News (Page 93)
Bold and Wise: The Next Generation
When I told my 5-year-old daughter that the majority of people on earth practice some form of religion, tears welled up in her eyes. It didn’t make sense to her; she couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that so many others had religious beliefs. Exactly why this was so surprising was a mystery to me — by age 5, she had lived on three continents. She knew people came in…
Superheroes Update February 5, 2017
Is Incivility a Disease?
UUCC Member Jim Caldiero recently attended a public hearing where he observed what he felt were incivil, heavy-handed tactics, including an adult harassing a teen and a council member verbally berating a witness. Jim wrote in an email that these events reminded him of what historian Thomas Fleming said about John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in the book A Disease in the…
Toolbox of Faith Update January 29, 2017
Important information for February 12th, 2017! We are having a Children’s Chapel next Sunday, based on our fourth source of Unitarian Universalism: Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves, or in child-friendly language: Christian and Jewish teachings which tell us to love all others as we love…
Superheroes Update January 29, 2017
Important information for February 12th, 2017! We are having a Children’s Chapel next Sunday, based on our fourth source of Unitarian Universalism: Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves, or in child-friendly language: Christian and Jewish teachings which tell us to love all others as we love…
Ruhu Canlandirin (Gather the Spirit, Revive the Soul)
Istanbul, July 2015. The beginning of an epic adventure caused an extra measure of adrenaline to course through our veins. The air smelled of grilled meat and spices. Sweat dripped everywhere as we walked the streets, unable to read the signs. We were jet-lagged. Nothing was normal, almost…
President’s Memo January 2017
UUCC Board of Trustees President publishes a message to the congregation every month. Here is her message for January, 2017. Each month, when your Board of Trustees, (Frank Hazzard, Jen Hayashi, Patrick von Schlag, John Harris, Jodi Brown, and Katja Fort Rhoden) and your Executive Team (Paige and Maureen) meet, we begin our meetings with a reading, chalice lighting, and a…
A Tale of Two Roosevelts
Like many Unitarian Universalists, I experienced depression and sadness after the most recent presidential election. My eyes would well up with tears as I thought about the fear and hate that have become so prevalent in my country. But then I remembered what one of my heroes once said. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified…
Oohs and ahhs of Mary Oliver
Happy New Year everyone! For someone like me who loves to read, receiving Christmas presents of new and interesting books is a delight. When I came home from our Christmas morning worship service, there were several beautifully wrapped books under our tree. I eagerly opened each with interest and curiosity. Although reading on a Kindle is nice, lately I have longed for…
Joined in Song, Coming Home
Future Plans
From the 8/28/16 Question Box service Can Anthony tell us his future plans? Can we keep Anthony after his internship? My master plan (my end statement)? To be an active duty military chaplain. This was and still very much is my clarion call to ministry, in the long term. My mission and my vision. My soul’s marching orders in this life. My working plan (the means to that…
Questioning Authority
When asked what I do in my position as a religious educator, I frequently describe my job as teaching children and youth to Question Authority. That description raises some eyebrows, elicits quizzical looks, occasionally raises gales of laughter. Why on earth would I want to encourage more questioning? Don’t children already ask enough questions? What does it really mean…