Embracing Every Soul: The Power of Belonging
Guest Speaker Dr. Janine Darby
Speaker: Jerry Lazzaro
Let UUs All Be Grateful for…the Gift of Presence
“Your presence is requested.” We’ve all received invitations that began with that clause—a more formal way of saying, “Please show up!” In a broader sense, our “presence,” our “showing up,” in a certain place at a certain time, is a gift, perhaps a priceless gift, we give to others. “Being there” for them—to celebrate a … Continue reading Let UUs All Be Grateful for…the Gift of Presence
Writing as a Pathway to Repair
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Our Soul Matters theme for November 2024 is “Repair.” Mending. Healing. Restoring. Reclaiming. Reframing. Rebalancing. Setting right or setting straight. These all involve actions to “repair” what’s out of kilter, worn down, torn or broken. Writing in itself, as the members of our TPUUF Writers Group would attest, is a way to engage in repairing … Continue reading Writing as a Pathway to Repair
Lessons from the Lord (of the Rings)
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For 87 years, readers have been captivated by the dragons, elves, dwarves and, of course, the Hobbits of Middle Earth. Called the “father of modern fantasy,” J. R. R. Tolkien created an enduring fantasy world, as well as archetypes ubiquitous in the genre today, in prose, song and verse. You may recognize this poetic excerpt … Continue reading Lessons from the Lord (of the Rings)
Summarizing a Summer Read 2024
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Our annual “Summarizing a Summer Read” service features several TPUUF members and friends sharing their thoughts on a book they’ve read recently. The service provides an opportunity to reflect on the benefits of genuine engagement with the written word and to discover authors and titles we may wish to add to our own reading list.
Fathering and the Path to Renewal
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June 16 is Father’s Day 2024, a day to consider the impact of fathers and father-figures in our lives. Our Soul Matters theme for June 2024 is “The Gift of Renewal.” Renewal, in the Biblical sense, refers to transformation, more specifically to changing into something new and different, something better. This Father’s Day, TPUUF members … Continue reading Fathering and the Path to Renewal
Their Last Full Measure of Devotion…and Love
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In his 1863 address commemorating the battlefield at Gettysburg as a soldier’s national cemetery, President Abraham Lincoln implored his audience to increase devotion to the cause for which the “honored dead…gave the last full measure of devotion.” Memorial Day provides an opportunity to remember and honor those who’ve died in armed conflict not just as … Continue reading Their Last Full Measure of Devotion…and Love
UU Troubadours Sunday 2024: Singing the Wonder and Beauty of the Natural World
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Our Soul Matters theme for April 2024 is “The Gift of Interdependence,” and April 22 marks the 54th anniversary of Earth Day. What better time than this Sunday, then, to affirm respect for the interdependent web of existence, particularly the wonder and beauty of the natural world and our role as responsible stewards of our … Continue reading UU Troubadours Sunday 2024: Singing the Wonder and Beauty of the Natural World
Hope Is A Waking Dream
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On the 2023 Christian liturgical calendar, December 3 marks the beginning of Advent—four weeks of preparation for the coming of a Savior. As such, Advent is a season of expectation, a season of hope. While today we think of hope mainly as an emotional state or mental attitude, in the Christian theological tradition hope is … Continue reading Hope Is A Waking Dream
Let all UUs Be Grateful for the Gift of Generosity
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In our consumer culture, we’re accustomed to thinking of gifts as “things,” as “products” of generosity. That way of thinking may not only obscure the many forms a gift may take but also the spiritual nature of generosity. “Generosity,” writes His Holiness the Dalai Lama, “is the natural outward expression of an inner attitude of … Continue reading Let all UUs Be Grateful for the Gift of Generosity