Joseph Priestley is best known for the discovery of oxygen. Much less widely recognized is that he was a dissenting minister in England, an early leader in the Unitarian movement in England and the United States, and an active friend and supporter of the American Revolution. He became acquainted with many of the “founding fathers” […]
Bob Clarke’s message about the 18th century revolution in religion that allowed Universalism to thrive suggests parallels to the conditions that led to the American Revolution. Alan Kopischke will read Clarke’s message, “The Other Half of Our Heritage”, and highlight those parallels using Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” as inspiration. Universalism’s message that everyone is safe, the […]
Race has been a major issue this last year, rearing it’s head with the unfinished business of the Civil Rights Movement of the past. Our own UU denomination is embracing the Black Lives Matter Movement nationally. Yet, here in northeast Wisconsin we struggle to understand the meaning behind this unrest. I felt that I needed […]
As a hospice chaplain, I see families struggle with making decisions for their loved ones at end of life because no one has made any plans; no one has had a conversation about this important and vital topic. Please join me as we explore why talking about dying with our loved ones is so difficult […]
A Nigerian proverb notes, “In a time of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.” Today I would like to build a bridge from 21st century US culture and history to African history. Such a bridge can provide a new story about the human place in the scheme of things, and African history […]
It’s 2016 and while most of us are perfectly happy to trust that science really does have important (and true) things to teach us – about climate change, the Big Bang, evolution, etc. – there are still a surprising number of people who, for religious reasons, refuse to accept the basic findings of science and […]
On many a Sunday morning Joan drives by the Lutheran and Catholic churches and notes that their parking lots are large – and full. When she arrives at UUFDC she notes that their parking lot is small and seldom crowded. She wonders at this. Most churches, she concludes, do a very good job of recounting […]
I came really close to naming the two recently-hatched bald eagles at the National Arboretum. Sunlight and Shadow. So perfect, I thought. But then, I probably should have noticed when the contest closed. I console myself with William Blake’s wisdom: [We were] made for joy and woe Then when this we rightly know Through the world we safely go. Joy […]
Drowning in today’s raucous stream of words, how do we find a way to speak that is courteous yet truthful? In the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha addresses this issue: “And what, bhikkus, is right speech? Abstinence from false speech, abstinence from divisive speech, abstinence from harsh speech, abstinence from idle chatter: this is called right speech.” […]
This question has been asked and debated for thousands of years. When I first talked at UU on October 30, 2011 my topic was “Our World of Wonder.” I suggested then that an appropriate human response to the fact that we exist at all would be an attitude of wonder, awe, gratitude, and humility. This […]