A sermon co-written with the Rev. Joan Van Becelaere for Association Sunday in 2007.
All Labor Has Dignity
When we observe the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday we should remember his commitment to the labor movement.
Tupak HuehuecoyotlTupak (1952-2023): Rest in Power
An all too brief tribute to my friend Tupak Huehuecoyotl.
Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery
In this sermon given in advance of Indigenous Peoples Day, I link the current conflict in Israel-Palestine to the ongoing process of colonialism in the Western Hemisphere and the Doctrine of Discovery.
Being, Becoming
A sermon on the tension between Unitarian and Universalist visions of salvation.
The Living tradition
A sermon reflecting on the proposed changes to Article II of the Bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Ordinary/Extraordinary; an ordination sermon for J Sylvan
as preached February 26, 2023 at Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church, Houston, Texas There is much in the ordinary life of a religious professional that more secular people find extraordinary. A friend recently reminded of this over dinner. A word about my friend, he is a well-known writer and war correspondent. Most of us would probably describe his life as extraordinary. He has reported from...
The Waning of the Light
as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, December 4, 2022 In the Jewish tradition there is a midrash, an interpretation, of the Torah, the sacred text, about twilight. It points to a spiritual practice that is essential for many Unitarian Universalists. The midrash has to do with what once happened at the waning of the light, that period of time when it is no longer day...
Roots and Branches
as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, September 11, 2022 It is good to be back in the pulpit. It is good to share this morning with you. It is a special morning for me. It is my first Sunday back from sabbatical. And it is my first time preaching to you or anyone else since we held our flower communion back in June. I am glad to be with you, to see longtime members of...
Manchester
I am in Manchester for a little less than two weeks. The city was historically the heart of British Unitarianism–and I am told that even now about half of the Unitarians in the United Kingdom live within 50 miles of the city center–and the University of Manchester has one of the largest collections of Unitarian books and archival materials in the world. They actually have two separate...