While researching for a sermon I ran across the following publicity description of someone whose, says the blurb, “life is rooted in the belief that when we come from a place of love, anything is possible.” Now there’s a certain sweetness in cockeyed optimism. It’s particularly charming in children. And, I guess it has a place in life. But, anyone who has lived a real life has to feel, when hearing a line like this, somewhere deep down that at... Read more

Today is observed, in some more or less official way, as a celebration of the life of Charles Chapman Grafton, second bishop of the Episcopalian diocese of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin. Bishop Grafton is of interest in world religion as a leader of the late nineteenth century American Anglo-Catholic movement, the revival of Catholic forms and attitudes within the Anglican communion, and as it has evolved a fascinating attempt at establishing a genuinely inclusive and liberal Catholicism. Something worthy... Read more

Step by step the dream is being realized. We’ve come a good way. And it is important to celebrate that truth. And we have a long way to go. Perhaps it is even more important to notice that truth… Read more

I’ve been thinking a little about those wondrous moments when great religions encounter each other. For instance when Indian Buddhism first encountered China. In particular I’m aware of the power of adaptation, and how when Buddhists decided to use Tao to stand for Buddhadharma, that subtle and powerful currents shifted and new perceptions emerged… Now that Buddhism is taking root among Western cultures the first great dialog has turned out to be with Western psychology. But there has been a... Read more

There’s a new survey out showing how people feel about being of color in our contemporary culture. And not to put too fine a point on it, it suggests a lot about white privilege. And gender, while we’re at it, let’s not forget gender… Me, I come from the underclasses. My father was a petty criminal and general all around screw up. I dropped out of high school. My future didn’t look good. But, I had a couple of things... Read more

Two minutes and fifty-four seconds showing the 2012 Buddha’s birthday celebration at the Great Heartland Zen Buddhist Temple of Toledo… Read more

Had such a lovely time visiting with the Great Heartland Buddhist Temple of Toledo over the weekend. I joined them for the end of their jukai sesshin and then served as principal celebrant at the jukai service on Sunday. In addition to the adults who all completed a rigorous months long program in preparation, teens and children made various promises in age appropriate versions of the ceremony. I am particularly impressed at how they are maintaining a pretty hard core... Read more

Wishing Steve Martin a happy birthday… Read more

So, there I was sitting at one of our organizing meetings for Voices of Faith, which we hope will become a state wide interfaith organization sponsoring dialogue and education among the various spiritual traditions of our community. One of the more interesting aspects of this organizing effort is that the local humanist group has been invited to the table and they have accepted. Two unlikely things following hard upon one another. And something I take as a good omen for... Read more

YOU DON’T SAY We Can’t help seeing through words, but it’s worth trying James Ishmael Ford Pretty much everyone I’ve ever met knows that children’s rhyme, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” I recall coming home in tears from some schoolyard altercation and my mother hugging me and repeating that rhyme The hug helped, the words didn’t. For the rest of the article, published at UU World, go here… Read more