: “Remember always that this world works in cycles. There … Continue reading Turn the Year Around
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Silence, Solace, Solstice

For the past 30 years, Mount Auburn Cemetery has hosted an evening Solstice event, and it has become enough a fixture of the local holiday season in Boston that tickets for those nights sell out fairly quickly. What began as … Continue reading →
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December Solstice Blessings from The Wild Hunt

Solstice blessings form The Wild Hunt! We share a round-up of events, music, and happenings. Continue reading December Solstice Blessings from The Wild Hunt at The Wild Hunt.
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sliding book rack

This simple sliding book rack is made of white oak. Years ago I'd done an article about making them in Woodwork Magazine, and some of my students from the Clear Spring School will remember having made some similar in class. In fact some students may still have them. I'd started work on these years ago, having cut out the parts, and rather than letting the wood go to waste, I decided to finish them. Making them would be a good two day class, introducing students to a variety of tools and woodworking strategies. We are down to just a few woodworking days before Christmas. At this time next year I'lll be making grandfatherly toys for Sylvie. In the meantime, let's all remember that we learn best hands on, and that reading (acquisition of kn...
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Mystery of the Seasons

What was it like to live in far earlier times of awe and wonder? Given the present season my thoughts went to the ancient mystery of the Seasons. When and how did humans becomeaware of the periodic movements of the … Continue reading →
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Ring Out Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                                          Ring Out Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull Call it Solstice, Yule, Meán Geimhridh, or any name you choose, to it is the shortest day and longest night of the year—the official beginning of winter. Tomorrow the Sun begins its annual return. Despite claims otherwise, Solstice is the Reason for the Season—the overt or disguised inspiration of most Northern Hemisphere Festivals of Light clustered around this date. To celebrate we turn to Jethro Tull’s classic 1977 album Songs from the Woods , Ian Anderson’s turn from jazz-infused rock to an embrace of his English roots and folk identities is a fitting carol for the day. ...
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What exvangelicals do instead of church

Exvangelicals are forming “spiritual collectives” — which have superficial resemblance to Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations, because they’re LGBTQ+ friendly, open to non-Christian sources of wisdom, and don’t have doctrines or dogmas. There are also big differences. Exvangelical spiritual collectives have a different worship style. Their preachers are more likely to do their preaching (which they … Continue reading "What exvangelicals do instead of church"
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Roman temples found with and a sacrificial pit researchers say

Researchers find Roman temples in modem-day Germany with a sacrificial space that raise questions about the nature of offerings to the gods and spirits. Continue reading Roman temples found with and a sacrificial pit researchers say at The Wild Hunt.
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The Top 5 Novels I Read in 2023

Dark academia and secret societies, free will and fate. Witches, vampires, Tarot, and poison. What would you do to make your dreams a reality? Here are the top five novels I read in 2023.
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Old Story, New Perspective

In this Advent season, the nativity story is depicted in tableaus around the world: in town squares, church yards, and even in the front lawns of homes. The story of the birth of the baby Jesus, a central figure in the Christian faith, is also the story of a brown-skinned, Middle Eastern, Jewish refugee born … Continue reading Old Story, New Perspective
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Turn the Year Around (A Winter Solstice Story)

When the world was very young, there were not yet any seasons. There were not even any days — the Sun and the Moon shared the sky in harmony, quietly watching over the world together.
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a reliquary of wood

 With the addition of a plexiglass box to keep the innards safe, my reliquary of wood has been added to the Museum of Eureka Springs Art museum display.  The reliquary was inspired by a reliquary in the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City and by my participation in  a shrine show (sponsored by ESSA) in which artists were invited to create shrines celebrating the things important in their own lives.  The idea of a reliquary is to lift as important things that should be treasured. The reliquary in the Nelson Atkins Museum once held the bones of a saint. My reliquary has 25 turned samples of American (Arkansas) hardwoods, each in their natural color. It is a statement of value. The box itself is made of sugar maple. Some may remember a ...
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Fear Not and Hallelujah

Marcus Liefert Fear not, the angels would text me. Hallelujah, I’d write back. Continue reading "Fear Not and Hallelujah"
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The Mystery in Traditions

