4/3/2020
Rev. Andrew at the UUFP's pulpit
“Soul Matters” theme: Liberation
Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place on Sundays at 11 a.m. via Zoom.
April 5th: “Liberation”
In this sermon, Jan Briedé will draw on his personal experience from working at a Leprosy Center in Uganda, Africa in 1978 and 1979 to discuss liberation theology, social and economic justice and lay a connection to our UU faith.
Jan Briedé has been a member of the UUFP since 2000. Originally from Holland, he became a US citizen in 1994 and has been married to Donna for forty-two years. Jan has a PhD in Range Science from New Mexico State University and works for the Department of Environmental Quality. As a state employee of a certain age, he is currently in mandatory self-isolation. Early in his career, Jan worked in international development in Uganda, Nepal and Yemen.
April 12th: “Rolling Back the Stone”
This year’s Easter Sunday will feature empty churches as worshipers keep themselves at home to help “flatten the curve”. How will the good news of Easter be celebrated when people can’t gather in person to sing and rejoice? What might we find in the story of Easter to give us hope and courage in these difficult times?
April 19th: “Inside the Sacred Chrysalis of Transformation!”
We are entering the chrysalis, the Sacred Chrysalis of Transformation as we quarantine in this global pandemic! Inside the chrysalis, what was the voracious caterpillar magically transforms itself into a butterfly. Amid the undifferentiated “goo” of the magical metamorphosis, individual imaginal cells of the previous caterpillar hold the potentials for the future, initially acting separately before combining as one to create something new and amazing — a butterfly. There is an aching need for us to transform our society to one with social and environmental justice and one in which humans live in harmony with Nature. What if while quarantining we become the imaginal cells for a sacred transformation of our dysfunctional society? What could happen if we each connect, combine and create something incredible together, like a butterfly, from the goo of transformation that is occurring in our sacred societal chrysalis of transformation? EarthRising will lead us in contemplating the sacred transformations that are possible in this scary time of great potential for change.
April 26th: “Freedom: From, For or With?”
We hear “freedom” and “liberty” used a lot, from patriotic anthems to political speeches, as well as in our Seven Principles. If freedom stands against what would otherwise restrain us, then society makes that different for different people. If liberty refers to our ability to act, then, again, not everyone is given equal agency. Perhaps what we need to consider is liberation?