Just came back from Tucson, Arizona, where I had been invited to lead worship on Sunday 01/18, and then to guide the congregation through a covenant of right relations workshop.

The entire  weekend was exciting, challenging, beauty- and grace-filled.  Two wonderful women, strangers, opened their home to me; worship was enlivened through music, welcoming smiles and the presence of a colleague for whom I have deep respect; and the afternoon workshop brought to life the very heart of the message shared earlier:  a message of the importance of trust, of speaking one’s truth in love, of a well-articulated common purpose and the value of each individual in the creation of communities of caring mutuality.

It was a message acknowledging that while this is not an easy process, it is necessary in so many ways – personally, within our congregations, and within this nation.

This morning, after bearing witness on TV to the inauguration of our new President, I wiped away my tears and took the dogs for their walk, replaying in mind the inauguration speech – marveling at a presidential message that could easily have been given from any Unitarian Universalist pulpit.  

And, hoping that the accompanying prayer by Pastor Rick Warren can be recognized by  “liberals” (or “unbelievers”) as evidence of our President’s commitment to equality; to creating opportunities for the expression of differences – with a larger goal of dissolving divisive polarization and fostering cooperative unity.  That’s my hope.

The sermon presented on Sunday has been submitted to the Inauguration 2009 Sermons and Orations Project of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.  It is posted on the “Sermon” page of this blog.  Your reflections are welcome!