This Thanksgiving I find myself reflecting on the absence
of perfection. You have heard me preach about the problems of perfection as a
standard, the way it encourages all of us to embrace definitions of the good
that are culturally determined…and leaves us all perpetually unsatisfied with
our performance … read more.

In his concluding statement
during the Democratic Candidates Debate last night, Senator Corey Booker
pointed out Rep. John Lewis sitting in the audience and began with the famous
words of gratitude from Deuteronomy: “We drink from wells we did not dig.”

He began with gratitude and
the recognition that … read more.

Theologian and jazz great,
Duke Ellington, got it right: “Come Sunday, oh, come Sunday, that’s the day.”

We call it Celebration
Sunday, this Sunday, when we try to transform our financial giving to support
First Unitarian into a joyful expression of our gratitude for all the church
means in … read more.

Halloween. All Saints Day.
All Souls. These traditions trace back to the Celtic “New Year” celebration of
Samhain (pronounced sow-in). This transition time between summer and the cold,
dark of winter was associated with human death. It was understood to be a time
when the boundary between the worlds … read more.

Fall is a transitional
season. The brightness of summer has dimmed, but the long dark of winter still lies
ahead. This is a liminal season, a time between when the old reality still
informs our longing even while the new truth holds our hopes.

Liminal. A time between. An
entrance. … read more.

The fall colors not only signal the change of
season but begin to shift our attention toward the coming time of long dark. We
anticipate the loss of light, and other losses are called to mind as well.
Perhaps it is the news of the day that calls … read more.

On this day, when Turkish
troops attack the Kurds, our traditional allies, in Syria, encouraged by a US
President whose business interests and leadership preferences bind him to the
Turkish dictator and “strong men” around the globe…

On this day, when that
same President throws down what may be the … read more.

Courage is our spiritual
theme for October. Most dictionary definitions suggest that courage involves
fearlessness, somehow being able to hold fear at bay.

If you Google “Courage is not
the absence of fear,” the words of several famous individuals pop up:

Courage is not the absence of
fear,

– “but the … read more.

“And the day came when the
risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to
blossom.”

Anais Nin

Rev. Carol Cissel, our guest preacher last Sunday, spoke about the will it takes to visit our church, or any church. She spoke about … read more.