THE DIFFICULTY OF HELPING The question comes from the mythological story of Cain and Abel: Are we our brothers Keepers? It is a question that religious people have assumed to be simple and simple in its answer. But it is not. The sociologist Garrett Harden speaking about altruism and helping...

FORWARD THROUGH THE AGES Members of the UUFDC Professional Leadership Task Force want your input as we study our congregation’s leadership needs to bring us to the next level in our development as individuals and as a congregation. All options are on the table. We want to explore together our...

DARKNESS ALLOWS A CERTAIN KIND OF KNOWING… December invites us to discern, puzzle, and trust.  Rilke wrote, “I have faith in nights.” Cynthia Johnson, a retired Unitarian Universalist minister who served UU congregations in Texas and Oklahoma, joined UUFDC in 2000 when she and Al moved to Door County. Cynthia is...

LIFE AS SIMPLE PLEASURE Epicurus, the philosopher, saw the goal of life as being simple pleasure. Ironically, we have come to associate his name with gourmet eating and sensuality but that was not at all his intent. The motto of his Florentine academy was displayed on a banner that read:...

THE NON-BELIEVERS GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS The Christmas story, like religion in general, is a very useful fiction. The stories are great, the music is full of nostalgia, and the traditions are warm and wonderful. Some observations on how humanists, atheists, skeptics and non-believers of all kinds celebrate the season without...

MINDING THE MOMENTS Dottie will share some of the current research on the remarkable impact of mindfulness meditation.  There is a growing body of evidence in support of the powerful and lasting effects for physical and emotional well-being and, as a result, mindfulness is increasingly encouraged not only in one’s...

LOVING YOUR FATE The ancient Greek poet Solon said that fate  was more powerful than any technical knowledge; it “makes all human effort fundamentally insecure, however earnest and logical it may seem to be”. The feeling of being subject to fate chastens the conceit of mastery. Phil Sweet is a long-time friend...

COUNT THEM ONE BY ONE We receive so much with so little effort that it is easy to take for granted the richness of our lives. This message is a challenge to each of us to remember and give thanks for the good things that sustain us. Rev. Joan Shiels...

MAKING RELIGION REASONABLE Religion is the most backward, most repressive and destructive of all human institutions; born in superstition, nourished by fear, and encouraged by irrational hopes and desires. Can we make religion creative, transformative, intelligent, and valid on the first Sunday of Advent? Phil Sweet is a long-time friend...

MALIGNING THE MAHATMA Mahatma Gandhi. Few names in world history evoke such powerful images of integrity, courage and social justice. But the Gandhi was also a difficult and dark human being as well. (Like the rest of us.)  A close look at this historical icon, warts and all. Joan Shiels...