Unitarian Church of Los Alamos » Minister

Unity

Rev. John Cullinan — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:03:15 +0000

[printprofilepic]I spent much of my young life embraced in the arms of community theatre. I loved every bit of it, loved rehearsing and painting and palling around with people three times my age (I swear I had more adult friends than friends my own age by the time I was in junior high). I loved . . . → Read More: Unity

Service

Rev. John Cullinan — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:03:02 +0000

[printprofilepic]I was a Boy Scout for several years in my youth. The Scouts and I weren’t the best fit, but I made it up to the rank of Star – a disagreement with my Scoutmaster over whether or not I’d actually completed the requirements for Life would be my excuse for eventually taking my ball . . . → Read More: Service

Welcome to a World of Unconditional Love

Rev. John Cullinan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:03:57 +0000

[printprofilepic]I became a dog person recently. This is a major life change for me. I spent most of my life, up through early adulthood, being wary of, if not downright terrified of dogs (an unfortunate schoolyard encounter at the age of five between a beagle’s jaw and my own posterior is to blame for this . . . → Read More: Welcome to a World of Unconditional Love

Justice

Rev. John Cullinan — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:05:19 +0000

[printprofilepic]Happy New Year to you all!

Take a moment to read our shared story for this month [in the Voice].

January is the natural choice for a month to tackle the subject of justice. The Martin Luther King weekend affords us the opportunity to both reexamine King’s legacy of justice work in this country, and . . . → Read More: Justice

Compassion

Rev. John Cullinan — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:03:35 +0000

[printprofilepic]“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want . . . → Read More: Compassion

But Are We Asking The Right Questions?

Rev. John Cullinan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:03:28 +0000

[printprofilepic]“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.” ~Neil Gaiman

While preparing my sermon on the Bible last month, I attempted to come up with a relatively comprehensive list of classic novels whose titles had been drawn from Bible verses. I turned to my best friend, Google, . . . → Read More: But Are We Asking The Right Questions?

Freedom and Responsibility go Hand in Hand

Rev. John Cullinan — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:03:15 +0000

[printprofilepic]“Therefore…no one shall be reviled for his religion by anyone…” ~ The Edict of Torda, 1568

My favorite teacher in high school was Mr. Duynstee, who taught U.S. History and AP Political Science. He was also more responsible for teaching me to write than any of my English teachers, and was the source . . . → Read More: Freedom and Responsibility go Hand in Hand

Covenant

Rev. John Cullinan — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:03:46 +0000

[printprofilepic]“We pledge to walk together in the ways of the Lord, known and to be made known to us . . .”

~ from the original covenant of the first parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts – now First Parish Unitarian Universalist

Most every religion on the face of the earth has some central idea or tenet . . . → Read More: Covenant

Themed Ministry

Rev. John Cullinan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:03:29 +0000

[printprofilepic]It has been a long few months, has it not? When I wrote my last column at the end of May for our June/July Voice, I was fully expecting to leave town for a month of rest and renewal (and a little business at our General Assembly). I was not expecting to feel the physical . . . → Read More: Themed Ministry

Las Conchas Fires

Rev. John Cullinan — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 02:33:10 +0000

Friends,

Please be sure to check in with your Unitarian Church family on the community e-mail list during the evacuation period. Contact information for evacuees in the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas who need help from our congregations there can be found on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/uulosalamos.

As always, you can call me any time on . . . → Read More: Las Conchas Fires

The Little Church that Could

Rev. John Cullinan — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:03:12 +0000

[printprofilepic]In May of 1961, the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America formally consolidated into the Unitarian Universalist Association at a joint General Assembly in Boston, electing their first president and putting into effect the plan for consolidation approved by both denominations one year earlier. We have been, since that time, the little . . . → Read More: The Little Church that Could

Arrivals and Departures

Rev. John Cullinan — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:03:53 +0000

[printprofilepic]I am pleased to announce that the DRE Search Committee has selected and the Board of Trustees has agreed to hire our new Director of Religious Education!

De Anna Hoyle will join us this summer in the director’s position. De Anna comes to us from Pagosa Springs, Colorado and the Pagosah Unitarian Universalist Fellowship there, . . . → Read More: Arrivals and Departures

They’re Calling It “Universalism!”

Rev. John Cullinan — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:03:07 +0000

[printprofilepic]Have you heard about the hot new theological controversy that’s sweeping the nation?

Apparently, they’re calling it “universalism!”

