More than two hundred years ago, the poet William Wordsworth wrote these words: “I could wish my days to be bound each to each by natural piety.” Marjorie explores “natural piety” as the term was used by the poet and describes the connections she has found between this approach to a relationship with the Divine and her … Continue reading Natural Piety: Meeting God in the Garden
Before social media, google searches, LinkedIn, and cell phones, we kept track of friends in paper address books, scratching out the old information and scribbling in the new. And when these friends moved, it could mean the end of that connection. There it would be, stamped on the envelope – “Moved, No Forwarding Address.” How … Continue reading Moved: No Forwarding Address. Where Do Old Friends Go?
In a culture of distractions, possessions, and expertise, how might we cultivate spaciousness and a “beginner mind” amidst all that “fullness?” What spiritual resources can we access during this destabilizing time in our country and world? We turn to the humble cranberry and the Japanese practice of Oryoki (“just enough”) for inspiration on how to … Continue reading Staying Afloat in the Bog – Accessing Spiritual Resources
The hero’s journey has long been a metaphor for a human life. The hero must clamber over obstacles, stare down monsters, and unravel lies to reach a place of wholeness. Not all of us make it. What defines success for the hero? How do we get where the hero needs to go? How do we … Continue reading The Hero’s Journey and Making It Home Again
UUs often talk about earth-centered spirituality, but what would it mean to practice a spirituality rooted in actual earth–the very literal ground of our being? Rev. Dr. Lynn Ungar preaching with Worship Leader Katie N.P. Music from Mary R. and a Time for All Ages from Tara T. AV Tech services from Jon N. Potluck … Continue reading Dirt (Earth-Centered Spirituality)
When we “speak of the devil,” who or what are we speaking of? One of Yahweh’s archangels? A cunning manipulator? The personification of evil? An avatar of depravity who teases out humankind’s basest instincts? Did the devil make you do it? How has the looming image of Satan/the devil influenced religion, society, culture, and our … Continue reading Speak of the Devil
Trystan Reese is a transgender storyteller whose journey of love and resilience has delighted audiences worldwide. He’ll be bringing that story to our congregation, and we are overjoyed to welcome him as he shares his experiences of transgender pregnancy and what it was like to carry that pregnancy publicly in 2017. Trystan is based in … Continue reading How We Do Family: Transgender Possibilities in 2025
One of the most popular UU bumper stickers states “The answer is to question.” We are an inherently curious bunch. For decades, inquisitive researchers have been trying to figure out the science of our human “urge to know,” and to decipher the way in which questioning happens. They’ve discovered that what is unique about human … Continue reading A Curious Bunch – Question Box Service
In 1849, famed Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau wrote his renowned essay on Civil Disobedience. In it he argued, “All men (sic) recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to and to resist the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.” This essay has inspired Gandhi, Martin … Continue reading Marching Towards Walden: Thoreau and Civil Disobedience in 2025
Have you ever noticed that all of the stories in our lives that we re-write tend to have happier endings, sometimes even mythic? What is the allure of imagining do-overs of glory? This morning, we’ll explore how the very modern preoccupation of imagining alternate selves can be fuel for fantasy and escape, but also fodder … Continue reading Sliding Doors and the Lives We Didn’t Live
