“Carl Sagan is the only comparable lecturer I’ve heard.” B.E., Cumberland, MD.
“JD is a very articulate and humorous speaker who immediately establishes rapport with his audience and keeps them engaged to the end. His presentations are always coherent and well organized, and he is able to talk about complex and deep subjects with a lucidity that lay people readily understand. In sum, I highly recommend JD as a presenter. ” M.R., Hagerstown, MD
“We solidly endorse JD Stillwater. He led a lengthy workshop on Saturday, and then led our congregational service on Sunday. As well, he had available videos of his own material, including books and some short videos. With his blessings, we have used those videos as film and discussion events which are open to the public. The presentation was both entertaining and deeply spiritual.” H.L., Fredricton, New Brunswick
“I can always tell when you’re speaking, because the parking lot is full.” Anonymous, Cumberland, MD
“Thank You JD – I have no words to describe the power of the wisdom you shared with us today.” Sarbmeet Kanwal, Princeton, NJ.
“Thank you for your insightful words and call to action. Thank you for helping us see ourselves as having ability to be activists in what we can do with the skills we have. I also appreciate naming our confusion and making it ok to acknowledge that we don’t know but can still do something.” J.M. Fargo, ND
From a remote service chat stream: “This is really fascinating.” “Amazing. Just amazing.” “So inspirational. Love this.” “Wow, that was amazing JD, so special, i really needed to hear that. thank you!” “Timely, beautiful musings, provocative, profound. Great gratitude for your sharing with us this morning.” “So much truth. Ties so much together.” “Thank you JD for a thoughtful and memorable service. Many things to mull over. Very grateful!” “So nice to tie everything together with all our ancestors.” “Goodbye everyone – wonderful service, great company!” Bangor, ME
“I’ve been coming here for 20 years, and I’ve heard a lot of major speakers presented as part of Chautauqua’s interfaith lecture series, and honestly, they have got to get you into the Amphitheater, because you’re so animated, and the way that you express everything is so lively, and it’s also easily digestible. Sometimes you get speakers in here who talk like they’re writing an academic paper. A larger audience would welcome what you have to say.” –Elle Harrigan, Chautauqua, NY
“Your presentations are always so thorough and inviting. Gary told me afterwards that JD not only opens the door but then he walks through it with us. ‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘and then he rearranges the furniture! Everyone seems to be enjoying the new room.’ Looking forward to part 2!” —Dorothy Swain, Grants Pass, OR
“This is the most needed thing in existence right now.” W.A., Frostburg, MD
“My daughter loved the presentation you did at TCS; she talked about that for days…” A.S., Harrisburg, PA
“With your presentation, it shows we are all interconnected and so vast….beyond our wildest imaginations. We all have a responsibility to recognize this beauty and help sustain it.” K.M., Cleveland, OH
Just want to thank you again for such a great sermon that totally resonated with our congregation. The discussion on complementarity continued into Harried Reasoners and got all mixed up with our discussion around The Tao of Pooh. Expect to hear from N- or me again in months to come.” M.S., Hurst, TX.
“I watched today on YouTube your presentation,… and I was wowed by it! This was a potentially complicated topic that you made understandable, interesting, intriguing, engaging, elevating and meaningful. The interaction between you and Ann was so heartfelt and sincere. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” P.K., remote internet viewer.
“Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with our Global Kinship community last Thursday. Many people have commented on how much they learned from it and have been requesting links to the recording. in record amounts. I am now re-watching the recording myself, am learning so much more. You make rather complex ideas accessible. That is true art. I send my congratulations and deep appreciation for taking on such important work in your lifespan.”
