The P’u (pronounced “Pooh”) of Taoism Rev. Ernie Mills
In Taoism “P’u” refers to the un-carved block, or what we might call the state of Innocence, before the sculptor’s chisel is applied. It is the natural state of what is believed by Taoists to be pure. We, in the West, often refer to P’u as being the child in us, much like the character Pooh, in the book, Winnie the Pooh. We will explore this concept and perhaps discover – or rediscover it in our own lives.
January is for Janus Rev Ernie Mills
The month of January gets its name from the Roman god, Janus. He is depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. As we enter the new year, Janus is a good reminder of how important it is to reflect on where we have been and where we are going – both as individuals and as a nation. We’ll see how vital reflection is to living a good life in 2026.
Christmas or Christmyth? Rev. Ernie Mills
The birth narratives of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke are a form of backward looking. They were created after the “facts” of the life of Jesus. There are two different ways that we humans have viewed the Christmas stories. We either dismiss them as a fairy tale (legend) or interpret them literally, as if it really happened. Belief in the literal interpretation became a litmus test for what it means to be a Christian; as in the confessions of faith known as the Apostles and Nicene creeds. I would like to offer a third Alternative – a mythical, inner and spiritual interpretation. This way we can avoid throwing Christmas out or taking it literally.
A Life of Faith Rev. Ernie Mills
If you are not certain of anything and if you have more questions than answers AND you can’t seem to settle on any convictions about life and the world, YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH. Joseph Campbell said that one of the primary functions of myth (or religion) is to “inspire in the individual a sense of awe and gratitude in relation to the mystery dimension of the universe.” This means to keep wonder alive, which keeps the mind and heart open. We will delve deeper into the journey of wonder and how to live comfortably without knowing all the answers. Truly a life of faith.
Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body Guest speaker, Candace Taylor
On this special “Fifth Sunday,” we will welcome an expert on ways to keep your brain and body healthy as we age. Candace Taylor, an experienced Certified Dementia Practitioner, will share the latest research on lifestyle choices and ways to prevent memory loss, as well as other age-related concerns. She will also provide a brief overview of relevant statistics and resources, including data that indicates dementia is 50% preventable. We are fortunate to have Candace agree to be part of the on-going series we’re calling, “Still Ticking,” and hope you’ll make a special effort to join us.
The Gospel of Nature Rev Ernie Mills
In the “Flower Sermon,” the Buddha simply held up a flower and said nothing. Maybe the flower Buddha held up was a lily because Jesus said to his followers, “consider the lily.” What should we make of this? It says to me that all the wisdom we need to live harmoniously in this world is “written” in nature. We really don’t need special revelations that drop down from above; we have only to open our eyes, hearts and minds to the gospel of nature.
Will Science Save Us? Rev Ernie Mills
You may have noticed those ubiquitous lawn signs that say, “we believe science is real,” but the real question is, “will it save us?” I’m not referring to the eternal salvation of the personal ego, but rather the survival of the human species. Many believe that we humans will destroy ourselves and some argue that the technologies developed by science (nuclear weapons, engineered pandemics and AI) are already putting us at risk of self-annihilation. If we answer this question in the negative, then the next question is “what will save us?” I’ll share my answer with you on Sunday, November 2. We’ll also be treated by the singing duet of James and Jon!
Hope in Action Rev. Ernie Mills
The ancient Greek myth of Pandora relates the story of how Pandora released all the evils from the box but closed it just before hope escaped. The Greeks did not have a positive view of hope. It was seen as passive and leading to a false view of comfort and a trap for humans to simply acquiesce to their suffering. And yes, we can sit around hoping for something to happen, which is comparable to the constant inaction of our politicians behind the platitude “thoughts and prayers” as a response to mass shootings and gun violence. But our hope needs to be active; it needs to be courageous and even audacious. Our hope must not acquiesce to the suffering, fear mongering and incivility that seems to be taking hold in the global psyche. Our hope must be active, not passive.
Wholeness as THE moral obligation Rev. Ernie Mills
According to Phillip Hewett we “gather together in search of wholeness” (Reading 440 in our Living Tradition Hymnal) from a “fragmented world, separated from one another and divided within ourselves. ” But do we know what wholeness really is? While it is easy to witness our separation from one another through such things as racism, sexism, and an array of phobias, how do we experience fragmentation “within ourselves”? Yet I believe wholeness is THE moral obligation that transcends all human-made moral and ethical systems, rules and laws. In fact there may even be “moral” systems that divide us against ourselves. Our search for wholeness may lead us into civil disobedience. There is much to think about here.
Live Your Life Rev. Ernie Mills
Democritus, a fifth century B.C.E philosopher once said, “to live badly, is not to live badly, it is to take a long time dying.” The implication being that we can not only be living life but dying it. I propose that life and living are two entirely different things. Life can be reduced to biological functions, a matter of matter- physics and chemistry. “Life” as Carl Jung once put it “can be defined as a function of the carbon atom.”
We can even mimic life through AI. Living is different. We will explore what it means to be fully alive and what it means to “live your life” rather than living it badly, that is “dying it.”