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. …
Robert Jacoby: It started with a connection, two men in conversation. I should say: for me and John, in deep and wide-ranging conversation. A verse from Proverbs speaks to our interactions: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” And John and I really do sharpen each other in our conversations. This might be…
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.…
We lost another fish at our house last week. We started with a batch of eight neon tetras about two years ago. They seem to be reaching the end of their lifespan. We have six left. At this point, our family has a routine for handling the death of a fish. If we aren’t able…
Has anyone seen the movie, Captain Marvel? You know I did. The nostalgia for the music of the mid-1990’s alone was enough to get me in the door. I don’t want to spoil it for those who are waiting for a quiet evening to watch it at home, so I’ll try to speak in general…
We are all Jonah sometimes. There are moments when we make choices that we know are not guided by truth or love or whatever leads us to act as our best selves. The experience of having insight into moral clarity and wandering in the opposite direction anyway is very common. That’s a human thing. Maybe we have a fish-belly experience to help…
Our administrative office is a place of wonder, discovery, and spiritual growth. Really. The other day, our beloved and highly valued congregational Treasurer, Olivia, was opening the mail. She wondered out loud if anyone wanted to respond to our insurance company about their offer for a free wall calendar that includes safety tips for religious communities and contact information for the insurance…
I tried growing a different variety of cucumbers in my garden this year. The kind I usually grow in containers were all right, but I decided to grow cucumbers in a raised bed this year where they had a little more room. I chose climbing cucumbers. They didn’t seem that different at first. They climbed on the A-frame trellis and spread out…