This summer offered us a chance to appreciate water by its lack. Dry and smoky, many of us are ready for fall. We’ll begin with our annual water service. Bring water from somewhere you’ve been, or that has some meaning for you, or just from home. We’ll have water to pour into our common bowl, too. We’ll sing, bless, be blessed, and remember the gift of water in our lives.
Labor Day reminds us of what was fought for as unions were formed. Bread and Roses in particular calls us to make both bodily sustenance and beauty possible. We’ll consider what it looks like today.
The habits of school starting in late summer or early fall follow many of us through our lives. In that spirit, we’ll have a service to celebrate beginning again as we come into fall. Students (of any age!) are invited to bring along a backpack or similar object that represents the new year to be blessed. We’ll consider what it takes to begin again and again and again.
These are key words for our congregation. We’ll reflect on all four and the part they play in our life together and in the world.
One of our hymns says “even to question truly is an answer” and we’ll take up a practice in many UU congregations: the Question Box service. You get the chance to write down a question that you have wondered about, and Linda will answer as many as she can during the time allotted for the sermon. Other questions may become sermons later, so don’t hesitate to ask!
We celebrate Pride with songs and poetry and reflections about who we belong to and who belongs to us. A glitter blessing will round out our service.
The 4th of July is our celebration of the Declaration of Independence and life, liberty, and happiness are suggested as our inalienable rights among others that are unspecified. We’ll consider what they might mean today.
Our annual flower service is a celebration of community and of hope. Everyone is encouraged to bring along a flower (or a few!) or something that’s growing. (Do you have extra tomato starts? A house plant that can be divided? Something else for the garden?) Our whole church worship will have singing, celebration and a few surprises as always. Come prepared to bless and be blessed!
Creativity is critical in all aspects of our lives, even those we don’t think of as needing creativity. We’ll explore life as an improvisation.
The past isn’t something that exists objectively. Every story we tell about events demands that we pick and choose among details and story lines, whose voices are heard and what is left out. How might we create a past that opens the future in new ways?
