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?
Our own Dick Weiss and Judy Kniffen from the UU Bennington Fellowship, both well-established and well-regarded artists, will explore some aspects of their own creative process. They will share some of their work, and examine why they do what they do – what makes artists make art?
“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.
If you do not select by category you will be presented with all sermons in descending date order. If you wish, you can select to view just previous sermons by our minister Rev. Barbara Threet, or previous sermons by guest ministers, or previous sermons by lay leaders. Selection is made by using the “Categories” drop down located in the right hand column of this page.
You can select sermons by the month and year by clicking the month and year at the “Sermon Archives” section in the left hand column of this page.
Come join us as we cover the benefits of healthy, structured conflict and the different communication styles that are often used while dealing with opposing opinions. During this service, we will cover effective ways to address issues while still maintaining respect for yourself as well as the other party, focusing on passive, assertive, and aggressive communication styles.
The Anthology is a collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters about the people in a small town in Illinois. We will read some of the poems, and look at the ways that those people were connected to each other, and to ourselves.
When I tell someone what my profession has been, it is not uncommon to hear people rush to inform me that they are spiritual but not religious. After years and years as a minister, I find myself thinking that I am religious but not spiritual!
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.
In addition to speaking on the history of universalism, I will be relating that the teaching of eternal damnation is not merely a harmless untruth that we might appropriately ignore and allow to stand, but it has serious consequences. It leads to the possibility, perhaps even the inevitability, of wars, bigotry, oppression and abuse. On the other hand, the teaching of universalism leads to equality, respect, love and dignity for all. 319-899-3093, mailto:kkfristad@hotmail.com
“A Pattern Language” is a book about many designs; the seasons have their patterns; and order and structure with variations are parts of many aspects of life, including journeys and literature. 850-894-9212, gmuenchow@comcast.net,