Dear Friends, Though Benjamin Franklin was neither a Unitarian nor a Universalist, his propensity to strive for self-improvement and individual development resonate with the premises of humanism. His “Thirteen Virtues” point the way to a good moral life, though the last has always struck me as hilarious (imitation being the highest form of flattery, but … Continue reading May 29, 2020 Minister’s Message
Dear Friends, Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a day when we focus our attention on environmental protection. Earth Day was conceived in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, where peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace. McConnell intended Earth Day to be celebrated on March 21, … Continue reading May 22, 2020 Minister’s Message
Notes from the Director “Love a UUFM Elder” Keep an eye on emails from Rev. Rita and Macey about outreach to the elders of our UUFM community! We will be nominating an elder each week and inviting families to write to them. Perhaps if your family doesn’t find time to write much, you can encourage … Continue reading CFD Director’s Corner 04/29/2020
Notes from the Director “Love a UUFM Elder” Keep an eye on emails from Rev. Rita and Macey about outreach to the elders of our UUFM community! We will be nominating an elder each week and inviting families to write to them. Perhaps if your family doesn’t find time to write much, you can encourage … Continue reading CFD Director’s Corner 4/22/2020
Dear Friends, Rita will NEVER solicit gift cards from you through email. Please be mindful of scam emails with addresses similar to hers. And she would never text you to ask. Those scams are circulating, too. Call Rev. Rita directly at her cell number if you are solicited.
Notes from the Director “suffering makes sense to me… i can see the worst case scenarios fanned out before me, a million lonely paths… [so] i have had to learn to cultivate joy, to generate and extend trust, to be still, to focus my attention on what brings me ease, to give myself permission to … Continue reading CFD Director’s Corner 4/15/2020
Dear Friends, Some people have compared this time of sheltering to the Bill Murray “Groundhog Day,” movie and that makes a lot of sense to me. It’s a favorite of mine, because I love Bill Murray, and I am originally from Western Pennsylvania. I have seen Punxsutawney Phil in the flesh when I waited with … Continue reading April 15, 2020 Minister’s Message
Notes from the Director Welcome to the Month of Liberation! Liberation can mean many things, one of which is the practice of accepting that we are already enough. This short talk with Krista Tippett shares some thoughts about our inherent worth and dignity: https://onbeing.org/programs/living-the-questions-feel-okay-when-we-arent-doing/?fbclid=IwAR2gzSJtKaLHTcsOp7trWoS-NQ9x7ETNjEKn1bxa2bz7Tuj_puHpZt49jTM I hope that you remember your worth, especially when your days are … Continue reading CFD Director’s Corner
Dear Friends, I don’t know about you, but I feel weighted down by sameness—monotonous days tinged with boredom, irritation, and frustration. At base level, that’s how it seems in my house. For the last 16 days, I have taken a photo of a tree in my backyard and posted it on Facebook. My friends ask … Continue reading April 8, 2020 Minister’s Message
Dear Friends, I took an extra day off this week, and my spouse and I headed north to Mille Lacs Lake, a part of Minnesota we had not yet seen. We stopped only for gas (I have NEVER seen such clean restrooms!) and observed physical distancing and all sanitary precautions. For a person who learned … Continue reading April 1, 2020 Minister’s Message
