Paying Attention on Purpose My favorite definition of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor emeritus of medicine and creator of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn says that mindfulness is: “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

Moving Into Covenant I want to send a big “thank you” to all of you who took time out to participate in one of our Covenant Team’s small group listening circles. These groups were an opportunity for the team and I to get a snapshot of the congregation’s attitudes about and readiness for a covenanting … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

(Reverse) Resolutions Happy New Year! It’s an arbitrary arrangement of time, but much like the winter solstice it arrives with a promise of renewal and return, an opportunity to try something new, or break patterns and habits we’d rather leave behind – what I like to call “the Great Cosmic Do-Over.” Historically, these intentions for … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

STALKING THE WILD CHRISTMAS TREE Confession time: I don’t like autumn. There’s less daylight. The garden is naked. My mood seems to worsen as the air chills. By daylight savings time, just getting out of bed has become an Olympic event. I am not always a gold medalist. Some days, I don’t even pass the … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

Saying Grace Growing up in a Catholic family, my parents did what they could to instill a sense of reverence and a prayer life in us. We had a bedtime prayer routine, and we said grace at any meal we sat down together for at home. When my brother and I were youngest, the grace … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

I recently rewatched the Star Wars sequel trilogy (episodes VII-IX). They’re far from perfect, I’ll admit (what isn’t?), but they’re still fun. My favorite of these (and this might be controversial) is The Last Jedi. Many fans were vocal about their hatred of it, because it turned so many conventions of the Star Wars story … Continue reading Saving What We Love

The conventional wisdom in Unitarian Universalism is that without a creed to define us, we’re called to be a covenantal faith. That is, we are defined by the promises we make to one another about how we will just be together as a community. When I arrived at UU Berks, it was clear that the … Continue reading HOW SHALL WE WALK TOGETHER?

When Should I Call You? Sometimes, our lives take a such a turn that we need to know there’s someone who’s there for us, no matter what. Sometimes, it’s hard to know when to reach out. Sometimes, you might not be sure who to reach out to. A minister comes into a church community, in … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

Joy in the Ordinary As the weather warms up, the signs of spring are all around. Settling into our new home, Jess and I have fallen upon the new joy of discovering what the previous owners had planted around the house. Every day, new patches of hyacinth and daffodils emerge from the mulch around the … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister