Delivered to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Hudson Valley, New York January 23, 2022 By Rev. Dr. Joshua Snyder One of the clear memories I have of growing up in the 80s is of the Valley Girl Fad. I realize that this revelation probably dates me. For those too young, or too old to … Continue reading Sermon – Feb 6, 2022 – “A Tremendous Fascinating Mystery”
bell hooks, the internationally known writer, scholar, social justice activist passed away right before the New Year, and I feel compelled to share what her life and work has meant to me, and my hope for all of us as we approach 2022. I know perhaps not everyone is familiar with bell hooks, so I’ll … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 23, 2022 – “All About Love: Continuing the Legacy of bell hooks”
Rev. Joseph BoydAccording to the Torah, Moses is brought to a mountaintop where he is shown the Promised Land. Then God tells Moses so there is no confusion: This is the land I have promised your ancestors, and this the land your children will enter, but you yourself will not enter it. Moses receives this … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 16, 2022 – “I’ve been to the Mountaintop”
Rev. Joseph BoydThe Winter was usually a time when my family would go to the Oregon Coast. If there is anything that Oregonians crave more than sunshine, it is solitude, and my father enjoyed the prospect of avoiding crowds. The Oregon Coast is often moody, grey, with giant jagged rocks. A light drizzle of rain … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 9, 2022 – “Practicing Transformative Love”
Kathleen Hogue, Director of Religious Exploration If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! (clap, clap) If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! (clap, clap) “The purpose of life is not to be happy, said Ralph Waldo Emerson, it is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to … Continue reading Sermon – Dec 26, 2021 – “What is Your Joy?”
Rev. Joseph BoydThanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The reasons for this are as particular and complicated as the history of peoples in this country. I was born a Jehovah’s Witness, and every time the teacher in school would discuss the pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, my parents asked that I be excused to go to … Continue reading Sermon – Nov 21, 2021 – “The Last Sweet Bite: A New Thanksgiving”
Rev. Joseph BoydIt’s really good to be here. It’s good to be here on this beautiful Sunday morning, as the November chill begins. It’s really good to see familiar faces here in person, virtual on zoom, a literal reminder of the ways we are connected in both particular and global ways. UUYO is a particular … Continue reading Sermon – Nov 14, 2021 – “I Pledge”
Rev. Joseph BoydI saw a play on Broadway while I was in New York this last week, and it was a play about holding history. It was called the Lehman trilogy, about the family origins that led to a 600 billion dollar financial firm in New York City that went bankrupt in 2008. It tells … Continue reading Sermon – Nov 7, 2021 – “Holding History”
Rev. Joseph BoydThere is a great power this time of year. The time when the veil is thin, when the worlds of the past and the present, the ones who have passed and ones who are still here, merge. In multiple cultures around the world, this time of year is very special. It is a … Continue reading Sermon – Oct 31, 2021 – “The Veil is Thin”
Rev. Joseph BoydThere are many different words for authentic: genuine, honest, original, true, the real thing. It’s an important characteristic, and one that has become more valued in the last decade. We want leaders who are authentic, and I think many of us on some level want to live authentic lives. My definition of an … Continue reading Sermon – Oct 24, 2021 – “An Authentic Life”
