Quillen Hamilton Shinn, DD

Quillen Hamilton Shinn, DD (January 6, 1845 - September 6, 1907)

you can read the biography of Shinn at Google Books (search for "Faith With Power" Shinn)
and you can read an article in the current UU World

Once when I visited an UU Church (on a homecoming Sunday), one of the things that was shared was a picture of a child standing with Quillen Shinn. This child became the parent of the person sharing (if I have the story right), but the big thing in this, is that having your parent meet Q. H. Shinn was indeed a big thing.

Taken from the above mentioned biography, comes this:

Morning: a Prayer
"Our father: every morning is a fresh return of Thy loving kindness. When we sleep, the vigils of Thy love are 'round about us. At the threshold of this new day, may it please Thee to inspire us with lofty aims, so that we may rise out of our selfish selves into conscious kinship with Thee. Help us to know the mystery of Thy love, how limitless and all comforting it is and, animated by its sweet law, may we go out into this great and needy world with hearts to sympthaize, with words to cheer and with hands to minister. Then shall we know the Divine Nature of our faith, the joy of Christlike living and fully realize that love is the fulfilling of the law.
Amen."

First printed in the anthology "The Optimist's Good Morning". Somewhere around here, I have a book with a picture of Shinn preaching at the grove at Ferry Beach - with the altar big and clear with "God is Love" engraved boldly on it. This is what Universalism was in 1907 - Optimism, Love, and the joy of Christlike living. No matter what one's theological views, we sure could use more of those three things in 2007.