52 and 48
November 9, 2008
In the LDS (Mormon) faith, good family relationships are an essential aspect of salvation. families can be ritually "sealed" in the Temple and be together eternally in the afterlife. Only married parents with children can attain the highest levels of salvation. What does this imply for single persons, same-sex couples, and couples who choose not to have children?

I Do Not Concede
November 5, 2008
Proposition 8 was passed in California but the civil rights struggle of gay and lesbian persons is not over. Eventually we will win marriage equality. This is the way civil rights movements go.   The victory day is coming.  Justice always does come.  Love always does win out.

Democratic Process
November 2, 2008
Our worship service, two days before an historic election, is a good time to remind ourselves that the democratic process is actually one of the core principles of our faith.  Not only will this election decide important faith issues having to do with how we live our lives, and spend our state resources, and involve ourselves as a nation with the lives of people around the world and the planet itself, but even the manner in which we will make those decisions is a reflection of our faith.

Coming Out and Coming In
October 12, 2008
Even when, someday, the news is greeted with a shrug, gay and lesbian persons will always face the coming out experience:  the uncomfortable announcement that sets them apart as different.  But a loving response from the straight majority can make a huge difference in the next step of the process.  Once a person has come out where do they go?  Our churches can address part of the great need for community organizations that welcome in gay and lesbian persons instead of leaving them out.

My Marriage
October 6, 2008
A speech for an interfaith community forum on Proposition 8 in California.

10 Challenges
September 28, 2008
While seemingly distant from our lives, and in some cases arbitrary or irrelevant, each of the 10 Commandments touches on an important spiritual principle that each of us must deal with at some point in our lives.  Drawing on a book by Leonard Felder I’ll present the 10 statements from Exodus as he does, as 10 Challenges to face, to overcome, and to enrich our lives

Families are Forever
August 24, 2008
In the LDS (Mormon) faith, good family relationships are an essential aspect of salvation. families can be ritually "sealed" in the Temple and be together eternally in the afterlife. Only married parents with children can attain the highest levels of salvation. What does this imply for single persons, same-sex couples, and couples who choose not to have children?

Two Islams
August 17, 2008
The religious differences between the Shi’a and Sunni traditions of Islam are large.  I’ll explain the difference, tell the story of how the separate traditions developed, and explore the challenges that separation causes, both in achieving peace between middle eastern countries and in relations between Islamic countries and the West.

Slow Down
August 10, 2008
The Buddhist worldview begins with the observation that nothing lasts forever.  Our suffering, they say, comes from our forming emotional bonds with impermanent things and then grasping after them as they pass away.  But not caring about the things of the world leads to its own kind of suffering:  passivity and disconnection.  Where is the middle way?

Different Paths, Same Journey
August 3, 2008
The Hindu religion reminds us that there are many equally effective ways to reach our spiritual goals.  Which practice is best for you depends on your natural affinities.  Are you a thinker, a worshipper, a helper, a mystic, or something else?  The task of our faith is to remember that though we may travel different paths, and even describe the goal in different ways, our journey, and the journey of all religious folks, is the same.

We Need One Another
A Homily following the shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Knoxville
August 3, 2008

Impermanence
July 27, 2008
The Buddhist worldview begins with the observation that nothing lasts forever.  Our suffering, they say, comes from our forming emotional bonds with impermanent things and then grasping after them as they pass away.  But not caring about the things of the world leads to its own kind of suffering:  passivity and disconnection.  Where is the middle way?

Balance
June 29, 2008
As a cyclist I’ve learned a few things about balance, how to get it, how to keep it, and what happens if your lose it (ouch!).  In this sermon I explore the ways in which maintain balancing on a bicycle provides both helpful and unhelpful models for finding balance in our complicated, over-programmed work/home/personal/family/community/physical/spiritual lives.

Rest
May 18, 2008
Spirituality is active and hard work.  We’re on a journey.  We have a spiritual practice, which takes spiritual discipline.  We “do” worship.  Our minds are tired from meditation and theology.  Our bodies and voices are spent from social justice work.  Our hearts are exhausted from compassion.  Our resources are depleted from supporting the institution of the church.  Must we wait until every spiritual goal is accomplished before we can rest?

Creation
May 11, 2008
For Mother’s Day I want to look at the important spiritual task of bringing into existence that which didn’t exist before.  New life is an important example, but so is the creation of art, of new ideas, technical and mechanical inventions, planting a garden, cooking a special meal.  Even bringing a new word of peace, or a gentle touch, or a silent prayer add their part.

Coming Out as a UU
May 4, 2008
In our larger communities many Unitarian Universalists share the experience of being non-Christian, among Christians, and politically liberal, among conservatives. It's a tough decision whether it's better to keep silent or speak out and risk alienation. Healthy spirituality requires both that we speak our truths and build strong connections with others, but what do we choose when doing one might destroy the other?

Spirituality Beyond Thinking
April 13, 2008
Unitarian Universalism takes such a thoughtful path to spirituality.  We value reason.  Our worship services highlight an idea-filled sermon.  But thinking isn’t the only path to spirituality and may not be enough.  I’ll highlight some alternative paths involving ritual, service, movement, aesthetics, meditation, and so on.

What Do I Know?
February 24, 2008
Unitarian Universalists are sometimes suspicious of religion because we see its truth claims based on subjective faith as less reliable than truth claims made on objective facts.  The deeper truth is that our claim for knowing anything is pretty thin. 

The Peace Which Passes Understanding
February 10, 2008
The quote in the title from St. Paul (Philippians 4:6-7) points us to a different way of thinking about peace. Not the peace we can understand of quiet and non-violence, the opposite of war, but a peace beyond understanding, even beyond consciouness itself.

Evolution Sunday
February 3, 2008
Our congregation again this year joins with hundreds of other congregations around the country celebrating the healthy collaboration of science and spirituality.  The questions raised by evolution are significant even to those of us who welcome the challenge.  In a system that creates by randomness, not design, and that chooses survivors by best fit to the environment, not abstract ideals, what can we say of spiritual purpose, meaning, and ultimate goals?

The Good Life
January 27, 2008
At the end of life, or in the midst of it when we have other reasons to be self-reflective, how do we judge our successful achievement of the spiritual task of living?  If we knew what would help us reach a happy end we could start working on it now.

Spirituality and the Body
January 20, 2008
From mountain climbers to marathoners, from yoga practitioners to sufi dancers, people use the body as a means to access spiritual feelings and insight.  I’ll look at the connection between the physical and the spiritual and how the body can be both a tool and a distraction from spiritual work.

Let’s Talk
January 13, 2008
Have you ever had an important conversation that went badly?  Have you ever avoided an important talk because you knew the conversation would be difficult?  In a diverse church community we have to find ways to share important feelings and ideas without shutting down dialogue.  I’ll share some practical skills I’ve learned from a book, “Crucial Conversations” useful at church, and work and at home.