Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister How do we make sense of Suffering? The Buddha was right, all of us suffer, although not all life is suffering. Progressive faiths such as ours haven’t done a very good job reconciling suffering with our sunny view of life. As the poet Christian Wiman puts it: “Suffering is … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister Why are humans here on this earth? In the midst of all of our political dysfunction, I have been considering the larger picture of why we are here on this planet at all. Given Earth’s natural tendency to extinguish most forms of life every eon or so, as a … Read more
Rev. Shelly Thompson Hello my dear ones, As we contemplate what it means to be a people of Integrity, I am drawn to one of this month’s Soul Matters spiritual exercises that asks us to “explore the connection between integrity and memory.” Instead of asking us to remember a specific value or life lesson, it … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister One of the questions asked of the ministers in December was the classic “What is the meaning of life?” The question has been caricatured as sophomoric, perhaps even rhetorical. I have heard many answers from James Taylor’s “The meaning of life is to enjoy the passage of time” to … Read more
Rev. Margalie Belizaire Happy New Year, friends – At The Unitarian Church in Westport, we are first and foremost a religious community. We need one another to grow in our spirituality, since religion is best practiced in community. Let’s always be about building deeper relationships with each other, and consequently, a stronger community. In our … Read more
Rev. Dr. Ed Thompson, Minister of Music Several years ago Carl Seaburg collected readings, poems and reflections about this holiday season from countless people. He then edited them and published them in a volume called Celebrating Christmas. It is a rich resource. One of those items is by Edward Erickson and, in part, goes: “We … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister The day has finally arrived. The expectation, the waiting, the exhaustion, the joy of this day is here. I wish you and yours only the very best this Christmas Day. After the pageant is done, after the Christmas Eve candles are extinguished, after the presents are unwrapped, after the … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister Through the Advent Door With every step you take, this blessing rises up to meet you. It has been waiting long ages for you. Look close and you can see the layers of it, how it has been fashioned by those who walked this road before you, how it … Read more
Rev. Jim Francek, Community Minister for Pastoral Care We are in the cycle of the year… when darkness is upon us and taking us into a time of waiting. As we move through this season both metaphorically and psychologically, there are many things about our current life that could depress us or leave us without … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister My favorite time of the Christian calendar is the season of advent, those Sundays in December leading up to Christmas. These four Sundays each represent an aspect of the divine nature in all of us. The first Sunday, December 1, is for hope. Hope that with each child there … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister A few weeks ago our worship service focused on questions asked by the congregation of the ministerial staff. During the services we heard some incredible and thoughtful answers without the advantage of considering the questions in advance. We collected all the questions you asked and compiled them in a … Read more
Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, Senior Minister “… you have got to be on your side. Not against others, but for yourself.” ~ Rick Hanson[1] Be On Your Side. What a mind-blowing thought! At least, that was my reaction to this idea. Yet, what a commonsensical thing it is to be on one’s own side! For … Read more