It is Groundhog Day when I write, which is usually not a day that I pay a lot of attention to. The ritual of watching the groundhog and figuring out whether it sees its shadow has always been a little confusing to me, if I’m honest. But the day had a certain resonance for me this year. As I look out my office window I look out onto a gray day and there is a gentle rain. I have to confess I’m missing the days of sunshine we were so blessed to have recently. The gray has returned. Could I…

I am finding my own relationship with Covid shifting. Perhaps you are, too. The first year or so felt like a time to hunker down and wait for Covid to pass. Fear was what I felt most…and a kind of suspension of time. Then as vaccines became available, my routine and my feelings changed. Checking vaccine status became standard operating procedure. Mask wearing in public spaces the norm. It seemed like we were moving toward the end of the pandemic. We were weary…but relief was what I felt. Plans were in place to re-open the Sanctuary. Then Delta arrived. We…

Sometimes, in group meetings, we have a check-in where we ask each other “What are you carrying with you? Is there anything you are setting aside to be present with us?” Sometimes, I’m ready to be vulnerable, and choose to share quite openly about a few of the things most noticeable in my heart. Sometimes, I share a toned-down, small snippet of it all. It never feels like there’s enough time to go through the whole list. Especially these days. What are you holding right now? On a personal level, I’m juggling many “projects” for work: coordinating co-leaders for a…

This week we are beginning work on the calendar for next church year—from fall of 2022 to summer of 2023. You may or may not know that the planning for the church year happens this far in advance. It begins with drafts about who will be preaching when, about where other major events in the life of the church will fall, about events outside the church that impact the church, like Timbers games and major downtown parades. A lot of planning goes into the life of our large church and that planning will continue through the winter and spring. Working…

I know that most of you are tracking the impact of the new Omicron Variant of the Covid Virus and the dramatically increased rates of infections that now are present even here in Portland. On Tuesday, after meeting with our Public Health Team to review the situation and assess the risks, we decided that First Unitarian will discontinue in-person worship, beginning this Sunday, January 9. The wisdom of the Public Health Team and every analysis I have read indicates that this should be a short hiatus rather than a prolonged period. One Public Health Team member mentioned 2 months. At…

Dear Beloveds, As we approach the end of 2021, and look to a new year, I’m noting the range of emotions in me: relief (that we made it through); some dread and maybe even fear (how many variants will 2022 bring, how much longer will this go on?); and maybe even some hope (will the longer this disruption lasts open up the possibility of some longer-lasting changes?). I certainly hoped we would be ending this year with the pandemic much more in the rear view mirror than it seems to be. I think the realization that this, in some form,…

A few days after Thanksgiving, thinking about Christmas coming up, I decided to buy some paper white bulbs, hoping that I could get them to bloom. I found a container that was the right size and found some pebbles to anchor the six bulbs. I carefully nestled them into the pebbles and filled it with water just up to the base of the bulbs. Within a few days one of the bulbs immediately showed signs of growth—and it has grown every day since. And other five bulbs? No growth whatsoever. Somebody advised me to try adding a little alcohol to…

"the entryway to our community house, littered with shoes and jackets, a place of welcome." This weekend, I have been given a taste of spiritual renewal. I have been reminded of the power of human connection as we work to build a better world. I want to offer you some of the vignettes that I am sitting with this morning. On Saturday and Sunday, I attended Compass 2021, a conference hosted by the UUA. I didn’t know much of what I was getting myself into before the fact, except for this description: “With so much uncertainty in the wider world,…

Rev. Bill Sinkford spoke at an Interfaith Gathering for Abortion Justice in support of Planned Parenthood Oregon on December 1 at Temple Beth Israel. His talk was on the morning the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the Mississippi Abortion Law case. He was one of a number of faith leaders who spoke. At this time when women’s reproductive rights are under threat, the voices of faith leaders is especially important. https://vimeo.com/653087476/105159e539

I'm skeptical of "devotion". Don't get me wrong, I'm deeply in love with the concept of it, but I have not been sure it's real. In the name of devotion, I've seen conservatives cling more closely to personal gain than to integrity. I've seen liberals cling more closely to aspirations than to justice. I've seen radical leftist progressives cling more closely to ideas than to people. I’ve seen institutions cling more closely to budgets than to livelihoods. And, somehow, all of them would say they are deeply devoted to God or Love (which are the same thing). I like what…