Category: minister-note

Note from Pastor Isa

Mrs. Berry

When I was 3 we moved from Lindsborg, Kansas, to the NW edge of Chicago. Working farms were within a mile of our house. Mrs. Berry lived across the dirt road and lived on what remained of her small farm. She had chickens, ducks and … read more.

Pluralism

Cut loose, without devotion, a man becomes a comic.
His antics are passed

around the family table and mimicked so well, years
later the family still laughs.

Without devotion, any life becomes a stranger’s story …

Marie Howe, in her poem … read more.

Pluralism

Grateful for the pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and our vision. This sentence found at the beginning of our hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition begins the last paragraph of the covenant Unitarian Universalists agree to promote. … read more.

Comfort with Uncertainty

Reverend Michael Nelson reflects, “Earnestness, this seriousness about everything in our lives … this goal oriented, we’re going to-do-it-attitude, is the world’s greatest killjoy.  There’s no sense of appreciation because we are so solemn about everything … A joyful mind is very open and relaxed. … read more.

HURRY….

Vacation and study leave give me the freedom to hurry less. I can read a book of poetry a couple of times, allowing the rhythm of the words to fully enter so that the images and their meaning have stunning power. “The Kingdom of … read more.

Majesty, Humility and the Election Season

The bones of this redwood reveal themselves slowly. When this giantess fell, she was well over 1,000 years old, probably around 1,400. Who knows how long she has lain on her side, how many fires reduced limbs to ash, how many square … read more.

AT THE HEART OF IT

 

Love calls us into the core of our creativity—into its depth and illumination. Like the stars in the vast distance, love brings its light into the interior of our lives. It challenges our imagination to sense the cosmic dimension in a speck of … read more.

OPEN WINDOW

Has the Mew Year opened its window for you? Have you opened it? Have you spent time with a big tree? Have these first 30 days allowed for moments when everything in you focuses and you fathom the tick-tock of the eternal? … read more.

IT TAKES COURAGE TO FACE THE PAIN OF HUMAN DIFFERENCES

FOSTER GENUINE DIALOGUE

“Dialogue aims not to convert others or to reach agreement on the issues, but rather to promote mutual understanding and build relationships that can prevent escalation into violence. They provide a safe atmosphere in which people can  talk openly and deeply about their … read more.