Being unapologetically yourself can change the world. Unitarian Universalism is difficult to describe, and people make all sorts of assumptions about what church means. This Sunday, we prepare to share our faith without shame. Direct link to service.
Most Unitarian Universalist congregations read a covenant each Sunday. Written by William Vila Blake in 1894, the covenant begins, “Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law.” This Sunday we look at the roots, meaning and impact of these six powerful short phrases. Direct link to service.
What have you done recently that expresses your UU beliefs? Where would you go on a UU Pilgrimage? For a child growing up UU — what would be experiences to share? Direct link to service.
On this Memorial Day, we honor those who have given their lives and their energies to the creation and continuance of our country and our faith tradition, remembering the wisdom of our Unitarian ancestors and their reckoning call for today. Direct link to service.
In this time when diversity, equity, and inclusion have become dirty words, we UU’s continue to endorse all three. How, though, do we include? How do we become one people out of separate, widely disparate individual identities? How can we be inclusive as Unitarian Universalists? And how do we share our vision, to be inclusive … Continue reading “Who is ‘We’?”
For some people, religion is about attaining perfect — nirvana, enlightenment, heaven. UU’s, though, and many others, don’t expect to attain that perfect state. Instead, we advocate continual improvement, and that only comes through practice. How do we practice our religion? Individually and collectively? And why does that matter NOW, when so many of our … Continue reading “Religious Practice, not Perfection”
Once again, this service will feature a water ceremony. In this ceremony, everyone brings a small container of water that represents a journey (real or symbolic) they’ve taken over the summer. It might be water from a trip to the ocean, or from a favorite fishing hole. It might be rainwater collected after a storm, … Continue reading “Ingathering and Water Ceremony” Celebrating the Beginning of the New Church Year!
One of our foremost theologians, Rev. Theodore Parker, gave an ordination sermon in 1841 about the “transient and permanent” in Christianity. How does this idea of the transient and the permanent reflect in modern day Unitarian Universalism? How is related to our new Article 2? How is it related to our everyday lives? Note: Kids … Continue reading “Transience and Permanence in our Modern Era”
On Sunday, July 14, we explore the deep spiritual connection that Unitarian Universalists often feel with nature, tracing its origins to the Transcendentalist Movement of the early 19th century and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writing, among others. How does Transcendentalism and its ideas about nature continue to influence modern Unitarian Universalist spirituality, and what revisions do … Continue reading “Nature’s Inspiration: A New Transcendentalism”
For my final sermon here at First Unitarian, I’d like to share some thoughts about change and how we deal with it. I’ll concentrate on change in the church, especially the changing religious landscape in the United States, and corresponding changes within Unitarian Universalism. Will we meet these changes with hope and creativity? Or will … Continue reading “New Occasions Teach New Duties: Navigating Change”
