I believe that it is part of being a Unitarian Universalist to eventually face the question: Am I still UU? Ours is not an easy faith. I am not UU because it aligns easy with who I am; I am UU because this faith pushes me and challenges me. I …
As I write, over 50% of American adults have been fully vaccinated. In San Diego County, over 50% of residents have been fully vaccinated. All covid metrics in San Diego are dropping: case rate per 100,000 people, testing positivity percentage, community outbreaks, hospitalizations, ICU stays, and deaths. The Centers for …
This is the letter I shared with my congregation in June 2016 before taking a four month sabbatical: Beloved community, Since my sabbatical was announced earlier this year, I have been asked dozens of times—by people within our congregation and outside it as well—“What are your plans?” It is only …
Beloved community, The week before Thanksgiving was certainly tumultuous. First, President Obama announced he would use his executive powers to protect up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from being deported. Many of us who have been hoping for immigration reform were glad for some action to finally be taken, imperfect …
Beloved community, I have just arrived home from a 5-day trip to Tucson, where I studied immigration issues with 20 other Unitarian Universalist ministers through a program offered by BorderLinks and the UU College of Social Justice. BorderLinks is a nonprofit educational organization in Tucson that offers experiential learning in …
Beloved community, Most people are uncomfortable talking about memorial services. Not me. I’ve been planning my own memorial service since I was a teenager, with a particular interest in music selections. I’ve progressed from thinking I might like the Star Wars theme played to—more recently—thinking the song “I Lived” by …
Beloved community, Because we are such a community of readers, I thought some of you might be interested in knowing what’s on my reading list for the coming year. Reclaiming Prophetic Witness: Liberal Religion in the Public Square by Paul Rasor. This is the UUA’s “Common Read” title for 2014-15. …
Beloved community, As part of my recent time off for vacation, I participated in a five-day silent retreat at Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. Except for one hour each day with my spiritual director, I was silent from 7 p.m. Sunday evening until Friday morning (I …
Beloved community, It is an exciting time for Chalice! We have just launched our capital campaign to raise money for Phase 1 of our hoped-for construction project, and we are in the process of hiring a new half-time staff position, the Director of Congregational Life. This is also a time …
Beloved community, Let’s talk about fires. In 2007, wildfires in San Diego forced every single member of my immediate family to evacuate their homes. Living near SDSU, my husband, Peter, and I were the only ones not evacuated. There was a moment in time when it seemed that fires might …