My memory is a little messed up. In 2007-early 2008, I had severe back problems and was on pretty heavy pain meds for about 18 months. Within that year, I had three surgical procedures, each one requiring general anesthesia. As I came out of that time period feeling much better and reemerging into the world, …
When I submitted the week’s topic last month, Covenant seemed like a good, fairly neutral way to explore our faith and our relationship to one another. It seemed like a good discussion to have as we embark on the new church year. And then last week, the bad news started pouring in. Another in a …
I don’t understand it. I am an extrovert and love to process ideas, emotions, and experiences with people. I hold strong opinions about equality, justice, compassion, and ethics. I am willing to be in a crowd of people rallying for causes, to sign a petition, to write letters, to even blog a bit about things …
Unitarian Universalists are great spin doctors. What I mean is that Unitarian Universalists are very good at redeeming holidays and holy days. On Christmas, religious educator Sophia Lyon Fahs reminds us that “each night a child is born is a holy night.” Easter becomes not just a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but of the resurrection …
Below is the video and script for my thesis project, a 30-minutes chapel service called Nameless, held Monday, March 3, 2014. Juliana Bateman– Samson’s wife (Judges 14) Natalie Renee Perkins – Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11:34-40) Ranwa Hammamy – Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:1-10) Ashley Birt – Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:15-26) Jessica Christy – Job’s wife (Job 2:1-10) Shamika Goddard – the …
About twelve years ago, I spent a long January weekend on Topsail Island, North Carolina, at a spiritual retreat. Twelve relative strangers came together in a large beach house to listen, pray, meditate, share, and explore our connections to the Divine. One of our leaders, Donald Engstrom, was a big bear of a guy with …
I would like to tell you a couple of stories. The first involves an artist; she became the director of a non-profit arts organization that uses primarily volunteers in a small, tight-knit community. As part of her contract, she was given two years to complete a list of goals that included viability of the organization, …
REMEMBER me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned: Only remember me; you understand …
Moments after two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday, my Twitter and Facebook feeds were filled with prayers and information (and, sadly, misinformation). But a few moments after that, my feed began to fill up with the comforting words and image of Fred Rogers – in particular, this one: …
The following remarks were delivered at the Time of Remembrance and Renewal at the Round Lake Auditorium on the evening of September 11, 2011. We gather here today, in our community, among friends and neighbors, to mark perhaps the most momentous event in our collective memory. We gather to remember those who lost their lives, to …
A conversation on Twitter just reminded me of the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul”… and I remembered that I rewrote the lyrics a couple of years ago. We had held a “check your theology at the door” hymn sing at the church, and we had a blast singing “Just As I Am” and …
A few days ago, my minister asked me how I was feeling about the accident. I don’t think about it every day, but it does cross my mind when I drive to the church, since I take a route that avoids that intersection where a homeless man (a Desert Storm vet and an alcoholic) ran …
It may surprise you to know that not that long ago, I was not beautiful. Not like I am now. Well, not to myself, anyway. But something happened a little over a year ago that made me beautiful… someone noticed. And…he keeps noticing. And I continue to grow more beautiful. Now let me go back …
A few weeks ago, the lovely and delightful Alie , one of our congregation’s youth who had just graduated from high school, asked me to sing Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game” at her service. She was to talk about growing up in our congregation and heading out to the next phase of her life. Alie …