Category: Lay Minister’s Corner

A blog by the Lay Commissioned Minister

On Forgiveness

September is a time of new beginnings.  Children head back to school; the air gets a little lighter and cooler as we move into Fall. Many Unitarian Universalist congregations hold water communion ceremonies to welcome families back from summer adventures and kick off a new … read more.

  I am honored to have served this congregation the past few days as an off-site online delegate to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly.  At this writing, the final songs have been sung, and we have just installed our new UUA President, the Rev. … read more.

Joy Is a Gift

   Recently, I arrived home late at night from a trip, weary and exhausted from travel. Opening the door, I was startled by my tail-wagging dog, Honey, who pounced on me with boundless excitement and smothered my face with wet kisses. Her enthusiastic greeting filled … read more.

Embodiment

I find myself in this moment, at the end of a long seminary semester heavy with words and ideas, staring at this month’s theme:  Embodiment. Piles of books and scattered papers lie around me, and I am moved by the longing to return to physical … read more.

Transformation

We are a community of transformation. This month’s theme is a statement of faith that challenges us to move through the mud and the muck of personal despair and suffering, and turn it into something new. It challenges us to imagine possibility, even as life … read more.

What does it mean to be a community at risk?

Risk: Last month the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park was established in Auburn, New York, becoming the 51st national site to achieve this distinction. The park commemorates the later years of Tubman’s life and honors her legacy as a bold, brave freedom fighter who, over … read more.

A Community of Prophecy

Each new year I begin by making a Vision Collage. This is a mosaic of cut-out images from old magazines that when pasted together somehow convey new meaning. This process has become a ritual, a way of looking ahead and engaging the poetic imagination in … read more.

With Quiet Contemplation

On the day after Thanksgiving, I walked through cemeteries. For many years, this has been my Black Friday tradition, as I like to begin the holiday season with quiet contemplation.

This year, my walk took me to the gravesites of spiritual ancestors in my hometown of … read more.

A Community of Story

What does it mean to be a community of story?
November’s theme connects us. Each of us carries our
own individual and family stories; and we are invited to
unite in religious community to tell a new story
together– a story that empowers us to … read more.