In our congregations, when we don’t like what someone says (or what we’ve heard that they’ve said), instead of fuming silently, or expressing our anger to someone else, we are urged to approach the person with whom we differ directly – assuming good intentions – to ask them to speak with us about what is concerning us. Wouldn’t … Continue reading When People Don’t Like What You Say
On our first Worship Sunday (in) between UCF ministers, we will explore thoughts and ideas about navigating, sharing and supporting one another- an in(ter)dependent web of existence within our UCF church!
On this last Sunday of our ministry together, Rev. Sally will reflect on endings and beginnings; on the road we have traveled together and the roads that beckon us into divergent futures.
This morning, we reflect on a year of leadership, growth, and laying the groundwork for the future while practicing ministry across physical and social – but not spiritual – distance. As part of our service, we will covenant with our Board, and celebrate congregational leaders.
Long before I knew myself to be a minister, I was a graduate student in developmental biology, studying cellular differentiation in the cellular slime mold. Looking back with the perspective of years and of ministry, I see themes and metaphors that shape my life, my sense of what is true, and my ministry. Today, I’d … Continue reading How the Cellular Slime Mold Changed My Life
In 1993, Poet Laureate George Ella Lyon created a list poem as a playful exercise. She listed items, expressions, even smells from her past. When she was finished, she realized this was an exercise that stirs deep feelings. Thus, she created the “Where I’m From” poetry project. Today, UCF members Sarah Sutherland, Marty Newcomb, Tom … Continue reading Where I’m From
On this holiday set aside to honor those who served and to mourn those who have died in war, who do we remember and how? What are some of the national, local, and personal memorials that keep alive the memory and the legacy of war – and what are the conversations these memorials invite?
In the middle of his song “Fruitcakes,” Jimmy Buffett says “there’s a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.” What kind of line is that? And how do we hold that line – or make it disappear?
In common speech, we often use the terms Grace and Mercy interchangeably. But theologians and world religions make distinctions between these two qualities – and how they play out in our lives. This morning, let us consider Grace and Mercy. Bob Thomas bought this service at the UCF Auction last year.
Transpiration is the process by which plants release water into the air – making it possible for the plant to take up more water through its roots. Can we use transpiration as a metaphor for the flow of other things through our lives – things we must release or let go of in order to … Continue reading The Transpirational Theory of Everything
