Sermons
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How do we know what the "right" thing to do is in a given circumstance? How do we make decisions when we're faced with an ethical or moral dilemma? Philosophers and theologians have struggled with this question for centuries. This Sunday it can be our turn! Rev. Peter offers his thoughts (but no easy answers).
There are two theories about what happens to us after we die. At first blush, karma and grace seem incompatible; one a theory from the East and the other from the West. How can this mystery of mysteries be reconciled? Our guest minister asked us to come and find out once and for all! Rev. Dr. Josh Snyder, Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, DE, has been serving that church since 2008.
Unitarian Universalist theology often states that every person contains a "spark of the Divine." What do we mean by this term and how does it affect the way we treat each other? Rev. Peter reflects on this and other questions.
Through the story "Four Feet, Two Sandals" we learn an important lesson about building relationships that lead to beloved community. Rev. Peter offers his reflections on the topic as it relates to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The 2011 General Assembly of Congregations adopted a Statement of Conscience entitled "Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice" which states, in part, "eating ethically requires us to be mindful of the miracle of life we share with all beings. With gratitude for the food we have received, we strive to choose foods that minimize harm and are protective of the environment, consumers, farmers, and all those involved in food production and distribution."
Rev. Peter reflects on our relationship with the food we eat and how it supports or challenges the principles we espouse as people of faith committed to environmental stewardship and justice.
Has Christmas snuck up on you again this year? Are you in "frantic mode" with a week to go before the holiday? It's rumored that Rev. Peter is! Hear what he had to say about keeping grounded during this time of year, as well as some effective strategies that others had to share.
The disclosure of allegations of child abuse by former coach Jerry Sandusky at Penn State, like the decades-long pedophilia scandal of the Catholic Church, raise serious questions about secrecy and silence in our society. Rev. Peter offers his thoughts on the impact that secrets can have on us individually and collectively.
The Hebrew allegory of Jonah and the whale has been updated by the late Abraham Maslow. He called it the Jonah Complex – the fear of fulfilling one's mission. There has been mission creep since the Lord commanded Jonah to prophesy to wicked Nineveh. What is the Unitarian Universalist mission? A question we need to answer on this Association Sunday when we both celebrate and assess our role as a religious movement. Rev. Dr. Richard S. Gilbert, minister emeritus of first Unitarian Church in Rochester, NY, is our guest minister.
Rev. Peter has spent several days at the Occupy Philly encampment at City Hall in Philadelphia. This Sunday he'll share some of his experiences, discuss the depth and breadth of wealth disparity in our country, and look at its spiritual implications. He will also talk about the many opportunities we have to respond to these inequities as people of faith. Are we prepared to be a prophetic church, populated by the "prophethood of all believers" (as we heard from James Luther Adams last week)?