Artist Joe Brainard (1942-1994) created an incredible memory machine with his slender masterpiece I Remember. As novelist Paul Auster writes of the book, “In simple, forthright, declarative sentences, Brainard charts the map of the human soul and permanently alters the way we look at the world.” Using I Remember as a touchstone, this Sunday we … Continue reading I Remember
The heart of the wedding ceremony was profound: Golden rings were placed in a bowl and passed – hand to hand – to every witness present. The invitation was to bless the rings with a single word. The elderly poet rose and said, so all could hear, “Carborundum.” This Father’s Day and summer solstice we … Continue reading The Carborundum Blessing
On this Memorial Day Sunday – and in the midst of graduation and baseball season – we consider the many joys and sorrows of these pandemic Spring days: Remembering our dead, celebrating our graduates, and hearing the call to “Play ball!” Click here to watch the service.
The traveling showman was larger than life: A world-record knife thrower, a Vietnam vet with a prosthetic leg, and fresh from performing at the legendary Gerry Rodeo. This summer evening, he and his wife were saving souls under a vast billowing tent in rural New York. Three UUs sat in the front row and raised … Continue reading Religious Rodeo: Bull Whips, Throwing Stars, and a Volunteer from the Audience
The proverb goes like this: “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today.” This sermon explores our ever-present second best time, and the lives we choose to live there.
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You would be hard-pressed to find shorter words in the English language than yes, and, how. Yet these teensy-weensy words are chock-full of power and wisdom, and when used as an operating system, they create the alchemy of improvisational theater. This sermon explores the practical wisdom of yes and how and how they can nourish … Continue reading Yes And How
In his book Ecstasy: Understanding the Psychology of Joy, Jungian analyst Robert Johnson writes that ecstasy “was once considered a favor of the gods,” a “transformative fire” that could obliterate barriers and provide a greater understanding of the universe. This Sunday, as we light the Candle of Joy, we leap feet first into ecstatic explorations in the name of a living joy, right here, right now!
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Earlier this month, as the President-elect concluded his victory speech, he told a lovely story that whenever he left his grandparents’ home after a visit, his grandfather would say “Joey, keep the faith.” And then his grandmother would counter, “No, Joey, spread the faith.”
This Sunday, as we light the candle of Faith, we ask “How shall we spread this light?”
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The large map is on display behind plexiglass. A bold arrow points to a spot and three words announce, in no uncertain terms: “You are here.” These three words—each on its own then working together—are profound: Identity, Existence, Location. This sermon follows that arrow to a specific spot on the map, bows to the miracle … Continue reading You Are Here. Now What?
Genuine sharing – especially in the grips of a global pandemic – is vital to community health, and the annual “Favorite Poem Service” celebrates sharing in deep and personal ways. This summer-service ritual is intimate, layered, and always surprising, structured on a format as simple as it is powerful: A person presents themselves before the … Continue reading Favorite Poem Service – The Pandemic Edition
