Not long ago on Facebook, someone, as I recall, a fellow Unitarian Universalist minister mentioned visiting a new city and seeing announcements for worship services for the two most liberal congregations. The UU church advertised the sermon title as “On Consciousness,” while the progressive Christian congregation had a sermon advertised as “Bad Girls of the Bible.” The minister asked, “Which one would you attend?” Now, I actually would have been interested in that reflection on consciousness. But, I take the... Read more

According to the good folk at Wikipedia, this is the day in the year 70 that Titus attacked Jerusalem’s third wall in an all out assault on the city. From that point things go badly for the Israelites… Read more

The Beat Zen Buddhist poet and eco-activist icon, Gary Snyder turns eighty three today! Read more

William Ellery Channing was born on this day in 1780, Newport, Rhode Island. If I were to create a calendar of saints (which would mark birthdays rather than the day someone died, as I want to celebrate what they did not some hypothetical reward in the sweet by and bye), the Reverend Channing would have a special place of honor. Channing was a prominent New England congregationalist minister and a leader of the liberal wing which would, through his ownership... Read more

Yesterday, Rick McDaniel, an old Zen hand and author of Zen Masters of China, who is now compiling interviews for a projected book on Zen teachers in North America drove with his wife to Providence, for a quick visit. After the interviews he writes up brief eight hundred word (or so) accounts for a travel blog. If you’re interested… The small sitting group I host in Fredericton meets at the Shambhala Center—which has been generous in allowing us to use... Read more

We struggled. We won. It is now time to pause and give thanks… Read more

So, an old friend who is also a member of the church calls me up this morning. His spouse, also a friend, also a member of the church are at family court for their divorce appearance. They’re not using lawyers. Turns out they must have a witness who can swear they’ve lived in the state for at least a year. The court is half a mile from my office. Clearly I’m the only one they can call upon at this... Read more

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It’s been a good while coming. People in the congregation of the First Unitarian Church of Providence have been dedicated to marriage equality for about a decade. For the past five years it has been a major project of the congregation. Two years ago the church voted by an overwhelming super majority to endorse marriage equality, calling a press conference and declaring “Homosexuality isn’t the sin, homophobia is.” A powerful moment in our congregational life. Members of the church have... Read more

I’m so pleased to announce a new Boundless Way sitting group forming in Brooklyn. It will be led by my senior student Desmond Gilna. Desmond has been a Zen practitioner for nearly thirty years, studying at several monastic centers in America & Japan prior to starting working with me and our other Boundless Way teachers. I find him a sharp mind and equally important a large heart. I’m particularly confident he will prove to be a competent and generous guide... Read more