A few summers ago my wife Suzanne and I took our son Christopher gem mining in the mountains of North Carolina. We mounded a pile of mud and dirt, got a sifter, and began sifting through the soil in search of treasure. Liberal religious education is like gem mining. In a Unitarian Universalist...

Adapted from Flower Sunday, 1969 On a day such as this may a great change come upon us. The sounds we have been hearing have been discordant; the sights we have been seeing have been violent; the words we have been reading have been hateful. All this has been wearying, discouraging and distracting.

God of our hearts, that which enlightens and ennobles us, we come together in a unity of spirit to celebrate a personal commitment of these young men and women. We join in thanksgiving....

This is the kind of God I could worship: a heavenly Mother who prefers imitation to adoration, and who sees in all Creation the indivisible smiles of Her children. Our Mother, Holy Wisdom, draws one breath and even we who are miles away are warmed by the glory of Her inspiration. Our Mother, Holy...

On a foggy Christmas Eve, Santa realized Rudolph could make the difference in guiding the sleigh.

As we settle into our seat all of our life comes down with us, like an extended slinky retracting into a single cylinder Back you snap into this body and breath where each day is born and done familiar in this cushion familiar in this ache....

Let us do the unthinkable thing. We'll sit and breathe together on the edge of our seats in a world that pollenates and reproduces, shape shifting and breaking into bloom. Let us sit and breathe together as one breath, sit still just long enough for each of our dreams to rise and silently hover...

Spirit of Life and of Love, Deep down we know that there is a greater mystery, a life and a pulse with which we are all connected. We know also that our lives are happier, healthier and more satisfying when we reach out to it, when we make it a conscious and real aspect of our lives. Yet it is so...

Source of Life, Taker of Life, Transformer of Life, Life Itself We implore you—hear us. Let us hear ourselves. Let us hear our own cries for help. Let us hear the pangs that rise from our bodies. Let us hear our bodies. Let us hear our breaths. Let us hear our living soul, its bellowing laughter...

Source of all gifts, Giver of all peace, On this silent and holy night we celebrate once again our deep faith that this venture we call existence is not meaningless, is not hopeless....

Father God, Mother God, God of many names and of none, we invite your presence; be with us this morning. Be with us as we honor our veterans of wartime; teach us how to care for those who have borne arms in our names. Be with us as we honor our veterans of peacetime; teach us to care for all who...

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is 'Thank You,' it will be enough" — Meister Eckhart Today we have set aside time to publicly say thank you to our siblings who have served in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy and Marines; to say 'Thank You' to all who served, whatev...

The strength of the Earth is the stones And the same is the source of our bones. The Water flows across the ground And within our blood. The Air blows around the world And brings us our breath. The Fire streams forth from the Sun without ceasing And sustains our lives. By these elements We are...

Each of us is a flower, with a delicate beauty uniquely our own. We may be like sunflowers, turning always towards the light. May our lives bloom like the flowers. We may be like night-blooming cereus, only displaying our fragrant petals when it is dark and we think no one can see. May our lives...

With gratitude and grace we lead forward to answer the call of our faith, we move happily together into the unknown, we open ourselves to growth, we go forth to begin the change to our corner of the world, we covenant together to transform the world through love and we are moved by Spirit to...

All violence is framed by blood. Our scars are the red line reminders— for the survivors, and all who follow later. See them, and do not turn away from the violence that drew them. Feel the scars you know, and hear the ones whispered about— They are guides. They are pathways, as much as they are...