Services for January
10:30 - 11:30 AM
Presence. On Christmas Eve, as I gazed out at the gathered congregation, I imagined I also saw the many others, gone now, who touched my life and are still beloved. Like the candles each bearing a tiny flame, the faces glowed. The conjunction of Christmas and Hanukkah is a reminder of how religious traditions are linked. The three Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and many others, like Buddhism, Hinduism, and earth-centered traditions, are represented in our UU congregations. Each new generation builds its own family, melding history and custom; each one of us has learned from the beloveds who have gone before. This time of year, as the seasons turn and December draws to a close, may we feel the presence of those who have loved us and taught us and are still within us—still loved, still loving
~ Rev. Jaye
Story of the Future
Worship Committee
January 5
Zoom
The UU Climate Justice Revival, Reimagine Together: From an Extractive Age to a New Era
is a project of the UU Climate Justice Coalition and Friends with financial support from Revival Sponsors. The Revival builds on decades of faithful and visionary UU climate and environmental leadership. Together we can move past systems and cultures of extraction to usher in a new era with love and justice at the center of our climate actions.
The Whole Self is Not a Single Story
Rev. Jaye Brooks
January 12
Zoom
People often say that belonging
is a universal human longing. It shows up in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. But sometimes the price of belonging is paring the whole self down to a single story, one that matches the group to which we hope to belong. Or maybe we’re part of a group that describes people outside the group as one-dimensional—a single story of their imagined flaws. A person can only be whole when all the stories that make up the self are known and accepted—and wholeness means granting the same multiplicity to others.
Second Sunday Collection
A potluck luncheon follows the service.
Planning a Memorial Service course after potluck
The Power of Bridging
Rev. Jaye and Jenn Blosser
January 19
Zoom
In this service for all ages, we honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we consider the power we have to bridge the divides that so often result in exclusion and dehumanization. “Bridging” is the word john a. powell uses in his book, The Power of Bridging to describe actions that widen the circle of belonging. As individuals and as a community, bridging is the superpower we practice to make the world better for everyone.
Hide it Under a Bushel, No: I’m Gonna Let it Shine—The Power of Story
Worship Committee
January 26
Zoom
In a patchwork quilt, each piece of fabric contains a story in itself—where, when, and how it was made; what other garment or fabric it once was part of; who created and touched the fabric. Sewn together, the quilt collectively tells other stories and goes on to be part of yet more stories in the lives of many beings who interact with it. Join us as we share the power of our stories.