The Quiet Man
Father’s Day isn’t just a day to take our Dads out to brunch and give them a new tie or power tool, but an opportunity to give them the compassion, which in turns lets us see their humanity. It is from this place that we … read more.
Archives: Services
Until We Are All Free
In challenging times that call us to live out our religious values, join Rev. Allison Farnum and Keith Talley of the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois as we explore how we “get free” from the lens of Unitarian Universalist prisoner solidarity work.
Keith Talley (he/him) … read more.
Simple Church
“Simplify, simplify,” said Henry David Thoreau in Walden. “Our life is frittered away in detail, simplify, simplify.” What would church look like if we aligned our programs to a clear vision, and then focused everything on accomplishing our mission? I suspect it would look … read more.
Why Can’t We Have Nice Things?
In her book The Sum of Us, Heather McGhee asks a simple question about the American landscape that has haunted me for some time: “Why can’t we have nice things?” From public parks to community resources, she explores how the “zero-sum” myth, the idea that … read more.
The Costs of War
I put on an Air Force uniform when I was 18 years old to work as an airplane mechanic, took it off and put it on again to play trombone with the Air National Guard, and took it off and put it on yet again … read more.
May Music Sunday: Awakening Curiosity about Our Place in This World: Sacred Place by Alex Berko
As composer Alex Berko explains, Sacred Space “connects the old with the new, the sacred with the secular, and the individual with their community.” Using elements from Jewish liturgy combined with “the writings of several American environmentalists and poets who have spoken about their relationship … read more.
Religious Imagination
Artists have discovered a truth: That the intersection between imagination, art, and religion is being attentive to the world. In that space, boundaries vanish and the secular becomes sacred, the ordinary becomes sublime. Poet Mary Oliver writes, “This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing … read more.
That Which is Indestructible in Us
When our carefully held identities, plans, or hopes fall apart, what remains? Guest preacher Dr. Emma Farrell explores ego, grief, leadership, love, and the courage it takes to meet reality as it is. Drawing from lived experience and wisdom from contemporary thought leaders, this service … read more.
The Practice of the Possible
We are often told to be “realistic,” a word that frequently serves as a boundary for our spirits and our justice work. But what if the “possible” is something we must actively practice, like an instrument or a muscle? Join me this Sunday as we … read more.
The Impossible God: Unitarian Universalist Theologies
Each year at our annual auction I let one lucky winner pick the topic for one Sunday in the spring. This year, David Black chose, “The Concept of God for UUs,” in which we will explore theologies, from Transcendentalism to Process Theology, that many UUs … read more.