Tag Archives: UU 3rd Principle
Open the Window: Dangerous Things 3
In her sermon on Sunday, Rev. Charlotte Arsenault made this powerful observation: that when Unitarian Universalists covenant ourselves to our seven Principles, we are covenanting ourselves to dangerous things. Standing together for our Principles has meant throughout our history individuals … Continue reading
Come, Come Whoever You Are: And Bring Your Knapsack
As a white person living in this culture, who wants to confront the white supremacy system that continues to run the institutions that we all participate in, I am coming to realize that this means owning how I benefit from … Continue reading
Fire of Commitment: Bellows
We heat our house with wood. It’s amazing how much warmth is generated by a three-foot soapstone box in the living room. On a cold night in January (yes, there were a few of those), the house was noticeably chilly. … Continue reading
Filled with Loving Kindness: The Absurdity of Today
(The fires, while very real and truly devastating, are herein used as a metaphor for my feelings about the results of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Also very real and – from my perspective – truly devastating.) Wildfires are … Continue reading
Filled with Loving Kindness: A Practice
Today we shift our theme to this hauntingly beautiful song and prayer: Filled with Loving Kindness.* This song from our hymnal is a sung expression of the Buddhist prayer known as the metta sutta. Metta means loving kindness, and the prayer … Continue reading
Let This Be A House of Peace: Sacred Differences
Let this be our house A house of our creation Where all our sacred differences Here shall not divide us. Our sacred differences. Let that sink in for a moment. Differences are by definition those things that bear us apart, … Continue reading
Return Again: Our Principles-3
In Unitarian-Universalism, we gather ourselves and our faith around seven Principles. Our Principles are not religious dogma in content. They are ethical principles in that they embody rather explicitly the things we value. They allow us to bring stories and … Continue reading
Listening: Howling at the Moon
Sometimes my dog jumps up from where he is sitting in the house and begins barking frantically. My initial inclination, still, is to shush him and admonish him for “barking at nothing”. But I always stop myself. I am aware … Continue reading
June 27 – Listening: Do You Hear What I Hear?
Anyone here who has had a conversation with me over the last year or so knows that I have been grieving and processing the death of my mother in November of 2104. As the executrix of the estate my parents … Continue reading
June 24–Listening: The Inner Voice
Part 3 of homily given by Karen Smith, June 20 at UUCG: When preachers and poets talk about listening to our inner voice, they are not advocating that we give in to the dark angel of doubt. They want us … Continue reading