It seems to me that if the majority of our kids continue to grow up to be "small U" UUs (but join Episcopalian or Presbyterian congregations because that is what their spouses [and partners] are) or join no congregation at all, then we have not entirely failed but we have failed at something...

Oh God, if there is a God, save my soul, if I have a soul. — Joseph Ernest Renan, French philosopher and historian Prayer helps us to identify our motives, our pains, our cravings, and joys. As we come to know ourselves, we are changed beyond selfishness into harmony with those Presences from...

I wear garments touched by hands from all over the world 35% cotton, 65% polyester, the journey begins in Central America In the cotton fields of El Salvador In a province soaked in blood, Pesticide-sprayed workers toil in a broiling sun... Third world women toil doing piece work to Sears...

The world of the powerful and that of the powerless... are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both. — Vaclav Havel, Czech poet and president The way a rich nation thinks about its poor will always be convoluted....

Let him who expects one class of society to prosper in the highest degree, while the other is in distress, try whether one side of the face can smile while the other is pinched. — Thomas Fuller (1608-1661), British clergyman and author IN TODAY’S SESSION… We reflected on how we view ourselves...

The tighter you squeeze, the less you have. — Thomas Merton To whom much is given is much required. — Christian scripture, Luke 12:49 IN TODAY'S SESSION... The group learned about privilege and what it means to have it and to share it. Privilege is defined, for the purpose of this session, as...

Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. — Shirley Chisholm, African American politician and activist Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time. — Marian Wright Edelman, president and founder...

No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you. — Althea Gibson, 20th-century African American tennis champion IN TODAY’S SESSION… We reflected on our willingness to support people we care about whether they are our family or friends. Sometimes, we sacrifice our time and comfort...

Everybody needs history but the people who need it most are poor folks—people without resources or options. — Henry Hampton, 20th-century American documentary film producer IN TODAY'S SESSION... The children examined racism and social justice through the lens of media images. We explored the...

Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides. — Rita Mae Brown, author and activist Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone. —Ralph Waldo Emerson Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.

The elder cannot be an elder if there is no community to make [them]... an elder. The young child cannot feel secure if there is no elder, whose silent presence gives [them]... hope in life. The adult cannot be who [they are] unless there is a strong sense of the other people around. — M.P. Som?n...

If you look closely at a tree you'll notice its knots and dead branches, just like our bodies. What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully. — Matthew Fox, theologian IN TODAY'S SESSION... We reflected on Unitarian Universalism's celebration of each...

The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. — Marianne Williamson IN TODAY'S SESSION... We affirmed the value of forgiving people who break the rules of a community. We explored the idea of expressing righteous anger when we have been hurt by...

We need not think alike to love alike. — Francis David To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven. — Joseph Priestley IN TODAY'S SESSION... We explored diversity of faith heritage and religious belief as a desirable and welcome feature of a Unitarian Universalist congregation.

It matters what we believe. Some beliefs are expansive and lead the way to wider and deeper sympathies....

Unitarian Universalists seek always to discover deeper truth and meaning in our lives and in our experience of the world. — Gail Forsyth-Vail IN TODAY'S SESSION... The children heard the story of Charles Darwin, who followed his own path to become a naturalist despite his father's expectations...