theme: Growing
Services include sermons preached by Rev. Andrew Clive Millard unless otherwise noted.
September 2nd: “Onward and Upward”
For generations, our Universalist and Unitarian ancestors-in-faith sought to grow the Beloved Community by fostering “the continuity of human development in all worlds, or, the progress of humanity onward and upward forever.” And yet, we know that progress is never linear, that there are always set-backs and disappointments along the way. How do we temper our optimism while still striving for a better world?
September 9th: “That Transcending Mystery”
A survey of ten thousand Unitarian Universalists found that nearly sixty percent of them had considered leaving the faith. They gave various explanations, but, interestingly, only a small minority of the respondents said that it was because of “too much spirituality”. How do we reconcile the historical role of reason in liberal religion with theologian Bernard Meland’s dictum that “we live more deeply than we think”?
Jeffrey Hinkley has been a UU for almost forty years and UUFP member for twenty, teaching youth and adult Religious Exploration and eventually serving on five committees. His sermon is an outgrowth of his second experience with the “Shared Pulpit” class led by Joanne Dingus earlier this year.
September 16th: “How Coyote Lost His Songs, Music and Dance”
Coyote lived in a village with a number of other people, but one day he decided that he didn’t want to be around them any more. He had his songs, his music and his dance, and he didn’t need anyone else for any of those things. Besides, Rabbit, Moose, Raven and all of the other people were strange and they often annoyed him. When he set off to find a place to be by himself, though, Coyote discovered how hard it was to be himself.
Note special date and time:
10am on September 22nd: “Blessing of the Animals”
Pets are an important part of so many of our lives, so join us on the UUFP’s lawn to celebrate our special friends. Bring along your (controllable) buddies to the ceremony. We will express our thanks to them for all they give us with a blessing in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
Jim Sanderson will officiate, assisted by Nan Procyson.
September 23rd: “Growing through Covenant”
Unitarian Universalism is defined not by a set of beliefs but by the promises we make regarding how we’ll treat one another and our world. As such, we are a religion based not on creed, but on covenant. In our congregation, each Fellowship circle has its own covenant, as do our Religious Exploration classes and the Policy Board. What would it mean for the UUFP as a whole to have such a covenant?
Special music will be provided by the UUFP ChorUUs!
September 30th: “Good Luck: Universalism in America”
On September 30th 1770, Universalist minister John Murray preached at Thomas Potter farm in Good Luck, New Jersey. It was Murray’s first sermon in America, having left England after personal tragedy and vowing never to preach again, and it was the first sermon in Potter’s chapel which, believing that God would send him a Universalist minister, he’d built ten years before. Was it a miracle that the ship from England ran aground at Good Luck and that the wind kept it there until Sunday morning came?
We welcome our new Choir Accompanist, Daniel Santos!