In 1992 former Senator Edward Kennedy and Coretta Scott King both wrote letters opposing the nomination of Jeff Sessions to the federal bench. This Tuesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren was allowed to read Kennedy’s letter of opposition as she argued against the nomination of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General of the United States, but was silenced and banished from the Senate floor for attempting to read the letter from Mrs. King. It was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who demanded she be silenced. Below is the letter I sent to Senator McConnell yesterday: February 8, 2017 Senator Mitchell McConnell United States…

The winter holidays are a special season at First Unitarian. We celebrate both the value of the long dark of winter and the return of the light as the earth begins its turn toward spring. Join us for a special Music & Worship service this Sunday, Dec. 11, centering on motherhood, for our traditional Solstice Service on Dec. 21, and, of course, for one of our three services on Christmas Eve. Our Christmas Pageant, in its 92nd year, will be the center-piece of the 4 PM Christmas Eve family service. Here is our webpage to the complete listing of services…

The liturgical season of Advent began last Sunday. It is a time of anticipation, of waiting for the birth of a child that the Christian traditions know as a savior. It is also a time of preparation of hearts and minds to receive the Good News of the birth of that savior child. Unitarian Universalists long ago moved beyond those literal meanings of the Christmas holiday. Our Unitarian faith began with a rejection of the miracles claimed for Jesus, including the virgin birth. Our tradition came, eventually, to speak of the “spark of divinity” within each of us. We have…

Dear friends, I am writing on Tuesday in this Thanksgiving week. We have just sent out an e-notice of the cancellation of the mayor’s March for Hope. It was a shock to my system to see that cancellation. It felt almost like a decision to walk away from hope. The mayor describes the decision as being based on safety concerns and safety is certainly important. But it felt like a huge loss or perhaps a real commentary on the state of the world. We most certainly are in need of hope, but the divisions among and between us are very…

“This is the day we have been given. Let us rejoice in even this day…” When I offered the benediction last Sunday I changed my usual words to acknowledge the simple truth that it is probably harder for most of us to get to gratitude this year than normal. Harder for us to get to gratitude but more necessary for us to get to church. Our attendance last Sunday was at an all time high. Thirty new children and youth joined our Learning Community classes. More than 50 visitors took the time to fill out our visitor questionnaire. But for…

What now? The results of Tuesday’s election surprised all the progressive pundits and liberal pollsters. Not all of us, but most of us were stunned, unprepared and fearful about what may be in store. How could so many of us been so wrong? I was prepared to celebrate the first female US President and move into faithful but critical support of a new administration that would need pushing toward the progressive. I was not ready for “this.” Some of us gathered for Vespers in Eliot Chapel Tuesday evening. We were reminded of difficult times in our national past that we…

We are busy preparing the church for Celebration Sunday. The images of the steeple of Eliot Chapel on which we wrote about the importance of First Unitarian in our lives are being hung in the sanctuary. The choirs are ready to lift our spirits. Tables in Fuller Hall will be ready to receive the goodies for our brunch, and the baskets will be ready to receive our pledges. It is a time of real change at the church and the stress of change can obscure the value and importance of what we find in this community. The conclusion of our…

Last Sunday, we celebrated Kate Lore’s ministry and released Kate from her ministerial call at First Unitarian. The service was powerful as Kate offered her “heartfelt farewell” and we remembered some of the high points of our justice ministry. Kate leaves a social justice program that is large and vibrant, a model to which many UU congregations aspire. Many people have asked about the plans to support our justice ministry into the future. I understand the question and the concern. Social Justice and prophetic witness are central to our identity and our mission as a liberal religious community. How will…

I am writing from Washington, DC where I am taking part in a board meeting of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC). It is good to be part of this national religious effort to support reproductive health, choice and justice. It is a blessing for me to be a male ally in this way. My sermon, last Sunday, wrestled with questions of how we navigate these divisive times. I described the current assault on women’s lives, so flagrant in our politics, as not only a moral but also a public health crisis that must be stopped. I am confident…

The campers who were making our block their home have moved on. To be more specific, they were “moved on.” The city finally began enforcing the ordinance that prevents camping within 1000 feet of any school. There are many schools in our immediate vicinity, including our long time tenant, North West Academy. We worked hard to be good neighbors to the campers and my own reaction to their leaving is mixed. Thankfulness at not having to navigate their belongings on the sidewalk. Relief that the many individuals who use our facility (congregants, students and community groups), will not have to…