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I tend not to follow the rules. Just ask the Catholic nuns who exhaustingly tried to rear me.  There are several unwritten rules of ministry.  I'm afraid I've broken some rules since I joined you in 2013. For example, I once moved all the tables in Ministers Hall. I once moved the pulpit to the floor as an experiment. A new minister should never do that. When a minister arrives at a congregation his or her mantra should be, "Change is undesirable at this time...change is undesirable at this time...."  Sometimes it's necessary to not follow the rules. For me rules are worth breaking if it's for the sake of growth for us as individuals, our spiritual maturity, and if the rule breaking will move us closer to the congregation you dream of.  I'm sure you could share your own instances where not following the rules may be justified. I've led you to an announcement. I have decided, as proposed to the Sanctuary Services Group, to change the format of the ord...

Dear Ones, So much has happened in our country this past week. So much to digest, to consider, and to find our way out of.  I'm sure your heart is as heavy and your confusion and anxiety might have increased like mine has. I hold all that has happened and discern what my response should be as your minister and how I might comfort the Congregation and lead our Congregation to a response worthy of our Unitarian Universalist faith. I have a new hero. His name is David Brown and he is the Chief of Police in Dallas, Texas. He is my hero because I admire his courage, his reproach of conventional wisdom, and his call for all of us to do the right thing no matter what. These attributes might lead us in the right direction in responding to personal, local, and global issues. You may know that Chief Brown encouraged those who have been protesting to get off the protest line and apply for a job. Moving from frustration to community service. “We’re hiring,” he said. “Get out of that protest li...

I gave those assembled a call to action related to advocacy for sensible gun policy during our service on Sunday. I'm grateful the message was well received. I know you're waiting to hear some of what you might do to answer this call. I've listed a few things here for us and others: 1. Watch how your Senator votes today, Monday, June 20th. Go to  http://nyti.ms/28Iglmi or other sites for more information. Advocate accordingly. 2. Lobby County Commissioners for local policy changes. Go to pbcgov.com 3. Join the Palm Beach County Progressive Roundtable. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. This group makes sure all progressive grassroots organizations are collaborative in advocacy. 4. Support organizations with our progressive values. 5.  Volunteer in campaigns that bring the best candidates to the White House, the Senate, and Congress. 6.  Lobby Congressman Patrick Murphy. 2000 PGA Blvd. Suite A3220 Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33408  phone 561.253.8433  Fax 561....

I'm proud of us. I'm proud that we are hosting families this week. Families that are homeless. I can't help thinking, "There but for the grace of what I call God go I." People that have families and jobs but simply do not earn enough to secure housing. Imagine the relief you might feel when you and your children know where there meals are coming from and where they will sleep without needing to move for six days. I'm proud of us. I'm proud that we are practicing what we preach when we name freedom of belief as foundational to our faith. Our Congregation has welcomed the Palm Beach Pagans with open arms and minds. Like UU's, Pagans are misunderstood and it's hard to find allies in this culture. This group has already brought so much to our Congregational life. I hope to see you at the Summer Solstice ritual and BBQ this Saturday at 3pm. I'm grateful for what we have in common and our deliberate community of free thinkers. I'm pr...

Every year around this time I have an uneasy feeling. Our congregation changes as our snowbirds fly north. I have grown to anticipate this season of migration, but I don't like it. I prefer we be together. Our snowbirds offer us so much through their ministries. They support and sustain our congregation in many ways. Their return is something to look forward to. As I make my own plans to rove this summer I'm planning for our next church year. There is lots to look forward to. One thing in particular is our Intern Minister, Claudia Jiminez. Claudia will be preaching here on May 22 and will offer time for a Q & A during coffee hour. Claudia will also be meeting with our Board of Trustees in anticipation of a formal invitation to join us. I do hope your curiosity will bring you to our service on May 22. Once formally invited, Claudia  will be an additional religious professional on campus. She will be here for two years and part-time. This internship is important...

Dear Ones, Over the weekend I officiated the memorial service for Charlotte Callahan. As her husband Jim and their children shared stories of Charlotte I was touched. I learned a lot about Charlotte and her life-long commitment to fairness and justice. I also learned that Charlotte is an example of how we can transform the world. Her family shared examples of how she changed the world one person at a time. You may have heard me say over and over again that we don't necessarily need to march or protest to bring about change. We can be intentional about changing minds one person at time through conversation, advocacy, and living as an example. While at Charlotte's service I was approached by two people I had never met. They thanked me for my articles in the Palm Beach Post and told me, "You are our voice. Please continue."  I assured them that I would, we would. We sometimes never know the lives we are touching or the change we are creating. I've been inspired to ...

In his sermon yesterday, Mathew Sydney described one of the tenets of his faith as honoring and actively caring for the earth. The beautiful way he articulated it captivated me. It's the way I articulate our ministry. Look around you. Look at all we do to transform lives through liberal religious community. Our mission. We respond to many calls for help from and to be allies to many in our community. We are able to gather freely and welcome those who are looking for a spiritual home. We are the liberal voice in our area. We have buildings that offer space for learning, worship, and outreach to so many. And so we need to actively care for our Congregation and its people. If you support an organization financially I urge you to make our Congregation a priority. Here you build your spiritual home that helps you articulate your values, live your values, and one that will support you with learning, friendship, and fellowship. We need to remain strong and viable. We need staff, we need b...