Speaker: Rev. Ted Tollefson Worship Service Coordinator: Paul Thompson Music: Cheryl Koch What does it mean to live as if we were interwoven into the interdependent web of life? What does our vision of interdependence require of us ethically and spiritually? We will end with a “Declaration of Independence.” Will you join in? Â
Waging Peace WSC: Scott Kunze; Music: Cheryl Koch There is a point of convergence between Biblical faith and Chinese philosophy. By whatever name we call it — shalom, salaam, p’ing –– peace yearns for justice. As Dr. King observed, “Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice”. How can we become agents of … Continue reading Waging Peace
Speaker: Rev. Ted Tollefson Worship Service Coordinator: Paul Thompson; Music: Anne Waltner It is sometimes tempting to identify political conservatives with patriotism, but it’s dangerous fun. I will suggest ways that liberals and progressives can reclaim our patriotism by drawing a few lessons from American Founders. What principles can we claim to make love of our … Continue reading Are You a Progressive Patriot?
Worship Service Coordinator: Mike Huber; Music: Joseph L’Amour Kristen and I are traveling in Japan this week. Here’s some of what we’re learning so far: 1. The Japanese have mastered the design of the bath and the bed. We’re converting. 2. We have rarely met a more courteous, frugal and kind people. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, … Continue reading Lessons Learned from Journey to Foreign Lands
Speaker: Rev. Ted Tollefson Worship Service Coordinator: Peter Holland; Music: Deb Reid Mr. Twain returns to share some of his writings that were not published until 50 years after his apparent death. The strangeness of heaven, earth and the connections between the two excite the imagination and dumb-found common sense. The trouble begins about 10 … Continue reading Mark Twain Returns with News of Heaven and Earth
Speaker: Rev. Ted Tollefson Worship Service Coordinator: Paul Thompson; Musician: Deb Reid Jesus and Buddha: Two Messengers of Light Both Jesus and Buddha taught ways of living a good life in the midst of persistent imperfection. Both were asked to resurrect the dead. Both spoke in parables about mustard seeds. This talk reflects on their … Continue reading Jesus and Buddha: Two Messengers of Light
Speaker: Rev. Ted Tollefson WSC: Peter Holland; Music: Deb Reid The tapestry of our living faith as UU’s is lovely and complex and yet there are some “golden threads” that unite us and give zest, meaning, and purpose to our lives. One of those threads is “What We Need is Here” (from a poem by Wendell … Continue reading What We Need is Here
The Power of Compassion – Rev Ted Tollefson What if compassion is more than a warm feeling? What if it’s a moral muscle that benefits from exercise and can become an active force for doing good and living well? Membership Class will be held after the service from noon to 2:00 p.m. Rev. Ted Tollefson … Continue reading The Power of Compassion
Faith that can sustain our lives in challenging times has more than one dimension. It includes what we believe. It also includes what we care deeply about. And sometimes it enables us to trust what is beyond our knowing. What if faith is like a three-legged stool—-where each leg has an important role to play?
Most of the December holidays celebrate Light in some form: the Sun’s returning light at Solstice, Channukah’s Temple lights, the birth of Jesus and Buddha’s Enlightenment. But what if Carl Jung is right in saying that “Light that wants to shine needs darkness”?  How does the Light of December holidays require darkness to be seen, felt, understood and celebrated? Workshop to … Continue reading Sermon: Light That Wants to Shine Needs Darkness
