As we mark George Washington’s Birthday, Ramadan, Lunar New Year, and the beginning of Lent, we will consider the role confession has in seeking forgiveness through the myth of young George fessing up to chopping down his father’s cherry tree.

The Rev. Duane H. Fickeisen is a retired UU minister and has been a member of First Unitarian Portland since 2011. And yes, he can bake a passable cherry pie to celebrate Washington’s Birthday. He will confess to using store-bought crust.