Thank you, Transparent Eye! Read more

Last night I was the featured presenter at the congregation’s Second Friday potluck and lecture. It’s quite the event, draws, I don’t know, something pushing two hundred folk. Part of the reason for the draw is how they get illustrious people to present ranging from authors to philosophers and scientists to politicians. (It doesn’t appear to hurt that the church is nearly surrounded by Brown University campus.)  They also feel obligated to let the minister in on the deal once... Read more

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Well, the heat is on. I’m packaged as the best thing since sliced bread. On the one hand I hope I mostly disappoint people early on and then we can go forward to build a more realistic relationship. But I would rather that disappointment doesn’t happen around my inaugural sermon as the new minister at First Unitarian. I have a bit of a grand scheme. I’m doing a two-parter, intending on outlining why people come to a liberal church and... Read more

You gotta thank the Onion for not missing the real news of the day! And, a tip of the Hatlo Hat to the Socinian for pointing this out… And, for those who care to know, the sermon is coming along nicely, thank you… Read more

Who suspects this means I’m working on a sermon… Read more

I’m sitting on a plastic chair in the shell of our new home sipping a quickly cooling cup of coffee, “my” new NPR station rumbling in the background, waiting on the Sears delivery truck carrying our new refrigerator and stove, contemplating, because it’s my nature, my and our communal sins… As soon as I can focus I’ll be turning my attention to Sunday’s sermon, my first as the newly called minister at the First Church. Now I tend to be... Read more

I’ve been asked by a member of the Commission on Appraisal who first opined that Section C-2.3, “Sources,” needs a conclusion, and so wanted to know what I thought a suitable ending sentence might look like if they deleted what I’ve said is an unacceptable sentence. That original sentence reads: “Grateful for the traditions that have strengthened our own, we strive to avoid misappropriation of cultural and religious practices and to seek ways of appreciation that are respectful and welcomed.”... Read more

In an earlier post I expressed my profound concern with a line in the proposed revision of the Statement of Principles and Purposes of our Unitarian Universalist By-Laws. It is so important for the continuing life of our Association I feel a need to expand a bit on my feelings and thoughts regarding this matter. While we are a fiercely non-creedal people, and indeed the draft contains an “escape clause” in section C-2.6 “Freedom of Belief;” this statement is enshrined... Read more

Today continues the mad dash of church start up. I’ve already had a quick visit over early morning coffee with our congregational president. I’m soon (like in ten minutes) off to visit with the interim minister of the Beneficent Congregational Church in downtown Providence. Roughly a million years ago they were a schism from the First Church, which would in turn evolve into being First Unitarian. From the stories I hear both sides claim to have been the “liberal” part... Read more