One of my favorite quotations about the spiritual life comes from Benedictine sister Macrina Wiederkehr, who writes ‘There are no experts in prayer, only people who have been faithful to the ache.” Drawing from a variety of writings, I’ll reflect on the way that UUs … read more.
Lately there’s been a lot of talk about life getting “back to normal.” But perhaps we need the courage and imagination to imagine something better than “normal.” We’ve learned and grown and changed during the challenges of the past year. Why not go forward instead … read more.
Life can be full of uncertainies, but it’s going to occur anyway.
Music: Students of Rock to the Future
Sermon
Correction: The quote Rev. Smith uses at 2:40 was written by Emily Hilburn Sell in the Editor’s Preface of Comfortable with Uncertainty.
Story
Unitarian Universalism is, at its root an optimistic faith, affirming the inherent good ness of both human and divine nature. And yet, we gather on this Sunday, (nearly a full year to the day since our last in-person service) still struggling with a global pandemic … read more.
We tend to define ourselves and our lives by all the things we do. (And certainly there is much that needs doing.) But the dark and quiet of winter invite us to an alternative experience. Even as we feel the pull toward action, we can … read more.
As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re expected to feel grateful. Some years that’s easy, but for many of us this year may be harder. Cultivating a sense of gratitude can be approached as a spiritual discipline, and like any discipline, it requires constant effort and practice. … read more.
“Give them not Hell, but hope and courage” is a famous quotation from early Universalist minister John Murray (although it seems likely he never actually said it). So often we assume our success must come at the cost of another’s failure, but true generosity of … read more.
We celebrate the value of work. Work comes in many forms; and many of those forms are undervalued and underpaid. We may also lose our work, which brings it’s own challenges.
Music: Dr. Vincent Craig
Our theologies and our spiritual practices may vary, but at the heart of our religious life is a call to serve others, a call that transcends all our differences and brings us together in a shared expresssion of faith.
On this Memorial Day weekend, we consider the power of remembering, and the hope and strength we continue to draw from those who have gone before us.
Music: Pat Jordan, soprano
