There are a couple of stories from the Talmud about trees. (The Talmud is a central text in Judaism, containing rabbinic conversations on topics such as ethics and customs.) In one story, a sage is walking along the road and sees a man planting a carob tree. The sage asks him, “How long will it…
Not that long ago, we almost had real snow. The weather predictions were noncommittal. We worried about commuters, travelers, and public safety workers. Winter weather can be both beautiful and terrible. Just when I thought the snow was a complete hoax and I set out on a long drive, flurries twirled through the sky. We…
Our January theme of the month is integrity, which is an easier word to say than to practice. It helps to have role models, even if their stories didn’t happen exactly in the way they are told. It seems to me that mythology, fiction, and maybe even history can supply us with examples of values…
Four Reflections Jan 19 2020 service, followed by Homily An Inescapable Network of Mutuality [editor’s note – only audio for the Homily by Rev. Lyn Cox is included due to technical difficulties with recording.] Reflection 1: Charles Alexander, Systemic Racism The concept of race is a fairly new social construct that has evolved and changed…
We release the old year and illuminate our intentions for the new year in this multigenerational ritual of transformation. Bring courage and commitment, bring what you’ve gained from learning experiences, be prepared to leave behind old habits. [Full text not available at time of posting, but the complete audio is posted.]
Are you ready for the world to turn? We have made it this far, through a season that grows colder and wilder, through this time when autumn allergies mix with winter colds, through a time of big headlines and everyday frustrations. And maybe not all of us have made it. We have among us our…
As Delivered December 15, 2019 Rev. Lyn Cox The nativity story in the book of Luke is famous, even for people who were not brought up Christian. We talked about it a little bit last week. Linus recites part of it in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Crèche scenes of all sizes depict the babe in the manger, attended by shepherds. Clearly, this…
We have reached the time of Advent, a period of reflection leading up to Christmas. In our community, we have varying experiences of and attitudes toward the holiday season. For many UU’s, the place of common ground is to acknowledge the hope that comes with each new life. Whether a baby is human or divine, they will turn someone’s world upside down. …
I have been spending the past few days with Unitarian Universalist religious educators. The annual conference of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) is this weekend, and this year’s conference is in Baltimore. My first job after graduating from seminary was as a Minister for Religious Education, and I continue to feel that religious educators…
“Be prepared” is the motto of the Girls Scouts, as well as other scouting movements. When I was in Girl Scouts, we learned preparedness through first aid, camp cooking skills, campfire starting and fire safety, and other practical things. I’d like to think the entrepreneurship we learned also helped us to be ready for anything.…