the glorious cold

We are on the front side of a cold snap, up here in the interior of Alaska. It’s just starting to get cold, with temperatures this morning in downtown Fairbanks hovering right around 30 below Fahrenheit.
The weather forecasters are threatening us with an extended cold spell, indicating temperatures should drop into the negative 40’s in [...]

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where spirituality is not welcome

“And a great silence was heard by all.”
A few years ago a fellow came to our Fellowship and gave a sermon lecture on spirituality, its plurality in both source and substance, and how the natural world provides that sustenance for some people.
It was an outstanding talk, well prepared and thoughtfully presented.  I [...]

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the virgin mary, snow, and plastic flowers

I’ve been walking to and from work downtown recently, depending on when I go relative to kids going to school or my wife going to work.
Today I rolled out of bed while everybody else was sleeping in, taking off to work in one of those beautiful mid-winter mornings in Fairbanks. New snow had blanketed [...]

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excavating Christmas

After several moves in the past year or two, we have ended up with a couple of unheated storage units haphazardly packed with everything from caribou antlers to furniture, drafting tables to fishing nets, sewing fabric to tarps (brown, not the classic Alaska blue variety).
Of course, mixed in with the above, is box after [...]

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for a friend

Following your thoughts over the past couple of days,
And am myself swinging between thoughts and feelings of reconciliation and outrage.
Your sensitivity to the needs of the spirit move me,
The morning darkness,
The candles,
The songs,
And prayers.
And make me envious,
Of your skills and knowledge, and wisdom.
Don’t doubt you have those,
Despite the rhetoric from others that do not,
Their view [...]

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streams of thought…..

I wrote a piece a few days ago on a recent event at our Fellowship, where our Membership Director resigned at the request and/or not so subtle encouragement of our board.
The piece was decidedly critical of how this process took place, with some angst directed, right or wrong, at our Board members.
Soon afterward, I got [...]

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Mixed news for democracy

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.  (Unitarian-Universalist Principle)

The past couple of weeks have proved to be mixture of ups and downs.
First, the phenomenal news of Barrack Obama’s election.  A black man, an intelligent-thoughtful man, president-elect.
Then, news of the Alaska senate and [...]

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and exactly where was God?

I came across this article today as I was reading the news.
13 Year Old Girl Confirmed Dead
Now, tell me, exactly where was God?
-
Perhaps he was in the shower when she was raped.
Her crime was being raped by 3 men.
Or using the bathroom when they found her guilty of adultery.
When she reported the rape to the militia [...]

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Playin Alaskan

I’ve been pointed to two good guest columns on Sarah Palin this week by Alaskan writers Seth Kantner, author of “Ordinary Wolves” and Nick Jans, author of “The Last Light Breaking”.
Take the time to check the columns out, both are honest reactions of observant, thinking Alaskans to Sarah and her fundamentalist, faux Marge from Fargo [...]

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more palinguage- including a new favorite

Some new quotes.  This one has to be me favorite.
Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor.

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