Speaker: Lisa Sporleder  Lay Leader: Jana Peirce Music: Vera Alexander

Some people may wonder if, when the chips are down, they might need a more dogmatic church, a place where they can find certainty. But Unitarian Universalism is there for you in more than just the good times. Our free faith also provides us with ways to deal with the troubled times in our lives.

Minister: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails Lay Leader: Cam Leonard Music: Marsha Sousa

Universalism refers to the progressive Christian concept of “universal reconciliation,” the belief that every single human beings will ultimately be “saved” and are loved unconditionally by the divine. What does it mean to be a Universalist today? This service will weave together the voices of universalists from across the spectrum of religious identity, including our own Universalist forebears.

Leaders: Molly Lemen and Silvia Daeumichen Music: Marsha Sousa

The Celtic festival of Samhain celebrates the brief moment in time when the worlds of the living and the dead are close enough to touch. This service of spoken word and ritual will be an opportunity to experience communion with our ancestors and friends who have passed. Join us in celebrating those who have passed before us.

Minister: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails   Lay Leader: Holly Blood  Music: Vera Alexander

A meditation on the sustenance and resistance found in communities large and small — from friendships to families, forests to entire ecosystems — during perilous times.

Speaker: Tracy Charles-Smith  Lay Leader: Mike Walleri  Music: Marsha Sousa

Tracy Charles-Smith is the President of Dot Lake Village and adjunct faculty for University of Alaska Anchorage Neurodevelopment Center. She was raised in a very traditional home. Ms. Charles-Smith will talk about the concept of Te Jueh, an Athabascan concept similar to sympathy and empathy, and its role in Athabascan spiritual and social life.

Leaders: Rev. Leslie and Molly Lemen    Music: Vera Alexander

“If you believe breaking is possible, believe that fixing is possible.” —Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

The ten days beginning on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) and ending the evening of Yom Kippur, (the Day of Atonement) are described as “The Days of Awe:” a period for meditation on the year that has passed and a sacred opportunity to make amends, inscribing intentions for the year to come. This morning, we will reflect on the spiritual practice of forgiving and being forgiven — even extending the possibility of forgiveness to ourselves.

Coordinators: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails & Laurie Walton Music: Marsha Sousa

Let’s celebrate the beginning of the new Fellowship Year with our annual Water Communion service! Our tradition is to offer water as a symbol of our connection one to the other. This year there will be 4 periods of water sharing during the service. We may be sharing where the water came from — but perhaps more importantly, what this water means to you, what it symbolizes in our lives together. Please bring a small container of water from a place special to you, anywhere from your dog’s water dish to your favorite fish camp, deep in the wilderness.

Coordinators: Molly Lemen & Silvia Daeumichen   Music: Vera Alexander

We’ve enjoyed the tastes, smells, and sounds of the farmers market and our gardens, now drawing to a close as winter approaches. Join us for a celebration of summer’s abundance for all ages. We will be taking up a collection of canned goods and non-perishable food for local organizations that provide support to people experiencing food insecurity, so bring what you can to share!

Speaker: Lisa Sporleder  Lay Leader: Cam Leonard Music: Marsha Sousa

UUs don’t talk about sin very often. We try to focus on potential, on the good. But too much of a good thing, out of balance the rest, can still be destructive. This service looks at those traits we might want to keep in check as we try to do good in the world.

Minister: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails    Music: Vera Alexander

Unitarian Universalists treasure our belief in free will and our commitment to rational thought. But what if — and just bear with me here for a second — what if free will doesn’t exist? In such a world, what would it mean to be moral? What would it mean to have faith? What it would it mean to … well … do anything at all? This sermon topic was purchased by friend of the fellowship Derek Sikes at the church auction, and it’s possible that whether or not you will choose to attend this Sunday was predetermined long before you were born.