Max Planck, the German physicist, said: “Nobody comes into this life or this world with any kind of guarantee of life itself or happiness or good fortune or success. Therefore for every hour of happiness that you enjoy and for every good thing that comes to you, you owe an obligation, you contribute back to […]
A message rooted in Victor Frankl’s understanding of life as a “search for meaning,” which he defines through three sources of that meaning. Longer life expectancy is forcing us to rethink what gives live meaning and purpose in “the third age” of life (post-retirement), challenging prevailing cultural assumptions that this stage of life should be defined […]
When comparing Christian liturgy to Buddhist forms of prayer, it can be argued that Christian prayer offers a number of similarities with Eastern meditation practices that we usually do not recognize or appreciate. Peter Conroy is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois-Chicago where he taught French language and literature for 34 years and served […]
After exploring sources as diverse as the Buddha and clickbait, we will contemplate our lives through the lens of the good news/bad news that Woody Guthrie put this way: “Nobody else can walk it for you, You gotta walk it by yourself.” Cynthia Johnson, a retired Unitarian Universalist minister who served UU congregations in Texas […]
Power and privilege are often associated with their abuses and abusers. However, like any tool, power and privilege can be used for good or evil, to oppress or liberate, harm or heal, destroy or create. Rather than demonizing power itself or drowning in guilt over our privilege, can we learn to use our power and […]
A number of psychologists have recently explored the divide between liberals and conservatives–in religion, politics, and morality. The problem, some argue, may be the ethical/spiritual foundations each group is most comfortable with: Care vs. harm, Fairness vs. cheating, Loyalty vs. betrayal, Authority vs. subversion, Sanctity vs. degradation, and Liberty vs. oppression. Liberals tend to pay […]
Are expectations good? Bad? Neither? Tony Larsen will explore this subject with us, and he assures that there is not necessarily a simple answer to this question. Rev. Dr. Tony Larsen has been pastor of Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine since 1975 (yes, that’s 40 years and probably a record!). He is an annual guest […]
It has been said that Unitarian Universalism suffers from lack of a “Great Story”. While this may be true concerning its origin, many “saints” (an informal assignment in UU-ism) have lived extraordinary lives in our liberal faith. On Thoreau’s 198th birthday, Joan offers a very personal appreciation for the remarkable philosopher, conservationist, inventor and civil […]
The existence of the human species poses questions about how and why we act as we do – individually and collectively. Religious thinkers, philosophers, literary writers and scientists have offered many descriptions and interpretations of what it means to be human. As the archeological record expands, we get new insights on how our species evolved, […]
Today we will explore people’s ever-changing estimation of Jesus over the centuries. Although orthodox Christianity describes Christ as being the same “yesterday, today and forever” that has hardly been the case. Michael A. Schuler has served for twenty-seven years as the Parish Minister of the 1450 member First Unitarian Society of Madison, one of the […]