Spirit of caring for ourselves, and for others, for connecting with one another, and of loving one another, I offer this simple prayer: Our lives combine days of brilliant Titian blue skies, with times where clouds and sun are interwoven, and with more than enough days where we see both darkness—and storms. When people ask … Continue reading Lay Minister’s Prayer 10/26/25

Spirit: We greet you with thanks this morning. Our church has gained new members, and we pray they will receive the spiritual bounties from our congregation that many of us have received, whether we joined last year or last century. We know you will accompany them and us as we continue observing life and preaching … Continue reading Lay Minister’s Prayer 10/19/25

Great Spirit, so much in the world weighs heavy on our minds and our hearts. The state of our nation pains us. We suffer in our grief for our lost loved ones. We remember especially Mark and Sandy. But here, right now, let us think on those things that bring us joy. In this moment, … Continue reading Lay Minister’s Prayer 10/12/25

Spirit of life and love and connection — be with us now. We are here in a month when we have lost 2 of our long-time beloved Follen friends, Mark and Sandy. We hold Mark and Sandy and their families and friends in our hearts this morning as they grieve, as we grieve, their passing. … Continue reading Lay Minister’s Prayer 9/28/25

Spirit of life, God within and and all around us, help us talk kindly to ourselves — to who we have been: if we have known “the sinking down beneath sorrows ground,” and we are now reaching out and breathing sweet, fresh air, then we know that change comes, that pain and sorrow can mend. … Continue reading Lay Minister’s Pastoral Prayer 9/21/25

Dear God whose name is every syllable ever spoken in love, We are Universalists. We know that Hell is not a place underground, But rather something we create up here, in spite of all the beauty that surrounds us. And there is no Hell in scripture or in life more terrible than war. Dear God, … Continue reading Pastoral Prayer 6/26/25

Spirit of life, God within and all around us— I confess that there are times when prayer does not come easily to me. Perhaps reading the White House Mother’s Day proclamation was not the best thing to do this morning. Watching the footage of a mother having her her children ripped away from her in … Continue reading Lay Minister’s Pastoral Prayer 5/11/25

Dear God whose name is every syllable ever spoken in love, Your people were not meant to live their lives in fear. Hard, frightening times have come before and they will come again. When the hard times come, let our ears be filled with the grandfather’s booming laugh and the contented gurgling of a newborn … Continue reading Pastoral Prayer 5/4/25