When I first joined this congregation in the fall of 1993 it was lay-led and had been for many years. That appealed to me. As a boy, growing up in small, midwestern towns, I had little choice but to follow my parents to a series … read more.
This past weekend my 14-year-old daughter attended a Coming of Age retreat with youth throughout the region. The purpose of the retreat was for the young people to explore their own lives as spiritual journeys, and to spend time reflecting on their personal beliefs, which … read more.
This month’s theme asks us to consider “letting go”. The wisdom of the world religions supports the importance of letting go of anger, blame, and retribution in order to make peace with oneself, with God, and with each other. The Jewish Day of Atonement, the … read more.
I am pleased to announce the UUCRT has established a Care Team Ministry. Barbara Hultgren and Jan Kinney are the Co-Leaders of the Care Team Ministry. Donna Deming is a member of the Care Team Ministry. Starting in March, until I return from my sabbatical … read more.
This past year I have been participating in an online spiritual deepening program for Unitarian Universalist religious professionals called Wellspring (see https://uuwellspring.org/) .
Every two weeks I receive a new assignment of readings to reflect on- first on my own, then with a small group … read more.
Showing up at the UUCRT for Sunday Service, where we partake in the disciples of guidance, confession, worship, and celebration, is spiritual practice. Serving the UUCRT community, by making coffee, watering the plants, moving chairs, or playing the piano, is spiritual practice. Voting at a … read more.
Grace is a Christian theological concept, of which there are many interpretations. All of these center on an understanding of grace as “a free and unmerited gift of God in the world.” Grace is something we receive but do not earn; and it is something … read more.
Grace. Spiritual Practice. Letting Go. Salvation. Truth. These are the themes the congregation will explore together over the next five months.
These themes describe the work I do with Veterans and the larger community in Philadelphia. Jonathan and Amy visited Philadelphia last month and joined in … read more.
This semester my “Religion and Ecology” professor gave us an assignment to visit a quiet place in nature twice a week. I usually walk at Dennings Point in Beacon with my dog, who takes her slow sweet time smelling every smell along the way, before … read more.
Recently a rabbi taught me something about spirituality. His name is Paul Swerdlow and he is a chaplain in the VA medical center in Northport, on Long Island.
Here is what he taught me:
Spirituality is about being a time traveler. We exist in space and in … read more.
