The month of December and the surrounding holidays promise joy and hope, and yet in these times, hope can be a real challenge. Between caring for our loved ones, while also trying to take care of ourselves…all the while absorbing losses or disappointments of all sorts, strained relationships, the challenges of work and community…Even when […]
Gratitude & Grace: Connecting Church and Home
Our family has never been the sort to say grace or hold hands and said “thank you” at dinner, but lately we’ve hit one something we love.
Fear, Division, and Healing in America
After the 2016 election I experienced a new level of fear. Upon reading headline after headline about Anti-Semites in the White House I became severely triggered.
What Is Courageous Love?
In my life, the earliest example I remember of what I would call courageous love was from Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. Archbishop Hunthausen was the Archbishop of Seattle from when I was born until I was 15. Since I grew up, Catholic, in a small town about 2 hours outside of Seattle, he was my Archbishop for the first 15 years of my life. I am told he was a constant advocate for the poor and for peace, which didn’t always make him the most popular.
Reflections on the 6th UU Source
from Jane Everham “Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the scared circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.” In the Black Forest of Pikes Peak region of Colorado, one finds oddly formed Ponderosa Pines that look to have suffered harsh winters, intense winds or even viruses. […]
Reflections on our UU Fifth Source
from Jane Everham “Humanist teachings that counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.” UUs read, study, learn, talk, debate, discuss, argue, challenge, question, interview, interrogate, deliberate – am I repeating myself? Yep, we do that, too. We are intellectual […]
Reflections on Our Fourth UU Source
from Jane Everham “Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.” This Golden Rule teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. I’ve always struggled with this Rule because I see too many people not loving themselves very well – being doormats, self-deprecating, or callous. […]
Thoughts on our Third UU Source
from Jane Everham “Wisdom from the world religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.” Mark Sappenfield, the editor of the Christian Science Monitor, reported, “Someone once told me that the Monitor’s reputation for unbiased journalism was all wrong, because the Monitor clearly did take sides: for justice, compassion, dignity, or responsibility, just […]
Reflections on the Second UU Source
from Jane Everham “Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love.” While reflecting on this Source, I determined I didn’t want to quote or write about Gandhi or Martin Luther King – who are very, clearly […]
Thoughts On The Six Sources of Unitarian Universalism: A Blog Series
Today marks the beginning of a new series on the Foothills Blog. For the next six weeks, Jane Everham will be sharing reflections on the Six Sources of Unitarian Universalism. Check back on Tuesdays to continue following this series. from Jane Everham UU First Source – Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in […]