Services for January 2021
Soul Matters theme: Imagination
Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place on Sundays at 11am via Zoom, or you can dial-in to 646-876-9923 (Meeting ID: 920 676 087).
January 3: “ The Future of Our Faith”
It’s the new year, and for many Unitarian Universalist congregations that means a renewed commitment to justice. Here at the Fellowship, we’re going to be spending the next few months studying the UUA Commission on Institutional Change’s report, Widening the Circle of Concern. Why was this report written, and what events led up to it? Why have we chosen to engage with it and study its recommendations? What actions might we take toward implementing them?
Special music will be provided by our guest musician, Tret Fure!
January 10: “Remembering the Future”
The Vision we developed together in July 2019 answers the question, How do we see the UUFP moving from the congregation we are now to the congregation that our Mission calls us to be? Our Vision tells a story about who we imagine ourselves becoming, but what if — stewardship consultant Mark Ewert asks us — we tell actual stories about ourselves in our imagined future? How can we engage the power of narrative to energize the work of becoming the best version of ourselves?
January 17: “Building the Beloved Community: Our Unfinished Business”
Communities are essential to our well-being. Imagine Unitarian Universalists as a Community of Communities, living in covenant with each other and fulfilling our ission in the world. This is the work of making room for greater diversity and pluralism. This is the work of the Beloved Community. It is 2021. Are we ready?
Paula Cole Jones is a life-long Unitarian Universalist and a Management Consultant with over twenty years of experience in designing and facilitating workshops and dialogues for leaders and organizations. She is an innovator of institutional change. In 1999, Paula founded ADORE, A Dialogue on Race & Ethnicity. She has conducted hundreds of group discussions and workshops across the country for faith organizations, community groups and government agencies. Paula Cole Jones is the author of a U U World cover story, “Reconciliation as a Spiritual Discipline”, and she is the editor of a Skinner House book, Encounters: Poems about Race, Ethnicity and Identity.
January 24: “Imagine... No Religion?”
The Hymnbook Resources Commission appointed by the UUA to create Singing the Living Tradition was eager to include John Lennon’s “Imagine” in the new collection of hymns reflecting our Principles and Sources but couldn’t get permission to change his phrase “the brotherhood of man” to be more gender inclusive. “Imagine” remains a common non-hymnal song in UU services, but what does it mean for people in church to sing about imagining that there’s no religion?
January 31: “Let’s Pretend!”
Many Unitarian Universalists consider themselves realists. Our Seven Principles, though not particular concise, use straightforward language to describe what matters to us, and our congregations tend to be rather literal when it comes to naming, planning and programming. Imagination and play should not be limited to our youngest members, however. Coming out of a year that by most measures was horrific, if not traumatic, our ability to make believe may be essential for our healing and recovery.
Director of Religions Education Joanne Dingus will join Rev. Andrew for this service.