This Week at UPC

In last week’s sermon, I talked about wearing a safety pin to show support for people who feel vulnerable in these times. The safety pin is a symbol that was used first in occupied Netherlands during WWII, and has been adopted again to let people know that you will stand with them if they need you to. Many people have asked, “But what can I do, if I see someone being targeted?” So here’s a quick guide on how to be an ally when there’s harassment going on. It was written specifically for harassment of Muslims, since hate crimes against Muslims have increased 67% since the election, but apply in any bullying or harassment situation: If you would like to know more, here are two links that will take you to further information about how to be an ally: This is a whole collection of links about managing uncomfortable situations, from the perspective of someone who wants to side with the frightened and keep things calm: http://deescalationandintervention.weebly.com/resources.html

Isaiah 65:17-25 This is the last week in “Ordinary Time,” the part of the church year where we are not celebrating particular times or seasons in the life of the church.  Next week we will celebrate the Reign of Christ, and then the week after that we will start the church year with Advent.  This is the time of year that we are beginning to dream of a world made new, to consider the promises of God and to remind ourselves of our hopes for the One who is to come. Our scripture this week is one of the texts that looks forward to the time when the world will be healed, and imagines what that day might look like. Scholars believe the book of Isaiah was composed at different times by different authors, and generally divide the book into three sections: First, Second, and Third Isaiah. These verses are from Third Isaiah, written a couple generations after the people had returned from Babylonian Exile. The fresh energy is long gone, and in its place are the many hardships and deepening di

Dear Friends, When you read this I will be on my way to join with clergy of all faiths and with the Standing Rock Sioux nation on the banks of the Missouri River on November 3rd. We will gather to stand witness to water protector’s acts of compassion for God’s creation, and to the transformative power of God’s love to make a way out of no way. In recent days, the repressive power of the state has increased: armed riot police are guarding ongoing pipeline construction, increased arrests and repression of non-violent prayerful action. At the same time, Oceti Sakowin water protectors have reclaimed land never relinquished by treaty directly in the path of the pipeline and established a new camp. Our duty as people of faith and clergy could not be clearer: to stand on the side of the oppressed and to pray for God’s mercy in these challenging times. Our vision is a day of protective witness in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and with the water protectors. We will ga