Tag Archives: History

A Bigger Mission, a sermon for the installation of the Rev. Ron Phares at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Colorado Springs

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

It is my honor to be here with you on this great occasion, and for Rev. Sean Neil-Barron (who will offer the blessing) and I to bring you greetings from the northern end of the Front Range. Your new minister … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged All Souls, Ancestors, Colorado History, Faith, Feminism, Future, History, Iowa Sisterhood, Ministry, Mission, Partners, Partnership, Progressive Religion, Progressive Spirituality, Religion, Sermon, Sermons, Shared Ministry, Unitarian, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist, Universalism, Universalist, Vision, Women, Women in Ministry, Worship | 1 Comment

The Hopefulness of History, written for the 125 year anniversary of the Foothills Unitarian Church

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Like a lot of people in the last few days, I watched the drama play out in the US House with both a little shock and not a little schadenfreude. When they hit the 11th vote, I called my mom … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Activism, Ancestors, Covenant, Future, History, Hope, Hopefulness, Justice, Living Tradition, Parker Palmer, Past, Rebecca Parker, Rebecca Solnit, Sermon, Sermons, Time, Unitarian History, Unitarian Universalist History, Unitarianism, Universalism, Universalist History | Leave a comment

Our Ghost Stories

Posted on November 7, 2021 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

From about third grade until about eight grade, I spent a week each summer at Camp David Jr. on Lake Crescent in Washington State. I loved everything about camp,especially canoeing on the clear lake, and the camp fire stories and songs … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Family, Fear, Ghosts, Grief, Haunted, Haunting, Heal, Healing, History, Loss, Memory, Past, Recover, Recovery, Regret, Remorse, Sermon, Sermons, Tragedy, Transformation | Leave a comment

Roots of Resilience: We’ve been here before

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

There’s a phrase I’ve heard a lot in the past few months: we are living in an unprecedented time. And in a lot ways – it’s true. No one in our congregation was alive in 1918 for the Spanish Flu…so none … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Theology | Tagged Ancestors, History, Hope, Hopelessness, Margaret Wheatley, Memory, Pema Chodron, Resilience, Surrender | Leave a comment

Reunion, a Sabbatical Story

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

What does it mean to meet again? After months, or years, or decades, to encounter another that we have not seen, or kept fully in touch with, especially one we once knew well, one we were close to, who knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Reflections | Tagged Family, History, Intimacy, Memory, Recognition, Relationships, Reunion, Sabbath, Sabbatical, Time | 1 Comment

Past as Prologue

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

There was a time in my ministry here where I felt like every meeting or gathering I was in, I found myself saying “well that’s a can of worms.” It got so common that at a certain point I just … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Church, Covenant, History, Past, Sermon, Sermons, Tradition | Leave a comment

For Memory

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Reading: For Memory by Adrienne Rich Sermon, “For Memory” Over the Thanksgiving holiday, two of my longest dearest friends came to visit with their new soon-to-be adopted 8-year-old son. We all met as undergrads, and even though in the last 20 years we … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Christmas, History, Holidays, Hope, Memory, Time, Tradition | Leave a comment

We Don’t Stand, We Move – Sermon July 26, 2015

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

I knew she was nervous when she sat down. Her breathing was quick and her eyes darted all over the room. “How can I help?” She was an inmate in the Denver Women’s Prison. I was her Chaplain intern. I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Theology | Tagged Beliefs, Covenant, Diversity, History, Sermons, Theology, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Unity, Universalism | Leave a comment

The Promise Makers

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Becoming a People, Making a Promise From faraway places, across a mighty ocean, they came seeking new life. Shaking loose the shackles of religious and social hierarchy, they felt the call of new possibilities, the call of … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy of Church, Sermons, Stories for Worship | Tagged Covenant, Dedham Church, History, Human Nature, Promises, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism | Leave a comment