That’s what I’ve been telling people, preaching about. The message is in invitation to stay awake and pay attention to the dynamics of white supremacy and racism that are all around us all the time. Those of us who are white can easily lose track and slip back into that little bubble of privilege that … Continue reading Stay Woke
In a group online, a few colleagues wondered about what to tell their children and how to tell them about what has been going on in the world, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the question of what we tell our children and when, and how to protect them and give them hope. I’m not … Continue reading What About the Children: A Response to Orlando
In our service on May 22, we missed out on this reading: Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to … Continue reading Excerpt from Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton
Our congregation is beginning to build a relationship with the Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship. When asked why we might want to do such a thing, here’s how I responded: The first reason for wanting to step into this adventure is actually an old one that takes us back to the very beginnings of Unitarianism in … Continue reading Why Make Ourselves Multi-Site?
On Thursday morning, Affiliate Minister Tandi Rogers and I headed up to the First United Methodist Church in Renton to attend a very special event: the launch of Washington Won’t Discriminate. A group called “Just Want Privacy” is attempting to overturn equal rights for trans* people that have been in force without any issues for 10 … Continue reading Affirming Trans* Lives
On Sunday, the congregation was challenged to wear a Black Lives Matter button for a month. During a discussion in which we considered how to respond to people who may comment, one participant asked about resources for talking about race and this challenge with her child. As it is sometimes a difficult topic of conversation … Continue reading Resources for Talking to Your Children About Race
Those of you who were in the service this past Sunday (April 3), will remember that in the Time for All Ages, I told a story and forgot one of the elements. The story is a Nigerian Tale called “The Three Tasks” and for some reason I drew a blank in the service about what … Continue reading The Second Task
It’s the first Sunday to reflect upon Revelation as our theme, and you are invited to take up a challenge to open yourself to learning something about yourself and the state of racial justice in our community. For several years, Unitarian Universalists across the country have taken up the call to affirm that Black … Continue reading A Challenge to Connect: Black Lives Matter
Last summer, I saw a note on Facebook that the author Brené Brown was coming to Seattle in the fall to promote her soon-to-be-released book, Rising Strong, and I put my name on the list to be notified when tickets went on sale for the event. Up early some months later, I opened my email to find … Continue reading This Sunday: Rising Strong
On Sunday, I suggested that money is often a source of shame for both those who are without money and those who have it. It’s a remnant of our Calvinist faith and a product of the new prosperity gospel that suggests that God rewards those who have pleased him and it cuts all ways. Even … Continue reading Your Money and Your Life: Sermon Notes and an Exercise
