Rev. Jim Magaw

Blues Theology

Some of the best music you will ever hear has emerged from a place of persecution and oppression, and, rather than dwelling in hopelessness and despair, has proclaimed through its very existence and through its great beauty that there is something more.  This service will explore theology as a genre of the blues. (Our designated … Continued

Decoration Day

The true origins of Memorial Day are rarely discussed, but the holiday began in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War when African Americans, newly freed from chattel slavery, conducted a series of commemorations to express their sense of the meaning of the war. This service will explore the deep roots of Memorial Day and … Continued

Alone Together

According to a recent study, we check our cell phones an average of 221 times each day. How has our relationship with technology changed our relationship with one another? Do we really feel more connected with each other than we did years ago, or are we growing increasingly lonely despite being so thoroughly connected electronically? … Continued

Ritual, Religion, and Belief

Participating in rituals—religious and other rituals—seems to be a deep and meaningful part of being human. Humans of every era and geographical location have developed rituals which serve any number of purposes. This service will explore why rituals are so important and what they mean to us in our current era.

Exposing and Dismantling Supremacy

UUA President Peter Morales recently resigned amid a controversy about UUA hiring practices with regard to race. If we are to have any hope of addressing and undoing racism and other systemic oppressions, we must start at home—in our personal attitudes and behaviors, in our families, in our congregations, and in our larger association. This … Continued

Easter Sunday: Resurrection and Spirit

One of the great challenges of our current era is to see dark times not as indicative of an ever-downward spiral, but as a time for regeneration and rebirth. Why is this shift in thinking important, and how do we go about making it so that we are working to make the world whole rather … Continued

Why Superstition Works

Even those of us who consider ourselves not at all superstitious tend to hold onto certain superstitious beliefs, practices or habits. Many athletes go through elaborate rituals before competing, and, surprisingly, research shows that superstitions can actually be linked with improved performance. This sermon will explore why this phenomenon occurs and what it might mean … Continued

Third Person Unitarian

In the 19th-century, many Unitarians described themselves as “first-person Unitarians,” meaning they believed in only the first part of the idea of the Trinity—God the Father, but not God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. However, in the 21st-century, it’s possible that the concept of a “third-person Unitarian” may be more relevant. This service … Continued

Mercy and Moral Injury

The concept of moral injury has been described as “the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress their own moral and ethical values or codes of conduct.” How are we seeing this concept play out in our world and what can we … Continued

One and Many: Connectedness

We live in a world with many divisions and differences based on class, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, region, gender, and more. Our challenge as religious liberals is to resist minimizing these differences, as many of them are very real and need to be respected-while at the same time recognizing some essential commonalities.