Seek and Find - Beyond Sunday

  R-Evolution This morning’s sermon was about history and injustice, it was a bit about me, and it was about music and how it affects the human heart. A point that I shared: " I focused on the words Revolution and Evolution which are very different words although it is just the letter “R” that divides them. Why would John Lennon call on both words in his song? Revolution is defined simply as  a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system. Evolution, on the other hand, is defined as the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form. One is quick and forcible the other is gradual like meditation and/or education, but the goal of both is about bringing forth change." The music that I shared this morning are in the attached playlist: Get Up, Stand Up I have included the lyrics for your reading pleasure: Revolution - The Beatles (John Lennon) You say you want a revolution  Well, you know  We all want to ...

  Reflect, Accept, and Renew This last week, during Sunday worship, I shared the idea that it is at the beginning of a New Year that we take the time to think about new beginnings. This process of beginning again requires a time of reflection, acceptance and renewal. I shared the following plan as a way to move forward. I borrowed and changed it a bit for the people of First Parish and I thank Carole Lynn who put a lot of work into this plan posting it on the website PossibilityChange. The link is available here  (Carole Lynn, https://possibilitychange.com/renew-your-life/). It takes only seven days to engage in and renew/evolve a life.  In my Sunday sermon I also spoke about prayer as a way to connect with that something that is larger than one self. One possible way is through the use of prayer. I chose a well known prayer, originally written by Reinhold Niebuhr, known as the "serenity prayer." When life gets me down I turn here: Spirit of Life and Love, grant...

  Giving Thanks -> Metta Meditation On this Sunday before "giving thanks" I feel called to embrace peace and a commitment to non-violence. I feel that it is time to give back for all that has been done, throughout the generations, in our name. NOT IN MY NAME (NION) was a movement  founded on March 23, 2002 to protest the U.S. government's course in the wake of the  September 11, 2001 attacks ; it disbanded on March 31, 2008. Not In My Name  reminded us to speak out if there is violence, oppression, war done without our  explicit   consent; standing back and watching is consent. I ask you if you feel a calling that asks you to do something/anything to change the world consider praying/meditating on Metta, which translates to  positive energy and kindness toward ourselves but especially towards others. The Practice lovingly borrowed and adapted from:  Contemplative Mind It begins by taking a very comfortable posture. One of the aims in this ...

Each and every day I think/hope/pray that we will be back to "normal" soon and that place within that seems like it is filled with anxiety, concern, and loneliness will recede once and for all. . . .I want to say that it is getting easier/better or that this "new normal," in this moment, is going to evolve into something life-changing/seminal. I want to say and believe this, but like the image above I feel like we need to lean dangerously into the growth zone, that place of uncertainty that wants us to learn something from all of this messiness of life. . . . If there is a lesson from all of this, what is it?  Because I frankly need to believe that we are learning something. Everything is a bit better with that spoonful of sugar (or agave), right? The comfort zone in this image looks incredibly cushy, kind of like flopping over on a workout ball. . . just laying there protecting our vulnerable underbelly with no ab-crunches insight. The growth zone, on the other...

Reason :  To think about this topic, we need to begin with a definition or two... Reason can be defined as “ the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic.” To define logic, one   explains that it is “reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.” Operating from a place of reason requires the ability to engage in a scientific manner of thinking. The times that we are living through right now require a specific skillset based on facts, research, testing and the seeking of consistent results. It has been far too long to remember when we were not manipulated in some way by fear mongering, conspiracy theories, conjecture and out and out personal, mostly uninformed, opinion. Can we, should we allow this kind of misinformation rule the day? OR can we cultivate our skillset and manage our fear in a scientific manner in order to be reasonable and to move beyond our current conundrum? That is the questi...

  Naughty or Nice? Remember back in the day when the weeks before the holidays were all about being good? As children, we cleaned our rooms, washed dishes, took out the trash, etc  to glean the good graces of Santa Clause who just knew . Santa holds all of the magic of this mid-winter season. The song that was often played by my parents and parents near and far sang out the reality that we faced: Oh! You better watch out You better not cry You better not pout I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town He's making a list Checking it twice Gonna find out who's naughty or nice Santa Claus is coming to town He sees you when you're sleeping He knows when you're awake He knows if you've been bad or good  So be good for goodness sake! More recently I realized that Santa was not on his own... He had a brigade of elves who kept an eye on us, the "Elf(ves) on the Shelf!"  those little beings who watched our every move ensuring that our actions were pure o...

Bille Eilish is a contemporary American singer-songwriter who was born in December 2001. She had her first hit in 2015 at 14 years old. Billie is about as down to earth as one can be, with amazing soulful lyrics and she is an activist for equality. If a teenager can figure out the importance of voting to have one's voice heard I cannot imagine why the adults around the nation refuse to vote. This year will be Billie's first opportunity to vote and I am certain that she has already shown up to be counted. We are days away from the election and in large measure, I believe that with 327 million people in the country there should be a lot more than 70 million voting. As Unitarian Universalists and activists for equality voting is an important spiritual practice, it is akin to prayer or meditation. I voted last week and it was a privilege to show up and have my vote soon to be counted. Wear a mask, wash your hands, cast your vote, and wash your hands again... rinse and repeat and st...

