Ah Xmas time, a time of peace-. from Children’s Letters to Santa- Dear Santa, Please give me a tank, a jet fighter, 20 green soldiers, and a bazooka gun. I’m planning a surprise attack on my brother. So don’t tell anyone. Thanks, Danny Or a mixing of myths- Dear Santa, Love, Lisa ‘And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him…

Christmas cards, which once were sent to wish others peace on earth, good will, and blessings of the season, now serve more commercial purposes. I love the story about an apartment building in New York City- it was early in December when all the residents awoke to find a greeting card taped to the outside of their apartment doors. The cards read,…

Laws Concerning Food and Drink: Household Principles ‘Lamentations of the Father’ by Ian Frazier Laws Pertaining to Dessert Rev. Max Coots, Minister Emeritus, Unitarian Universalist Church Canton, NY ‘For a Bountiful Harvest Of Friends’Let us give thanks for a bounty of people.For children who are our second planting,and though they grow like weedsand the wind too soon blows them away,may they forgive…

Shall we get spiritual? Whether or not we shall get spiritual is not  up to me; ot at least not just up to me! It may not even be just up to  you. It?s actually a little complicated to describe, but it?s much  more simple for some us to HAVE a spiritual experience than others.  Indeed, some of us don?t WANT a spiritual experience, thank you…

An atheist buys an ancient lamp at an auction, takes it home, and  begins to polish it. Suddenly, a genie appears, and says, ?I?ll grant  you three wishes, Master.? The atheist says, ?I wish I could believe  in you.? The genie snaps his fingers, and suddenly the atheist  believes in him. The atheist says, ?Wow. I wish all atheists would  believe this.? The genie snaps his fingers…

In an English cemetery we find this last thoughtful epitaph:  “Remember man, as you walk by,As you are now, so once was I.As I am now, so shall you be.Remember this and follow me.” To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:“To follow you I’ll not consent . . . Until I know which way you went.”    Ambrose   Bierce, the…

We have lost one of our best and most representative ministers, As  I?ve said, It?s a little bit like losing Emerson, especially if  Emerson had stayed in the ministry!  It?s hard to believe that Forrest  Church is really gone. Partly, as he said, because he preached 5  farewell sermons! But also because he was larger than life. because he  was my age, and because he was so…

The issue of same gender marriage is one of the issues that are being  addressed today. Let me share some verses from the Bible to help clear  things up. “A. Marriage  shall consist of a union between one man and one or more  women. (Gen. 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5) “B. Marriage shall not impede a man’s right to take concubines inaddition to his wife or…

A family visited this church recently, a father, a mother, a  twelve-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy. I’m sorry to say they   didn’t like it much. The father didn’t like the sermon, the mother  didn’t like the choir, the twelve-year-old girl said it was “boring.”   And the ten-year-old boy said, “Well, what did you expect for a   dollar?”    You may be a Unitarian Universalist if on…

A visitor came to Israel and saw the Western Wall. Not being too  versed in religious aspects, he inquired of another tourist about the  significance of the wall. The other tourist explained, “This is a  sacred wall. If you pray to it, God may hear you.”    The visitor walked close to the wall and started to pray. “Dear  Lord,” he said, “bring sunshine and warmth…