Five years into my ministry at Unity Temple, the congregation was designated a “Breakthrough Congregation” by the Unitarian Universalist Association because of the congregation’s rapid growth and expanded social outreach. This profile of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation was produced by Laurence and Susan Marcinkus to be shown at the UUA General Assembly in June …
Sermon from April 8, 2021 My favorite week of spring is when the magnolia trees begin to flower, the daffodils explode into bursts of yellow, and other spring flowers and blossoms dot the landscape. For these are signs of rebirth and new beginnings. As we move deeper into this season of renewal, I invite you …
We gather this afternoon in this sanctuary to celebrate the life and mourn the death of John Francis Wood. John was born in Chicago on July 24, 1938 and he died January 12 of this year. We gather in appreciation for his life of 79 years and to give voice to our grief that he …
Worship is the beating heart of congregational life, and I approach it as a craft that listens closely to the needs of the members and responds in a genuine, thoughtful way. I put a great deal of energy and care into crafting meaningful sermons and worship services. I enjoy the craft of finding music and …
Over the last two weeks, I’ve heard lots of deep concern and appreciation for the medical personnel who are on the frontline confronting the Covid-19 epidemic, risking exposure and literally putting their own health—and that of their family’s—at risk. I’ve also had conversations with physicians about it, and I’m truly inspired by them. The three …
June 2, 2021 Dear Members and Friends, During last Sunday’s service, it was a privilege to articulate my theology of grace within a ruptured world. I shared the deeply disturbing story how Frank Lloyd Wright’s first cousin, Richard Lloyd Jones, founded the All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa and how, through his newspaper, he was …
This morning, February 14, I attended the hearing for Mario and his two younger children at the Brownsville immigration court, essentially a large tent right next to the bridge to Matamoros in which rooms have been created with television screens. I knew that the judge and interpreter would not be physically present—they were at the …
Mario has now lived in a tent with his 4 year old son Steven and his 9 year old daughter Belen for six months. They are lovely people from Honduras seeking asylum but have been stuck at the border since August. His wife and eldest daughter are in Dallas, also awaiting an asylum hearing. They …
Read more “People at the Border Need Our Prayers and Our Support”
It’s been three weeks since I returned from the border. On my last day there, I bought a phone for Mario, the Honduran man his 4 and 9 year old children with him and whose wife and eldest daughter are in Dallas. They left before him after Mario’s brother-in-law was killed and they feared their …