 Are you worrying? Maybe you are worrying about the latest drama in the news on Twitter, Facebook, TicToc, Instagram (insert your favorite social media mind sink here)... The year 2020 has been cray cray (also known as beyond crazy). Personally, my mind, body and spirit have been on high alert since January 2016 and the culmination of all of the cray cray over the last 4 years has fully manifested in 2020. From the reality of lies, lies and more lies to Covid19 and the sick and dying to the endless greed and divisiveness and hateful rhetoric... (insert sigh here) I just have to say, and I am a pacifist, somebody just slap that "boy" and grab the reins... I mean wth-eck.  On the day-to-day I consider myself to be a fairly sane individual, but the state of this nation over the last four years has driven me to the brink of joining what someone recently called, "Worrywart's Weekly." A place where we can just show up and spew, out loud, all of the STUFF that is makin...

As I was preparing for the Board meeting tonight the sky grew dark and the wind began to blow... Thunder and lightning raged like a battle and the rain, branches and leaves flew paste my window horizontally. This is when I thought for a brief moment that we are living in a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Cedar, my faithful companion, and I headed promptly to the basement. We got comfortable for a few moments listening to the raging storm and as fast as it arrived the storm left, for now. In its wake it took a tree down and some electric wires that ultimately took out the power to many of us... because of modern technology, backup batteries, an iPhone hotspot and an iPad I will be able to make the Board meeting tonight, but for this one moment let us all breathe and be thankful for this moment of peace that the passing storm has left in its wake... My neighbors are safe they came out to investigate when I did... the candles offer the best kind of glow and there is this one moment that remi...

Cross Over Island, Saint Lawrence River  Cross Over Island resides dead center of the Saint Lawrence River close to where I grew up as a child. The River, as I call it, spans a width of about 1.25 miles on average but gets wider in different places. It has several locks that help transcend rapids along the way. The River begins at Lake Ontario and flows 1900 miles into the world's largest estuary, the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  The River has always been "my place" it holds a place in my heart that began pre speech for me. It is believed that if one was dunked in the River as an infant you were considered a "River Rat." One would think that "river rat" is a derogatory term, but it isn't we, those of us who claim to be a river rat, wear the title as a badge of honor. There are even local purveyors who sell river rat cheese and river rat wine... one  wouldn't know this unless they grew up on the river. The thing about growing up on a river is that one...

Merlin Said - by Patrick Murfin Love is the only magic. It enriches the giver as it nourishes the object. It serves the instant, and washes over the ages. It is as particular as the moon and as universal as the heavens. If it is returned it is multiplied, yet spurned it is not diminished. It is as lusty as the rutting stag but chaste as the unicorn's pillow. It comes alike to the king on his throne and the cutpurse in the market. If you would have magic, place faith in love or nothing. ======================================== If we look at all our woes in this world and we try our mightiest to find the one solution, love might just be it. Is it realistic to set down the violence, injustice, anger, hate and pick up love instead? The words have rang out across the world for millennium and speak to me: Martin Luther King called us out: "Loving Your Enemies." It’s so basic to me because it is a part of my basic phil...

Moments that change our lives... I am including a photograph of when I was on the western coast in the south of England. I have told many about the cave experience a mere moment in my life that changed absolutely everything. During this sojourn in the cave, much was revealed especially the path that I would take that led to ministry. You will notice the red rain suit and the bare feet. It was mid-January and before entering the cave it had been raining and hailing. Upon entering the cave the wind was so strong that it ruffled my rain suit with loud flapping. After descending to the deeper depths of the cave I realized that I would have to cross a pond in order to get to this radiant spot. I took off my shoes to be able to get better footing, but now I realize that it was because I was standing on hallowed ground... Known by the locals as Merlin's cave of transformation. I pondered many questions in the cave: what would it take for me to get to the other side, what might I be ...

What can we uncover in the dark? A dear friend of mine, Misty is a painter, a very creative soul. She has added this new way of painting to her artist's repertoire and she shared this piece with me and in turn, I am sharing it with you. Recently, she/we lost a dear friend to Covid 19. Misty and I and many members of an online community that we are connected to are expressing our grief in various ways. I have turned to picking up my guitar once again and spending some time playing my ukelele whenever I get a free moment. What are the ways that we each create and share the light during dark times? If you feel so called share your creative moments with one another as a way for our individual lights to combine as one to push back the fear and grief that may be creeping around the edges of our lives during this tragic time. Stay safe and know that you are loved. Rev. Marjorie

I read this today to get into the spirit of Passover, which is today, and I absolutely love it. Thank you to Cantor Lisa Levine. Source of Blessing: Our lives are in turmoil our hearts heavy help us to cope with this modern plague we are worried for our families, we are concerned for our communities, our world is on the brink.            Bless us with strength. Source of Mercy:  We pray for courage to stay strong for those in our care, and for ourselves. We pray for insight to act in loving ways to keep our communities safe.             Bless us with strength. Source of Hope: We pray for those who are at greatest risk vulnerable and scared isolated and lonely, and for those heroes leading on the front lines who keep us alive and fed.             Bless us with strength. Source of Life: Throughout history our people have faced plagues, forced exp...