Braver/Wiser: Courage and Compassion for Life as It Is
Braver/Wiser
Braver/Wiser
Worship

Life is full of hard edges and complicated choices. Braver/Wiser gives you weekly message of courage and compassion for life as it is. Every Wednesday we deliver an original written reflection by a contemporary religious leader, and brief prayer, grounded in Unitarian Universalism. Join the Braver/Wiser community and sign up today!

 

  • Assisted Living Devices

    A silhouette of two people reaching out their hands to each other.
    Assisted Living Devices
    A lot of us feel like our lives should have come with instructions. Or maybe they did, but we lost the only copy a long time ago.
    By Elea Kemler | 2/12/2020

  • Amplified a Thousandfold

    A singer with a microphone, reaching with dramatic body language, with smoke and lights in the background.
    Amplified a Thousandfold
    We have so many opportunities to bless each other in this world, but they don’t always announce themselves as moments of profound transformation.
    By Lindasusan Ulrich | 2/5/2020

  • The Spark of Life

    A bouquet of wilted, faded roses.
    The Spark of Life
    If we don’t know where the spark of life comes from, can we know for sure where it goes?
    By David Kohlmeier | 1/29/2020

  • From Broken Parts, Whole

    A close-up of green strips of broken glass, as if petals of a flower.
    From Broken Parts, Whole
    Surround yourself with skillful teachers. Let them teach you, but don't let them do it for you. That learning is yours to do.
    By Karen G. Johnston | 1/22/2020

  • Unafraid

    A black man in profile, dimly lit, against a dark background.
    Unafraid
    When you’re the only black man in a sea of whiteness, purses still get clutched, and people still cross the street, and hellos still get lost in the void.
    By Adrian L. H. Graham | 1/15/2020

  • More Than a Sum

    Two Latinx women from Mujeres Unidas y Activas shout to a crowd using a bullhorn.
    More Than a Sum
    We are never numbers to be tallied for turnout. We are more than a sum. Together, we are the hope and courage.
    By Robin Tanner | 1/8/2020

  • Next Year's Words

    In the background, letters are piled on a Scrabble board. In the foreground, someone holds the "C" tile as the letters "R E A T E" fall towards the board.
    Next Year's Words
    One of my most treasured New Year’s traditions is coming up with a word for the year: a single word that I want to be the theme for my entire year. When I’m questioning what’s the right thing to do, I will look to my word of the year for guidance.
    By Tim Atkins | 1/1/2020

  • Messy, Wildly Imperfect Love

    On a church chancel, children dressed as sheep and cows kneel during a Christmas pageant
    Messy, Wildly Imperfect Love
    Every year, I tell the congregation not to worry about mistakes because there aren’t any; there is only us, telling an old story about love getting born into this aching world.
    By Elea Kemler | 12/18/2019

  • The Body of Love

    In a hospital corridor, a nurse in scrubs carries a cooler designated to hold donated organs.
    The Body of Love
    It was disruptive and strange to know that someone had died to bring this hope, and to wonder how the donor’s family mourned at the same time we rejoiced.
    By Elizabeth Bukey | 12/11/2019

  • Leveling Up

    In front of a decorated mantle (with stockings), a Santa Claus is seen from the side.
    Leveling Up
    With a single generous gesture from my older child, her sister's belief in Santa stayed intact that year.
    By Karen G. Johnston | 12/4/2019

  • Crisis and Opportunity

    A mother bear with three bear cubs, on a river bank.
    Crisis and Opportunity
    The crisis was an opportunity to learn to be fully me and love it, inner turmoil and all. I learned that strength comes from authenticity, never from perfection.
    By Tomo Hillbo | 11/27/2019

  • The Fierce Fist Pump

    Against a brilliant sunset, a person in silhouette appears to punch the sun.
    The Fierce Fist Pump
    I was made this way, in this body and this skin. Like all beings, I have an inherent good that cannot be eclipsed.
    By Katie Romano Griffin | 11/20/2019

  • Impact > Intention

    In the background, a desolate street. In the foreground, yellow "caution" tape wrapped around a pole.
    Impact > Intention
    Can we strive to have the grace to back away when our presence doesn’t feel like safety?
    By Misha Sanders | 11/13/2019

  • Love What You Love

    A time-lapse photo showing graceful, dance-like movements of a person against a black background
    Love What You Love
    We can be cheerleaders for simple joys (even when we don't share them) and compassionate about the fact that we’re all just trying to survive.
    By Erika A. Hewitt | 11/6/2019

  • The Guest of Grief

    On a city street strewn with fallen leaves, a person with long hair is seen from behind, wearing a backpack.
    The Guest of Grief
    Sometimes grief sends notice ahead of time; sometimes, it shows up as an unwelcome, uninvited guest.
    By Monica Dobbins | 10/30/2019

  • The Growing Season

    A small child, back to camera, in a garden.
    The Growing Season
    There is relief and remorse equally in my heart as the growing season comes to a close.
    By Teresa Honey Youngblood | 10/23/2019

  • Stewards of Hope

    A hand plants a row of seeds in soil, with tiny seedlings emerging from elsewhere in the soil.
    Stewards of Hope
    This is the beauty and sparkle of spiritual communities: needs arise and beloveds appear to ask, “How can I help?” There’s no fixed timeline, just the spiritual practices of generosity and stewardship.
    By Rebekah Savage | 10/16/2019

  • Joyfully Surprised

    Against a backdrop of blue sky and ocean, a line of birds flies past a padlock attached to a fence.
    Joyfully Surprised
    Coming out to my family was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I realized that my choice was one of life and death, and I needed to let my secret out in order to continue living, and to do so authentically.
    By Adrian L. H. Graham | 10/9/2019

  • The Only Answer I Know

    The tile in the bottom of a Magic 8 ball says "You may rely on it."
    The Only Answer I Know
    What I do know for sure is that hope matters. One of the best things we can do is to hold hope for someone when that person cannot hold it for themselves.
    By Elea Kemler | 10/2/2019

  • Life Pushing Through

    On the floor of a forest path, half of an empty eggshell suggests a recent hatchling.
    Life Pushing Through
    If there’s anything sitting in silence has taught me, it’s that silence doesn’t actually exist. Every moment is full to the point of bursting with Reality, whether or not we notice it.
    By David Kohlmeier | 9/25/2019

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