Psychologist Erich Fromm once made the distinction between two orientations, the Necrophilous and the Biophilous—death and life. In this sermon we’ll explore what Fromm means and consider how these opposing … Continue reading Death Wish: Why So Many People Choose to be So Destructive

As the year comes to a close, we’ll consider what Rev. Eklof thinks are some of its most significant technical achievements and the hope they offer us on our path … Continue reading The Most Transformative Technologies of 2021

Many scholars classify the historical Jesus as a “Wisdom teacher,” a term used to describe those whose teachings are inspired by nature. This isn’t often the first thing that comes … Continue reading Jesus Was a Tree Hugger: How Christianity’s Namesake was Inspired by Nature

When it comes to Global Warming, some say it’s already too late to do anything about it. “Game over.” In this sermon we’ll explore reasons to hope that it isn’t: … Continue reading Cool It: What it Will Take to Reverse Global Warming

We live in a world of scarce resources: not enough land, housing, clean water, trees, wealth, opportunity, energy, healthcare, firefighters (these days), and the list goes on. One obvious response is to conserve resources by living sustainably. But this often means that none of us has enough or that some have more than enough, while others have nothing. Another option is to create a world of abundance in which there is always more than enough for everyone.

A few years ago, the leadership of the Unitarian Universalist Association initiated a plan to change its bylaws so that, instead of being a service organization, its member congregations would have to agree to a covenant that they would periodically renew. But the organization’s proposal was never put before voting delegates at a General Assembly, as had been their original intention. Instead, as of late, they’ve just started calling ours a “covenantal religion.” Balderdash! Ours has long described itself as a “liberal religion.” In this sermon, I’ll do my best to help prevent this sleight of hand from escaping our attention.

In the U.S., little more than half of us been vaccinated against COVID-19, not because vaccinations are scarce, but because too many of us are afraid of them for unsound reasons. Such hesitancy has led to a deadly outbreak of the virus that is worse than the first. In this sermon we’ll recall the marvelous origins and history of vaccinations and how much they have saved and improved our lives.

Whether or not it is true that people are more divided now than ever, or if this is something claimed by every generation, the fact that more of us are divided today than ever cannot be denied. In this sermon we’ll consider some of the modern forces driving us toward extremist thinking and how to avoid being influenced by them.

We are divided over much in our society and in our world, often divided over which ideologies are better. In this sermon we’ll consider the possibility that some of the ideas most driving us apart are the two halves necessary for making us whole.

Demons and demonic powers have become the subject of modern horror stories, but the original meaning of “demon” was in reference to the uniqueness in every individual. Since individuality is often discouraged in many communities the concept of the “demon” became, well, demonized. In this sermon we will consider the necessity of reconnecting with our own inner-daimon and supporting those in society who have been demonized.