Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of enslaved people in the United States at the end of the Civil War. For more than 150 years, Black communities across the country have observed this holiday. Yet the work of true freedom remains before us. This Sunday, we lift up the voices of visionary, future-bending Black storytellers and consider how speculative fiction helps us live into the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
A ceremony innovated by Norbert Čapek for a specific spiritual community became a meaningful tradition for Unitarian Universalists everywhere. We bring flowers as sacred gifts to one another. Just as we bring our diverse talents and unique personalities into community with one another as heartfelt gifts. We celebrate this special ceremony on the East Lawn. (Please bring your own chair!)
We might have all sorts of reactions to the idea of family. Sometimes our relationships with blood relatives are… complicated. But many of us also claim chosen family. Maybe we say we have found our “tribe.” In a certain sense, we adopt one another. What are the commitments on our part that allow that sacred kinship to flourish?
There are moments in our journey—as individuals and as communties—when we reach a place of comfort and relative safety. For some, it can be tempting to stay in that comfortable place. And yet, the journey is not done. The world does not yet reflect the wholeness we envision. Our lives may fall short of wholeness and well-being, too. What does the rest of the journey look like? And how do we sustainably engage in that climb?
Most spiritual traditions have special language—words and phrases that have deep shared meaning for a community. In Unitarian Universalist communities, we have a bit of that too. But we also shy away from some words that are commonplace in other spiritual communities.
We each spend a lot of time caring for our world. For some of us, that looks like pouring a lot of time and energy into fostering systemic change in … Continue reading A Beautiful Stillness
Easter is a celebration of renewal and rebirth. We might forget that renewal is possible for us. We adopt a posture of resignation sometimes, assuming that the way things have … Continue reading Spiritual Chiropractic
You may be familiar with the idea of “love languages” because of a book by Gary Chapman. Basically, each of us have natural ways of offering and receiving love. In our … Continue reading Mama Earth’s Love Language
Since 2009, Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) has been an opportunity to celebrate transgender people, raise awareness of transgender issues, and highlight the contributions transgender people have made in society. … Continue reading Allowable Answers
We celebrate the 20th anniversary of IMPACT, a partnership between the Shaker Heights Youth Center, Shaker Heights Middle School, and this congregation. We’ll hear from special guests and leaders from … Continue reading Celebrating IMPACT
