Bodhi Day

December 8th is a day many Buddhists celebrate as Bodhi Day, the day that Prince Siddhartha Gautama reached enlightenment while sitting under a Pippala tree. One of the visions he had before attaining enlightenment was a vision that everything that exists is one thing expressed in many forms. Join us to celebrate the Buddha’s life and explore the concept of the Oneness of life and environment.

Worship is led by Rev. Susan Frances, Dr. Emma Farrell, Gregory Shifrin, and Kiley Korey.

Throughout the month of December, our offering will be shared with Restore Justice Foundation, whose mission is to make Illinois a safer and more compassionate state by replacing the ineffective, extreme sentencing policies of the past with evidence-based laws that allow families and communities to heal.

Here are the worship service topics for the next 3 weeks:

Being Present in Anxious Times

The task of this moment is to both stay present in our bodies and to each other, while we are imagining the world we long for. Creative solutions to the challenges we face can only come from our presence, and so we must tend to our fears, anxieties, as well as our hopes and dreams. Rev. Eileen leads this service with Kiley Korey as our Worship Associate, and Kathy Underwood, our Director of Lifespan Faith Formation. Gregory Shifrin offers his musical gifts on the piano.

Throughout the month of December, our offering will be shared with Restore Justice Foundation, whose mission is: to make Illinois a safer and more compassionate state by replacing the ineffective, extreme sentencing policies of the past with evidence-based laws that allow families and communities to heal. 

Here are the worship service topics for the next 3 weeks:

Finding my Spiritual Home

Karen Courtright shares her spiritual journey, and we will be welcoming our newest members.

Worship leaders this week are Rev. Eileen Wivioitt, Senior Minister, Rev. Susan Frances, Assistant Minister, Karen Courtright, Worship Associate. Our musicians are Charles M. Anderson, Steve Courtright, and Gregory Shifrin.

Throughout the month of November, our Shared Offering Program partner is the Chicago Abortion Fund who will receive half of all donations designated for the Shared Offering or undesignated.

What’s Next?

We’ve been holding our breath for so long. Knowing what we know now, where do we go from here? One thing is certain, regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, we have work to do to repair and rebuild what has been broken, and to restore our faith in ourselves, each other, and relationships.

Rev. Eileen leads this service with Annette Wallace as Worship Associate. The UCE Choir, Directed by Vickie Hellyer and accompanied by Gregory Shifrin provide our music.

Throughout the month of November, our Shared Offering Program partner is the Chicago Abortion Fund who will receive half of all donations designated for the Shared Offering or undesignated.

November 17th – Karen Courtright shares her Spiritual Journey

Promises Made, Promises Kept, Promises Broken, Promises Remade

The world is in disrepair. Any hope for making the world more whole rests in repairing the soul, each soul, one at a time, moment by moment. Weaving the promises of our ancestors to the promises we want to make to our descendants. As we look to an uncertain future, how do we cherish the promise of every soul to choose the transforming power of liberating love and help heal the world?

Rev. Eileen leads this service with Ministerial Intern, Dr. Emma Farrell as worship associate. Kevin Barrow will be our hymn leader and provide clarinet accompaniment with Gregory Shifrin on piano.

Throughout the month of November, our Shared Offering Program partner is the Chicago Abortion Fund who will receive half of all donations designated for the Shared Offering or undesignated.

November 10th – What’s Next? Knowing what we know now, where do we go from here? – Rev. Eileen Wiviott

The Beauty and Renewal of Beloved Community: Our Annual Flower Communion

The work of the world can be rough, like digging into hard, stoney ground. It’s easy to get discouraged. We plant the seeds of possibility in our shared garden and hope that something lovely will emerge, but we never fully know what will come from our efforts. We honor the commitment to keep planting and sowing and we celebrate what comes from our shared purpose. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads this service, with Rev. Susan Frances and Kathy Underwood as Worship Associates. Soloists Jenn Wisegarver, Jay Liddell, and Kiley Korey, with the UCE Choir, directed by Vickie Hellyer and accompanied by Sarah Bloethe and Gregory Shifrin, grace us with music.

This week’s offering will be shared with Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA) whose mission is to ensure that refugee families are provided access to an education sufficient to prepare them to become economically self-sufficient and robustly engaged in American civic life.

The Art of Living Fearlessly

In his first inaugural speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” Though fear is a necessary and natural part of our human experience, keeping us safe and wary of real danger, fear is easily manipulated as a tool of domination. The tactic of fomenting fear of “the other” is fully operative as the threat of facism rises in our country. How do we build resistance to the manipulation of fear and continue to advance liberation for all? How does our shared faith call us to collectively lift the shadow of fear, hate and ignorance? Rev. Eileen leads this service with Carla Williams as Worship Associate.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service this Sunday at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is Interfaith Action of Evanston.