Grace Notes – First Universalist Church of Southold

Grace Notes – May 2017

FirstUniversalist — Mon, 01 May 2017 11:20:46 +0000

Over the past nine months, we have explored the world’s religions in classes, book clubs, covenant groups, films, and in our services. We have found much to scratch our heads over – from the plethora of gods in the Yoruba religions and Hinduism, to the ... read more.

Grace Notes – April 2017

FirstUniversalist — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 11:41:26 +0000

The twitch begins early – January, really. Sometimes December 25, if the right gift goes to the right person. But the twitch definitely begins in January, when the first catalogs appear in the mailbox. It doesn’t matter how much snow appears – the plans begin. ... read more.

Grace Notes – February 2017

FirstUniversalist — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 15:39:59 +0000

There has been a lot of emphasis lately – both in the news and from the pulpit – about our call to resistance. It’s a call, of course, to not just see when our principles and basic human rights are threatened, but to do something ... read more.

Grace Notes – January 2017

FirstUniversalist — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 14:34:46 +0000

My spiritual practice right now is to sing a hymn a day – I am going through the hymnal and singing them, one a day, in order, and then reflecting on it. Sometimes I’m caught up in the melody, or a memory, and sometimes I’m ... read more.

Grace Notes – November 2016

FirstUniversalist — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 13:36:59 +0000

On October 23rd, members of the congregation gathered to choose a builder for the new church and parish hall. By way of opening the meeting, I shared these words:

A year and a half ago, the unthinkable happened. And I have held you as you grieved ... read more.

Grace Notes – October 2016

FirstUniversalist — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 15:23:43 +0000

Whenever a question came up at the dinner table – about history, or science, or art, or just about anything that wasn’t “how was school today?” – my father would send me to the book-lined living room with the words “go look it up.” As ... read more.

Grace Notes – September 2016

FirstUniversalist — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:00:57 +0000

One of the joys of my beginning a second year at this beloved congregation – for you and for me – is that we already know each other a bit. We have a sense of our relationships, how we approach projects and ideas, how we ... read more.

Grace Notes – June 1016

FirstUniversalist — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 15:12:49 +0000

I am afraid I have no witty or poignant start to my column today – most of the summer stories I could find involved baseball, a sport I don’t care for; and I can’t seem to come up with any personal anecdotes about summer. There ... read more.