I am excited and grateful to share this season with you. Whether you celebrate the holiday as a progressive Christian, celebrate Hanukkah as a Jewish person, or simply enjoy the pagan and earth-based ancient traditions meant to brighten the time of impending cold and dark, I invite you to look for new and nourishing ways to increase your own (and others’) peace, joy, and appreciation of beauty in places, things, and people.

Greetings from Washington, DC, where I’ve been spending several days with local Nashville clergy, sponsored by the Temple! We’ve had a guided, facilitated two days at the Holocaust Museum, and today will do the same at the African American Museum of National History. What an amazing opportunity it has been to see and learn much more about other faiths, and to be connected with other faith leaders in town!

Many of my friends and colleagues have started a gratitude “practice” on Facebook. Each day, they challenge themselves to notice and record three things for which they are grateful. 

I love to celebrate All Souls Day in a congregation. It's true that "All Souls" is technically a Christian holiday, and yet there are quite a few UU congregations named "All Souls."  In fact, it was a Unitarian Church in New York city that first took the name All Souls. And our largest congregation at present, All Souls in Tulsa, OK also bears the name. 

Lately, I've been thinking about old sayings and so-called truisms, many of which are no longer so true. One I mentioned Sunday is "bigger is better" because when it comes to churches, I think small may just be better.

One of the best things about ministry (small “m” by which I mean yours as well as my large “M” Ministry) is that it makes us continue to learn about our own selves, even as we give of those selves to others.

Hello All, I'm on my way home from a week's journey as I write this. We visited my son and his partner Liana in Albuquerque but flew into Denver, to save money but also to do some sightseeing.

As you read this, I will be in Colorado, and heading to Albuquerque to visit my son Colin and his  significant other. We timed our visit to allow us to attend the annual balloon festival. It so happens that Seth’s fall break nearly coincides with the balloon event, so we are going to celebrate both. But I will be here on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays this month to work with you on the notion of “Belonging.” Meanwhile, you can contact me for urgent matters.

During my time in Nashville this weekend, I was able to visit with some folks at home, or meet them in neutral places. YES, I got to check out the Loveless Café. It got me thinking about what we are doing when we get involved in a community, most especially a church.