As we near the end of the church year, many Unitarian Universalists across the country (and in the Philippines!) are making preparations for General Assembly. One of the most important lessons I learned about congregational polity in seminary is that it was designed to involve congregations working together in a covenantal relationship (much as we
Read More →The Parish Committee, Elizabeth Foster, and I have been discussing the covenant that informs the congregation we call First Parish Unitarian Universalist. In our March discussions, we projected that the church year 2023-2024 will be a time of renewal of the covenant and that renewal should also include revisiting our congregation’s mission and vision. In
Read More →A couple of weeks ago, I preached about the more disturbing aspects of Unitarian and Universalist involvement with progressive causes in the early 1900s, including sex education and the birth control movement. However, although our motives were complex and bear examination, it is also true that even at that time, Unitarians and Universalists were committed
Read More →Those with power and privilege would like us to believe the world is the way it is, our national politics is as good as it gets, and there is no use trying to change it. Those who try to end oppressive practices or seriously work for a world of peace and justice are considered “idealists”
Read More →Rev. Clyde wrote about covenant in last month’s newsletter, and now it’s my turn! One reason we’re focusing on covenant this year is the recently-released report of the Article II Commission, which is taking a look at our Principles and Purposes to help us think about the denominational covenant we all share. The other is
Read More →I’ve been writing about covenant lately. My last two columns in this newsletter were about covenant. We had a “coffee hour discussion” about the redrafting process that the whole Unitarian Universalist Association has embarked upon involving the words of the covenant that forms our Association. Talking about covenant is important because it is how Unitarian
Read More →The Rev. Erika A. Hewitt writes about courage: The word courage comes from the Latin cor, which means heart. According to poet Mark Nepo, the original use of the word courage meant to stand by one’s core: a “striking concept that reinforces the belief found in almost all traditions that living from the Center is
Read More →As we enter this new year, I’d like to take a little time to consider our spiritual journeys together. When people encounter the phrase “religious education,” they often automatically assume we are talking about Sunday School classes for children. And although this is an important part of our mission, religious education encompasses so much more.
Read More →There are over a thousand Unitarian Universalist congregations, community and advocacy ministries, and youth and student groups. In addition, there are support networks for identity-based groups, such as UU Scholars Network and the Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries. There are thousands of individuals who consider themselves to be Unitarian Universalists but are not affiliated
Read More →There is an old story that you may have heard. It goes like this: a driver from New York City is driving in northern New England and gets lost. He stops by a farm and asks a man driving a tractor “how do you get to Bangor?” The tractor driver looks puzzled and then replies
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