I love Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies. I am radically accepting, a feminist, reproductive justice activist, reality believer, political junkie, and…. I still love Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies. They are romantic nonsense. AND, they are total fun. They also help remind … Continue reading →
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Wednesday Photo: Some Cambridge cows on Stourbridge Common, August 2023

 Taken with a Fuji X-T2 (with a SMC Pentax-M 1:1.7 50mm lens) using the Fuji Astia recipe Just click on the photo to enlarge
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The Holly and the Ivy—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

  The Holly and the Ivy-- The Mediæval Bæbes   As we approach Solstice Eve it is the perfect occasion to showcase one of those traditional English carols that mix pagan imagery with just a light dusting of Christianity.   The Holly and the Ivy may be the loveliest of this genre which usually tends to festivity and were often used in street song begging or wassailing . The origin of the song is suspected of being quite old but is lost to the midst of time, probably like so many customs suppressed by Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan   ascendancy and his attack on “Papist and pagan” Christmas. The earliest published versions of the carol date to the early 19th Century when there was something of fad for collecting folk songs.   Severa...
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Io Saturnalia: Releasing Saturn and a roundup of events

Io Saturnalia! The holiday is well underway in many quarters including the UK and and especially in Rome. Continue reading Io Saturnalia: Releasing Saturn and a roundup of events at The Wild Hunt.
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Christmas Eve At All Souls: What You Need To Know

This Christmas Eve, All Souls Unitarian Church extends a warm invitation to everyone, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, to join us for a day of celebration, reflection, and community. From a thoughtful morning service to the joyful candlelight services in the evening, our doors are open to all who wish to share in the spirit of this special day. Morning Service Time: 10:30 AM We’ll have one service Sunday morning at 10:30 AM. Our morning service offers a serene start to Christmas Eve, with a message from Revered Randy Lewis. After the service, we invite everyone […] The post Christmas Eve At All Souls: What You Need To Know appeared first on BeyondBelief.
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December Theme: Unexpected Gifts

Generosity is one of our UU values. The Article II Study Commission notes, “We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and ... read more . The post December Theme: Unexpected Gifts appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Dec. 19th

This past Sunday, it was lovely to celebrate the approaching Winter Solstice in worship, as the room was slowly darkened, until we drummed back the light. When the lights were very low, Wendy invited us into a practice sometime in the coming week. To sit,  alone, or ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Dec. 19th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
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Recording and Resources from Not Just Stop Cop City - Session Two: Abolition

On December 6, Side With Love joined the American Friends Service Committee for a webinar to hear from the organizers, activists, and other professionals accomplishing the transformational work of abolition - from combatting exploitative fines and fees to decarcerating architecture. With the construction of Atlanta's Cop City looming overhead and the demands of the 2020 uprisings as of yet unrealized, a world beyond policing and incarceration can seem unreachable. But while still an unmet ideal, the foundation for an abolitionist world is being built by those who remain dedicated to dismantling and replacing an entrenched system which promises safety while producing the opposite. In the face of state repression and Draconian policies uph...
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Same Story, Different Story

The Quran, the holy Scripture of Islam, contains a telling of the birth of Jesus (Issa) that is different from those stories in the Christian Scriptures in interesting ways. In the Quran, Mary is alone, under a date palm, and the story includes the pain of her childbirth; the infant Jesus is endowed with speech … Continue reading Same Story, Different Story
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Wonder and Mystery

When the kids were younger and still at home there were so many traditions that brought us into the Holy Days…. Decorating, cookie baking, photo ornaments, and gifts. We took out the holiday dishes and napkins. We went to church. … Continue reading →
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Winter Wonderland by Tony Bennett—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                       Winter Wonderland sung by Tony Bennett. There is no snow on the ground here in northern Illinois and temperatures have been unseasonably warm—daytime in the 40’s for more than a week.   Other parts of the country, however, have been buried in all of the Winter Wonderland they can stand.   Time to revisit this classic pop winter song and let the great Tony Bennett give it her swinging interpretation. Winter Wonderland was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard B. Smith. Since its original RCA recording by Richard Himber and his Hotel Ritz-Carlton Orchestra, it has been covered by over 200 different artists, including Bing Crosby, D...
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The Anniversary Waltz —Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                               The Anniversary Waltz  sung by Vera Lynn. We interrupt the seasonal songs of Winter Holidays Music Festival for a more private celebration if you don’t mind.   Forty two years ago, on a below zero December 19, 1981 at Chicago ’ s St. Francis Xavier Church on the North Side Kathy Brady-Larsen, a young widow, consented to marry beneath her.   The groom was a scruffy no-account with dim prospects named Patrick Murfin. That summer we had renewed an old acquaintance at Consumer ’ s Tap on Lincoln Avenue .   We had a nodding acquaintance a decade earlier while I was on the staff of the Chicago Seed and she was a 17 year old Seed stree...
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Youth safety

