At the core of both Unitarianism and Transcendentalism is the belief in the inherent goodness of people and nature. This week, we will explore the confluence of the Unitarians and Transcendentalists in the 19th century and its influence on us today. Join us this week for a brief introduction to transcendentalism through music and the words of early Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, William Ellery Channing, … Continue reading Transcendentalism 101
In an essay from her book, A Small Heaven, Rev. Jane Rzepka writes about a 48-floor ride in a glass elevator and teaches us about moments of Sabbath that can occur in that elevator. These first few months of 2024 have been fraught for many of us with anxiety, angst, tension, grief and personal as well as societal stress. We owe it to ourselves, our families and our wider communities to practice self-care and find ways to … Continue reading Stop the Elevator; A Moment of Sabbath
April is a meaningful month in American history—it marks the season of the year when the American Civil War both began and ended, and Lincoln was slain. Those were the years when the First Universalist Society in Franklin was in its infancy and its leading light, Dr. Oliver Dean, founded Dean Academy (now Dean College). It was a divided and wounded country then, and the backdrop of the Civil War provides us with the opportunity … Continue reading Reflections On Our Shared Past: Dr. Oliver Dean, Dean Academy, and the First Universalist Society in Franklin
