Happy Choices
Last Sunday, driving home from church I was listening to the TED radio hour. The featured speech was a reprise of one offered several years ago by social scientist Barry Schwartz on his book The Paradox of Choice. In …
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Awake Awhile
For many people, it’s the most wonderful time of the year–the beginning of summer and the end of the semester. The traffic patterns in town alter with the season. Grads leave town, vacations begin, milestones of all sorts are marked. …
Continue readingThe Sound of One Hand Clapping
You know that feeling you get when you’re trying to come up with the name of a book you read or figure out where else you’ve seen that actor? It’s a gnawing feeling. You know the answer is right there, …
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Senior Sunday 2016
Our High School youth group hosts “Senior Sunday,” where out graduating seniors share thoughts on their UCG experience. In this service our youth choose every song, write every prayer and lead our hearts to a deeper appreciation of who …
Continue readingWiseacres
This Sunday at UCG we continue our worship theme, “Be Now My Wisdom.” The service includes music by the Hogtown Strutters and Shelly’s sermon, “Wiseacres.”…
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Natural Default Setting Reset: The Joys and Sorrows of the Pursuit of Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 2:11-14-“My thoughts turned to all the fortune my hands had built up, to the wealth I had acquired and won—and oh, it was all futile and pursuit of wind; there was no real value under the sun! For what …
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The Wisdom of Flowers
The Board of Parish Ministry kicks off our new worship theme “Be Now My Wisdom” with their beautiful, artistic, and fascinating service, “The Wisdom of Flowers,”offering lovely music and thoughtful presentations by various church members.…
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Be Specific
I have bad luck with neighbors. The first apartment I ever rented was a basement in Bloomington, Indiana. I found out on the day I moved in that the 1st and 2nd floors were occupied by a brass …
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Beeing
Today is my friend John’s birthday. He was 83 when he died on September 7, the same day as Andy’s dad. John was the most unassuming person you would ever meet, though he had advanced degrees in many different subject …
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Carry a Cave
Three years ago, on Epiphany, I received a little wooden star. Shelly had created a whole basket of them as a reminder of the magi following the light to Jesus. On each star she had written a different word or …
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Palm Sunday
Every year, around the world, people remember it. Palm Sunday. The day Jesus goes on a little ride into the city, a journey that changes everything. You may have had some of those–times of traveling a road or two that …
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Understanding Racial Disparity in Alachua County
During the weekend of March 11-13, UCG planned and hosted a community-wide symposium, “Understanding Racial Disparity in Alachua County.” Our guest preacher for the Sunday services was the Rev. Dr. Everett Mitchell, pastor of Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church …
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