Halloween. All Saints Day. All Souls. These traditions trace back to the Celtic “New Year” celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). This transition time between summer and the cold, dark of winter was associated with human death. It was understood to be a time when the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead became porous, a time when the spirits of the dead returned to earth. Our spiritual theme for November is Death, one of the most important and resonant themes in religious life. We Unitarian Universalists refrain from claiming any collective certainty about what happens to us when…

Fall is a transitional season. The brightness of summer has dimmed, but the long dark of winter still lies ahead. This is a liminal season, a time between when the old reality still informs our longing even while the new truth holds our hopes. Liminal. A time between. An entrance. A threshold. A space in which both old and new are present, the boundary between them thins. “…the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” T.S. Eliot, cousin of our founding minister, knew the power of liminal…

The fall colors not only signal the change of season but begin to shift our attention toward the coming time of long dark. We anticipate the loss of light, and other losses are called to mind as well. Perhaps it is the news of the day that calls me into such a reflective and prayerful space. The death of Congressman Elijah Cummings last night has me grieving, though I never met him. The tributes are flooding in: “He was a good man...” That is how so many of the tributes begin. A good man who reached across the aisle in…

On this day, when Turkish troops attack the Kurds, our traditional allies, in Syria, encouraged by a US President whose business interests and leadership preferences bind him to the Turkish dictator and “strong men” around the globe… On this day, when that same President throws down what may be the final gauntlet and refuses all cooperation with the process of impeachment, called for in the Constitution he swore to defend… On this day, when immigration and asylum quotas are being slashed to make America white again and anything with our former Black President’s name associated with it is reversed or…

Courage is our spiritual theme for October. Most dictionary definitions suggest that courage involves fearlessness, somehow being able to hold fear at bay. If you Google “Courage is not the absence of fear,” the words of several famous individuals pop up: Courage is not the absence of fear, - “but the triumph over it.”  Nelson Mandela - “but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” Franklin Roosevelt. - “but acting in spite of it.” Mark Twain. Let me add one more of my own: Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to journey…

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin Rev. Carol Cissel, our guest preacher last Sunday, spoke about the will it takes to visit our church, or any church. She spoke about getting up, getting dressed, checking the website, driving if we drive, parking, walking in…on time. “It is not an accident that our visitors are here.” Not an accident at all. There is all the effort required to get here on a Sunday morning, but beyond the effort, there is the uncertainty…

The theme of Radical Hospitality/Welcome this month has been an opportunity for truth telling about work we need to do. Our guest preacher this Sunday, Rev. Carol Cissel, will bring her own message about welcome to add to our resources as we engage this issue. Neither the Unitarian nor the Universalist sides of our tradition provide great theological depth in this area, historically. Universal salvation (our Universalists heritage) was rarely translated into a radical welcome of difference in this world. It was the dramatic decline in Universalist membership during the early 20th century that impelled them to consolidate with the…

Homecoming Sunday was, in so many ways, a good beginning to this church year: The welcoming smiles of folks as they entered the building. The energy was so positive in the sanctuary and the congregation in such good voice as we sang together. The beautiful sound of one of the newly re-organized choirs and our talented music staff filled the space. I love the blessing of the teachers and the children in our Learning Community as the church year begins. It was a good beginning, but not perfect. We had hoped to create a truly multi-generational worship experience, with all…

“We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-envisioned and half-remembered, we only catch glimpses of from time to time.”           -Starhawk Homecoming. Coming Home. The language is powerful. It suggests that each of us, as unique individuals, has a place within the community we create together. Together, we create a collective religious home in which each of us is welcomed. This Sunday we will return to our two service schedule. We will dedicate the volunteer teachers in our religious education program and dedicate ourselves to the children of this community.…

Hi everyone!  As you may know, my time here is coming to a close, and this Sunday will be my last time preaching as your Summer Minister. I want to say thank you to you all!! It has been a formative, challenging, and delightful experience for me to be your Intern and Summer Minister this year, and I appreciate the whole-heartedness that you have brought to our experiences together. First Unitarian will always hold a special place in my heart, not only as the congregation where I served in my internship, but the congregation which made me a minister through…