Last Saturday we had about eight people attend the Worship Arts Workshop, designed to explore the typical elements of a Sunday morning worship service in the Unitarian Universalist tradition. Offered once every year or two, the workshop invites participants to reflect on what makes for great worship. And we all pretty much agreed that great worship is emotionally moving and inspiring. We agreed that great worship invites contemplation and connection; and that it has a flow an

Recently I visited my daughter in her new apartment in Detroit. She lives next to Hamtramck, which as I’ve learned is its own small city within Detroit, and is known as “The World in Two Square Miles” because of its diversity. My daughter told me that many of her neighbors are from Bangladesh, and indeed at the park a couple of blocks away there was a large sign saying Welcome to Banglatown. Heading to lunch that day I heard something unfamiliar – a sort of chanting song ov

This week stands between the two high holidays of Judaism: Rosh Hashanah last weekend and Yom Kippur next weekend. This is the Jewish new year, and in their tradition it is a time for reflection, repentance, and forgiveness. I am not a Jew, but I honor the spiritual and practical wisdom of this holiday. For a traditional Jewish community celebrating a new calendar year—or for a religious community recognizing the start of a new program year—it is a good idea to clear the air

It feels weird that 25 years have passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that day I was teaching 5th grade in Belchertown, Massachusetts. The principal, Mr. Millette, called all the classes to the gym for a special assembly and explained what had happened. It was mid-morning as I recall. Back in the classroom, I gave my perspective to the 10 year-olds in my care using the only framework I knew: that terrorists perform acts of violence to bring attention to the

I was about 12 years old, visiting my cousin in New York, when the whole family went to see the movie “9 to 5” featuring Dolly Parton. The movie and its title song became known as icons of a version of feminist empowerment, but at the time it was just a corny movie with a catchy lead song. This was just about my only experience of Dolly Parton and her music, aside from a few popular songs on the radio. I put her in the category of country music singer, which I also conflated

Some road work in front of my house last week left a bare patch in the curb lawn. As I have planted grass seed there and begun watering it for the last few days, it strikes me that this is an act of hope, intention, and commitment. Hope: I have hope that this grass seed will grow. Seed from the same bag worked well, earlier this summer, in a more shady part of my yard. I hope that it will also grow in the sunny area by the road. I hope that nothing will destroy it before it

Today on the threshold of summer I am reflecting on this passage from the Tao Te Ching: When a country is in harmony with the Tao, the factories make trucks and tractors. When a country goes counter to the Tao, warheads are stockpiled outside the cities. There is no greater illusion than fear, no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy. Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe. -Tao Te Ching, verse 46 (tran

In the annual life-cycle of this Fellowship, June is a time of transition. We have recently had our annual business meeting, summarizing the accomplishments of last year and looking ahead to the next; this week we celebrate the Flower Communion which bookends the year. During the summer months, the minister takes several weeks off and we have a slightly different routine for our summer worship. And in terms of governance, key leadership committees such as the Board of Trustee

Last week I went to my first Michigan LGBTQ+ Capitol Day, along with Kim Joki, Al Heise and Norma Bailey. More than 400 people attended. Our intention was to speak with lawmakers about issues affecting the queer community. The organizers equipped us with a page of talking points about each of two issues: gender affirming care and HIV. We got some training, both ahead of time and at the event, about how to engage with the lawmakers: introduce ourselves; tell a personal story a

On Mother’s Day I honor and celebrate all the mothers in my life, beginning with my immediate family. It’s also a day of great personal significance for me because my first child was born on Mother’s Day 1996. And, the way we think of and celebrate this holiday today is far from its original intention. When Julia Ward Howe proposed this holiday, it was a Women’s Peace Day dedicated to the eradication of war. These are her words, written in 1870: Arise, all women who have he