Sundays: 12 noon (CT) in-person and online
Although western culture reveres the idea of the rugged individualist, the reality is that we all depend on our groups to survive and thrive. It is our belonging to families, communities, nations, and ultimately the world that makes life worthwhile. What and to whom do we belong, and why? We’ll explore the nature of belonging, … Continue reading Belonging
-The Water Communion is a Unitarian Universalist tradition celebrating the coming together of the community of people from different places. The water symbolizes that sense that, while we are separate, we are also united, that our ultimate ends will be as one. Come celebrate this ritual with us, either at the fellowship hall or on … Continue reading As the Rivers Flow to the Sea – Water Communion
There is increasing evidence that being religious can be good for you. Religious people tend to be happier and live longer. But these benefits tend to come from certain religious practices, not beliefs. What happens if we disentangle the practices from the beliefs, even from the religion itself? Is this even ethical? We’ll explore these … Continue reading Have a Little Religion, But Not Too Much
Rev. Matt Alspaugh has been following the work of futurist Jane McGonigal, who uses massive multiplayer games as simulations to forecast the future. She believes that actively trying to imagine or daydream the future can make us more resilient, better prepared for whatever comes. Can weimagine optimistic rather than a dystopian futures? Will this help … Continue reading Remembering the Future
What is happiness? Is it possible to ‘pursue’ it, or is that an elusive objective? We’ll delve a bit into the recent science of happiness, and what, if anything, might make us happier. Rev. Matt Alspaugh will give the message and Carol Johnson will be the service leader.
Richard Rohr, a Christian theologian, calls out conventional Christianity on its attachment to ‘original sin’ versus an alternative concept of ‘original blessing.’ He notes that “the words ‘original sin’ are not in the New Testament. Yet the Church became so preoccupied with the fly in the ointment, the flaw in the beauty that we forgot … Continue reading Original Blessing
We all have a sense of beautiful things when we encounter them, and they can carry us away into profound emotion, even move us to tears. Is beauty inherent in the world? Or is beauty simply “in the eye of the beholder?” Or is beauty a cultural thing, something we learn as we move through … Continue reading Meditations on Beauty
The Flower Communion is a celebration of the beauty of the world around us, of its diversity, and of the diversity of each of us. If possible, please bring a flower from your garden, vase, or the roadside to the service. If you are planning to join on Zoom, please send a picture of yourself … Continue reading Flower Communion
On Easter morning, we consider a take on the Easter story as one of awakening. What does the mythology of Jesus’ awakening mean for us? Perhaps we are called to see and care for one another in a new way. With Earth Day coming a few days after this service, perhaps we consider awakening to … Continue reading Easter Awakening
REMINDER THAT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS TODAY! How much of the course of our lives is the result of the luck of the draw? Is it all purely chance, or pre-ordained, or maybe somewhere in between? How about the development of our species, or for that matter, all life on earth? We’ll look at the … Continue reading Leaving it all up to Chance
