This at least seems to me the main problem … How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it? … How can this world give us at once the fascination of a strange town and the comfort and honor of being our own town?                 — G … Continue reading Awe (December 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Attention? Alice Walker famously wrote, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” Walker’s words are a great reminder that attention and gratitude go hand in hand.  Indeed they are a perfect embodiment … Continue reading Attention (November 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Belonging? You hardly knewhow hungry you wereto be gathered in,to receive the welcomethat invited you to enterentirely …Tentative steps became settling in …You began to breathe again …You learned to sing.But the deal with this blessingis that it will not leave you alone,will not let you … Continue reading Belonging (October 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Expectation? We’ve all heard the line: “You get what you expect.” It’s very UU. Liberal religion has always emphasized the tremendous power human beings have to shape their reality. And not just with our actions, but also with our expectations. We know that if you expect … Continue reading Expectation (September 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Beauty? Where do you look for beauty? There is universal agreement that we all must make time to visit museums and sit before stunning sunsets. But seeking beauty there is not enough. Every religion agrees: The secret to encountering spiritual beauty is to visit and observe … Continue reading Beauty (June 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Curiosity? UU minister Victoria Safford speaks of curiosity using the metaphor of perception and sight.  She writes, To see, simply to look and to see, is an ethical act and intentional choice; to see, with open eyes, is a spiritual practice and thus a risk, for … Continue reading Curiosity (May 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Wholeness? Let’s just say that we’re skeptical about rushing in to fix things. We Unitarian Universalists understand the urge to restore what once was.  Nothing is more human.  Who doesn’t want to reverse the damage?  Who doesn’t hold on to the humpty dumpty hope that all … Continue reading Wholeness (April 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Journey? We UUs love to tell our journey stories. And hear each other’s journey stories.  Rather than asking people to recite common beliefs, we invite each other to talk about how our way is like no other.  We’ll have a service doing that on March 24, … Continue reading Journey (March 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Trust? In religious congregations, “trust” and “faith” intertwine.  Faith assures some that life will look after us.  For instance, our Christian friends sing hymns about God “watching over us” and keeping “an eye on the sparrow.”  Our Jewish friends lift up the Exodus story to encourage … Continue reading Trust (February 2019)

What Does It Mean to Be A People of Possibility? Of all our topics this year, possibility is arguably most central to our faith.  It has distinguished Unitarian Universalists from the start.  Historically, when others saw depravity and sin at the core of human identity, we saw potential–sometimes with hardly any boundaries.  When many were … Continue reading Possibility (January 2019)