Staying in relationship helps us to move forward, stay accountable, and find joy as we travel through a universe in motion.
Who knows, perhaps we have been placed here by the universe for such a time as this. Perhaps the Spirit of Life has encouraged us, guided us, and sustained us for this very season; this season when all of the courage, friendship, and moral discernment we can muster are brought to bear in our march…
Our lives travel over ups and downs. Sometimes we notice when our paths join with others or when they diverge, sometimes we don’t. The landscape shifts as we learn new skills, live through challenges, the world changes and we change; we don’t always notice when we’ve moved into new territory. Sometimes, though, we come to…
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…
What do we own? What is yours? What is mine? What is ours? What do we pay attention to? Perhaps there is a new way to look at the answers to those questions and in the process look at the world through a different set of lenses. [We do not have the text, but the…
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.]
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins is my favorite Hanukkah story. I have loved the story since it was first published when I was six years old. It tells the great story of folk hero Hershel of Ostropol, and how he is able to outwit evil goblins who are terrorizing a village of Jews. The Goblins won’t let the Jews celebrate Hanukkah,…