Some people are living in the past. Specifically, some people apparently think it’s still the 1970s. So I’m volunteering on a task force for a UU nonprofit that is trying to figure out how to offer safe youth programming. As part of the research we’ve been doing on youth safety, I’ve been looking at some … Continue reading "Youth safety"
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Pagan Community Notes: Week of December 18, 2023

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: Art Contest Deadline, update on Pagan Elder Diana Paxson, Ásatrúarfélagið releases a statement on the Israel-Hamas war, Cherry Hill announces professor of the year and Hypatia award recipient, more announcements and Shavo. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of December 18, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.
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Veritas Box Maker's Plow Plane

I received two planes from Lee Valley today, left and right plow planes of a smaller size suggested for box making. Like other Veritas planes made by Lee Valley, they are works of art. The crafting of them is exquisite. Plow planes are used for cutting grooves in wood but can also form beads and coves. In box making you can imagine using them to cut grooves for inlay, or for bottoms to fit. With other cutters installed, beaded edges or panels could add interest to a lovely box. The tight curls of walnut behind the plane in the photo below were formed in my first test use of the right handed plane. These are lovely in their design and perfect in their manufacture. They can be ordered here. Make, fix and create...
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Re-Shelving Your Story

In his book The Seven Basic Plots, Christopher Booker suggests there are seven ‘core’ plots that most stories follow: a journey taken and the return, overcoming challenges, making our way in the world, a quest, comedy, tragedy, and rebirth. -Lori Stone (CLF) Have you ever wondered in what section of the library you would find … Continue reading Re-Shelving Your Story
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Fallen Spruce

It is raining here in the northeast and the wind is blowing mightily, with gusts past 50 miles per hour. This healthy spruce tree suddenly fell down from its very roots. I was inside and heard something, but didn’t realize what had happened until I poked my nose out the door. Thankfully, it just missed […]
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Is Zen a Religion?

            “A non-Buddhist visited the great sage and said, “I don’t ask about the way of words, I don’t as about avoiding words. The Buddha sat quietly. Witnessing this, the non-Buddhist exhulted, “No wonder you’re the world honored one. Out of your compassion and mercy, you have parted the clouds […]
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Mystery and Religion

I think that in any religion there are those who embrace their faith with authenticity and with what we might characterize as curiosity, courage and compassion. In other words, they hold to their faith with open minds and hearts.  There … Continue reading →
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Judy Garland’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                       Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas  by Judy Garland in  Meet Me in St. Louis. We are closing in on the big day and it’s way past time to honor the greatest performance of a modern secular Christmas song ever.   Period. No arguments.   The crown goes to Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to Margaret O ’ Brien in the 1944 film classic Meet Me in St. Louis. In some ways the part of the second daughter Esther of the comfortably middle class St . Louis Smith family was a step back for Garland to the juvenile parts where she had gained fame.   She had finally broken through being cast as a young woman in Presenting Lill...
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Gather in Storms

Reading – a combination of Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg’s 2022 and 2023 Hanukah reflections, which end with this reflection Hanukah isn’t just about what happened in the past, on the calendar. It’s about who we are capable of being. It’s about … Continue reading →
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Sabbatical activity: going to services

That’s a trick title, because I have gone to a grand total of two church services in my six months of sabbatical. I’m rather ashamed to admit it, but it’s true. I had a plan to go to the San Francisco services fairly regularly once we were back from our summer travels, a plan that […]
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International Migrants Day: Let Asylum-Seekers Work

Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls us into bold action for those seeking asylum.
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Spiced tea and mead for the Winter Solstice

