There's an old axiom that says, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" A simple saying that convey's a wealth of wisdom.
The saying implies that cooking is happening - a meal that will nourish someone or multiple someones is in the process of being prepared. I've always thought that kitchens were comparable to chemistry labs. If you think about it, that's what cooking is - edible chemistry.
Ah, summer... and the Growing Season is in full swing at Unity of Fairfax! I must fess up that I am surprised (pleasantly!) at what is happening this summer at Unity of Fairfax.
When people ask how long Anthony and I have been together, I often jokingly reply, "Ours was an arranged gay marriage; in September we'll have our 23rd Anniversary." Today, the reality of a legal "anniversary" took on a whole new meaning as the Supreme Court of the United States struck down as unconstitutional key provisions of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act. I always wondered why the legislation by that name didn't simply outlaw divorce - wouldn't that protect the institution of marriage? Why prevent people who love each other from marrying? I guess that point is moot now. And fo
Father's Day is tomorrow, and I wanted to share with you the most beautfiul prayer I've ever read in honor of fathers. It's by Unitarian minister, Rev. Kirk D. Loadman-Copeland.
Let us praise those fathers who have striven to balance the demands of work, marriage, and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice.
Let us praise those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become a good father.
This is an open letter to the Unity of Fairfax community.
Dear Friends,
I don't have the words to express to you my gratitude for the love shown to me, Anthony and my family last Sunday (June 2) on the occasion of my formal installation as Senior Minister of Unity of Fairfax. I feel humble in the most wonderful way.
I was inspired by today's (May 30, 2013) message "Confidence" in the Daily Word. The word "confidence" comes from the Latin words meaning "with" + "trust." And the word "trust" comes to the English language from German and Old Norse meaning "comfort." So, putting it all together, confidence could convey the notion of "with comfort."
A sense of confidence does lead to comfort. If I am confident about a situation, then I am comfortable with the decisions I take in relation to that situation. If I am not confident, then feeling comfortable is probably not going to happen.
Philosopher and essayist George Santayan is believed to have said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it." So much for the good old days!
But apparently some of those days weren't so good. This weekend we are observing as a nation Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember the lives of men and women who died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is our affirmation that our service personnel are surrounded in prayer and all return home safely to their families.
Martlin Luther King, Jr. is reported to have said one day, "I have so much to do today, I'll have to spend an extra hour in prayer." At first glance that seems counter-intuitive. If he had so much to do, he should have cut his prayer time to 10 or 15 minutes, right? Wrong.
On Thursday, May 9, I officiated a memorial service for a friend of mine whose remains were interred at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery outside of Harrisburg, PA. In my years in ministry, it was the first time I participated in a ceremony in which the deceased received military funeral honors. I couldn't help but be moved by the precision with which the service personnel engaged in the traditions by which "a grateful nation" said thank you to my friend's family.
I remember May Day in 1995. It was a Sunday and I was working in Odessa, Ukraine on a temporary assignment in my prior career field. I was part of a three-man team sent to privatize and Westernize the container shipping operation at the Port of Odessa. It was no easy task; undoing 70+ years of socialist business practices would prove to be a Herculean task. I'm grateful my part was only two months in length. However, I did learn to use a Cyrilic keyboard. Just one of many unexpected blessings of that trip.
