While hymns might not be strictly necessary for our survival, a beloved hymn can offer grace in times of sorrow, courage in times of fear, and joy in times of celebration. As we say goodbye to the tumultuous year of 2018, we will sing some of the hymns that bring us hope, courage, and joy.
The notion of the rugged individuals who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, all on their own, deserving personal credit for all they have accomplished is embedded in the narrative of our US culture. And it is as wrong as it is unhelpful. Whether we call it grace or simply acknowledge that most of … Continue reading Opening to Grace
Our Universalist roots suggest that we cannot really fall from grace, or be pushed from grace. The universal love extended to us by God or the Universe is always around us, ready to embrace us at all times, even when it doesn’t always feel that way. Hell, in the Universalist understanding, is when we close … Continue reading Falling from Grace
We don’t talk about grace in UU theology very often or easily. What is the traditional understanding of grace? What are we missing when we disregard grace as a concept? What could grace mean to us? How do we relate to the experience of grace even as atheists or agnostics? Our first Sunday drop-in covenant … Continue reading The Meaning of Grace
