Category: Lay Minister’s Corner

A blog by the Lay Commissioned Minister

To Save or Savor

The writer E.B. White once wrote, “I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”  To save or to savor, to give or to take? I … read more.

The Poor People’s Campaign

For the past two weeks I have spent my Mondays in Albany with the New York State Poor People’s Campaign.  The national campaign is led by the Rev. William Barber and composed of hundreds of activist organizations and faith leaders.

It is a call for moral … read more.

To Stand for Truth

This month we explore the theme of Truth.  In today’s society, to stand for truth can be somewhat counter cultural, but, I believe, also patriotic. This year’s UUA Common Read, Daring Democracy by Frances Moore Lappe and Adam Eichen, includes “fake news” as one of … read more.

What Do You Believe?

What do you believe? Each one of us might answer this question differently.  The answers I gave ten years ago are not the same answers I give today. Faith for Unitarian Universalists is a continual evolving process, not a solid unchanging creed.

As a process, we … read more.

The Desert Spaces of Our Lives

This semester I am taking classes on Judaism and Islamic history.  I am thinking about the way the desert features in each of these faiths. From Israelites who wandered the desert after fleeing Egypt for 40 years… to Mecca’s spring that rose in an arid … read more.

Love as the Fire that Moves Us

I like to think of love as the fire that moves us, the energy that empowers action. Love invites us to full engagement. Love takes many forms– kindness, patience, generosity, justice, compassion. It is the spiritual force that brings us together and carries us beyond … read more.

Reflecting on the Past and Renewed for the Future

This New Year brings us an opportunity for reflection. As we consider the theme of resilience, I invite us all to listen deeply to the wisdom and experiences of voices too long marginalized in our Unitarian Universalist communities.  Following a call from our denomination, we … read more.

Reflection from the Lay Commissioned Minister

Dear Friends,

This time of year in my seminary studies is one of final paper and project writing. I am currently working on a research paper focused on Congregation and Local Community Engagement for a Sociology of Religion class. This paper will include an exploration of … read more.

Nonjudgmental Mindful Awareness

This month we explore the theme of Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a spiritual practice with Buddhist origins; it invites us to focus our attention on the present moment with non-judgmental awareness.  Mindfulness is an important theme to explore in November. Holidays such as Veterans Day and … read more.

Many Ways to Handle Grief

I wasn’t prepared when my father died- out of the blue, in the middle of a work day, at the age of 54. I was washing the dishes when my sister called to tell me that he had had a heart attack at work. In … read more.