Feeling stuck and in a rut?  In a relationship?  At work?  At home?  In retirement?  Relating to yourself?  Feeling stuck in the societal rut of polarization and all its manifestations?  Imagination to the rescue, along with some courage.  Or in the words of G.K. Chesterton: “Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell … Continue reading Imagination to the Rescue

Online Only “Be still and God is with you. Be still, and you are never alone.” says Donald L. Hicks.  Whether we perceive God as a creator who pays us special attention or whether we relate to ‘god’ or “the divine” as shorthand for some other, hard-to-express truth, the insight remains the same:  There is … Continue reading Meeting the Mystery in Stillness

The silence of solitude is welcome and needed.  The silence of loneliness feels quite different.  It is a source of pain and distress, common even before the pandemic and ubiquitous now.  Like hunger and thirst, loneliness is a sensation that is telling us something essential is missing – our sense of feeling connected in a … Continue reading The Sound of Loneliness

December carries a tension.  How do we balance the cultural call to be festive, jovial, and active with our evolutionary need to slow down and make time for renewal?  The choir will invite us to “find a stillness, hold a stillness, [and] let the stillness carry [us].”  May we all be so lucky – or … Continue reading Making Space for Stillness

Online Only Community can be an essential factor in our healing journeys. Come listen to voices from within our congregation about how our church or other communities have been a healing presence in their lives.  If you have a story to share, please let Michael know.

Online Only The souls of most nations carry historical wounds.  Different countries have taken different approaches to healing those wounds.  What can we learn from Germany, South Africa, Rwanda and others as we confront the historical wounds that continue to fester within U.S. culture?  How can we move towards healing the long-term impact of the … Continue reading Historical Wounds

Online Only Regardless of the outcome, our national election will leave us with raw emotions, unresolved hurts, and an unsettled future.  Come be in community so we can hold each other, explore options for healing, and allow space to wonder:  What Now?  Our community plate will be a special event – a UU match within … Continue reading What Now

Online Only It takes courage to acknowledge what needs healing.  It takes courage to see healing as a choice.  Healing involves facing our own woundedness.  It means becoming aware of how we can move up the scale of emotions from feelings like shame, guilt, fear and anger through courage, willingness and acceptance toward love, joy … Continue reading The Courage to Heal

Online Only Sometimes pivotal moments in history sneak up on us.  A tsunami, a nuclear accident, a terrorist attack.  Other times pivotal moments are predictable and shapeable.  The imminent election of our next president is such a pivotal moment and we must accept our civic and moral duty to help shape the direction of this … Continue reading Listening to this Moment in History

Deep listening means letting go – of the urge to judge, of the impulse to fix, of the desire to control outcomes and situations.  Deep listening has us surrender to the present moment.  It means we risk being changed by drawing close to someone’s story – especially when listening across divides.  “The most critical part … Continue reading Listening as an Act of Surrender