Beloved community, My first real job out of college was working for Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Over four years, I worked at three different locations, as Peter and I moved from California to Minnesota (where Peter attended graduate school) and then back to the San Diego area. I started as …
Beloved community, I recently received an email from an old friend, asking for relationship advice. She and her wife, newlyweds, were having their first real disagreement, a household matter in which compromise seemed difficult. My friend likes to sleep with the drapes open, so that early morning light helps wake …
Beloved community, At last! Now is the time I have been yearning for since I began the life journey that would make me a Unitarian Universalist minister. Now, as I enter my second year at Chalice, the newness has worn off, and our time together can no longer accurately be …
Beloved community, The acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin came on Saturday, July 14, the day before our “Coming Out” service in celebration of San Diego’s Pride Festival. The juxtaposition was painful. Saturday we received news of heartbreaking injustice: a man who had shot and killed …
Beloved community, As many of you have noticed, I have quite an assortment of clergy stoles. I actually have 12! Many of you comment on them on Sunday morning and have asked about them, so I thought I would share about their meaning. The clergy stole—that scarf of fabric draped …
Beloved community, We will be staying at two worship services through the summer months. To my knowledge, this is the first time we will try this (instead of moving to only one service during summer) in the history of this congregation. It is not unusual for churches to move to …
I want us to talk this morning about the spiritual practice of prayer. I want us to think about what it might mean to us to pray. And I want to invite us to pray together. When it comes to spiritual practice, prayer and meditation are the two big ones, …
Beloved community, I attended my first General Assembly (GA) in 2007, held in Portland, Oregon. I had very little idea what “General Assembly” was supposed to be about, but a group of friends from my church was going, so it seemed like a fun thing to do. I remember those …
My sermon this morning is inspired by a movie I’ve seen recently. It’s still out in theatres: the movie is called “42,” and it’s based on the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play for a major league baseball team in the United States. His jersey number was …
Beloved community, I write this column on a Sunday afternoon, after our Earth Day multigenerational worship service. I felt tearful at both services, full of gratitude and joy at the many gifts of serving this religious community. I feel particularly overcome, at times, during worship because I am so often …
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