Lay Leader: Lisa Sporleder   Speaker: Mikayla Eager

Since the 12th Century, many Christians have celebrated the blessing of the animals near the feast of St. Francis of Assi, the patron saint of animals and the environment.  For UU’s, blessings of animals allows us to contemplate our seventh principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. This program will celebrate that tradition.  Please bring your animals for our UU blessing. Please bring animals that can “play well with others” or you can also bring a photograph.

Lay Leader: Maia Peirce  Speakers:UUFF Young Adults

The young adults share reflections on their experiences growing up Unitarian Universalist.

Lay Leader: Phil Osborn  Special Guests: Soaring Eagle Drum Group.

UUFF will pause, along with thousands of other communities, to honor and remember the victims of September 11, 2001. We’ll host the Soaring Eagle Drum group, and our children will participate in this multigenerational service. What can we learn from such tragic events, how can we respond as a UU community to these dark parts of our world. We’ll commemorate the lives of those lost, as well as those lost at Knoxville and in the Amish community. Together, let us focus the power of healing, compassion, and love upon our world today.

Lay Leader: Laurie Walton   This is an ingathering multigenerational service. Bring waters that represent significant events that you have experienced over the summer. It is a symbolic way for us so reconnect and gather again into community as we start into the new congregational year.

Lay Leader: Frida Shroyer Speaker: Michael Walleri

UU's second principle challenges us to think globally and act
locally to work for better human relations. The talk will focus
upon lessons learned from Alaska. What are we doing right?
Where can we make improvements?

Celebrant: Rev. Sarah Schurr.  What does the concept of heaven mean to Unitarian Universalists? Can we get past the idea of an afterlife and see how are we  called on to create heaven on earth?

Lay Leader: Monte Jordan  Speaker: Murray Richmond.

After 33 years of debate, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to join Unitarian Universalist and allow openly gay people in same-sex relationships to be ordained as ministers, elders and deacons. Many who come to UU from other faiths have experienced the struggle to reconcile personal belief with teachings of the faith of their birth.  Murray Richmond, a Presbyterian minister for 17 years, will talk about his personal path of discovery and faith, which offers insight into the larger social direction unfolding in communities of faith.

Lay Leader: Doug Toelle   Speaker: Walt Bennish. The Swiss Philosopher Karl Jaspers called the period in world history between 800 BCE and 200 BCE the “Axial Age.” Extraordinary individuals and events are crowded into this period. In China it was the time of Confucius, Lao Tze, and Mo Tze. In India it was the Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, Mahavira, and Buddha. In Persia Zoroaster put forward his conception of the cosmic process as a struggle between good and evil gods. In Palestine it was the time of the prophets: Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc., and in Greece, the philosophers Heraclitus, Parmenides, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. This was the age in which questions were asked to define reality, values, the meaning of human existence. Dr. Bennish  will discuss the Axial Age and compare and relate these individuals and events to one another and to our time.

Lay Leader: Lisa Sporleder  Members and visitors of the fellowship are invited to bring and share poetry that has touched their lives.  This year we hope to focus upon one or more of the UU Principles that guide our lives.

Lay Leaders: Jana Peirce and Laenne Thompson. How much do you know about your fellow UUFF members and friends? This Sunday we’ll have an opportunity to get to know each other better and out Whale Coast guests. Learn about each other’s past and what gives meaning to our lives.