Once upon a time, when Unitarian congregations in America were coming to terms with a post-Civil War society, when they were both overwhelmed by the social impact of industrialization and intrigued the modern conveniences made possible by it, there arose a new way of describing their faith. It was nicknamed the Unitarian covenant, and was drawn from a sermon by James Freeman…
Changing Course “But can I not remain the same stream that I am today?” I can relate. When faced with a bend in the path of my life, or a challenge that requires new skills or a new way of thinking, or a time that calls me to let go of who I thought I was, I wonder: Why can I not…
Perhaps more than anything else, we Unitarian Universalists take pride in our history of working for social justice. While we’ve made our share of stumbles, UU’s have been, and continue to be, on the front lines of some of the most important social justice issues in our nation’s history. From the struggle against slavery and for marriage equality, to current campaigns for…
I. Introduction: The Challenge “The heart knoweth”, says Emerson. “The whole human family is bathed with the element of love like a fine ether.” Joys and sorrows, injustices and reconciliations, all together form this world, “in which our senses converse.” It surprises me that I am inclined to agree, given that I was almost destined to be a cynic. I was born…
Service at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church It is good to be together. Gazing out at people from different Unitarian Universalist congregations, maybe two congregations, maybe some UU’s from other congregations who snuck in here to see what this Friendship Day thing was all about … embracing this atmosphere of meeting and collaboration, one might wonder, “How did this happen?” Back in…
It is a privilege and a blessing to be among you after a short time away. Since the last time I preached here, I’ve been to our annual Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly, taken a week or so of vacation, and had a few weeks out of the pulpit while I focused on some other aspects of ministry here. Life keeps happening…
Forty years ago, I was working in a textiles department and estranged from the church of my birth. My journeys from textiles to American Studies and from lapsed Lutheran to UU are surprisingly connected. In retrospect, I can see that my professional life, especially my work in the history and meaning of gendered clothing, has…
A few weeks ago I attended the “Poor People’s Moral Action Congress,” a mobilization of the Poor People’s Campaign, which met for 3 days at local university in DC. I’ll begin my sermon by giving you some facts and impressions about the Congress. Then I’ll shift gears to talk about why I went and what…
As a leader of the Coming of Age program for many years, I (Catherine Buckler) asked teenagers to write a “credo statement” about their beliefs. It’s a daunting task which, hypocritically, I’ve never made myself do. Until now! As I approached this challenge, the universe (or was it the COA curriculum?) sent me questions to guide my writing: What makes me a…