“Which Side Are You On?”

Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections
Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections
"Which Side Are You On?"
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The lyrics of this song written by Florence Reece have lived on for 90 years, fueling movements for labor justice and beyond. How do we, as Unitarian Universalists who believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, answer this question in today’s fractured & violent world? What does it mean for us to “Side with Love,” and how can we each do our part?

Our guest, the Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, lives in the Bay Area and was formerly the executive director of the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California. They are now using that passion for justice and skill at inviting people into leadership at the national level, as the Congregational Justice Organizer on the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)’s Side with Love Organizing Strategy Team. We have been inspired by Ranwa before, in a service about patient justice (sabr) and another from shortly before the 2020 election about how Unitarian Universalists “harvest the power” by converting our values into votes, and are delighted to welcome them back in person.

Worship leader: Rev. Ranwa Hammamy

Worship Associate: Mary Grebenkemper 

Special music: Ruth Huber, soprano, piano. Ruth Huber has composed a song especially for this service.

Follow along in the order of service: bit.ly/uucpa_oos_20220724.

We are on our summer schedule through July 31: one service at 10:30 am. We gather in person in the Main Hall, in person on the main patio, and via Zoombit.ly/uucpa_service_11am. In person, we are distanced 3′ and masked for safety; proof of vaccination and a mask are required to enter the Main Hall. Outdoors, masks are not required, but are recommended. Children’s Religious Education and childcare are available during the service; children are also welcome to remain in the service.

To watch the service live on our Facebook page, visit: www.facebook.com/uucpa/live_videos.

Photo: Harlan County miners’ houses, SawyerFrye, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Florence Reece was a coal miner’s daughter during the Harlan County, Kentucky, strike of 1930 that inspired her to write the song.