Too often, in recent days, I have found myself yearning for a return to “compassionate conservatism.” Each new day brings another revelation that our national leadership is motivated primarily by self interest; and our lofty national ideals, however poorly realized, no longer even figure in … read more.
There are some things that need to be clearly condemned. Israel’s shooting of more than 1350 Palestinians on Tuesday and injuring of hundreds more was an outrage. I can imagine no moral universe in which American-armed professional soldiers firing thousands of rounds into protestors hurling … read more.
The news of the day includes both the release of three hostages by North Korea and Israeli air strikes on Syrian facilities and infrastructure. How do we hold both movement toward peace and toward deepening war?
I am aware that, in my own spirit, escalating war … read more.
As a minister, a religious leader, I have been struggling to understand the response of people of faith to our national politics. Celebration of the National Day of Prayer at the White House this morning featured the predictable conflation of American national pride and God’s … read more.
I believe this is the first “movie review” that I have offered in this blog. It is not that I do not watch movies. Nor is it that I think there is not often material worthy of theological reflection in films. I normally … read more.
Welcome, Dana!
I am delighted to announce that Dana Buhl has agreed to accept the position as our permanent Social Justice Director!
When the final results of this year’s Annual Fund Drive were clear at the end of January, we were able to shape a permanent position … read more.
Yesterday (April 4) was the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day was marked by a march and rally where members of First Unitarian joined the leaders of the Albina Ministerial Alliance, the NAACP, Ecumenical Ministries in remembering Dr. King’s … read more.
With the coming of spring, I somehow cannot resist seeing signs of hope. Last Saturday hundreds of First Unitarian folks joined the March for Our Lives, calling for a ban on assault weapons and other sane and sensible measures to reduce gun violence. By the … read more.
We awoke on Tuesday to news of another school shooting, this time in Maryland. “Only” three children were critically wounded…this time.
At First Unitarian, there seems to be near unanimous agreement that sensible gun safety measures are desperately needed and long overdue. Consensus around that seems … read more.
What are you giving up for Lent? I remember that question from my youth. Although my family did not recognize this liturgical season, many of my childhood friends did. Spinach was a favorite response, as I remember it.
Praying, Fasting, and Giving Alms are the three … read more.
