As I’ve mentioned in other sermons, I’m glad that indigenous issues are finally being given some attention. It’s a long way from justice, but it’s a start. We’ll never see justice for Native Americans if more people don’t at least become aware of the injustices they’ve suffered, and continue to suffer. Our systems of [...]
In the sermon series, I’m offering on our current seven principles of Unitarian Universalism, we’re up to the third. In this one, “we covenant to affirm and promote Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth in Our Congregations.” The beautiful choir anthem we just heard expresses this principle well: Seek your own [...]
This sermon continues a series on the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Last month we talked about our first principle— the inherent worth and dignity of every person; today we’ll talk about the second principle e of Justice, Equity and Compassion in Human Relations. UUA - second principle Justice, Equity and Compassion in [...]
As this pandemic drags on and on, I’m sad that I haven’t been getting to know you as I’d like to, I’d talk to a wide range of you at coffee hour, or the other various ways we’d be gathering. For the great majority of my time with you we’ve been in shut-down, and there [...]
In an article titled “The Future of Nonviolent Resistance,” author Erica Chenoweth says, “Armed struggle used to be the primary way in which movements fought for change from outside the political system. Today, campaigns in which people rely overwhelmingly on nonviolent resistance have replaced armed struggle as the most common approach to contentious action [...]
Rev. Jane Rzepka, whose words you heard in the reading, tells another story that is relevant to today’s topic. She says: I performed a wedding not long ago, and had a little trouble with the marriage license: it blew away. That’s right–in all its signed, stamped, sealed and ready-to-go splendor, it, hoping no doubt [...]
Last month, I spoke about the background of our Unitarian Universalist principles. Specifically, that they constitute Article II of the Association’s bylaws, and that they are a covenant wherein we agree to affirm and promote seven values we hold in common, like the inherent worth and dignity of every person, democratic process, and a [...]
I want to talk about our Unitarian Universalist principles and purposes, because they are central to who we are as UU’s, and because they’re in flux right now, and I think it’s important to have an understanding of them. Next month I’ll talk about the proposed 8th principle, and then I’ll do a series [...]
I read the following story on my colleague Dan Harper’s website: A newcomer took a seat in one of the pews at First Unitarian. When the minister began preaching about liberal theology, the newcomer became more and more enthusiastic, and finally shouted “Amen!” when the preacher definitively proved the use of reason was essential [...]