—Rev. Dr. Gail Sofia Ransom
JD, your thinking is deeply wise AND reflects such knowledge of science and the natural order of things. I believe we are in the adolescence of human development as a global society. I have such difficulty being with truth of suffering as it is being experienced here and now that results from the ignorance of individuals in control who make decisions that profoundly affect all beings, including the health of the living planet that sustains all life. (From webinar chat)
“Thank you so much, Mr Stillwater. Your words were golden.” Mary Neva, Fargo, ND
“Thank You JD – I have no words to describe the power of the wisdom you shared with us today.” S. Kanwal, Princeton, NJ
“Thank you, JD, for yet another uplifting, provocative service! The sanctuary was abuzz with conversation about collective trauma, epigenetics, and the connections between Julia’s affirmations and the proposed changes to the UUA bylaws. The conversation crept into the Sustainable Rogue Valley meeting on Sunday afternoon and the Book Club conversation on Monday afternoon. I suspect we’ll be finding and discussing connections to this service for a long time. I will pass your note on to the Sunday Service team with a recommendation that they get in touch soon to get you on the fall schedule.” D.S., Grants Pass, OR
“I wanted to thank you for the beautiful presentation you gave in our service today. Your message provided a sense of relief, the concept of ownership creates a heavy burden to carry, so much to defend. Thank you for reminding us of the flow of nature. I feel like I’ve attended a sort of reconciliation service but instead of leaving in shame and self loathing, I feel as if I’ve been set straight, given the instruction of where things went wrong and how to open back to a better way of thinking and living. Thank you.” J. M., Fargo, ND
“Thank you for your brilliant presentation on cosmology. As I said, you should take this presentation to every national legislature on the face of the globe. It might nudge the world toward a more peaceful, collaborative, and less rancorous way of life.” T.H., Cumberland, MD
“Seven Candles is a heart-filled presentation of the scripture of science mysticism, a weaving of the “day language” of scholarship with the “night language” of myth and metaphor. Seven Candles is a World Story of creation, flow, and emergence; vastness, emptiness, and oneness; told in the spirit of science and awe.” J.R., Harrisburg, PA)
“Seven Candles was informative and inspiring. JD is reverent, enthusiastic, and able to explain complex ideas simply and with humor. I felt uplifted and hopeful about my life, my relationships with others, and my own sense of spirituality.” K.W. Bowerston OH
“I just want to let you know that I support and am proud of your project. You are a deep and thorough thinker, I know you will touch others who hunger for the journey of discovery. I know that these candles are the flames lighting the way.” L.G., Durham, NC
“Phenomenal presentation. All humans need this! Amazing, enlightening, inspirational!” B.H., Harrisburg PA
“Seven Candles helps build mental bridges between scientific concepts that are naturally difficult for human beings to grasp, and, in a refreshing move away from some similar presentations, does so in a way that is impartial to the viewer’s religious faith (or lack thereof).” D.B., Harrisburg PA
“I have been a huge science buff since my early teenage years. I was (am) a huge fan of Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, and many others as I can tell you are. It’s great to see you exhibiting the same concepts and enthusiasm that fired my imagination as a young man. Thank you!” B.D., Lebanon, PA.
“Your Seven Candles presentation was incredible; I’ve been thinking about it all week. I love how you see the world with such a wise eye, and I love your passion for science.” M.M., Rural Retreat, VA
“With your presentation, it shows we are all interconnected and so vast….beyond our wildest imaginations. We all have a responsibility to recognize this beauty and help sustain it.” K.M., Cleveland, OH
pleiades photo by Phil Hart,
“I have heard such great feedback about Sunday. People LOVED it. It was very powerful, meaningful and you made it personal for everyone. I like how you emphasize that we are all related and we are on an evolutionary journey. With the power of choice we can influence how that evolution progresses. You’re in demand here, so any time you make it to Ohio, if you also want to do a presentation, we will welcome you and it. I was pretty determined to not like the addition of music, but you won me over.” M.C., venue owner, Canton, OH
“I can’t begin to tell you how wondrous your talk was. It gave a backbone to the things we know to be true. Thank you again for your generous sharing.” K.J., Canton, OH
“It was a great night. Thank you so much for putting that together AND for letting us experience it. What a cool multi-media performance. It was GREAT! The messages, the music, the mojo, the mood were all super. It was a compelling evening.
You could not have found a better songwriter. Darryl Purpose was awesome and the conga accompaniment was exceptional.
Well done. Really beautiful music, and the words, both yours and Darryl’s were excellent.” M.C., Canton, OH