After giving whatever your elevator speech, anyone with time and interest still remaining is very likely to ask you, How do you have a church where people have different religions? Firstly, while we may have different beliefs and practices, we have one religion. It is a religion that allows us to worship together as well […]
Unitarian Universalism has no creed. We don’t have an oath to an outside power. There is no pledge to a single entity, concept, or ideal. What then does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist? We do have Principles. But those still aren’t really what defines us as a movement. Our Principles are all phrased […]
It has become pretty common knowledge over the last couple of years that Facebook makes choices for you. Facebook has developed very clever programs, like robots that watch the site for them. Those programs pick what goes on your screen in hopes of keep you looking at the screen longer and seeing just a few […]
Labor Day isn’t just a day off. It celebrates the people who fought, bled, and even died so that we could build a better quality of life. Labor Day commemorates a movement that won us weekend, 8 hour works days, and safety regulations. Labor Day isn’t about hard work; it is about team work. It […]
We spend a lot of digital ink on words, both religious and not, and how they are used by, and how they sometimes divide Unitarian Universalists. A lot is said about which words get used and how people react to them. Words do matter, but how we hear them is on us as much as […]
…all relations between persons ought ideally to rest on mutual, free consent and not on coercion. ~James Luther Adams In many religious traditions, you are made a part of the community through ritual acceptance. A Baptism, Birthday, or some other ritual that shows the community’s acceptance of you. They sanctify you; you receive their welcome. […]
Unitarian Universalism is not really about making each of us feel good about ourselves. It is about encouraging each of us to make good of ourselves. It is about growth, at whatever pace, and being aware of when we hold still for too long. The I Am UU page posts things that make people uncomfortable. […]
Stewardship, according to Merriam-Webster, means 1: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward 2: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care So, by taking responsibility for the heritage of Unitarianism and Universalism, by claiming to be UUs, we become stewards and […]
This summer, I had the absolute joy and privilege of going to General Assembly and spending a week at a UU summer camp. If you haven’t done either, I highly recommend both. I am also fortunate to live in an area with many congregations within a reasonable drive. I seen (and even led) services at […]
I spent last week teaching mindfulness, community, and The Force to middle schoolers at a UU family summer camp. The reception was mixed, but it definitely had an influence on my thinking this weekend. There are two emotions that are the most primal, the most essential, and the most powerful in humans: love and fear. […]