Boots and Blessings

"Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say: It is well, it is well, with my soul ." Life right now is unimaginably heartbreaking . Children are trained to expect a murderer to walk into their schools (because it happens with increasing regularity), people of color are shot just for living normal life, rights -- reproductive, voting, adopting -- are being stripped away, the earth as we know it is dying, and as it dies, we violently are oppressing those with the least power. Life right now is utterly amazing. We are questioning all the norms in our society, becoming more inclusive to all types of relationships, changing our words, rejecting "power over," breaking apart assumptions. Both can be true. Simultaneously. And in among all of that are the heartbreaks and miracles in individual lives. People are finding love, waiting for the biopsy results, mourning loved ones, getting new jobs, being deported, witnessing a birth - trauma and joy and relationship an...

"Where you invest your love , you invest your life." First thing, let's begin with love. And never let go. Our Universalist forebears believed in a god of love. A god of such overflowing, unconditional love that the love would pursue you even after death, unrelenting . They believed that to know, really know, that love would mean that it would flow out of you and into everyone whom you then loved. What if we decided to truly believe in the power of love? Believed that there is a " sustaining, commanding, transforming reality ...the reign of love, a love that fulfills and goes beyond justice, a love that 'cares' for the fullest personal good of all." Believed in it down to the bones of our bones and acted out of that? I believe that we can be the big tent many have dreamed we could be, a big tent that this world aches for. It will take recommitting to an ethic of personal responsibility. And that ethic of personal responsibility is made more pos...

My fellow Unitarian Universalists, I'm concerned. People come to UU congregations from other religious places, including from the theologically conservative. Over and over again, I hear their joy when they learn that in a UU church, yes, really and truly, you can ask questions!  It's okay to question the stories they've always been taught were true. It's okay to question whether God exists. It genuinely is okay to question the minister about her sermon last Sunday. (And ... it's okay to come to a different conclusion!) Increasingly, though, on social media, I see people attacked for asking genuine, non-leading, questions. Not for their commentary or opinions, but just for asking the question. What do we do about body metaphors? Do we decide that all are off-limits, or is there a clear guide for which we should avoid, and which are okay? We changed Standing on the Side of Love to Side with Love, but I read that this General Assembly is focused on "vision...

What is your conversion story? The time when you (probably metaphorically) walked down the aisle and committed yourself to the faith of Unitarian Universalism? Yes, this is a faith of conversion, or should be. I hope that every person who considers themselves to be a Unitarian Universalist has had a moment -- moments! -- when they see a better way of being in the world, and commit themselves to that great task. For those of us who have been raised as Unitarian Universalists, the issue of conversion is no less important. We grew up knowing ourselves to be UUs. For a period of time, this was not a chosen faith for us, it was simply part of our identity, like our hair color, our family. I didn't choose my family when I was younger, I was simply part of it. Unitarian Universalism was part of us, and we were part of Unitarian Universalism. And then one day, you realize that you don't have to remain a UU. You can choose something else. Or you can simply walk away. Maybe you eve...

"I Believe...." "I believe" are two words we need to hear more of in UU churches .... I believe. First, wouldn't it be great to be having more of the deep conversations about meaning, God, Spirit, purpose, etc? I mean, don't get me wrong, we also need the conversations about politics, the news, and how excited we are about the first woman Doctor Who and Patrick Stewart returning to Star Trek. But those rich conversations about religious ideas ... isn't church kind of the ideal place for those? So go deep. Start with "I believe ...." It may feel a little scary, but being willing to share your thoughts opens the door for others to share theirs. IF you begin with "I Believe." Sadly, I've seen so many conversations, in person and online, where UUs seem unable to use them. Opinions are stated as fact. Which is a terrific way to shut down a conversation -- unless the other person wholly agrees with you, it's not a grea...

1n 1961, the Unitarians and Universalists consolidated, and a new religion was born. We're still sorting out that marriage, figuring out the structural issues, cultural issues, and then there's theology. Much of Unitarianism and Universalism was co-mingled long before consolidation, but I think that the area where there's still deep dissent is found in where you place yourself on the spectrum of Free Will vs. Mandatory Universal Salvation. It's a fun thing, because I have noticed that even the UUs who do not believe in a post-death heaven or hell can really get really het up about this. Even the atheists! It is a fun discussion, because either way, you're arguing for something good, you know? On one side, you've got the Free Will thinkers, who tend to align themselves more with the Unitarian side of our theological history. Because God is good, God would not make someone be saved (go to Heaven, be reunited with God, etc.) against their will. On the oth...