Message by Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman Our theme for January is Liberating Love. We can think of nobetter example of liberating love than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,whose legacy and inspiring wisdom will be honored ontomorrow’s holiday. Our Opening Words are his: “I am convinced that love is the most durable power in theworld. It is … Continue reading Liberating Love Goes Upstream

Message by Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman Moment of Perspective – Spirit, Move This With Me – AJ Fox I’d like to share Mysteries, Yes by Mary Oliver. Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelousto be understood.How grass can be nourishing in themouths of the lambs.How rivers and stones are foreverin allegiance with gravitywhile we ourselves dream … Continue reading The Gift of Mystery

Message by Colleen Appel and Ray Crespo Beth Ross has a story about the Buddha. The Buddha said, “If you knew, as I do, the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing some of it.” …Generosity is this powerful for very good reason. Because it is characterized by the … Continue reading Money as Medicine

Message by Michelle Scott-Huffman Moment of Perspective – Time, Talent, Treasure – AJ Fox Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen writes:“Charity is about helping people survive. Justice is about helping people thrive.” Renaissance Irish BlessingAntoine Brumel (Public Domain)Arr. John Prescott (used with permission)Performed by the First UU Choir AndanteBy C. W. von GluckPublic DomainPerformed by Eva Riebold From You … Continue reading Choosing Generosity

This week’s message was selected readings from Voices From The Margins: An Anthology of Meditations by Jacqui James and Mark D Morrison-Reed. This book is available in the UU Library downstairs and 100 copies of it were generously gifted to the church by the Crespo family. Since the book is copyright, the message is not … Continue reading Voices From The Margins

Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman Rev. Scott Taylor offers us this attempt to differentiate history from heritage. “Protect what we put into place!”Heritage urges, “Know the plotline of which you are a part.”History is what happened;Heritage is a story still unfolding.History tends to trap us in tales about what they did;Heritage inevitably gets us talking about what … Continue reading A Hopeful Heritage – Striking a Balance Between Preservation and Adaptation

By Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman Hear these words from Rev. Scott Tayler: We gather as a house of stories,as a shelter shot through with memories that speak,that long for us to listen,without which we easily lose our way.As we learn of those who have gone before, the way in front of us becomes more clear.As we … Continue reading Freedom, Reason, Hope, and Courage: A Sampling of UU Heritage

Message by Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman Moment of Perspective – Thich Nat Hanh: The Magic Seeds of Our Minds – Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman Hear these words from Rev. Karen Johnston: As we gather this morning,let us be a people of not-forgetting.Let us practiceholding collective memories that might otherwise slip into that enormous void that sucks at … Continue reading The Fruit of Trees We Didn’t Plant

Message by AJ Fox and Tom McFarland This message was structured around the music used in the service, so the videos will be posted in the order they appeared in the service, followed by the closing words. Indigenous People’s Day and Cultural Appropriation in Music – Part 1 Ancient MotherCongregational HymnTraditional Navajo PrayerWords and Music: … Continue reading Indigenous People’s Day and Cultural Appropriation in Music

Message by Rev. Kaaren Anderson, read by Jessica Wirges Moment of Perspective – The Mushroom and the Oak Sapling – Emily McKinney and Tom McFarland This morning’s opening words are Invoking the Past, Present, and Future, by Katie Romano Griffin. Come, let us enter this space of hope and community.Come, let us enter this space … Continue reading My Humanist Monster: On a Heritage of Mixed Blessings