What’s eternity? Can we experience it in the “here and now” of this life? How? Where? Why does life include both joy and pain? These are tough questions! To wrestle with these, we need to use our imaginations. Poetry and music are wonderful tools for igniting the imagination as we ponder great questions. So we’ll […]
As a young teenager I adopted the motto, “It is better to light one little candle than to curse the darkness.” This has been my guiding attitude. It has also been my experience that everyone appreciates a smile and warm greetings. My message deals with the power of positive thinking – for oneself and others. […]
Prayer is a very “loaded” word in our culture. It carries a lot of baggage. And most people have traveled with that baggage for a long time. When we fly in an aircraft, we are always told to be careful when we unload our baggage from the overhead bin, as it may have shifted in […]
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION One of the biggest misunderstandings of the liberal religious tradition — by its proponents and its critics — is that we can “believe whatever we want”. In fact, the distinctive approach that Unitarian Universalism brings to the world of religion is a thoughtful balance of belief and doubt, a […]
As well-meaning people or institutions, is there a way to measure our impact on the world? If so, should we crack down on the delinquents? If not, then what? Rev. Paul Beckel has served the First Universalist Unitarian Church of Wausau since 2001.
Thoreau said “Every time something is gained, something is lost.” When it comes to aging, it’s easy to see what is lost but rather hard to see what is gained. A meditation. Joan Shiels is a longtime friend and a frequent speaker at our fellowship. She notices she has been getting older every day.
(A Baker’s Dozen Sunday) Mother’s Day is so much bigger that the bond between someone and their mother or someone who is a mother and her children. We’ll celebrate and ponder and use both ends of the telescope to honor Mother/mothers/mothering in our own lives — and use our imaginations to reach beyond our own […]
I recently learned about Pluralism Sunday and am inspired by its aspiration to build respectful relationships among different religions. We know this work needs doing every day, not just when bombs explode but every time faith communities explore new ways of being together. Right now, right here, Door County is a microcosm of the world. […]
Rik was a treasured friend of our UU Fellowship. He was an insightful and entertaining speaker who had the ability to reduce complex issues to understandable terms. Prior to retiring in Ellison Bay with his wife Margot in 2004, Rik was president of Lawrence University in Appleton, a position he held for 25 years. As […]
Rik was a treasured friend of our UU Fellowship. He was an insightful and entertaining speaker who had the ability to reduce complex issues to understandable terms. Prior to retiring in Ellison Bay with his wife Margot in 2004, Rik was president of Lawrence University in Appleton, a position he held for 25 years. As […]