The sixth of a multi-part series on putting our Principles in Practice. We will focus on the prophetic call embedded in our Principles. Our world seems to be coming apart, divided with walls, barriers, and isolationism. Yet not so many years ago, many of us dreamed of one world community with open borders, free trade, … Continue reading Mar 19, 2017 – “One World, Divided?”
We oftentimes think of risk as something that can be good, that can be managed to maximize reward. Change involves risk, and life involves change. But sometimes we’re forced into risky situations with little potential benefit, only danger of loss. How do we balance risk and reward? How do we deal with risk where we … Continue reading Mar 12, 2017 – “Risk, Change, and Risking Change”
Sometimes, you must put yourself in danger in order to give yourself to something bigger. What are we willing to risk in order to live our values?
There is a lot of anxiety in our world right now. Children who were born to undocumented immigrants in the United States feel anxiety as they apply to college. Some traditional Christians in our country feel persecuted because of their beliefs. On the international stage, many people are uneasy about the changing demographics of their … Continue reading Feb 26, 2017 – “Is It Silly to be Afraid of Strangers?”
Spiritual Explorations – Wednesday, April 19 – 7-9pm Spiritual Explorations is a small group ministry program that helps people go deeper than the Sunday morning church experience. We use the monthly theme as a starting point for discussion. We’ll explore the April theme, “What does it mean to be a community of transformation?,” perhaps delving … Continue reading April Explorations Packet – “Transformation”
The fifth of a multi-part series on putting our Principles in Practice. We will focus on the prophetic call embedded in our Principles. During my visit to Mexico, several contacts grasped that we do not truly have a democracy in the USA, even if they didn’t fully understand the electoral college. We’ll consider issues like … Continue reading Feb 19, 2017 – “Re-Imagining a Democratic Society”
Matt Alspaugh Reading – from “The Starfish and the Spider” – Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom By 1521, just two years after Cortes first laid eyes on [the Aztec capital city of] Tenchtitlán, the entire Aztec empire … had collapsed. The Aztecs weren’t alone. A similar fate befell the Incas. The Spanish army, led by … Continue reading Sermon: Mar 26, 2017 – “The Starfish and the Spider”
Sermon – Part 1 “One World, Divided” Introduction – Population Risk When we read the responsive reading, “The Body is Humankind” (SLT 651), I asked you to correct the text, to replace four billion cells with seven billion cells, for there are currently about seven billion people in the world. That’s three billion more than … Continue reading Sermon: March 19, 2017 – “One World, Divided”
Sermon “Risk, Change, and Risking Change” Matt Alspaugh March 12, 2017 Introduction There is this story about a monastery in Europe perched high on a cliff hundreds of feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery is in a basket, which was pulled to the top by monks who reeled the basket … Continue reading Sermon: March 12, 2017, “Risk, Change, and Risking Change”
Rev. Matt is making a transition in his life and will be ending his ministry at UUYO on July 15, 2017. he plans to continue to serve Unitarian Universalism by seeking an interim ministry position to start in the fall. Here is Rev. Matt’s letter announcing his departure: Here is a letter from … Continue reading Rev. Matt Alspaugh Announces His Departure
