RNA Blog

Wild Awakening: Opening Our Eyes Fully is Meditation Through the Senses.
by Elle Harrigan Nature surrounds us with infinite beauty and ancient wisdom. By immersing ourselves in the wild and deepening our awareness, we awaken to the voice of our soul. What is it that wakes you up in the morning? An alarm clock with a snooze button that you...

What’s Up With Free Will?
Alison Wohler, July 28, 2019 Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus What’s up with free will? Did I choose this topic of my own free will? It’s been a subject on my mind for a few years now and I’d been part of several exciting discussions on our Chautauqua...

What I Learned in Science Class
Alison Wohler, December 11, 2016 Unitarian Universalist Society of Florence and Northampton I’m really happy to be here with all of you this morning. I miss Sunday morning services. I retired from my wonderful congregation in Amherst for health reasons, and I am now...

Wendell Berry’s Questionnaire
Alison Wohler, July 13, 2014 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua This, hot off the press (at the Washington Post) just six weeks ago: In Norfolk (Virginia), evidence of climate change is in the streets at high tide ...And the congregation of the...

The Random Nature of Reality
Alison Wohler, January 2, 2011 Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst As the oldest child I felt it my job to offer the first toast at my parents’ recent anniversary party. First I raised my glass to my great-grandmother who bought the Chautauqua cottage. ...

Spiritual, and Yes, Religious
Alison Wohler, September 14, 2014 Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst It used to drive me crazy in seminary when they would always ask us what we were doing as a spiritual practice. I suppose I could have told them about my practice of putting my feet in the...

Science and Religion on my Vacation
Alison Wohler, February 24, 2013 Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst I drove to Florida and back this January. I don’t particularly like to fly, plus if I drive I get to see family and friends along the way, And while I’m there I don’t have to rent a car. In...

Religious Naturalism – What’s That?
Alison Wohler, April 11, 2010 Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst Maybe it was the Transcendental dust of Emerson and Thoreau I breathed in while a student minister in Concord. Or maybe, even before that it was all the time I spent playing in the woods as a...

Our Extravagant Universe
Alison Wohler, October 2, 2011 Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst and June 24, 2012 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua, NY I have a science background – my dad is a scientist, my first degree and career were in science. And I’m now a...

Doubt and Uncertainty
Doubt and Uncertainty – Columbus 2018 Alison Wohler, August 12, 2018 First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus Frederick Buechner wrote: Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts, you are either kidding...