Now a year's worth of cinnamon, nutmeg, or black pepper, can be acquired for less than a day's wages, brought halfway round the world in hours or days on a journey that once took months, fraught with danger. The world we live in is a miracle that's killing us all, and we don't think about either of those things enough. Continue reading Spiced tea and mead for the Winter Solstice at The Wild Hunt.
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FACT-CHECKING THE FINANCIAL TIMES GADFLY ARTICLE

This December, the American version of The Financial Times published a feature on what is often termed the Gadfly movement within American Unitarian Universalism. The Financial Times is a London-based daily whose editorial stance is to the right of the Washington Post, but not as far right as the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Similarly, […] The post FACT-CHECKING THE FINANCIAL TIMES GADFLY ARTICLE appeared first on Dennis McCarty.
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Winter Solstice: Mourning the Dark, Celebrating the Light

You know that feeling you get on the last day of vacation? You’ve still got today to enjoy, but it’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that what you looked forward to and have enjoyed is coming to an end. That’s how I feel at the Winter Solstice.
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Escape

I have many friends for whom this time of year means the chance to escape into ridiculous and predictable holiday romance movies. While the casts are more and more diverse, the stories are simple and formulaic. And this allows folks just to turn off their brain and live in another space for a little while. … Continue reading Escape
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The Scottish Shepherd’s Story

Join us for our first live Christmas pageant since the pandemic.
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Weekly Bread #252

I got my new hiking hat and gloves, and they are great. Too bad you can’t order new body parts on the internet. I mean, I have one relatively new knee, but getting it was a lot harder. Modern medicine is not a simple or painless process. I have been feeling old this week. I had to go into […]
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saws

 I frequently evaluate tools that might be useful for woodworking with kids, and I ran across a folding Japanese style Kataba saw that would likely be a good replacement for the Vaughan Bear Saws we've used for years at the Clear Spring School. The Hardtwerk Zen Saw has 13 precision ground hardened teeth per inch and like the Bear Saws and other Japanese designed saws, cuts on the pull stroke. It's not as fine toothed as a Dozuki so would not be a replacement for a dovetail saw, but would cut quickly in softwoods. While I'm waiting for mine to arrive, you might try it also, as it would provide an excellent opportunity to get some valuable sawing time with children or grandchildren over the holidays, and it folds closed when not in use. ...
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Come O Come Emmanuel—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-‘24

                                                                        O Come, O Come Emmanuel sung by Enya with Latin lyrics. Today is the Third Sunday of Advent and time to share the most famous of all Advent hymns, O Come, O Come Emmanuel which also has some of the oldest roots.   As a boy it always perplexed me—who the hell was this Emmanuel, what did he have to do with Christmas, and how did Israel become involved? It turns out that Emmanuel—from Hebrew meaning “God is With Us” is mentioned almost in passing in the Old Testament book of Book of Isaiah in connection with prophecies connected to a war between the Kingdom of Judea and an Assyrian Empire with its vassal the Kingdom of...
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All Ages Worship (17 December 2023)

Please join us on Sunday (17 December 2023) at 11:00 AM for “The Light is Reborn — A Unitarian Universalist Winter Holiday Celebration.” “In the greatest darkness, the light is reborn” — join us for a celebration of the light that is the common thread linking all our celebrations at this time of year. We … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (17 December 2023)"
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Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (24 December 2023)

Please join us on Sunday (24 December 2023) at 6:30 PM for our Christmas Eve candlelight worship service. Join us on Christmas Eve for carols, candlelight, special music from the All Souls Choir along with a reading of the Christmas story from the Book of Luke in the Christian Testament. Stay afterward, bring any of … Continue reading "Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (24 December 2023)"
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No Children and Youth Religious Education Classes (17 December 2023)

This Sunday (17 December 2023) will be an intergenerational worship service. There will be no children and youth religious education classes happening during the worship service time. Our children and youth will be staying in the sanctuary for the worship service.
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Mitten Tree for Maggie Lee

The mitten tree for Maggie Lee’s Closet is now up in the sanctuary. Bring mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves for children. They will be contributed to Maggie Lee’s Closet at the Highland Center to help keep children warm through the winter.
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