Archives: Services

Responding to the Call

People today, young and old, face profound challenges like climate change and inequality. Many, if not all of us, are feeling called to action, to change, to grow. Sometimes, this ‘growth’ stretches us into uncomfortable positions. But, what if the solutions to address our problems could be easy, fun, and effective? —Town Hall Budget Review … Continue reading Responding to the Call

Holy Fools and Crazy Wisdom

Religious and spiritual traditions around the world have long cherished holy fools, tricksters, and sacred clowns. What can we learn from them and these archetypal figures? —Lunchtime Sharing Circle with Rev. Munro to follow worship at 12:30 pm. Bring your lunch or snack and camp chair to talk about the Ukraine conflict. No RSVP needed.

Land of the Free

In honor of women’s history month, Rev Kowalski revisits the remarkable bravery that took Viola Liuzzo from her Unitarian congregation in Detroit to the front lines of Selma where she died, reflecting on what lessons we can take away in this renewed moment of racial reckoning.  

Be A Leaf (Stewardship Sermon); Celebration Sunday

Please be prepared to complete a pledge card for fiscal year 2022-23 and consider a 7%-10% increase in giving if you are able, which will provide COLAs for our staff, bring on a new Interim Minister, fund a fresh start for Faith Formation, and expand our social justice impact. 

The First Unitarians

Unitarian history goes back a long way. Our tradition is deeply grounded in reason and religious tolerance, concepts that were once radical, and are under attack again today by the same kinds of forces that attacked them then. 

Communion

Many of our social challenges are complex predicaments that are not easily solved, if they can be ‘solved’ at all. Many solutions create more problems than resolutions. But what if thinking we have solutions is part of the problem?

Calvin, Hobbes, and the Meaning of Life

Bill Watterson’s classic cartoon characters often faced weighty existential problems, while their namesakes (French theologian John Calvin and English political theorist Thomas Hobbes) continue to shape our views of human nature with their gloomy estimates of society. Are people basically trustworthy and cooperative, or otherwise?  Is life really as Hobbes described it, “mean, nasty, brutish … Continue reading Calvin, Hobbes, and the Meaning of Life

How to Bless the World

One of the meanings of “to bless” is to sanctify or make holy, but traditional religious language and practices can be challenging for Unitarian Universalists. Nevertheless, giving blessings is a necessary and important part of our lives, or should be. Let’s explore the why and the how of it.

Welcoming the Stranger

How do we navigate our values in a time of xenophobia and extreme tribalism? What does radical hospitality look like? How deep does our generosity extend to those not of our tribe? There are no easy answers.  As one of my teachers used to say, don’t simplify, complexify.