Speaker: Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern

The concept of restorative justice is more than a move beyond punishment to rehabilitation. It requires religious depth, asking us to have faith in the transforming power of love. Jesus had that faith – can we? Music: Larry Chin

Last month we heard about Robin Wall Kimmerer’s ideas on what it means to be indigenous and what it means to become naturalized. We dip into her wisdom again to learn about the Honorable Harvest, “a practice both ancient and urgent,” in her words, that helps us to meet the earth with thanks and respond with our own generosity toward the land that needs us as well. We’ll summon up that gratitude and generosity together in our intergenerational Thanksgiving service. And as part of our annual practice in interdependence, we’ll begin our Guest at Your Table support for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Guest musician: Libby Kardontchik, piano

A democracy is a tall, intricate tower, built of many levels. The media focus on “big elections”–president, governor, Congress–and savvy activists know that there are many others, just as important in building the whole structure. And then there are the many other ways we, the rulers of this land, determine its future, some of which are self-evidently involved in democracy (such as rights organizations and efforts to expand voting access) and others less so. We’ll look at some of the hidden parts of the tower today. Special music: Dawn Walker, flute

Don’t forget to set your clock back, unless you want to arrive at services very early!

Here at the Sunday closest to All Souls, we hold our annual service of loss and remembrance. Beth Nord will tell a story from the Nupe people of Nigeria about why we don’t live forever, we will speak the names of those we love who have gone before, and for the sermon, Amy will share what she has learned from memorial services. You are invited to contribute to our altar by bringing mementos and photos of those who have departed this life. Special music: Eric Leong, violin

How would we live if we thought of ourselves as truly interdependent with the land and all its creatures? Robin Wall Kimmerer shares much wisdom (and some tough questions) in her book Braiding Sweetgrass, and we’ll take some wisdom from the perspective there: from the work of a field botanist, from a person indigenous to this land, and from a lover of the earth. Music: Broceliande

We are in the midst of what Jews call the Days of Awe, the ten-day period from Rosh Hashanah (the first day of the year) to Yom Kip- pur (the day of atonement), a time of reflection and reckoning. It is good to set aside such a moment to ask ourselves: if my life were being written up in one great eternal book, what would I want to write next? Music: Be’eri Moalem,viola

You bring the questions and Amy answers as many of them as she can in the space usually allotted to the sermon. Kids’ questions welcomed also (and answered before the kids go to Sunday School). Music: Mayo Tsuzuki and Richard Heydt, Broadway songs

There are so many different ways to part with money, even to give money, and they feel so many different ways. Giving can be joyful, or done out of duty, or inspired by fear, and while the effects look the same in our bank accounts, they are very different in our emotional and spiritual accounts. Music: Ihang Lin, piano