What do GBLTQ people, Latin@s, and Muslims have in common? All of us are more afraid because of the shootings early Sunday morning in Orlando. The selection of a gay nightclub on Latin Night as a terrorist target wove a complicated web to untangle. A week earlier, the Orlando queer community had celebrated Pride. Suddenly, … Continue reading Orlando: At the Intersection of Oppressions

While it’s true that actions speak louder than words, words matter, too, and at this year’s MidAmerica Regional Assembly, we passed a resolution of Muslim solidarity. As UU’s, we have a lot of theological differences with Muslims. Our practices are very different from theirs. On the other hand, we are the “Standing on the Side … Continue reading Muslim Solidarity

How do you solve a problem like climate change? As individuals, there may not be a lot we can do. Even if a bunch of us got rid of our cars, turned off our electronics, and banished all plastics from our lives, we wouldn’t make a dent in what needs to be done to reverse … Continue reading Seeking Climate Change Solutions

We’ve been hearing a lot about guns lately, as we slide towards the deadline for campus carry. I won’t surprise anyone by naming the problems: the gaping loopholes in gun sale laws; the influence of the NRA that has blocked not only extreme gun control, but mild regulations which even most members of the NRA … Continue reading Campus Carry? Really?

This spring I’ve become aware of prairie burns. I knew they existed before; there were small burns where I lived previously in Wisconsin and Oklahoma. I had chuckled many times at the signs on Oklahoma highway: “Do not drive into smoke.” Never before, though, have I noticed such an intense smell of smoke in the … Continue reading Earth Day 2016

Strategic. Planning. Committee. Three words that people may find it hard to get excited about. Yet they’re very important to our future. We have an outstanding group of people looking at where we’ve been, where we are, and how we need to move to become the best UU Felllowship we can be. Strategic planning requires … Continue reading Strategic. Planning. Committee.

When I lived in Wisconsin, I was told it was bad luck to say farewell to winter, because it could always come back. As I write, the day is beautiful and sunny. By the time you read this, there’s no telling. Could be spring breezes. Could be snowstorms. The Farmers’ Almanac tells me the average … Continue reading SPRING!

I hesitate to join the moaning and groaning over the Presidential campaign. However, the trends concern me deeply. Like Pope Francis, I won’t name names as I critique the tone and content of some of the Presidential candidates’ statements and the news coverage. I wonder what it would be like if the media covered the … Continue reading Campaign Commentary

When UUFM chose to recruit a Developmental Minister rather than go through a regular search process for a minister, the Fellowship committed to change. The particular goals you deve- loped were to become more involved in the community, to accept ministerial leadership, and to grow in membership. It’s one thing to say we want change and … Continue reading Commitment to Change

In our service on January 10, I invited people to consider both who they as individuals serve and also, who we as a congregation serve and who we might serve. The members make up the congregation, and to some extent, the members are who are served. But any institution that serves only its own members is … Continue reading Who Does Our Congregation Serve?