THOUGHTS WHILE HOLDING A CANDLE IN THE DARK A Sermon on Hanukkah Anticipated James Ishmael Ford 28 November 2010 First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island Text A candle is a small thing. But one candle can light another. And see how it’s own light increases, as a candle gives its flame to the other. You are such a light. Moshe Davis & Victor Ratner Once upon a time a friend who is psychic told me that I’d been a rabbi... Read more

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I was recently interviewed for an article in Options, a local BGLT oriented magazine. I was holding forth about how we at the First Unitarian Church were not only welcoming but were aggressively involved in the work for marriage equality in our state. The interviewer asked how it was that I’d become an BGLTQQI ally. I was flummoxed.  Didn’t have an answer. I guess it was like a frog in water gradually boiled. I was raised in a homophobic household.... Read more

Last night after cleaning up from our little Thanksgiving feast (rotisserie grilling a turkey for the first time. My goodness, it was great!), overcoming trypotophan-driven inertia (okay, maybe over-eating-driven inertia), we went out to a local multiplex and took in the penultimate Harry Potter movie. Me, I enjoyed it a lot. As did auntie. As did Jan. And I look forward to the conclusion. Which, I think won’t be like when the family walked out of the theater after watching... Read more

Me, I’ve always liked Thanksgiving. First off I’ve a lot to be thankful for. And second our American holiday myth is massively conflicted. Kind of like real life. What’s not to like? So, a little medley of video clips in honor of it all… The serious… The silly… The surreal… Read more

On the Origin of Species was published on this day in 1859. One of those magic moments in human existence… Read more

Stirring up gratitude In a flash, memories of joy and sorrow mingle in thanksgiving.By James Ishmael Ford  As I was making oatmeal this morning, I found my gaze focused on the large wooden spoon I was using to stir oats into boiling water. Many memories, many thoughts bubbled with the oats. I have spent much of my life engaged in the spiritual quest. I spent some time as a Zen monk and many years after in which making a living... Read more

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It’s likely all of us have memories of a table. Some table that we sat at for a while, perhaps that we sat at for years. Can you imagine it? Can you remember such a table in your life? Here, today, now, we’re invited to take a step farther, and reflect on what might be that greatest table? The table at which we are all invited to sit. What is that table for us? For you? For me first it... Read more

On this day in 1620 (okay, November 11, Old Style) a raggedy band of Pilgrims sitting in their leaky ship created and signed a compact before debarking and establishing their colony. While it is done in the face of the divine, it is essentially a compact among people. It is generally considered the ancestor of our system of self-government (as well as what would be the spiritual governance of Congregational and later Unitarian churches…) Here’s a computer reading the text,... Read more