A Minister's Musings

10 Questions

2011-12-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

Recently a high school student from Christchurch School in Middlesex, Virginia contacted me for help with a school project. She was arguing in favor of marriage equality and, as one of the requirements of this project, had to contact someone who could be considered "an expert on the philosophy on this subject." She thought that a Unitarian Universalist minister might just fit the bill. (She

The Speech of Angels

2011-12-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago I heard an interview on National Public Radio with the theoretical phsycist Michio Kaku. Beyond his many television appearances and published works, Kaku’s real claim to fame is as one of the creators and developers of what’s known as Superstring Field Theory. Superstring Theory is an attempt to take Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity – which deals with the force of

Laid in a Manger

2011-12-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

A while ago I was reading the book Francis: the journey and the dream, a beautiful blending of biography and meditation on the life of St. Francis of Assisi by the Franciscan priest and poet, Fr. Murray Bodo. In it I found this wonderful reflection on Francis' understanding of Christmas: "At Christmas it was the infant Christ who was born again in human hearts, and it struck Francis that God

How Large Is The Circle

2011-11-28T10:17:00.001-05:00

Yesterday after a couple of moving services at church I received an e-mail from a congregant. He'd brought a friend with him and something had happened during the service that had made his friend feel unwelcome and had embarrassed him. The issue was something that was said during the welcome: "We are an intentionally inclusive congregation and we welcome everyone to our church regardless

Gratitude – What Comes Next?

2011-11-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Preparation for the Sermon: “From you I receive, to you I give, together we share, and from this we live.” It’s true. We’ve been sharing thoughts on gratitude this month. Today we’re exploring “What happens when ‘thank you’ becomes not just our continuous prayer but also our way of life?” I wish I could share with you my experiences as someone who has mastered thank you as my way of life,

Gratitude in a Complex Context

2011-11-20T10:55:00.001-05:00

Preparation for the Sermon: Can you feel it in the air? The Holiday season is just around the corner. For some this is a time filled with stress, maybe with loneliness or with sorrow. Or maybe even with anger at the commercialism which invades what used to be sacred space and time. But for me….. Wow! Thanksgiving season is the beginning of a magical time. A time of childish wonder and

The Weight of Our History

2011-11-14T09:39:00.001-05:00

Ten years ago, while I was serving the First Universalist Church of Yarmouth, Maine, I wrote a sermon on "craving" which ended with the following story: A few days into his journey to the mouth of the Coppermine River, Thomas Hearne and his party were set upon by Indians who stole most of their supplies. You might imagine that this would engender feelings of fear or, at least, uncertainty

But What If Life's Hard?

2011-11-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

If it were up to me, I might just leave our TV on the Discovery Channel. After all, that’s where you can find MythBusters, and Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe; Cash Cab and Dual Survival. It’s the home of Shark Week, and that annual extravaganza of mechanization and mayhem, Punkin’ Chunkin’. Of course, if we left the TV on Discovery then we’d miss out on some other family favorites – Good Luck

Crying for Community

2011-11-09T11:12:00.001-05:00

I've recently heard that in the congregation I serve (Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist in Charlottesville, Virginia) an age-old battle is still being waged -- what to do with our babies. Yes, I understand that some people seek out our sanctuary each week because it is, well, a sanctuary. Those with too hectic lives long for some quite, some solace, and the sounds of

The Practice of Gratitude

2011-11-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

“For what we are about to receive, may we be truly thankful.” This month we begin our exploration of the theme of gratitude. Of giving thanks. And I’d like to begin with that well-known family grace — "For what we are about to receive may we be truly thankful." You may have grown up saying this simple prayer before dinner, or maybe you remember watching the Walton and Ingles families saying

Let Justice Roll

2011-10-25T11:27:00.000-04:00

Last night I was honored to have the opportunity to offer some words of reflection, hopefully inspirational, at the IMPACT Annual Meeting. According to its website IMPACT is "a grassroots initiative that brings together a diverse group of congregations to live out our religious traditions' call for justice in our local community of Charlottesville & Albemarle County, VA." (IMPACT stands

Strangers in a Strange Land

2011-10-23T12:30:00.000-04:00

Preparation for the Sermon (by Pam Phillips): I grew up in southern Oregon, in a valley known for its pear orchards. Migrant workers picked the pears. That was my first encounter with immigrants from Mexico. I remember going to the roller skating rink on a Saturday night and seeing the darker skinned boys with cigarette packs rolled up in their white t-shirt sleeves. I don’t know if they were

Of Gratitude and Grace

2011-10-20T08:57:00.001-04:00

Last evening a group of us gathered at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist to explore the topic of "gratitude." We've recently begun organizing our lifespan faith development efforts -- and in this I include our weekly worship -- around monthly themes. In September we explored "hospitality." In October we're dancing with "Atonement." Next month our theme will be "

What's In A Name?

2011-10-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

[Listen to the Sermon] One morning a week or so ago I came to work and really noticed the front of our building – the way it echoes the Rotunda at UVA – and I was struck how, from the outside at least, this place really looks like a “Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church.” And then I came inside, and into that marvelous foyer, with those inspiring quotes from Jefferson’s writings: No man shall be

Why?

2011-10-10T23:49:00.000-04:00

Sometimes . . . okay, often . . . someone will come up to me, knowing that I'm an ordained minister, and ask me "Why?" Why did this bad thing happen? Why didn't this good thing happen? Why is life the way it is? (Why is MY life the way it is?) Usually I try to refrain from giving any kind of answer. It's my experience that most people, when asking the question, are not really looking for

Reconciliation

2011-10-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

[Listen to the Sermon] Chalice Lighting: We light this chalice as a symbol of our search for truth We light this chalice in appreciation for this supportive community We light this chalice in celebration of our humanity We light this chalice in gratitude for life's amazing gifts We light this chalice in love Opening Words: "Broken, Unbroken" by Mary Oliver Reading: From Charlotte Kasl's

The Rev. Peter Fossett Calls To Me

2011-10-03T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Rev. Peter Fossett was born to Joseph and Edith Fossett. As an adult, his family lived in Cincinatti, Ohio, where Peter was, first, a well-known and respected caterer. He eventually left that profession and was ordained a Baptist minister, organizing the First Baptist Church in Cumminsville, a suburb of Cincinatti. He served that church faithfully and well for thirty years, and became a

Confession is Good for the Soul

2011-10-02T12:30:00.000-04:00

[Listen to the Sermon]Preparation for the Sermon: I would like to introduce that Atonement is the topic for the next “Month of Sundays”. When we – all of us, the Worship Weavers started talking about this topic and preparing for the month, I thought, “what for? Atonement, really what for?” It’s a big religious word that can carry a lot of “you-are-worthless”ness because one atones for Sin.

YES!

2011-09-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

photo (c) Andy Welsh I have begun reading a book called Praying Dangerously: radical reliance by God by Regina Sara Ryan. She begins her book with a prayer, and the prayer ends with these words: Let us say Yes, again and again and again. and Yes some more. Let us pray dangerously, the most dangerous prayer is Yes. The most dangerous prayer is "yes." This really resonates

Radical Hospitality

2011-09-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is my sermon from September 25, 2011, delivered at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church -- Unitarian Universalist. [Listen to the Sermon] Just a few moments ago we sang, “Come, come, whoever you are.” Did you feel the energy in the room? Those words may have come from a Sufi poem, but that’s our song, isn’t it? (Singing) Come, come, whoever you are wanderer, worshipper, lover of

Smartphones Come To Church

2011-09-18T21:03:00.001-04:00