As we grapple with the state-sanctioned violence towards immigrants and citizens in our country, we offer a midweek meditation: the words of Isa Lopez from the Twin Cities. Isa is the 27-year-old child of Mexican immigrants and an indigenous poet, advocate, and organizer who shares that her life and art have been reshaped in the wake of being arrested by Federal agents last year and as she awaits trial in three months. Meditation written and delivered by Isa Lopez. Click to watch Isa share the poem on Instagram. (You don’t need an account to watch it.) Below is the full…

We are a community that takes turns stepping up and pitching in. The holiday events and services here provide great examples. Our facilities staff team and volunteers led by Jason Chapman work hard so our church buildings are festive, bright, and warm. Our hospitality staff team and volunteers led by Jen Thomas show up to create an atmosphere of welcome and good cheer. Our worship staff and volunteers plan rituals, music, and messages to lift all our spirits. Our admin & operations staff and volunteers make sure our communications and tech support all the above. We are blessed by the…

We give thanks for the simple joys that find us in December. They beckon to us like the doors of an advent calendar waiting to be opened. For special days that help us mark the passing of time For old traditions we enjoy and anticipate  For new traditions that feel right For a reason to reach out to friends and family For memories of beloveds who are gone For the gift of people’s time  For love that softens our jagged edges For love that sharpens our call to be just For challenges that lead us to grow For a sense…

Thank you for showing up for our neighbors at the Interfaith Witness at ICE yesterday. There were 175 people present at this kick-off event.  (Check out the photos below.) When I say thank you for showing up, I mean all of you who: Made it to the action on Macadam. We estimate 100 of the attendees were from First Unitarian! Dropped a pebble with your prayers in the bowls in our Narthex on Sunday. We brought all of them with us. Surrounded us with your prayers on that day. Support our congregation with regular contributions. Your financial contributions allow us…

Thanksgiving is a holiday that contains a multitude of stories, which range from a narrative about gratitude to a narrative of mourning to a narrative of migration. This year, one of the backdrops of this day is the migration of people due to climate change, economic hardship, and oppression, as well as the unjust treatment of both longtime and recent black and brown immigrants in our country. This is a season for each of us to connect with our personal stories of migration, to practice hospitality to our neighbors, and to count the cost of ongoing acts of colonialism.Note: Below…

Today is a day when we honor the lives lost due to anti-trans bigotry and violence. This is an important act of awareness every year, but it is especially vital in a year when Christian nationalists have focused abusive rhetoric on trans and non-binary youth and adults. This has led to the loss of at least 58 beloveds in the United States and all the gifts they brought to life in the world.  Given that Christianity is coopted and corrupted to harm gender expansive kin, one thing we can do as a community with Christian roots is to reclaim our…

During our October 26 worship service, when we introduced our Season of Giving effort for this year, we sang The Magic Penny by Unitarian Universalist Malvina Reynolds:  “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more. It's just like a magic penny. Hold it tight and you won't have any. Lend it, spend it and you'll have so many they'll roll all over the floor.” We decided to experiment with that concept by enacting a Reverse Offering. We adjusted that magic penny for inflation and gave each child and youth in the sanctuary a $5 bill.…

Throughout the month of November, we are focused on the stories that are woven through our lives as individuals and as a community of faith. You will hear some of these stories in worship or in coffee hour, and you will read about some of them in our newsletter or on the community timeline in Fuller Hall. As I look over that timeline with a focus on the last 30+ years, there are events and people that stand out.One of the stories that has been interwoven with our lives is that of the Rev. Tom Disrud’s arrival thirty years ago…

On Nov. 2, one week from this coming Sunday, we will have our annual All Souls service. At this service every year we name members of our church community who have died in the last year as well as close family members of congregants. For me, this has come to be one of the most moving services we have every year. It is a tender and precious time.  If you’d like to submit names to be included you’ll find a link to send later in this message.  The church is a community of memory and hope. Honoring the lives of…

Sometimes I get asked the question, “Can you be a Unitarian Universalist on your own?” On one hand, the answer is yes, because ten times the number of people who are members in our churches say that they are UU when polled. On the other hand, given the nature of our faith it’s difficult to do so outside of a community of practice. Being a Unitarian Universalist is exercised through interdependence and not independence.We are a covenantal faith and not a creedal faith. In short, this means we believe in deeds not creeds. Being a Unitarian Universalist is about how…