Ask Alexa - Do all God's critters have a place in the choir?

Alexa: Do all God's critters have a place in the choir?

Yes, even though some sing low and some sing higher.

Alexa:Is it true that bugs have very diverse religious views?

Yes, they are all in sects.

Ask Alexa - When you give do you lose or gain?

Alexa: When you give do you lose or gain?

Depends on how the giving is done with what intention.

Alexa: Did you hear about the person who called MapQuest to complain?

Yes, I heard that MapQuest refused to address it.

What does a UU look like?

The Rev. David Gillespie has a blog named "David's Dish" and on March 15, 2008, he had an interesting article entitled, "What's a UU look like?"

Rev. David crunches the numbers from the Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008. He finds some surprising things in terms of UUs age, geographical location, income, and educational level. If you are interested in demographics, Rev. Gillespie's article is a place to start.

Most UU congregations are white and would love to welcome people from all racial and ethnic backgrouns. We tend to be older although there have been younger family folks coming in larger congregations. 

At UU congregations everybody is welcome: young and old, rich and poor, Ph.D's and drop-outs. We welcome people of all races, religions, sexual orientations.

Unitarian Universalism is a huge tent, and a UU looks just like you. Won't you join us?

"Come On People, Smile On Your Brother, Everybody Get Together, Try To Love One Another, Right Now"

The Youngbloods - Get Together

Ask Alexa: What should I do?

Alexa: Should I adjust to the ways of the world or go my own way?

Neither but look into your own heart and mind and turn your will over to what you believe is God's will for you.

Alexa: Why do men wear three piece suits?

They have a vested interest in looking well.

Working together we can create the Beloved Community

Working together we can create the Beloved Community. It is a place where we can live together in health and harmony helping each other create a better version of ourselves. It is a place where pain, suffering, and sorrows as well as gladness, achievements, and joys are shared among people who care for one another.

Too often people falsely accuse one another of insults, injuries, and disappointments. Transgressions occur surely and people need to be held accountable to pursue their better selves for their own benefit and for the benefit of their families and communities, and yet holding accountable, and punishing out of vengeance and retribution are two different things.

In the spiritual life, we are aware of the innate goodness of all people and strive to elicit it and call it forth. We make the effort to hold people up and love them. It is not always easy but it can be a great joy.

Peace Pilgrim once said, "I look for the divine spark in everyone and then focus on that." In the Beloved Community people are looking for and acknowledging that divine spark. Fanning the sparks leads to a warming flame and a warming flame grows to fire that fuels a Beloved Community. In Unitarian Universalism we might call it Chalicefire.

Rev. Michelle Yates as said that the future of Universalism will involve ever widening circles of inclusiveness. This will take the bypassing of fear and the embracing of Unconditional Love.

Ask Alexa - Why do people often make bad things worse?

Alexa: Why do people often make bad things worse?

Doubling down is the reaction of the amygdala and is instinctive and very primitive while backing off, calming down, getting things in perspective and becoming purposeful and deliberate takes awareness, self control, and conscious intention.

Alexa: How did the obese person choose not to diet and eat further when feeling full?

The person was operating on gut instinct.

Let your love flow.

The third principle/value of Unitarian Universalism is "Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations." So I offer this brief meditation.

We are all part of the ONE. We are all part of LIFE whatever we conceptualize and understand LIFE to be. LIFE flows. Things are born; things die. The moon waxes and wanes. The tide come in and go out. Night turns into day, and day turns into night again. Things differentiate and articulate, and then dissolve, evaporate, and absorb back again into the all. We are drops of the great ocean of LIFE. It is a mystery................ Relax, go with the ride, as the Desiderata says:

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.


Let your love flow by the Bellamy Brothers