Joy was never really his plan – which involved serial breaking and entering, theft, coercion and taking candy from babies. But the Grinch’s story reveals a marvelous conversion. The moment of reckoning comes when, while scaling the mountain symbolic of his immense hubris and pride, the Grinch listens for the inconsolable wailing from the town … Continue reading Lessons of the Grinch
Although there are many parts we may love, the spectacle of Christmas – and its’ high-watt insistence that we cheerfully eat, drink, decorate and shop non-stop until we drop – has pushed aside the original religious premise from which it came to dominate the ‘reason for the season.’ Fresh from a tour of megalithic Ireland, … Continue reading Lessons from a Solstice Centered Culture
If Jesus, or any of his disciples, were informed that their ministry to the poor and marginalized in Judea would – in 2000 years – explode into a world-wide movement with billions of followers carrying forth a religion based on their teachings, it’s safe to assume they would be surprised at how their ‘good news’ … Continue reading Christian Nationalism and the Separation of Church and Hate
In this concluding segment of the sermon trilogy, we will use one of the most iconic figures of American culture to help reveal evidence showing the ways society has slipped into unprecedented low in civility. MAGA critics pushed hard on the claim that the new Superman movie is ‘wokism’. But the real truth is we … Continue reading God is Betting on Us – Part III – This Superman Moment
Noah had a dilemma. It seems the world was going to hell in a handbasket and, frankly, he was hoping for something a little more promising. Together with his neighbor and the wisdom of the animals of his community, they reflect on a theology that may help guide them toward a more hope-filled future. They … Continue reading Noah’s Dilemma
Continuing in the second part of this sermon trilogy, we turn our attention to the people who are part of the action – those who have ‘skin in the game.’ The world of the recently legalized sports betting industry is, of course, filled with winners and losers. But when we learn that the game is … Continue reading God is Betting on Us – Part II – For the Love of the People Who Play
There is a wise prophecy of a UU mentor who said that churches – even the really good ones – would, eventually, break our hearts. Hearing it for the first time seemed almost sacrilegious. It suggested that the institution based on faith that we dedicated ourselves to could be the very thing to challenge our … Continue reading Love After Love
This sermon trilogy opens one hundred and four years ago, when eight Chicago White Sox players were permanently banned from baseball for desecrating the sport’s sacred code: they bet on the game. More accurately, they received payoffs to throw the 1919 World Series, allowing the gambling syndicate to profit. The incident cast a stain on … Continue reading God is Betting on Us – Part I – For the Love of the Game
How does singing African American Spirituals help us understand the systemic oppression built into this country and the convoluted path that African Americans had to navigate to find their way to freedom? The Zoom link and Order of Service will be provided at mpuuc.org/zoom.
200 Years ago, New England Unitarians – who were yet to marvel before the miracle of air conditioning, would close their churches and all migrate to the Cape where it was cooler. This was because most early Unitarian ministers were also university professors who didn’t teach classes in the summer. This is the history behind … Continue reading Flower Communion
