Love comes with responsibilities. It doesn’t matter which kind of Love it is: romantic love, sibling love, friendship, love for the stranger, etc. The biblical mandate to “love your neighbor as yourself” is frequently held up in Jewish sources as “the great principle of the Torah.” and Jesus said that to love Gold and to … Continue reading “Love’s Charge,” by Tinka Friend
Love is like a box of chocolates. Both can involve some choice and some risk. Love and chocolate can bring you joy but can also be kind of messy. We all have different tastes and different desires. We all have different expectations and different needs. There are many varieties of love, just as there are … Continue reading “Chocolate Communion Ritual,” by Rev. Sarah Movius Schurr
Transmogrification is the act or process of being transformed from one form to another, of stepping outside of the proverbial box. UU’s often ask “What” our principles mean, or “How” we affirm and promote them. But sometimes it is necessary to ask ourselves “Why” they are important for us to affirm and promote them. When … Continue reading “Transmogrified,” by Rev. Kimberley Debus
Imbolc, usually observed on February 1 or 2, is the second festival in the Wheel of the Year. It has its roots in the Celtic world and is heavily associated with the goddess Brigid, an ancient Celtic goddess of home, agriculture, spring, dawn, and fertility. Imbolc encompasses connections to land, community, and the self. Imbolc … Continue reading “Imbolc: A Celebration of Returning Light,” by Kasey Davis
Last week, we celebrated America’s most iconic black leftist, Martin Luther King Jr. Most people now don’t think of this Southern Baptist preacher as being particularly liberal, much less a leftist, and don’t know about the radical social philosophies that inspired him.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. He was an American Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.As we remember Dr. King today, let’s ask ourselves what we want to be remembered for, … Continue reading “Inauguration of a New Day,” by Rev. Dr. Brent Smith
Lauren’s presentation will be part song, part dramatic reading, and part sermon, based around the story of “Aunt Rachel” by Mark Twain, as printed by The Atlantic Monthly in November of 1874. Lauren first heard this story in Ken Burns’ documentary about Twain on PBS. The subject is about the one of the tragedies that … Continue reading “Aunt Rachel’s Story: A True Story, Repeated Word for Word to Mark Twain,” by Lauren Young
Most UU’s generally know the 7 Principles of our faith “by heart”. What does knowing them “by heart” entail? We may know them by rote memory; some of us might even know how to recite them word for word. It is much more challenging to take these principles “to heart” and actively seek opportunities to … Continue reading “Learning the Principles by Heart,” by Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx
Being a Unitarian Universalist means taking personal responsibility for your own religious life. Unitarian Universalism does not give you freedom from religion; it gives you freedom for religion. Here is the great paradox of our faith.
