We live in a death-phobic, youth seeking culture. From anti-aging face serums to cryogenics to theologies of eternal life to potential AI technologies that could keep the brain alive indefinitely, humans have chased immortality despite the enduring reality: If you are human, your life is finite. Given this immutable fact (at least in 2024) how might … Continue reading Chasing Immortality: Would You Want to Live Forever?
We have been conditioned, dare I say, brainwashed, to appreciate and cultivate only the well-bred members of the botanical family — the fine roses, the graceful lilies, the amusing black-eyed Susans, the elegant peonies. Weeds such as the kudzu, the clover, the ubiquitous dandelion…well, as Hugh Johnson sneers in his book, The Principles of Gardening, … Continue reading Stubborn Flowers with the Wisdom to Survive
Plus: New Member Welcoming Ceremony The ideal topic for us freethinking UUs is improvisation! How do we get the balance right between practical planning and necessary routines in our lives, while nurturing some creative space for spontaneity? How can practicing improvisation lead to more creative thinking and better communication? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with … Continue reading Yes, And…Improvising A Life
During the COVID pandemic, all across the planet, human beings experienced what some called “The Great Pause.” As we sheltered indoors for the better part of two years, we read reports that skies were clear in Los Angeles, fish more visible in the canals of Venice, and wildlife roaming freely in high-traffic National Parks (and in urbans … Continue reading We Are The Blue Boat Home – A Service for Earth Day
Watch the service HERE. In the hit Netflix series, “Squid Game,” a group of desperate South Koreans risk their lives to pay off their crippling debts. The series reflects a real social problem in their country – too much money too easily borrowed. This week, the taxman cometh to our doors, and Americans find themselves … Continue reading “Squid Game” and the Death Knell of Debt
Watch the service HERE. Is it any wonder that the word “Evangelism,” which means literally “preaching of the good news,” has an uncomfortable ring to many religious liberals? For many reasons, some valid and some stereotypic, we tend to associate evangelism with religious bullying and intolerance, with corruption and hucksterism, with rigid creeds and finger-pointing. In some … Continue reading Evangelism in a Liberal Key
Watch the service HERE. As Easter and Ramadan converge (and with Passover on the horizon), 2024 offers us a valuable opportunity to practice a “free and responsible search for Holy Week.” What is the common thread in the Abrahamic faiths (and in our own tradition) that lifts up universal love and “salvation” in ways that … Continue reading The Paradoxical Commandments – Love Them Anyway
Watch the service HERE. Aside from being one of the summer’s boffo blockbusters, the film “Barbie” has sparked a robust and important conversation far beyond the iconic doll introduced by Mattel in 1959 as an alternative to baby dolls. The eye-popping production design, the memorable musical numbers and the snappy dialogue entertain. Yet, the film … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Barbie
Watch the service HERE. Many of us have been re-gifted a “keeper” item along the way (and yes, sometimes a clunker). Perhaps we’ve scored an actual treasure at a White Elephant or Yankee Holiday swap. Sometimes, good gifts do keep on giving, both the tangible and intangible kinds. As we launch our 2024-25 annual stewardship … Continue reading Good Gifts Keep on Giving – Stewardship Sunday
Watch the service HERE. A Reader’s Theater Service with Rev. Robin and the Worship Leaders. Music from Barbara Stevens. Brushing your teeth, sweeping the kitchen floor, a bedtime story, swimming, bringing in the mail, driving the car, meeting on Zoom (!) – when done mindfully, each of our “run-of-the-mill” daily activities can be small spiritual … Continue reading A Day In the Spiritual Life
