genties & ladlemen of WC,

this is a humble request of you for prayers, hopes, mindful moments, commiserations, yells to the unknown dark, etc for my wife's father who has been admitted to hospice for pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure

On Sunday, I am service leader at my UU fellowship, working with the minister on a service about Solstice and Christmas. I have long wanted to talk about Christmas and the traditional Nativity story in the context of my UU'ism so for my part of the service, I am offering the following reflection. The reflection in our service is an opportunity for the service leader to offer their own thoughts on the theme of the service.

     This Sunday, December 1, begins the season of Advent.  In many churches this day will be marked by lighting the first candle in the Advent wreath.  For many, this first candles will be a candle for Hope.

   What is the Hope for which this candle is lit?  Where do you find Hope in your life, your community, your church, or your world? 

I must say I am relieved to see the end of September. 

It was a sad and bloody month. 

The month began with the 12th Anniversary of the Sep11th attacks in US. On the same day, a Florida pastor was arrested 

before he could set on fire several thousand copies of the Qu’ran. 

The month really went off the rails when 

a pair of suicide bombers in Pakistan killed close to 80 Christians 

as they were leaving their Anglican Church after the Sunday service. 

2013 05 12 Mother's Day: Filled with Hope (selections from Rev 21 and 22; Ps 97)

When a woman gets married, she hopes to change her husband.  When a man gets married, he hopes his wife will never change.  And they are both wrong.

Today, we are as much conditioned by belief in science as we are faith in religion.

Hope.  This word is a very personal thing for my life and my philosophy. 

Wishes and Hopes.

Text:  Luke 21:25–36  First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2 2012

Preached by Rev. James Murray at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.

I have posted my draft of the story and message for Sunday, December 9 in a blog.  The message includes two stories: one about Robert Fulgum on appreciating the love directed our way and one whose origin I have lost on our continuous option of making positive choices.  Overall, my message considers reasons to hope, making the choice to hope, and making the choice to make our hopes real.

 Here are my current drafts of my story and message for December 2, 2012

Seeing Hope