Our modern celebration of Mother’s Day started as a call by Unitarian Julia Ward Howe in 1870 for Mother’s Peace Day. On this day of honoring all mothers as well as anyone who nurtured us, let us remember to promote peace around the world for the future of our children for generations to come.
Are there places in your life where “old maps” — that is, traditional habits, perhaps some which you’ve held for a long time — are no longer serving you? How can you know when an old map has led you to a dead end? What would it be like to travel through life without a … Continue reading Old Maps No Longer Work
The science behind our climate changes continues to grow more overt, robust and concerning, if not alarming. The service, in shared ministry between UUFD’s Environmental Justice Team and worship ministry, will offer reflections on the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and what it means for our spiritual path.
Many of us may have deep visual and spiritual appreciation for trees, of all shapes and sizes and smells. New ideas about how trees communicate with one another, such as by Suzanne Simard in Finding the Mother Tree, go beyond aesthetic benefits to what trees can teach us about interpersonal relationships. Consider what you can … Continue reading Cultivating Relationships Through Wisdom from the Trees
As the earth awakens from winter cold and darkness, we experience many renewals, many paths to new life. In this multi-generational service, we celebrate seasonal renewal through music, story, and spoken message. We also celebrate the centennial of the traditional UU Flower Ceremony, created by Unitarian Capek. Bring flowers to create community bouquets and take … Continue reading Easter Sunday: Many Resurrections, Many Renewals
When I hear congregations express a desire to grow, this usually means growing in membership. However, congregations cannot just will growth in numbers. Greater numbers is nurtured by other types of growth: spiritual deepening, organizational maturity, and outreach to the community. Sometimes growth in number is met by either explicit or implicit resistance. Growth of … Continue reading Whether to Growth?
Unitarian Universalists enjoy a proud heritage of women who, inspired by their liberal faith, broke social, political, cultural, and religious boundaries. During this month when we recognize Women’s History, let us also meet several courageous women in our liberal religious history.
“Stewardship” means “the managing of something entrusted to our care.” Because each of us is a steward of our free church, stewardship is all that you give to support UUFD: financially as well as through time and talents. Considering stewardship as spiritual practice may expand your perspective on your participation in UUFD’s stewardship drive. Stewardship … Continue reading Celebration Sunday: Stewardship as Spiritual Practice
Our ancestors in liberal religion are often identified as “rebellious” or “heretical” in their resistance to orthodox theology and practice. As a modern Unitarian Universalist, how do you live out your heritage of risk and vulnerability as articulated in liberal theology and lived practice in the world?
Many UUs are more acquainted with Unitarian than Universalist origins of this denomination, even as Universalism was one of the most popular American denominations in the early nineteenth century. Countering Calvinism’s threat of a “hellfire and brimstone” God, our Universalist ancestors understood God as Love. Today, how can we live out our Universalist roots of … Continue reading Universalism: A Love that Will Not Let Us Go
