Tag Archives: Trust

The Dream of the Perfect Plan

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

It was February 1990, when the South African president Frederick Willem de Klerk made a shocking announcement: he would be releasing Nelson Mandela after 27 years in prison, and he would legalize Mandela’s political party and all other opposition parties for … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged adrienne maree brown, Change, Co-Creation, Collaboration, Perfection, Planning, Plans, Sermon, Sermons, Shaping Change, South Africa, Strategic Plans, Threshold, Transformation, Trust, Wholeness | Leave a comment

The Doorway Effect

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Reading: Door Face, by Doug Powell It was a normal, regular workday, almost 17 years ago. Carri and I both had busy jobs – I was the director of a large in-home personal care agency, and she was a community … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Change, Memory, Sermon, Sermons, Thresholds, Transition, Trust | Leave a comment

Weeds, a Sabbatical Story

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

I know it sounds naive, but I swear at the start, I thought it was a one-time thing. Granted, they were everywhere, so I knew it wasn’t going to be simple, or short term. But, still, I thought if I … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Reflections | Tagged Faith, garden, Gardening, Risk, Sabbath, Sabbatical, Time, Trust | 1 Comment

#Blessed

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

I was in my second year of seminary when I learned how to pray. It wasn’t in a class, or a field placement – technically I learned prayer in those official places. But the real lesson happened at home. One night. My children … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Asking for Help, Help, Interdependence, Masculinity, Need, Prayer, Sermon, Sermons, Social Media, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment

The Transient and the Permanent

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

A Service for the first Sunday after Marc Salkin Retired Reading: From “The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity” by Theodore Parker, delivered at the Ordination of Rev. Charles C. Shackford in the Hawes Place Church, Boston on May 19, 1841 In … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Theology | Tagged Cosmos, Foothills, God, Imperfection, Joy, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Sermon, Sermons, Theodore Parker, Theology, Transcendentalism, Transitions, Trust, Ultimacy | Leave a comment

Dear Congregation….an open letter to the Foothills Unitarian Church

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Dear Foothills Unitarian Church, I’ve tried for two weeks to write an annual report, without much luck. Not because I am lacking in things I might lift up about our programs and ministries this year…. I could remind us of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Reflections, Covenant | Tagged Brave, Call, Change, Community, Courage, Faith, Hope, Interim, Partnership, Retirement, Transitions, Trust | Leave a comment

What Can We Count On? (Part 4 – On What is Worthy of Trust)

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

I started this series on “what keeps us grounded as we move through change” in the midst of the last “fiscal cliff” crisis as anxiety was running high and uncertainty appeared interminable – for all of us. But this wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Reflections, Theology | Tagged Change, Retirement, Transitions, Trust, Ultimacy, Universalism | Leave a comment

What Can We Count On? (Part 3)

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Perhaps there’s no better time than January, this time of new beginnings and resolutions, to turn your attention to what is worthy of your ultimate trust. There are so many places to misplace our loyalty this time of year, so many things and people making unworthy … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Reflections, Theology | Tagged Beliefs, Christine Robinson, God, Humanity, Imperfection, Small Group Ministry, Spirituality, Transitions, Trust, Ultimacy | Leave a comment

The Gift of Being Let Down

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Sermon offered December 2013 Reading: “Messy and Imperfect Beloved Community” by Laila Ibrahim I have been going to the same church for nearly thirty years. I have filled a variety of leadership positions, from OWL teacher to Board president, usher … Continue reading →

Posted in Covenant, Philosophy of Church, Sermons, Theology | Tagged Beloved Community, Betrayal, Brokenness, Community, Covenant, Covenantal, Disappointment, Imperfection, Relationship, Sermon, Sermons, Trust | 1 Comment

What Can We Count On? (Part 2)

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Rev. Gretchen Haley

In one way or another, all the holidays of December invite us to honor the persistence of light in the midst of dark times. But what is that source of light for us? What will shine on even in our … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Reflections, Theology | Tagged Change, Constancy, Transitions, Trust, Ultimacy, Universalism, Vulnerability | Leave a comment

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