May 19, 2013

Guidance of Reason(s)

When people who “heed the guidance of reason and the results of science” arrive at a diversity of answers, it may be that they are asking different questions. Three ethical frameworks help us to make sense of our moral choices. This sermon was written for the UUs of Fallston, May 19, 2013.

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May 12, 2013

Nurturing Faith

We have inner resources for our community’s work of encouraging young souls. Whether you are a parent or part of the larger circle of care, the abilities to articulate your own faith, to stay present, and to let people grow beyond our predictions can be helpful in our mission to nurture. This sermon was written for the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston for Mother’s Day, May 12, 2013.

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May 5, 2013

Prayer for Union

Spirit of Life,

Ground of our being,

Root of unified mystery

Growing into myriad branches of expression,

Bring us together now.

Bring us close to the earth,

Ear to the whispering grass,

Quietly,

Attentively,

Waiting with slow breaths,

Listening for the very stones to cry out

With their rocky stories of

Tectonic plates meeting and parting meeting

Their mineral memories of

Hadean days, molten rocks flowing and joining

Their ancient legends of

Stars born out of the collapse of other stars

Help us to re-member.

Help us to piece together

Our one-ness with matter,

Our one-ness that matters.

With one more deep breath,

May we rise, star-stuff walking and rolling

Across the surface of an impossible blue-green planet.

May we join together to heal what is divided.

May we find wholeness within, without, among, between.

Eternal Source, Seed of the Universe, help us to grow peace.

So be it. Blessed be. Amen.

Context: This prayer was written by Rev. Lyn Cox for Union Sunday at the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, May 5, 2013. Union Sunday is an annual regional celebration of Unitarian Universalism. It commemorates the 1819 “Baltimore Sermon” by William Ellery Channing, which launched the Unitarian movement in America. This year’s Union Sunday preacher was the Rev. Dr. Galen Guengerich from the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City. Rev. Guengerich is the author of the forthcoming book, God Revised: How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age.

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April 29, 2013

An It Harm None

The Wiccan Rede, “An it harm none, do as ye will,” can be considered a version of the Golden Rule. It may seem like an “anything goes” guideline, but a closer look reveals the rede’s strong limits and its requirement for active critical thought. Following the Wiccan Rede would involve considering potential harm to beings outside our immediate awareness, taking care to cultivate willpower that matches our values, and caring for ourselves as members of the interdependent web. This sermon was written for the UUs of Fallston, April 28, 2013.

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April 17, 2013

faithfollowingtrauma:

apatosaurus:

(Text below from the Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center, where this video was filmed.)
A group of Unitarian Universalist professionals and lay people has been gathered at Murray Grove this week for a series of workshops led by Rev. Julie Taylor of the UU Trauma Response Ministry, a community minister and volunteer Emergency Medical Technician specializing in critical incident response, trauma, and disaster spiritual care. Upon hearing of the tragic events at the Boston marathon, she recorded a video last night on ways to respond spiritually to crises like this, which was then posted to YouTube for the use of the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship by CLF ministerial intern Lara Campbell.

 

Julie’s talk offers ways for anyone to deal not just with this tragedy, or events like it, but with traumas of any kind that all of us may encounter in our lives. The UU Trauma Response Ministry provides direct care and training in crisis response and congregational procedures:

www.traumaministry.org

 (Video filmed and posted to YouTube by Lara Campbell)

In addition, the following links and resources from the Unitarian Universalist Association may be helpful:

Religious Education resources for adults, children, and families

Trauma response resources for congregations and families

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April 16, 2013
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April 14, 2013

All You’ve Ever Wanted

Sometimes we need recalculate our route when it seems like we’ve reached a dead end or find ourselves rushing down a road in life that’s not right for us. The book of Ecclesiastes (also known as Koheleth) has some surprisingly timely advice for those situations. This sermon was written for the UUs of Fallston, April 14, 2013.

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April 10, 2013
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March 31, 2013

Gratitude and Resurrection

Christians, Pagans, and Humanists all have perspectives on resurrection. This sermon was written for the Easter service with the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston, March 31, 2013.

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March 29, 2013
Hell is, in fact, a burning issue
for it is the issue of separation,
whether we can, with safety and impunity,
set up little islands in the human experience
and therefore protect ourselves
against any relationship with the mainland.
And Universalism says unequivocally, it cannot be done.
Gordon B. McKeeman (via uurebaltimore)
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