Rev. Joseph BoydIt has been said that our church belongs in the liberal tradition. This is not the same meaning of liberal in the way we usually use that word in terms of politics, economics, or social attitudes. It means we are liberal theologically. Most people, including Unitarian Universalist ministers, don’t spend much time thinking … Continue reading Sermon – Mar 7, 2021 – “A Liberating Church”
Rev. Joseph BoydThe first time I was introduced to Ohio, I was offered a summer fellowship at a church in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. I was asked to deliver six consecutive sermons on six consecutive weeks, and I was given a very generous stipend and a 6-bedroom, 3-bath house all to myself within … Continue reading Sermon – Feb 21, 2021 – Letter to a Nation (And Those Who Seek Belonging)
Lindsay SinkovichInterconnectedness is the first word that comes to my mind when I think of the concept of beloved community. I think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail; I think about how we are indeed, “an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” I have lived … Continue reading Homily – Feb 7, 2021 – “Exploration into Beloved Community”
Rev. Joseph BoydI’ve been thinking of the phrase “delayed not denied” since I heard it during a sermon bringing the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the present day given by Rev. Michael Harrison. It’s a popular phrase in many Christian churches, emphasizing that God’s promises of goodness for us may be delayed, … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 31, 2021 – “Delayed Not Denied”
Rev. Joseph BoydI’ve appreciated talking with Melissa about this time post-inauguration and on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. First I want to say to those who have made the difficult choice to have an abortion or if you of know of someone who has, that you are loved and most certainly not alone. For … Continue reading Homily – Jan 24, 2021 – “Remembering and Re-imagining a New Era”
Melissa SmithAt UUYO we enter into worship by repeating the covenant: ”Love is the spirit of this church and service its law. This is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.” As we depart our service, Reverend Joseph reminds us that the one great truth is that “You are … Continue reading Homily – Jan 24, 2021 -“Remarks on Roe v. Wade”
I reread Washington Irving’s folktale “Rip Van Winkle” after finding King’s interpretation in Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? In King’s interpretation the most important part of that story is that when Rip Van Winkle went up the mountain in Upstate New York, King George III was the leader, and when he … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 17, 2021 – “Chaos or Community?”
Rev. Joseph BoydWednesday was a big day for our country. At Union Seminary in New York City, many were celebrating with one of their alums Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who was voted in as the first black senator from Georgia. He is senior minister of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church that Dr. Martin Luther King … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 10, 2021- “Invincible Summer”
Melissa SmithOur theme of the month is imagination, hence I titled sermon “reimagining ourselves into the new year.” In the process of associations for with the month of January I looked to the titular source and learned that Janus, the god, to be the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and … Continue reading Sermon – Jan 3, 2021 – “Reimagining Ourselves into the New Year.”
Two days ago in Youngstown, Ohio, on the 25th of December, we woke up to ten to twelve inches of snow; 19 degree high temperature with a wind-chill factor of 5; and I couldn’t have felt warmer than if I were standing outside in a bright, blue-skied 85 degree July afternoon. Admittedly, the crackling fire … Continue reading Homily – Dec 27, 2020 – “Warm Imaginings” by Sarah Lowry
