We must not forget that, even while we aspire to accept and encourage every person who enters a UU space, whether online or in person, we are a covenantal religion; covenant means that responsibility and respect must go both ways. While we affirm the worth and dignity of every person, we do not need to […]
I wanted to build on the topic I brought up last week: Who is a Unitarian Universalist. Here is an important distinction between a covenantal religion and a creedal one: Is Donald Trump a Christian? Well, if he can say the Creed and mean it, then yes. That’s the test, and all Christians have to […]
I get a lot of… feedback when I point out that, despite a centuries-long legacy that got us to this point, Unitarian Universalism is less than 60 years old. The religion we teach today would be unrecognizable to John Adams, Clara Barton, and most of the other historical Unitarians and Universalists of whom we are […]
I’ve spent years in customer service, and I’ve more recently started learning about pastoral care. I admit that I was scared to take on this new skill. I’ve since learned that there is a lot of overlap with my existing experience. One of the main parts of both is being present and listening to what […]
One of the common reasons people find themselves in a Unitarian Universalist church is “curiosity”. It might be curiosity about what goes on there, or about different ways to worship. Ultimately, I think a lot of us stay because we are curious about one another and who we view the divine. A healthy curiosity is […]
Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal religion. It is all about being in relationship with the community and the congregation. It is about making promises to one another about how we will act in the world. We are short on specifics, of course; there isn’t a formal list of “Shall Nots” to check actions against. Ours […]
“Charity is commendable; everyone should be charitable. But justice aims to create a social order in which, if individuals choose not to be charitable, people still don’t go hungry, unschooled or sick without care. Charity depends on the vicissitudes of whim and personal wealth; justice depends on commitment instead of circumstance.” ~ Bill Moyers Unitarian […]
Today, you will hear a lot about the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was the setting for the most celebrated words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., what has become know as the “I Have a Dream” speech. He was not the only speaker, nor were the speeches intended as […]
I see it all the time online: Someone wanting a little peace, or empathy, or respect is told that they’re asking too much. I’ve read over and over some variation of “grow up”. It gets tiresome reading “The world isn’t fair.” The world isn’t fair; not on a scale that humans can understand. Children who […]
Every day can be a new beginning. Every day, you can choose to be your best self. In fact, that is the only way to be your best; you must choose repeatedly throughout each day. Whether you feel that you got it right yesterday or not, you can choose better each day, or even minute […]
Wearing a t-shirt or drinking from a mug with a flaming chalice on it is a very low-pressure way to invite questions and conversation about liberal religion.
