This Sunday we acknowledge the complexities of this Thanksgiving, with its scarcities and abundance, its ugly history and capacity to comfort. By embracing these paradoxes, we revel in the graces available to us even in the most difficult of times.   Including an original solo by pianist Wade Jones and special guests from Freedom a la … Continue reading Feast AND Famine: The Paradoxes of Scarcity and Abundance

Last week we heard prayers of gratitude from the youngest children at North. Following their lead, we will take a bit of deep dive into the Jewish practice of blessing and consider how a regular practice of blessing the world around us – including that which is not obviously beautiful, good or just – can … Continue reading Holy Crap! Counting Our Blessings

While the election does not put an end to the dangerous divisions in American society, we have learned more of how it is we might live faithfully in the “belly of the whale.” We can “look for blue sky through the spout” by not allowing disappointments to dull our ability to see manifestations of beauty, … Continue reading Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale

On the occasion of All Saints Day, we explore how understanding ourselves as carrying the work of our ancestors into the future can connects us to powerful sources of meaning and courage. We then assemble our own congregational “cloud of witnesses”–invoking ancestors that offer us the vision and blessings we need for this turbulent election … Continue reading Invisible Strings: Turning Hauntings into Legacies and Ghosts into Ancestors

If you’ve ever heard the saying, “never talk about religion or politics in polite company,” this sermon is for you. What can we learn when we talk across religious difference? We’ll explore common metaphors for understanding religious diversity, including their place in Unitarian Universalist Religious Education curricula, and consider how we might recognize religious diversity … Continue reading Can We Talk?

Many different faith traditions have understood Autumn as the best time to connect with the ancestors.  We do that in this worship in the spirit of this quote by Ralph Ellison:  “Some people are your relatives, but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself … Continue reading Listening to the Ancestors

How we can defeat “Soul Weariness” by listening well to ourselves, attending to the present moment and nurturing our curiosities. Susan Ritchie is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: NUUC VIRTUAL WORSHIP AND SUNDAY PROGRAMMING Time: Sundays 10:30 AM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7541126323?pwd=d1J2dVhJeTJBMEk3UHA5emlhckppUT09 Meeting ID: 754 112 6323 Passcode: 152468 One tap mobile … Continue reading Keeping 2020 Weird: Defeating the Noon Day Demon

We introduce our monthly theme of deep listening by reflecting on how it has never been harder or more important to listen deeply—to each other, and to what Ralph Ellison called the “lower frequencies” of repressed voices.  And yet listening deeply breaths spirit into both individual lives and the commonwealth—renewing the soul of democracy.  This … Continue reading Listening to The Lower Frequencies

On the eve of Yom Kippur and in the wake of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, we explore the individual, relational, and communal aspects of renewal and situate them within RBG’s legacy of hope. Intern Minister Liora Malicdem offers the message and Rev. Susan Ritchie hosts. Susan Ritchie is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom … Continue reading Renewal and the Dissenter’s Hope

In this worship service, we hear some of the credos from our Coming of Age youth, and then reflect on the original meaning of “credo,” which means not so much an intellectual statement of belief, but “that to which I lend my heart.” Applying this month’s theme of “renewal,” we explore how renewing the choices … Continue reading To This I Lend My Heart