Rob Bell, pastor of the mega-church Mars Hill in Michigan, released a book this past month titled Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Everyone Who Ever Lived. It’s a provocative title, and . . . → Read More: They’re Calling It “Universalism!”

Whose Are We?

Rev. John Cullinan — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:03:32 +0000

[printprofilepic]Unitarian Universalism is the sort of religion where it is easy to become isolated. Our congregations are so independent, we can be forgiven if we forget there are others out there. This phenomenon is especially common in a state like New Mexico where the distance between UU congregations only adds to the sense of being . . . → Read More: Whose Are We?

Intentionality

Rev. John Cullinan — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:03:36 +0000

[printprofilepic]Over the past few weeks, the recent tragedy in Arizona and the subsequent conversations it has begun on the national stage have been playing out in juxtaposition with the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was fortunate in the week before I gave my King sermon that the newest volume of . . . → Read More: Intentionality

Happy New Year

Rev. John Cullinan — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 15:03:39 +0000

[printprofilepic]I hope you’ve had a restful and joyous holiday season. As we pass into another new year, it’s time to look ahead at what’s in store for our congregation.

If you haven’t already, you should receive a notice of congregational meeting very shortly. The purpose of this meeting, scheduled for January 23rd, will be to . . . → Read More: Happy New Year

December Activities

Rev. John Cullinan — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:03:10 +0000

[printprofilepic]A short column this month. I’ve spent the most of the past week as I write this traveling back and forth between Los Alamos and my family in Massachusetts. My uncle – my father’s older brother –passed away just before Thanksgiving. He was one of the giants in my family, and he’ll be greatly missed. . . . → Read More: December Activities

Democracy

Rev. John Cullinan — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:03:57 +0000

[printprofilepic]By the time you hold this issue of the Voice in your hands, we’ll be very close to – or perhaps have just passed – another Election Day in the United States. There’s something about the approach of another opportunity to vote that seems to amplify anxiety. I’ve certainly felt anxious in the last several weeks. . . . → Read More: Democracy

Creation

Rev. John Cullinan — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:03:09 +0000

[printprofilepic]By the time you hold this issue of The Voice in your hands, I’ll have returned from my semi-annual workshop on family systems theory. The theory, pioneered by family therapist Murray Bowen, suggests that the primary source of human emotional experience is the extended family unit. In other words, we are formed as much by . . . → Read More: Creation

Happy New Year!

Rev. John Cullinan — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:05:21 +0000

[printprofilepic]Happy New Year!!

Odd to read that in September, I know, but this time of year always feels more like a beginning to me than January ever does. I’ve turned one year older, school has begun, and with school the Unitarian Universalist church year gets underway, as well.

The new year is always a good . . . → Read More: Happy New Year!

8/22/2010 Sermon

Rev. John Cullinan — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:40:00 +0000

The text of this past Sunday’s sermon is up at my blog: http://www.returningblog.com/?p=523

Greetings from Minneapolis!

Rev. John Cullinan — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:25:01 +0000

General Assembly opened this evening with its usual celebratory zeal. I’m attempting to come back with a video report for you all when we reconvene after Labor Day. Below is a very quick clip of some of what I’ve got so far. Blink, and you’ll miss our very own Leo Rose marching the UULA banner . . . → Read More: Greetings from Minneapolis!

Is Unitarian Universalism a Religion?

Rev. John Cullinan — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:03:26 +0000

[printprofilepic]“. . . the very word ‘religion’ comes from a Latin root that means to tie, to bind. Ultimately what ties us together, what makes us a religion, a united people, is what we love. Religion, our religion, is what we truly care about, what we want to preserve, embrace, and create.”—“The ‘It’ Church” by . . . → Read More: Is Unitarian Universalism a Religion?

Why I Oppose A GA Boycott of Phoenix

Rev. John Cullinan — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:29:47 +0000

In March of 1965, when the newly merged Unitarian Universalist Association was still in its relative infancy, a telegram arrived at the Association’s headquarters from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. King was asking for concerned clergy and lay people to join him in Selma and help fight for civil rights in Alabama. The atmosphere . . . → Read More: Why I Oppose A GA Boycott of Phoenix

I’ll See You at the Movies

Rev. John Cullinan — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:05:22 +0000

[printprofilepic]I watch a lot of television. This is probably not an earth-shattering revelation. While I’m not part of the first generation to be raised on television, I am part of a generation that often defines itself (the males, at least) based on which Saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoons we watched as kids. Superfriends and . . . → Read More: I’ll See You at the Movies