I write this month’s column from our General Assembly in New Orleans. We are listening to a diverse panel of people — various ages and racial identities — who all serve on the UUA Board, using their personal stories and experience to explore where we are as an association of congregations at this point in … Continue reading Report from General Assembly

One of the core questions of religion is why bad things happen, especially to good people. We seem to have more and more opportunities to ask that question. Vans and trucks plowing into people on sidewalks. The shooting of political representatives at a baseball game. A fire in London. The on-going war in Syria. Police … Continue reading The Tragedy of the World We Live In

Black Lives Matter activists continue to direct our attention towards black people, especially teenagers and young men, being shot by police. The latest story of the acquittal of former Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby for her shooting of Terence Crutcher reinforces the sense that justice will not be done in such cases. By the time … Continue reading Beyond Black Lives Matter

I have received an amazing amount of positive feedback from the community as well as the fellowship about this letter, published in May 8 Manhattan Mercury, so I am copying the letter here: The noose found on campus Friday (May 5) disturbs and upsets me, as a Unitarian Universalist minister and as a person. More importantly, … Continue reading Letter to the Mercury

Twentieth century American naturalist Edwin Way Teale expressed a sentiment many would agree with: “The world’s favorite season is the spring./ All things seem possible in May.” Spring brings us many signs of hope and celebration – graduations, recitals, flowers, baseball, picnics. We’re in the thick of that season. For thousands of years, May 1 has … Continue reading Celebrating May Day

Here at the intersection of risk (March’s theme) and transformation (April’s theme), I pause to observe our context. Our fellowship has committed itself to being a visible beacon of liberal religious messages of hope and meaning in our local community. That means taking risks to create transformation. The first requirement when we speak about transformation … Continue reading Growth and Change

No doubt about it, we’re in challenging times. Many people feel that everything changed with the national election last fall. That racial baiting and violence against people of color (whether immigrant or citizen, across the spectrum of religion) became more tolerable. That freedom of the press and speech are under siege. That Christianity has become … Continue reading A Pastoral Message for Challenging Times

This is a congregation of risk. Pursuing developmental ministry a couple years ago was a risk, a well-calculated thoroughly planned risk, but a risk nonetheless. Each time someone speaks from our pulpit revealing something of themselves, they take a risk, make themselves a little bit vulnerable. Each time someone joins a protest or writes a … Continue reading A Community of Risk

Who are you? The simple answer is to respond with a name. Even that has complications – first name or last? Nickname? That name was probably given to you before you had any idea who you were, so how can it really represent your identity? Your name may have changed during your life. You may … Continue reading Who Are You?

On this Inauguration Day, my hope is in the principles laid down in our founding documents – the will of the majority, checked and balanced by the rights of the minority; the freedom to express our thoughts and feelings and to pursue our dreams; the equality of all people – wherever they come from, whomever … Continue reading On This Inauguration Day