In the series Why Do We Do That in the Sunday Service?, we come to the sermon.
We inherited our service format from the Protestant Christian tradition from which Unitarian Universalism is descended. It has been affectionately or pejoratively nicknamed “the sermon sandwich.” The sermon, in … read more.
Please note that both services will be held indoors (with patio seating always an option) due to the chilly temperatures expected.
In this sermon, part of the series, “Why Do We Do That In the Sunday Service?,” we look at the circuitous history, and multiple meanings, … read more.
We return today to the series exploring: “Why Do We Do That In the Sunday Service?” Actually, today’s elements happen immediately before and after the service: welcome and announcements and greeting time. Why they happen when they do, and why they happen at all, are … read more.
We’ve had our holiday of thanks, and now we have the season of giving. Giving might seem simple–you like someone, so you give them something they’ll enjoy–but it’s anything but. Giving can be motivated by affection, duty, obligation, gratitude, ingratiation, indebtedness, even fear; gifts can … read more.
In a series of services that explore the purpose and significance of different aspects of the service, we come today to our centering words, centering bell, and the silence that follows. As potters and dancers tell us, centering is what makes possible the art that … read more.
Awake, enlightened: they might sound as if they are much the same thing, or at least close kin. But in two movements of the 18th century, they represented a conflict: between the emotion-driven “Great Awakening” and the reason-saluting “Age of Enlightenment.” Unitarianism and Universalism grew … read more.
Today’s service is the first in a series: Why do we do that in the service? Let’s consider Caring and Sharing, our name for what many congregations call “pastoral prayers” or “prayers of the people.” Why do we share our joys and sorrows? And … read more.
The series “Why do we do that in the Sunday service?” continues, with an inquiry into music. The choir sings for the last time before their six-week break; we sing; we listen; and we give some thought to the relationship between music and the spirit.
Music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano
In a service last year, Dan Harper delved into why the elements of our Sunday service are what they are. Amy’s going into several of them in depth, one per Sunday, now and then, and this first exploration looks at the sermon. Why do we have one? What is it for?
Special music: M’Earth Tones, a small chorus featuring some of our members and frequent guest cellist Kris Yenney. Their mission is “Creating Harmony in a Dissonant World,” and they encourage us to “think globally, act vocally.”
