Humanism isn’t the opposite of faith – it’s the opposite of authoritarianism. Unitarian minister Curtis Reese, a co-founder of the American Humanist Association, referred to humanism as the “religion of democracy” for a reason – because of our radical belief that truth, morality, and power do not rightly reside in an external source, as theistic systems may claim, but in… Read More »Assembly: “The Religion of Democracy” with Fish Stark
There is so much to resist in these times, and it’s important to remember that the foundation of resistance is not necessarily potential success. Maybe we resist because of what will be lost if we do not, or because we dream of something different for our children…or maybe because there’s no viable alternative.
A talk in three parts about fascism, chaos, and hope — largely from the words given here at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis 100 years ago by Rev. John Dietrich and Rev. Raymond Bragg. And an invitation to offer new seeds to a future renaissance of systems we have had in place for so long. Shared by congregant Mikki Morrissette… Read More »Podcast: It Has Happened Here
The winter solstice has officially passed, but the sun won’t be rising any earlier for at least a couple more weeks. We’re told the days are getting longer, but it doesn’t quite feel like it. Still, hasn’t the sun been pretty reliable so far? One can only hope it will continue to light up our world.
As 2025 comes to a close, America finds itself struggling to remember essential core values which helped it get past the drumbeats of fascism, racism, homophobia and other horrible systems of belief. With all that’s coming at us, how can we keep faith, stay the course? There’s only one way: a commitment to hope, tightly wrapped with compassion. Despite today’s… Read More »Podcast: Choosing Hope: A Garment, A Ripple, and A Button
Can hope be cultivated? Is it just hanging around waiting for us to choose it? Or maybe there are certain conditions under which it thrives. Today we’ll wonder if hope might grow in uncertainty or hide in the shadows.
Gratitude is not just a “bigger” grateful. So says the research on gratitude. But what is it, and why is it worth our consideration? Guest speaker Rev. Arif Mamdani joins us for an exploration of gratitude – what it is (or at least could be), why it matters, and (riffing on Ross Gay a bit), how we might incite gratitude… Read More »Inciting Gratitude with Guest Rev. Arif Mamdani
It’s been just over a year since ‘the’ election. It feels like the earth is burning, like democracy is dying, and as if kindness is a vanishing value. What on earth do we have to be grateful for? Are there any gifts to be found in grief, in despair? Our Theme for November is ‘Nurturing Gratitude’.
It is said that the grateful person is the generous person, or is it the other way around? This morning we take a lesson from the serviceberry, and its gifts of both abundance and reciprocity. Living in gratitude, perhaps we can release our grip on toxic forms of capitalism and live into a gift economy.
At this time of year, many traditions honor their ancestors. We will do that. And, we will take a look at how it is that we know who our people are, and what it means to choose our people. What qualities do we look for? (Hint: Compassion is a very good quality!)
