At our jazz/question box service on Sunday, April 16, Rev. Claire and Ministerial Intern Phoebe Eckart-Lee answered questions–on-the-spot–submitted by the congregation. Below are all of the questions for you to ponder!
Questions in bold are those addressed in service on 4/16/23
Now that you’ve gotten trumpets for Easter, what is your next musical priority?
What is your biggest challenge after ten years of being here?
What is your greatest hope for your second decade at Follen?
What are your top two worries for Follen in the next 5 years?
What are your top two hopes/dreams for Follen in the next 5 years?
What “body of knowledge” should ChatGPT refer to in order to generate a UU sermon?
How does one gracefully grow old? It seems like seventy is a turning point for so many of us!
What do you see on the faces of congregants from the pulpit?
How can our community best heal over the issue of our Afghan family?
Why do you think Follen does not attract a more diverse congregation?
What’s your favorite dessert?
Is there a role for gun violence prevention in our pastoral concerns?
What is your favorite question about angels?
What calls a person to become a minister?
Do you recommend a spiritual practice to get beyond brooding on fear and regrets each day to “let us rejoice and be glad in it”?
How will the discovery of sentient life elsewhere in the universe change religion on Earth?
How and why is spring a sacred season?
Do you believe in the power of prayer?
How do we cope and manage our feelings in a polarized world?
Do you have advice on ways to honor the pain and hard work of a military veteran to build a less polarized society?
Can you address forgiveness when 1) someone owes you much; 2) they will never apologize; 3) they could be dangerous?
Why don’t we follow Hammurabi’s Code (eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth) especially since it is so logical and fair?
How do you know when you’ve done enough 1) about a cause (climate change, racial justice, etc); 2) for someone you love?
What is your view on how organized religion has gone astray and how can we avoid this at Follen?
So many kids move back home after college. How do we define “adult” nowadays? What does it mean?
How do you measure success in a culture that promotes perfection?
What is nothing?
What’s it all about?
Can we have more classical music?
How would Bach react to jazz?
Do you have a favorite poem? Who, why?
What is your favorite (fiction) book of all time and why?
What is the last great book you read?
People have long asked “Does God exist?” Why is this an interesting question?
Is God real?
How do you know you are loved by God?
Do you believe anything lives on after we die?
What happens when we die?