Has this Unitarian Universalist Fellowship made your life richer and more meaningful? Have you met good people and cultivated friendships here? Have you found ways to serve the larger community and fight for justice? Do you think there are others out there who desperately need all this? I know everyone is busy. I know there … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – March 8th, 2024
My Dad, a local Birmingham leader in decades past, attended a conference and tour in Soviet Russia in the late 70s. After receiving his request to attend a church service, his guide and driver delivered Dad to an empty lot and shrugged without explanation. My father was not deterred and made his request with higher … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – March 1st, 2024
Humans are returning to the moon. In 1969 the United States and Russia were racing to be the first to get human footprints onto the moon’s surface. Dad dragged me out of bed at age two to watch Neil Armstrong set his boot on the dusty surface and flub his line (he planned to say … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – February 23rd, 2024
There are many folk and forces all around who make their living distracting the rest of us from what really matters. Whether it’s what team to support, what brand of deodorant to buy, where and how to vacation, what car to drive, where to live, to go to school, to work, we regularly encounter a … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – February 16th, 2024
Talked with a colleague today. She is feeling down, questioning her call, wondering if she is a failure at parish ministry. I tried to reassure her but I know that she will have to weather these feelings, dig deep within to clarify her call and to examine designations like “success” and “failure.” When expectations aren’t … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – February 2nd, 2024
I received an email the other day announcing plans for my upcoming high school reunion. As I clicked and waited for the message to load, I sighed wistfully. I couldn’t believe it had been thirty years since I had graduated. Where did the time go? Just the other day I drove by the original location … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – January 19th, 2024
My first child was born on January 25, 2001, a bit past the due date. The whole holiday season had been filled with anticipation and preparation. My father had died six months earlier and we were all experiencing the grief of our first Christmas without him and simultaneously the excitement of the first grandchild on … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – January 12th, 2024
My family decided to start off 2024 with the flu! While our shots certainly kept the worst symptoms at bay, three of us have been down for days! Liam remains well and has been our lifeline to the outside world! I had plans for the holidays! Visiting, shopping, cooking, entertainments, board games, appointments, etc – … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – January 8th, 2024
In December 2020, my younger child Angus went into the hospital on the Winter Solstice and didn’t come out until Epiphany. They never identified his illness and in only two weeks he was home. Liam and I went to get a Christmas tree on Dec 23 and found our usual lot abandoned with a few … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – December 22nd, 2023
A tornado went over my house last Sunday. The EF1 storm touched down about a mile from us. This is rare in our neighborhood, and I can’t remember a tornado this close since I was a little girl. Birmingham is sheltered by a couple of small mountains and tornadoes prefer open area, but they are … Continue reading Rev. Ruth’s Reflections – December 16th, 2023
