How’ve you been? My sabbatical is over and I’m grateful for that time to find rest and renewal. Thank you so much for it. I did some reading, a little traveling, and loads of hiking. Mostly, I got the chance to think deeply about all sorts of things. And I...

We hear often about the “War on Christmas,” but the Washington Post describes Thanksgiving as “the most politicized American holiday of the 19th century.” We can thank our Unitarian and Universalist forebears for some of that (sincerely). Many of them were abolitionists, and though there was not yet an agreed...

So … how are you feeling about the election? I have a friend who noted recent political history (there is usually a congressional “flip” at midterms when the president’s party has been in the majority) and that the predicted “wave” didn’t occur. He wondered why liberals/progressives were feeling disappointed. He...

Halloween has become one of the best opportunities for gaining intercultural competence. But it has often included a steep learning curve, especially if you grew up – as I did – when conversations about misappropriation were not common. As a child, it was not uncommon to see other kids dressed...

We are rebuilding, as a church. On March 16, 2020, we closed our doors and began doing church in a completely different way, with computer screens and occasional drive-thru events taking the place of all the other ways we were accustomed to connecting. More than two years later, it should...

With celebrating our 30th anniversary this Saturday, I have naturally been thinking about the beginnings of Live Oak. I am so grateful to those brave souls who planted this church! The early days of Live Oak meant a lot of being “always in beta” as they figured out how to...