This talk is not an examination of anyone’s sleeping habits. Nor am I concerned whether or not some of us occasionally doze off at UU. Rather, we will consider whether our lives “bring us to the point where we become part of creation rather than merely observers of it.” The Benedictine abbess, Joan Chittister, an […]
Overcoming hatred is a noble goal. Its implementation can be challenging. Hate as a word, like its dualistic counterpart love, reflects a vast array of feelings. Hate can be as simple as hating a type of food or as extreme as violence against another person or group. Hating a type of food, such as beets, causes […]
Recent restrictions on arrivals in the United States have raised questions about the nature of refugee issues. Some people argue that refugees threaten the American way of life, while others maintain that assisting refugees is a democratic imperative and humanitarian obligation. While this debate rages nationally and globally, it is also taking place here in […]
Corey will discuss his experiences as a black policeman in the wake of multiple, highly publicized killings of unarmed African-Americans by police officers. Additionally, Officer Saffold will address the paradox of being a black officer during a time when police are viewed as an enemy and are often not trusted, especially among the African-American community. […]
A Reflection on 2 Kings Chapters 6 & 7…Finding our way through hopeless situations. Dawn Volpe is the pastor of Ephraim Moravian Church. A native New Yorker, she served churches in the Bronx and the suburbs of Washington, DC before moving to Door County in 2010. She and her husband of 25 years, Bob, are […]
While the Feast of St. Valentine has been celebrated since 496, it wasn’t until Chaucer wrote a poem in 1382 that the celebration became associated with romance and even at that only became more widely recognized in this country in the 19th century. Is it possible that as Unitarian Universalists, we are uniquely suited to […]
Have you ever wondered why it is so much easier to view strangeness with suspicion than it is to embrace it as a positive and exciting new experience? There are some biological reasons why this is so for humans. And, as a species capable of self-reflection, I believe it is our responsibility to be aware […]
If we say we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people, that means even those whose political ideas may seem way different from our own. There is a new President in the White House. Our country seems more divided than ever before. How do we open with compassion to those we struggle […]
Fear is the most destructive emotional bogeyman there is – especially when it’s out of control. But ironically, fear can also trigger our best instincts. We must learn not to surrender to it, but to manipulate it to our own advantage. It is worth thinking about. Joan Shiels has a bunch of degrees in religion […]
A manifestation of white privilege is that there is an expectation that dreams can be realized through working smart and hard. That expectation may not necessarily hold true for those who do not conform to the dominant culture. We will explore how dreams and expectations differ from culture to culture in our society. We will […]