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
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
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
In the still lingering aftermath of a pandemic, with our country in turmoil, and with the world in such chaos, do we still know how to engage in “wish-craft?” What is the difference between wishes and hopes? Without shutting out what is real around us, how might we recharge the rainbow connection of wishes, wonder, and … Continue reading Wishing Boats and Summertime Wonder
Twenty-five years ago, the UUA revised its outdated About your Sexuality program and created OWL (Our Whole Lives). Over the years, some have called OWL “radical” because it is radically honest about the spectrum of sexuality and the dimensions of healthy relationships. It pioneered a normalized, non-apologetic view of sexuality for learners from childhood to … Continue reading Celebrating OWL and Sacred Sexuality
Among the multitude of Hindu deities, there is a goddess named “Akhilandeshvari” – the “Never Not Broken Goddess.” She is anything but frail, though – she carries a trident and rides on a crocodile! As humans, we are also “never-not-broken,” yet how do you relate to our brokenness? Do we despise it? Embrace it? Feel … Continue reading Patching Chindis: On Brokenness
How does a world in turmoil cope with fear, embrace uncertainty, and grow wings of hope and courage? As one psychologist noted: “A nation that is terrified of uncertainty is in big trouble. We can’t be terrified.” Some say we should “keep busy,” but I tend to agree with Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, who counsels … Continue reading Learning to Fly, Learning to Fall
