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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...

The past couple of months have been busy for pastoral care. There have been a few instances in particular that caused me to pause and realize that we as a congregation sometimes have no idea what our fellow congregants might be managing, battling, or reconciling. Imagine sitting in service on Sunday and looking to your left and to your right. What are these dear people holding that we may never know about. That is, unless we ask, offer a loving supportive touch, and take interest.  We are a family with family dynamics and typical family struggles. But our struggles are sometimes hidden, unknown, and held silently from one another. It's what we do as humans.   We believe we can handle everything on our own. Our pride and ego stand in the way. Shame and the thought of being a burden creep in. What do we expect from one another? I mean our congregational relationships should be deep, connected, without judgement and holy honesty. That is the kind of place we are. A place where ...

Dear Ones, This past week was challenging. We hosted most of our usual renters, our Buddhist friends, and two families that are homeless. I asked you to make sacrifices of your time, space, and usual comforts. I did wonder what it was like for you to meet in cramped spaces, have your gatherings in spaces that are not your usual spots, and what it was like to share resources. I agree that this past week wasn't the perfect week for me to agree to host families. A funny thing about the homeless -- they can't plan when they will need us. But we were there when they needed us. I wondered about other things this week too. What is it like to be homeless? What is it like not knowing where your next meal will come from? What is it like living in a classroom with a baby and feeling like you're imposing? What is it like not having a consistent space where you can gather with others of your faith? One thing that comforted me this week was knowing we were living our mission. Although th...

For a moment last month I realized I was human.  Having had a difficult and emotional month of ministry I found myself stepping back and not being as present as I typically am. You've noticed. I was hard on myself for taking the time to step back, discern, and increase my time for spiritual practice. I thought that as the minister this "luxury" couldn't be mine. But, I'm brave enough to say that isn't true. When stuck in difficulty we should all have the opportunity to step back. It's healthy and we return renewed and revived with deeper understandings. Sometimes we lack compassion for oneself and the compassion that we should expect from others.  I share my intimate lesson lesson with you as minister, as teacher. As a fellow human being, I too have the same struggles and emotional processes that you do. My hope is that my sharing will lead you to share with me and others. I'm stepping out of the shadows having taken the time to think and to unders...

Dear Ones, As always I am in disbelief that another year will soon pass. It is this time of year many are consumed by deciding which behaviors they will change for the new year or making resolutions. I stopped making resolutions a long time ago. I focus on the Roman god Janus. Looking back as well as looking forward. I've learned a lot about myself, and you, over the past year, particularly in the past few months. Looking back I'm able to pick out a few major lessons like sometimes ego can blind you to realities, email stinks, most of the time, to communicate effectively, and that when relationships break we can repair them instead of throwing them away. Looking ahead I've decided to change a few things. Taking the next step in caring for my health as well as making a few adjustments in my ministry are commitments I'll be making. I'm presently engaged in changing and enhancing my sermon writing and delivery. I've realized that writing and delivering sermons has ...

Friends, Most of you know I spent nearly a week in Mount Dora, Florida recently with my colleagues. Twice each year all the ministers in Florida gather for collegiality, development, and organizational matters of the Florida Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association ( FUUMA). I serve on the executive committee of FUUMA as a Good Officer. This means I help guide FUUMA as well as act as minister to the ministers of Florida. During my time in Mount Dora I was able to worship twice each day and had time for spiritual practice. We engaged a program around Black Lives Matter. I shared our experiences. I also met an inspiring black minister, Rev. Poole, who has -- against all odds -- planted the Grace African Methodist Episcopal Church in The Villages in Marion county. Rev. Poole's father was the president of the NAACP during the Civil Rights movement and succeeded the president who's home was bombed and destroyed. This offers a unique perspective on the lives of people who are bla...