Spirit Week is an invitation to make intentional space for reflection on what matters most, on what brings us alive, on the energy that animates us and connects us to the universe in all its mystery. Spirit Week encourages us to “take a breath” as we go about our personal and congregational routines, adding a … Continue reading Spirit Week: The Why and What
“Deeply Listening Within” was the theme for our service on Oct 13th – the one where I had us pay attention to the sensations in our big toes… It was motivated by my quest to have my reactions be more constructive, more intentional, more in line with my aspirations and values, and the impact I … Continue reading From Big Toes to Response Filters
Our ministry and pastoral care team tries to be as systematic and reliable as possible about acknowledging grief in our congregation. No one should feel they have to go through their grieving unsupported and on their own. It truly breaks my heart whenever I learn that I have dropped the ball and have failed to … Continue reading Grieving Together: A Wheel for ‘Holding Our Grief’
This play on the Rumi lyrics to hymn #188 (Come, Come Whoever You Are) is not only the theme for our auction (Sunday, June 11 @ noon), but also the core of my invitation, my appeal, my plea to you all. I love that we have enabled all our spaces for remote access. That was, … Continue reading Come, Come, Wherever You’ve Been
It’s that time of year when I shamelessly and bluntly ask for your support and generosity. Technology allowed us to do a lot of cool (and mission critical) things this year. Thanks for all the kind and encouraging feedback. It has made all the extra effort worthwhile. We now have a digital campus with the … Continue reading We Built a Digital Campus. Now What?
When she died in November of 2010, Harriette Anderson had been a member of our church for 82 years! She officially joined in 1928 at age 17 and was a fountain of stories and church history. She loved to recall how the whole city of Concord closed up for the Unitarian May Day party and … Continue reading Hobos in the Church
As Lucy Hone put it in her 2019 TEDTalk: “Resilient people get that ‘sh*t’ happens.” She had been studying resilience for over a decade, was familiar with the research, yet found it woefully inadequate when forced to find her own resilience in the aftermath of a car accident that killed her 12-year-old daughter. During the … Continue reading Cultivating Resilience
I love The Energy Gang. Though motivated by the perils of climate change, it is the podcast that most consistently leaves me hopeful and upbeat about the future. This digest on energy, cleantech and the environment tackles topics as diverse as climate-focused venture capital, the clash of gas bans in buildings, and stopping the “money … Continue reading The Future is Electric
We had been walking for about two hours, leaving the town of Dilijan behind, heading into the surrounding woods, when we saw the ancient stones marking the entrance. We were standing before the Matosavank monastery, built in 1247. “Let’s go inside,” I nudged Daniel, my son, who had brought me to this place. It was … Continue reading Our Sacred Space
Transcript: Just to be upfront. In these musings I am asking for your support. Imagine the pandemic 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago. With the church building closed and little technology around to keep us connected, I suspect our sense of community and the role of church in our lives … Continue reading Coming to Church in PJs
