Three days after International Worker’s Day, we’ll explore the current reality of the workplace. Back in 1884, in his essay entitled “Estranged Labor,” Karl Marx argued that workers are objectified and made into miserable shells. Whether or not you agree with this assessment, in our current world of work, too many people who strive for success … Continue reading A Profession Is Not a Personality
In honor of Earth Day, Jon Biemer will share Three C’s of Sustainability – and how we can make use of them. He draws stories and insights from his books Our Journey to Sustainability: How Everyday Heroes Make a Difference (2024) and Our Environmental Handprints: Recover the Land, Reverse Global Warming, Reclaim the Future (2021). Jon is a founding … Continue reading Three C’s of Sustainability
Blind faith? Leap of faith? Free faith? How does the word “faith” strike you? For some, it is a poke in the eye, an uncomfortable vestige of a rigid religious past. For others, it remains a positive, re-imagined resource for moving through the joys and sorrows of life. What does it mean to be “faithful?” … Continue reading Easter – Faithful over a Few Things
How do we move from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking when our lives feel stuck, we are ill or under duress, when we’re alarmed by the present, or the future looks murky? In this sermon during the blossoming of Spring, the celebration of Passover and the observance of Palm Sunday (and during the week of … Continue reading Palm Sunday/Passover – The Answer is “Everything”
Singer and Songwriter Bob Dylan, born as Robert Allen Zimmerman in Minnesota, continues to intrigue and arouse the public imagination. The Oscar-nominated movie, “A Complete Unknown,” about the beginning of his career was recently in theaters, and he is still actively touring today at age 83. Throughout his 60+ year career, Dylan has let his music … Continue reading Bob Dylan: Minstrel and Messenger
In this sermon to conclude our Stewardship month, we’ll explore the lifeblood, the sinew, muscle and breath that animates this congregation. What can we learn from the fantastical tale of the Prophet Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones? How might we rise to meet our mission with confidence and fresh ideas? What are our … Continue reading Living Congregations
Gloria Holland from the UU Congregation of Salem shares her own experiences in the arts and discusses how the arts and creativity enhance our spiritual journey. Gloria joined her congregation in 2007 and is a member of the Worship Team and also serves on the Homilist Storytelling Team. She is active with the American Association … Continue reading Why We Create
In the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel, Yahweh observes a civilization which speaks a single language, enabling them to work together to build a tower. He worries that this commonality might unite them with too much power against him. So, he fractures their language and weakens them. They can no longer communicate. … Continue reading Speaking “Empathy” In an American Babel
When our hearts are heavy, and it feels like the destruction is beyond repair, it is important to keep up the fight. It is even more powerful to counter this destruction with creation. Thankfully we are creative people; it’s what we do. As musicians we represent the best of what humanity has to offer. When … Continue reading Music is a Healing Magic
As we launch into our 2025 Stewardship Campaign, “Our Open Door,” we’ll explore what brings come-outers from other religions and those who are unaffiliated to Eastrose UU, and how their lives have been expanded and enriched by belonging to this beloved and vibrant community. Did you find our free faith a long way from home, too? Are … Continue reading Stewardship Kickoff! “You Were Never Not Coming Here”
