Rev. Jim Magaw

F-Words, Part 2: Forbearance

This year we will be examining the concept and practice of covenant from a variety of perspectives. This week’s service will focus on historic Unitarian and Universalist covenants and how they might provide some helpful perspective on our current challenges and how we might live in a covenantal way here and now.

Possibility Under Pressure

Dealing with pandemic-related challenges, political chaos, economic uncertainty, and any number of personal issues, all of us are feeling some degree of stress and pressure. How can we cope with this pressure in such a way that it leaves us open to new possibilities?  Welcome Back! This service will be outside on the Sunnyhill Grounds … Continued

Stories and Songs of Labor

In celebration of Labor Day weekend, we’ll be singing songs about work and about the American labor movement as we reflect on the meaning and nature of work. In what ways have working conditions improved and in what ways have things started to regress? And what can be done to improve work for all?

What Is Unitarian Universalism?

Unitarian Universalism is sometimes wrongly described as not having its own theology. Although it’s true that there is a great deal of theological diversity within our congregations, we do have our own unique theology—both historically and contemporarily. This service will provide an overview of Unitarian Universalist theology and why it is important to us and … Continued

Going for Bronze

There’s something about winning third-place in a race or other competition that feels better than coming in second-place. As might have been noticed during this summer’s Olympics, bronze medal-winners are almost always happier than silver medal-winners. This service will explore this phenomenon as it relates to the concept of grace and how it plays out … Continued

Parenting in the Apocalypse

Parenting is a challenging undertaking even in the best of times, but the pandemic has turned parenting into an even more arduous and impossibly demanding task. What are the lessons learned from the last year for parents and everyone else?  [This service will take place live on the Sunnyhill grounds and will also be livestreamed … Continued

Hope, Not Hell

250 years ago, John Murray, considered the founder of Universalism in America, extolled preaching “hope, not hell.” What does it mean to lean into hope amid the challenges facing our country today?  [This service will take place live on the Sunnyhill grounds and will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.]

F-Words (Faith, Forbearance, etc.)

[This service will take place live on the Sunnyhill grounds and will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.] Faith and forbearance are words that tend not to be used much these days or are used only in very limited and narrow ways. What do these concepts mean to us as Unitarian Universalists, and how … Continued

Let America Be America

Langston Hughes wrote a poem with this title in 1935 as a rallying cry for greater inclusion. 86 years later it has lost none of its power in calling for an as-yet unborn America that makes real the dream of justice and liberty for all. How can we help make this dream a reality in … Continued

Pride!

Being a “welcoming congregation” is not merely an academic exercise or just a nice thing to do. Welcoming our LGBTQIA+ siblings is a life-affirming and potentially life-saving act. In this service we will examine what we can do to work for justice for LGBTQ people while becoming a more fully inclusive and welcoming congregation. [This … Continued