Unitarian Universalist Pentecost – Living into the Missional Shift

Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is celebrated in western Christianity as the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus fifty days after Easter.  The story is recounted in Acts 2:1-

Unitarian Universalism god unitarian universalist Christianity The Spiritual Life Jesus Missional Church HolySpirit Life on Fire Pentecost

​Truth and Meaning: Cleverness

​Truth and Meaning: Cleverness We Americans consider ourselves a clever people. We equate education with knowledge and privilege with power. These are both false assumptions. True wisdom doesn’t come

How seminaries and the ordination process leave theologically “liberal” Christians behind

There’s a new article in the Washington Post about seminary graduates who don’t plan to enter ministry. According to the write-up, “About 41 percent of master’s of divinity graduates expect to […]

Written Reflections

"Risk must be evaluated not by the fear it generates in you or the probability of your success, but..."

“Risk must be evaluated not by the fear it generates in you or the probability of your success, but by the value of the goal.” - John C. Maxwell, Failing Forward p.123

goal risk John C. Maxwell

"Conscience…prepares the mind to act and to suffer beyond almost all other causes"

“Conscience…prepares the mind to act and to suffer beyond almost all other causes” - Daniel Webster, “First Settlement of New England, Delivered 22 December 1820” (Unitarian, statesman, U.S. Senator)

"For those whose life is centered in prayer, prayer is time for resting in God."

“For those whose life is centered in prayer, prayer is time for resting in God.” - Joan Chittister, OSB - Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir

prayer Joan Chittister

"We cannot be tactful with those whose point of view we fail to understand, or do not even strive to..."

“We cannot be tactful with those whose point of view we fail to understand, or do not even strive to understand” - Mary Ellen Richmond, Friendly Visiting Among the Poor (1906) p.14 (Unitarian, social

Morning Prayer May 19, 2013

Wisdom bless us with and in our humility, that we may be glad in the gifts that others have, the blessings that others know, and the dependence we all have not only upon each other but upon this amazi

Religion

Evening Prayer May 19, 2013

Breath of Life, open our lungs and our hearts to the spirit of goodness that grows lush wherever it is shared, the spirit that invites us to be generous and stay the course with love and good humor, t

Religion

Evening Prayer May 18, 2013

Wisdom, hear our thanks for all our teachers, those who taught us a single letter or fact or equation, those who taught us how to create sentences and sing songs, to gather and use tools and grow skil

Religion

Morning Prayer May 18, 2013

Lover of Life may we love this life each and every day! May every heart wake this morning and shine forth, gladdening the Holy and this creation, ready to serve goodness and mercy with generosity and

Religion

White Men Can’t Jump Out of the Frying Pan That Easily

If you don’t know who Tony Jones is, you should google him. He’s a well-known, highly respected, and often sought-after voice in Emergent Christianity on topics related to theology. He’s […]

Religion Theology racism Written Reflections Church Leaders organized religion unorganized religion African Americans emergent christianity privilege tony jones

Whoa Nellie...

So, horses are back.  As farm animals.  Once again the oracle of all matters, the NYTimes, lured me in with a long long at the return of draft horses to the farm.. Now, except for a brief ride on a ho

AWAKENING & SAMADHI IN ZEN A Review of Gregory Shepherd’s Memoir “A Straight Road With 99 Curves”

AWAKENING & SAMADHI IN ZEN A Review of Gregory Shepherd’s A Straight Road With 99 Cures: Coming of Age on the Zen Path James Ishmael Ford When I was asked if I would be willing to review a new book by

Uncategorized

A time of growing cruelty

In a recent post on her blog, Alice Walker writes about how the FBI has called Assata Shakur a terrorist. At one point in the post, Walker, being a poet, diverges from commentary on current events int

Meditations Political culture

"We are not that we are, nor do we treat or esteem each other for such, but for that we are capable..."

“We are not that we are, nor do we treat or esteem each other for such, but for that we are capable of being.” - Henry David Thoreau (Transcendentalist, Unitarian, surveyor, philosopher, naturalist)

Stepping Aside For New Leadership

Twenty years is a good run for a mayor to shape the life of a community. I want to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Jennings for his service to Albany. I’ve enjoyed working with him on projects in

general commentary Albany Jerry Jennings new mayor

A Bad Day for Theocracy (14 May 2013, marriage equality Minnesota)

A bad day for creeds; a bad day for stares; a bad day for blind obedience to blundering oracles, as Henry put it long ago. A bad day for obedience. A bad day for “act like us.” Why not, Ralph asked, l

Uncategorized marriage equality freedom creed Emerson theocracy Thoreau

Morning Prayer May 17, 2013

Abiding Love, turn us to follow your graciousness in all things, into the bustling byways of hard-heartedness in order to make a helpful difference. Teach us what it is to abide and sustain as as we h

Religion

Afraid to lose ourselves

Be the change you want to see. What we need is a world that operates by the values of liberality: openness, reverence, honesty, humility, gratitude and generosity, self-possession, solidarity. We need