by Laura K. Secor Hello my UUCW friends, Last month I introduced you to the T’ang dynasty poets of China, who wrote from within the Ch’an tradition, a mix of Taoism and Buddhism that would eventually give rise to Japanese Zen. We explored the challenges the Anglophone world faced when first encountering these poets. It took time … Continue reading American Zen, Part Two
by Emily Stolarski This spring, let’s celebrate the creativity, love, and shared values that make our community shine! The 8th Principle Task Force invites the entire congregation—children, youth, and adults alike—to help create a joyful community art experience rooted in our UU values of justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, generosity, and interdependence. THE EVENT…A UUCW Community … Continue reading Creating Art, Building Community
by Rev. Aaron Payson Good People, Below is the poem that began and ended my reflection last Sunday on “Fear & Prophetic Possibility.” Then what follows are words I was privileged to speak as a welcome to a Japanese delegation of Hibakusha, those who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end … Continue reading Some Poems for the Times
by Moira Rouse & David Schowalter, Stewardship Team Pledges $221,000 Charitable IRA QCDs $34,000 Donors 97 Grand Total: $225,000 In Wicked, Glinda and Elphaba sing to each other across a chasm of difference: “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” It is a lyric about the kind of transformation that happens in … Continue reading “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” A Message of Gratitude as we close our “For Good” Stewardship Drive
by Melissa McKeon, President, UUCW Board of Management As a humanities person, I’ve spent very little time in my life looking through a microscope, but the first time I did (so long ago I don’t like to admit it), was a revelation: a tiny drop of saliva and cheek cells became the domain of monsters, … Continue reading Small Things In A Big World
by Laura K. Secor Hello my friends, This month we are taking a wee break from Shantideva. I know, I know, I can hear you begging for more of the Bodhicharyavatara. I feel it too. But we have to balance our chakras, we can’t eat figgy pudding every day of the week. For April, which as we all know … Continue reading American Zen
by Robin Mitzcavitch, Director of Religious Exploration I’ve decided that I’m going to be a person who tries harder to embrace possibility. That’s a choice I have to make. During these times, there are so many things pointing at me saying, “isn’t this awful?” The world’s problems are so big that I feel like no … Continue reading Embracing Possibilities – The Old Fashioned Way
by Rev. Aaron Payson This month’s Soul Matters Theme, Embracing Possibility, could not be better timed! After 10 long years, the patent has finally been approved! This effort just goes to show how ingenuity, desperate circumstance, and a little creative marketing can go a long way! Blessings, Aaron Budget Saved! Patent Approved! Worcester- The near-tragedy … Continue reading Embracing Possibility
by Moira Rouse & David Schowalter, Stewardship Team The Stewardship Team gives a hearty “Thank you” to all of those who have pledged! Over the last three weeks, we have raised over $160,000 in 49 pledges and IRA distribution requests for the 2026/2027 church year. This puts us well on our way towards last year’s … Continue reading So Far, So GOOD!
by Laura K. Secor Hello my friends, We are continuing to explore “The Way of the Bodhisattva”, a vivid description of the journey towards a particular flavor of enlightenment, a popular choice for Mahayana Buddhists. Which choice? Why, to embark on this “Enlightened Being Way”, to pursue this path, to explore the means of moving, … Continue reading The Way of the Bodhisattva – Part Three
