Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister When I was growing up in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Croton, NY, I spent many restless hours in our “Sunday School” as we called it back then. I can remember learning about bible stories, famous Unitarian Universalists, and the holidays of other world religions. I never really learned … Read more
I woke up to find the flakes falling again this morning, this time fresh snow upon layers already fallen. When it snowed here in November, my heart was too heavy to carry me outside. I remembered a childhood of snow in Pennsylvania, saw three winters in Boston with none, then I lived in Montreal for seven … Read more
This last snowstorm was frightening and beautiful. I loved watching the snow twirl and dance with the wind, leaving snowdrifts and a blanket over everything. But I was also wary of Nature’s might: I prayed for the creatures human and otherwise that were trying to shelter from the storm. I thought of all those good … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister There is so much that needs to be fixed right now, even with a hopeful new administration in Washington. The pandemic is still raging, vaccines seem to be slow to arrive, the economic impact of the virus has been devastating, racial injustice continues to live in our country, and … Read more
Rev. Dr. Ed Thompson, Minister of Music In our much-loved hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition, I couldn’t help but notice that the tune for #211, “We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder,” is the same for #212, “We Are Dancing Sarah’s Circle.” Mistake? Not at all. Here we have the concept of the masculine and feminine having … Read more
It seems amazing to me that it has been less than a week since the attack on the Capitol. Less than a week for us to see the raw ugliness that comes from spewing lies and hatred over years, perhaps even decades. Less than a week for many of us to come to grips with … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister While January 1 is just a date on a calendar, it represents an opportunity for us to take notice of where we are and where we hope to go. Like many of you, I have tried and failed at resolutions over the years. I have achieved several, the most … Read more
Kim Warman, Intern Minister My Christmas cactus bloomed between Thanksgiving and Solstice this year, at the end of a long fall semester, weighted down by pandemic and paper writing. Each summer, I take Amtrak overnight from Chicago to New York state, and spend time with the childhood friend who introduced me to Unitarian Universalism. She … Read more
I offer this little verse from a friend of mine shared widely on the internet. Enjoy! T’was a month before Christmas, and all through the town, People wore masks, that covered their frown. The frown had begun way back in the Spring, When a global pandemic changed everything. They called it corona, but unlike the … Read more
Just today I had the privilege of leading a class for the Interfaith Seminar hosted by our friends over at Temple Israel. We had several dozen people in the ZOOM room from many faith traditions. The topic assigned to me was “Maintaining Faith in Difficult Times.” I began my comments by telling the people there … Read more
This coming Sunday, December 6th is the second Sunday of Advent. In the Christian calendar, Advent are the four Sundays preceding Christmas, which are rich in expectation and hope in the birth of Jesus. As the nights lengthen we would do well to embrace the symbols and rituals of gathering light that harken a new … Read more
The more that we humans increase our awareness, the more that we need to make adjustments in the way we live and interact. At this time, I am thinking about Thanksgiving. The picture of the so-called first Thanksgiving, I am now aware, was a small pixel taken out of a very large picture. I don’t … Read more