A pastor was talking with a hard working woman who was a devoted member, present at all services. He expressed his thanks for seeing her so attentive every Sunday. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘It is such a rest after a long, hard week’s work to come to church, to sit down on the soft cushions, and not think about anything.’ From a Catholic…

HEAVEN AND HELL While walking down the street one day, a corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. “Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official so we’re not sure what…

The great novelist who was raised by missionary parents in China, Pearl Buck once shared a story that she remembered: ‘I remember as a child hearing my impatient missionary father as he explained to an elderly Chinese gentleman, ‘Does it mean nothing to you that if you reject Christ you will burn in hell?’ many stars in the sky.’ First, of course…

A sergeant and his private sat in a small compartment on a train as they took a trip together. Facing them, in the same compartment, sat a grandmother and her lovely granddaughter. As the train entered a long, dark tunnel, a long, joyful, wet kiss was heard, followed by a loud slap. The grandmother thought, “That young private kissed my granddaughter and…

We’ll start with a group process joke. How many Unitarian Universalists does it take to change a light bulb? I’ll take answers from the floor…, give you mine, have time for exhaustive discussion, then we’ll vote on the one we like the best and it will go in the bylaws. Let’s start with yours- Mine is ‘Are we sure the light bulb…

‘Regarding Justice Scalia’s Refusal to Recuse Himself From Hearing Case Concerning the Vice President’ House of Representatives – February 25, 2004 ‘Mr. Speaker, the President’s presidential prayer team is urging us to ‘pray for the President as he seeks wisdom on how to legally codify the definition of marriage. Pray that it will be according to Biblical principles.’ With that in mind,…

This sermon is dedicated to my good friend since 1972, D. Glen Miller, Ph.D., who is the Vietnam vet mentioned. I think we have learned much from each other over the many years we have remained close friends. We were thrown together on my first job after I graduated from college. He was the teacher and I was the Instructional Assistant teaching…

The creation story is common to Jews, Christians, and Moslems, yet only the Christians saw original sin, the Fall, in the story. Jesus never mentions it. And some Christians today now see it differently as well. Part of our heritage is the group called Universalists, who believed a loving God would not send anyone to Hell, and that there was no such…

Mark Twain Guest Preacher(A Sermon using the words of Mark Twain from Various Sources)Rev. Arthur G. Severance Let me start by talking about God: — Notebook — Mark Twain, speech, “Education and Citizenship” Religion: Following the Equator ‘ Eruption’ with the one He was after. – Autobiography of Mark Twain Christian Science The altar cloth of one aeon is the doormat of…

My friend and colleague from the Southwest District who has served the C UU Church on the River in Memphis, TN, for more than 20 years, tells ‘The Parable of the Patient List,’ in his Berry Street Essay from a few years ago, ‘When you go into the pastoral care office at Methodist Central Hospital in Memphis you will discover along the…