Revolutions are dangerous things. You never know how they will turn out. But watching Egypt in a moment where hope springs forth a Goddess… pregnant with possibility… Hope birthing with every breath. Astonishing what humans can dream into being… thank you NellaLou for the pointer… Read more

DAMON & PYTHIAS & THE BEWILDERMENTS OF FRIENDSHIP 30 January 2011 A Sermon by James Ishmael Ford First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island Text I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new. Shall I not call God the Beautiful, who daily showeth himself so to me in his gifts? I chide society, I embrace solitude, and yet I am not so ungrateful as not to see the wise, the lovely, and the noble-minded, as... Read more

William Claude Dukenfield was born on this day in 1880… Thanks for the laughs… Read more

SPIRIT OF LIFE Concert & Communion Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving, It doesn’t matter. Ours is no caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow A hundred times. Come, yet again, come, come. Jalaluddin Rumi Please join us for a celebration of the radical interdependence of all beings through music and a contemporary celebration of the ancient Western service of communion. This service will feature Jackie and Phip Wheelock and John Gotthardt of the renowned Blackstone Run... Read more

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born on this day in 1832. Sitting here snowed in, it’s such a pleasure to recall the gifts he gave us as Lewis Carroll… Read more

Back home from the Fraters’ gathering… It’s snowing steady. Gunna get hard. But it looks like Jan will get in before that… Have a modified Cioppino on the stove & crusty bread & a salad waiting. And outside it’s snowing… I was really glad to go to the gathering. People I admire and like. And a moment to reflect on things pretty important… And outside it’s snowing… No place like home… Read more

I guess anything a hundred and nine years old shows some changes… This gathering of the Fraters of the Wayside Inn features a closed kitchen and therefore not many people other than staff and us the ones who take up the twenty beds at this venerable hostel. This also meant many disruptions to our regularly scheduled events, perhaps not the tragedy of the Babylonish captivity (see the historical note linked above), but it must be close… We were informed that... Read more

STANDING AT THE TIME OF FULFILLMENT And Why Marriage Equality is So Blessedly Important A Sermon by James Ishmael Ford 23 January 2011 First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island Text Whereas, a just society guarantees to all of its citizens certain civil rights and, Whereas, every adult deserves the opportunity to attain the legal protections and safeguards gained through civil marriage and, Whereas, the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island affirms and promotes the Unitarian Universalist Association’s principles of:... Read more

The mad monk, Grigori Rasputin was born on this day in 1869… A friend sent me a note the other day asking why I annually note Poe’s birthday and post that silly video making it look as if he is reciting his poem the Raven? Well, the answer is the same as why I usually note Rasputin’s birthday. Because I have a blog dedicated to whatever passes in front my eyes and catches my fancy. Sometimes a cigar is just... Read more

Lou Hartman, described in one poetry anthology as a “Zen priest-poet, husband, father, seaman, cook, radio writer, as well as chief candle-cleaner and New York Timesdispenser at the Zen temple, Page Street, San Francisco,” died yesterday afternoon. He is probably best known as the spouse of Blanche Hartman, a former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center. But, in his own right known and beloved throughout the larger Zen mahasangha as one of the good people… Here’s a lovely remembrance…... Read more