“Walking on Pain”
It has been a violent and tough summer. How do we deal with the seemingly never-ending assault on human life and dignity? Learning to walk with pain keeps us moving toward justice. Rev. Bret Lortie speaking.

August 14, 2016 – “Walking on Pain” – Rev. Bret Lortie

“Blessing of the Animals”

Our annual blessing of the animals service will honor our Seventh Principle, the interdependent web of all being. In our homes and through the natural world, animals bless our lives by their very presence on the Earth and in our personal lives. Bring your sociable animal companion to the 10am service, either on a leash or suitable abode, for a special blessing. Music from the Wailin’ Mahalias.

August 7, 2016 – “Blessing of the Animals” – Rev. Bret Lortie

 “The Power of Words”
Words are powerful tools, and language is often identified as one of our defining human characteristics. If “we shape our tools and then our tools shape us” (as was Marshall McLuhan’s idea), what are the implications for such questions as how we use words to identify gender or to name our religious community? Rev. Connie Grant speaking.

July 31, 2016 – “The Power of Words” – Rev. Connie Grant

“Where Are You on the Journey to Beloved Community?”
A look at the many possible places to be on our journey together toward making the world whole, with a special look at the brokenness that is racism in our communities today. Are you a guide, a traveler, a driver or a signpost? Martha Holman speaking.

July 17, 2016 – “Where Are You on the Journey to Beloved Community?” – Martha Holman

Ralph Waldo Emerson, frequently portrayed as both an enthusiastic optimist and a rebel, was born on May 25, 1803. His father, a Unitarian minister in Boston, died when Ralph was only seven. At the tender age of fourteen, he entered Harvard to follow in the footsteps of his father, but demonstrated what his professors called an average academic ability and uninventive thinking.  Emerson cultivated his creativity over time and developed a theological perspective called Transcendentalism. We’ll explore Emerson’s approach to life and death.  Rev. Dr. Nicole C. Kirk, Professor of Unitarian Universalist History at Meadville Lombard Theological School, speaking.

“On the Side of Love”

Love is challenged by hate, and hope is challenged by fear, over and over again. How do we keep moving toward the side of love and hope? Rev. Connie Grant speaking.

“Postmodernism and the Legacy of the Enlightenment”
In many ways contemporary culture is caught between a dedication to science and the use of rationality on the one hand and a skepticism about the human ability to be rational combined with moral relativism on the other. The tension between these two outlooks is present within UU circles. One way of looking at these issues is to see them as a struggle between Postmodernism and the continuing influence of the Enlightenment. This sermon will try to shed some light on these questions. Our Affiliated Community Minister, Rev. Dr. Jerome Stone speaking.

June 26, 2016 – “Postmodernism and the Legacy of the Enlightenment – Rev. Dr. Jerome Stone

“Where Do We Go From Here?”
Ministerial Intern Kevin DeBeck will speak on gun violence, and Rev. Bret Lortie will speak on how to move ahead in difficult times such as these. Join us at 10am for a time dedicated to being together and sharing our grief, disappointment, and lamentation.

Rev. Bret Lortie – June 19, 2016 – “Where Do We Go From Here” – Rev. Bret Lortie

Kevin DeBeck – June 19, 2016 – “How Did We Get Here” – Kevin DeBeck

“Flower Communion” Rev. Bret Lortie speaking.

June 12, 2016