Next week, I will be away from Monday through Wednesday, attending the annual gathering of the Prairie Star Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association. We meet at a retreat center in Iowa, where we share worship, learning, spiritual practices, collegial support and connection, and more, as well as holding a business meeting of our … Continue reading September 25, 2024 Minister’s Message
Last night, my friend Cindy texted me to go outside and look at the moon—we had clear skies for a partial lunar eclipse during the full moon. My cell phone (at least with my basic skill level) didn’t get great pictures, but I took a few anyway. This one is from the peak of the … Continue reading September 18, 2024 Minister’s Message
Although my second year here officially began on August 6th, this past weekend really felt like the beginning of year two. It was my second time representing UUFM at PrideFest, and my second time leading our ingathering worship with a backpack blessing and water ceremony. I’m very excited to see what we do together in … Continue reading September 11, 2024 Minister’s Message
The September Soul Matters theme is Invitation. As we begin a new congregational year together, I’m thinking about the invitations we offer each other, and those we offer to people beyond our congregation. I don’t just mean literal invitations, like to attend worship together, go out for coffee or lunch, or attend a concert or … Continue reading September 4, 2024 Minister’s Message
First, a schedule note: I will be out of state for just over a week beginning this Friday, for a memorial in my extended family. I’ll be back to work on Tuesday, September 3rd, preparing for PrideFest and our ingathering service that next weekend! Now I have a tangentially-related favor to ask. As many of … Continue reading August 21, 2024 Minister’s Message
This summer seems to have sped by for me, and now we are just a few weeks out from a couple of big events that happen each fall. The first is SCMN PrideFest. On Saturday, September 7th, I will be among the clergy leading an interfaith Pride Service at First Presbyterian. Then I will join … Continue reading August 14, 2024 Minister’s Message
Minister’s Message As things start moving faster toward Election Day in November, and especially with our own Governor Tim Walz now one candidate for VP, it seems like a good time to talk about what we, as a congregation, can and cannot do and say with regard to politics. (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer … Continue reading August 7, 2024 Minister’s Message
Many of you heard me preach months ago about one of the two Living Legacy pilgrimages I’ve taken in the last year to civil rights sites in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. The photo with this column is me, my mother, and Mr. Hezekiah Watkins, a Freedom Rider who spoke to our group at the Mississippi … Continue reading July 31, 2024 Minister’s Message
A colleague posed the question today, “What is spiritual community for?” She asked that not as a quiz with a right answer, but as a topic for reflection. There are many possible answers to the question. One of my answers is that we exist both to nourish and comfort people, and to contribute in tangible … Continue reading July 10, 2024 Minister’s Message
Last week was the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly, our annual national gathering which includes workshops, worship, guest speakers, and the business of our denomination, which is carried out be delegates from member congregations of the UUA. (This year it took place exclusively online, which allowed me to serve as a delegate for UUFM even … Continue reading June 26, 2024 Minister’s Message
