sermon: “Within the Web of Life”

sermon: “Within the Web of Life”
As humans, we are embedded within social networks and environmental systems. And yet, as Americans, the value of independence is strongly rooted and lauded in our culture. Can we reconcile our interconnections with our impulses for autonomy for the good of society and our planet?  watch video 23.11.5.WithintheWebofLifeDownload

sermon: Countless Generations

sermon: Countless Generations
In this moment of the year, Pagans prepare to celebrate Samhain, a cultural antecedent to Halloween. Within this spiritual tradition as well as others, this is a time to connect with our ancestors and to reflect on the relationship between life and death. In this service of remembrance, we will…

Present Absence

Present Absence
Within a number of cultural traditions, this is a liminal time of the year in which the living and the dead draw nearer together, even commingling across the expanse of time. In the natural world, this interplay abounds in this season. A single flower bursts with color as if it…

sermon: God is Love and Love is God

sermon: God is Love and Love is God
What has it meant historically to be a “Universalist” and how does that legacy continue to shape us as a congregation and individuals? If Love is the foundation of our religious values, how does that impact how we show up in compassion and justice for others as well as for…

When Home Doesn’t Feel Like Home Anymore

When Home Doesn’t Feel Like Home Anymore
The world is different today than it has ever been. Today is not yesterday when a newborn had yet to be born. Today is not yesterday when a newborn had yet to be born. Today is not Monday when a hospital in Gaza still stands. Today is not Rosh Hashanah…

sermon: Love of Place

sermon: Love of Place
In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day weekend, our service will explore what it means to love and care for particular places as a people. As a congregation and nation largely built through processes of displacement of Native Peoples, what is the role of Land Acknowledgements in acknowledging the history of harm as…

sermon: Spring of Love

sermon: Spring of Love
In many ways, love is at the center of our lives as well as of our Unitarian Universalist tradition. But what is love at its core? Drawing on Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” philosopher Diogenes Allen suggests love is the recognition of otherness. How might his understanding…

sermon: Freedom of Conscience

sermon: Freedom of Conscience
Last Sunday evening, I had the privilege of sitting down with a group of teenagers from the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Newburyport, Massachusetts to answer questions about our religious tradition. They, like many other UU teens, are beginning a year-long journey exploring different religions—starting with their own UU tradition. My…

sermon: Togetherness

sermon: Togetherness
A Homily for Water Communion Sunday  Today we come together at the start of a new church year. After the different place and pace of Summer Worship, there is something special about this Sunday of ingathering. The ritual of Water Communion, which we will celebrate shortly, highlights an essential element…

Institutional Belonging

Institutional Belonging
After a month of commuting to Boston for my new job, this week I began exploring beyond my Back Bay office. Visiting the Boston Athenæum to inquire about membership was high on my list. Walking a block down Marlborough Street, I crossed over to the Boston Garden. Continuing on through…