with Nancy Blake, Worship AssociateDavid Dodd, PianoRachel Steiner, CantorTony Blake, Percussion In UU practice, children are blessed in a simple ritual in which parents (and any godparents) as well as the congregation dedicate themselves to helping each child grow up in the ways marked by wisdom, love, and justice. In keeping with our October worship … Continue reading Generation to Generation: The Dedication of Children
David Dodd, Piano and Rachel Steiner, Cantor “Heritage” is our worship theme for the month of October. Recognizing that many have been harmed by oppressive interpretations of the dominant religious heritage, Rev. Bonnie and Rev. John join forces to offer a service aimed at a path toward healing. In honor of the Jewish autumn holiday … Continue reading Heritage, Harm, and Healing
On Labor Day weekend, we recall the summons: “Workers of the world, Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.” Rev. John will recount some of his own experiences “swinging on the chains,” as a young member of the United Mine Workers, serving in the Great Lakes merchant marine. The Undogmatics will help us … Continue reading Swinging on the Chains & Singing Songs of Change
Nancy Blake, Worship AssociateRachel Steiner, Cantor “Reach out your hand if your cup be empty,If your cup is full may it be again…” In our UUP Affirmation, every week, we say the words, “Service is our prayer.” What does that mean? Rev. Dr. John Buehrens, one of our two consulting ministers, will help us understand … Continue reading Why You Stopped Saying Your Prayers (Or Did You?)
Rev. John just celebrated another birthday and is at work on yet another book! This one is called Something Left Over: A Memoir of Ministry. It contains not only some delightful tales of how he found joy in ministry, but also this piece of wisdom: “Everyone is capable of leadership – or ministry. Leadership is … Continue reading Something Left Over
Worship Associate: Nancy Blake Please join us for a delightful service including a communion of chocolate and strawberries, based on a Zen parable and a verse in the Psalms. Note: Following today’s service, we will hold our annual Congregational Meeting. Please plan to attend. Childcare will be provided! For an online stream of the service, … Continue reading O TASTE AND SEE: The Erotics of Delight and Survival
Worship Associate: Nancy Blake “All are architects of fate, working in these walls of time; some with massive deeds and great, some with ornaments of rhyme.” –Hymn #288, words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Join Rev. John Buehrens and Worship Associate Nancy Blake in a service dedicated to Creativity – not so much as a … Continue reading The Creative Process
Rev. John Buehrens Worship Associate: Nancy Blake Please join us as we celebrate Easter Sunday! There will be egg-hunting activities for the kids! “Let not Easter come to earth, O God, and not come to our souls.” –Unitarian Minister A. Powell Davies “Plant sequoias. . . . Put your faith in the two inches of … Continue reading Practicing Resurrection
Reverend John Buehrens Worship Associate: Andrew Richardson Special guest pianist: Gary Rossi Lately it seems that everywhere reactionaries claim to promote “freedom.” Freedom to discriminate, to exploit, to insult; even to claim free speech rights while pushing ‘don’t’ say gay’ legislation. How did this happen? And what can we learn from two key holidays in … Continue reading Oh, Freedom! – A Service for Passover and Palm Sunday
Protests about institutionalized racism this summer have been compared to those of 1968. Dr. Buehrens heard his call to ministry then. As an historian, he would also compare them to the polarization in America over race going back to the 1850s, when both Unitarian minister Theodore Parker and Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass were calling for … Continue reading Conflagration: The Prospect of a Second American Civil War
