Dear friends, Monday, October 11 was National Coming Out Day, a time of celebration and of proclaiming out loud for our LGBT and Queer siblings. So glad that those of you out and coming out feel safe enough and loved enough (including by yourself) to be your full authentic selves. I celebrate you, and I … Continue reading October 13, 2021 Minister’s Message
Dear Friends, As you read, I have just returned from a Chapter Retreat with my ministerial colleagues. It is a chance to move out of ordinary time and ordinary obligations and responsibilities to a brief time of contemplation, commiseration, and learning. It is an opportunity for me to connect with friends and build stronger relationships. … Continue reading October 6, 2021 Minister’s Message
Dear Friends, I offer you this week a beautiful poem by Lucille Clifton called the “Blessing the Boats.” May it lift you as the stream of life takes you on your journey, where sometimes you steer and paddle and sometimes the tides and currents are all that keeps you moving. may the tide that is … Continue reading September 29, 2021 Minister’s Message
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”—George Eliot More than a decade ago, a colleague gave me a fancy bookmark with this quotation. I was struggling with my then-vocation, wondering if I had the stamina to stick it out until retiring, hoping I had enough creativity to remain a dedicated … Continue reading September 22, 2021 Minister’s Message
Martin Luther is famously quoted as saying he prayed two hours a day unless he was busy, then he would pray for three hours. That seems counter-intuitive in some ways, especially if you think of prayer as a waste of time. Or tasting too much like a theology or belief system you don’t agree with. … Continue reading September 15, 2021 Minister’s Message
“There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Ask: ‘What is possible?’ not “What’s wrong?’ Keep asking. Notice what you care about. Assume that many others share your dreams . . .” This quotation from American writer, teacher, and speaker Margaret Wheatley reminds us that—regardless of sorrow, loss, pain, and … Continue reading September 8, 2021 Minister’s Message
Dear Ones, From my sermon August 22, 2021: The horrors of war, of refugee migration, of so-called natural disasters, of a deadly rampaging disease—these all impact us in different ways. It is very easy to feel isolated and alone. It can feel, especially with the pandemic, like this world of trouble is descending upon our … Continue reading August 25, 2021 Minister’s Message
When I first arrived back in August 2018, I found myself in the middle of a conversation about the name of the Fellowship, specifically about the word “fellowship.” “Fellowship” is a word carrying your history, a reminder of humanist roots and earlier, provisional professional ministry. “Fellowship” gives a good MPR-PBS ring to our initials UUFM. … Continue reading August 18, 2021 Minister’s Message
We all want some measure of certainty, don’t we? I mean, most of us live our lives balancing planning and spontaneity. It’s fun to get together with friends on the spur of the moment. Or to eat whatever the farmers at the market are displaying this week, whatever our gardens are yielding. It’s great fun … Continue reading August 11, 2021 Minister’s Message
I am so happy to be back among you here in greater Mankato, and you might naturally think that five weeks away would be enough time to feel rested and recuperated after a challenging year of pandemic pain, sorrow, adaptation, and challenge. Well, it is enough, and perhaps nothing is enough. Periods of rest are … Continue reading August 4, 2021 Minister’s Message
