Posted by Tim on February 7, 2024
At the 2022 Auction, Kathy Harm bought the right to choose a topic for a sermon this year, and this is that sermon. We’ll reflect on what it means to genuinely apologize as opposed to going through the motions, and how we decide to respond to apologies.
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Posted by Tim on May 10, 2023
American UUs and English Unitarians trace their ancestry back to the Reformation: we’re close cousins. Another branch of our family, our somewhat less-well-known and slightly-different cousins eventually landed in Transylvania, in what is now Romania. We’ll explore how they got there, who they are today, and what some of the similarities and differences are between western UUs and Eastern European Unitarians. The topic for this sermon was purchased by Herb Ogden at our 2022 Auction.
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Posted by Tim on March 7, 2023
In 1801, Thomas Jefferson said there should be a “wall of separation between church and state”. There wasn’t such a ‘wall’ in most states then, and that ‘wall’ seems be rapidly crumbling in many parts of our country now. What built that ‘wall’, what role did our religious forebears have in dismantling it, and why does separation of church and state matter now?
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Posted by Tim on February 5, 2023
In this Valentine’s Day month, we’ll explore how the end of the life of a loved one might affect those of us who loved them. Then we’ll create a collective memorial to those we’ve each lost by bringing a picture or a small memento of them, which we’ll share as we speak briefly about these ancestors.
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Posted by Tim on December 4, 2022
What about Father Christmas, and Santa Claus? Or Scrooge and Tiny Tim? Or Iceland’s Christmas Trolls? On a more somber note, what about Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘Little Match Girl’ or Dostoevsky’s “Beggar Boy’? What do all these non-Christian (or at least not explicitly Christian) stories tell us about this time of year?
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Posted by Tim on November 13, 2022
“I Appreciate” – In this Thanksgiving season there are many ways to express our appreciation for the blessing life has given us, and many ways to share that appreciation. We’ll explore some of them. Rev. Threet asked members of the congregation to meet at tables, 4 per table, and write down what each member is thankful for. Discussion followed.
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Posted by Tim on October 3, 2022
As individuals and as a church we are often asked for various kinds of assistance. How do we decide when to give directly, or indirectly, or not at all? And how do we process the confusion of feelings and circumstances that often result in such requests?
This Sunday will be the first of our newly-initiated Food First Sunday program: please bring canned or boxed goods or another non-perishable household item, which we will donate to our local food pantry. The Board has decided to hold this food drive on the first Sunday of each month, and there will be a basket to collect our donations in the Sanctuary on these Sundays.
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Posted by Tim on June 6, 2022
Our hymnal says, “The sweet June days are come again…Oh, how our cup o’er brims with good…for all the joys of field and wood we lift our song of praise.” What do June and summertime mean this year, after so many, many unusual months, including two peculiar summers?
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Posted by Tim on April 12, 2021
The truth is that all of life involves change, whether we’re prepared for it or not. But we anticipate an easing of Covid and embrace the possibility of more “normal” church for next year (fingers crossed!), so it’s a good time to examine what we’ve all learned about change. How can these last many months inform us going forward?
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Sermons & Newsletter - UU Church of Rutland