Minister: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails  Lay leader: Lisa Sporleder  Music: Vera Alexander

Imagine what our faith would look like if we upheld and centered the history, the perspectives, the voices, and the leadership of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalists. What would become possible? What new doors would open to us if we became the truly inclusive faith we dream of being? This service will include a special collection for the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) as part of our commitment to nurture a radically inclusive, justice centered, multiracial and multigenerational religious faith!

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

“It is a powerful lie to equate thinness with self-worth.”  —Roxane Gay

Too fat. Too loud. Too thin. Not quite the right height. Not the right kind of able. Hair too frizzy, short, plentiful, or long … the messages we receive from society about the supposed inadequacies of our bodies are endless. Let’s envision what it would mean to embody radical self-love.  In dialogue with the writing of Roxane Gay, author of “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body,” Rev. Leslie will explore a Unitarian Universalist theology of body positivity.

Speaker: Jana Peirce Lay leader: Lisa Sporleder Music: Laurel Holmes

Do you have a checkered past with New Year’s Resolutions? According to statistics, 80% of the those who make resolutions have broken them or can’t remember what they were by Valentine’s Day. Buddhism can help. It offers us a way to remember what is truly important to us, without stepping onto the roller coaster of good intentions, disappointment and defeat.

Participants: Rev. Leslie, Molly Lemen, and the UUFF Players Music: Vera Alexander

Let’s celebrate Christmas with a joyful, impromptu pageant for all ages! Together well sing, laugh, and relive a story of hope and promise.

Coordinator: Jana Peirce  Various participants  Music: Vera Alexander

Drawing on both Native American myth and pagan ritual, this non-traditional service begins in darkness with drumming and chanting and ends with the returning of the light as we weave together music and story to call down the sun. This is an intergenerational program, meaning that children of all ages are invited to stay for the entire service, which has been designed to appeal to all ages. Please join us as we get ready to mark passing of the winter solstice not intellectually or stoically, but joyously and experientially.

Speaker: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails Lay Leader: Eric Muehling

The wisdom stories we tell during the holiday season speak to humanity’s millenia-long yearning for a world of peace and justice. What light can the ancient peoples who crafted the Torah and New Testament shed upon our present moment?

Speaker: Mike West  Lay Leader: Rev. Leslie Ahuvah Fails

Compared to the major faith traditions of the world, the number of Unitarian Universalists is tiny. And yet our core beliefs, expressed through seven simple principles, are as inclusive as can be. How is it that a tradition with such broad aspirations can attract such a modest (if fiercely loyal) group of adherents? Should this be discouraging or is there a way to be empowered by our comparatively small numbers? What is our role in a world dominated by far larger religions? In this talk we will explore these questions and look to science for some parallels.

Speaker: Eric Muehling Lay Leader: Laurie Walton Music: Marsha Sousa

We are not educated about racism in schools or mainstream culture. It can be difficult to acknowledge the privilege that comes with having been born a white American, so we may have a limited understanding of racism. Let’s explore white privilege more deeply.

Speaker: Lisa Sporleder  Lay Leader: Laurel Holmes Music: Marsha Sousa

Ministry is a loaded term for many UUs, especially when used outside the context of an ordained minister. Learn one person’s guidelines for what ministry truly is, and how her gifts align (or not!) with that reckoning

Speaker: Laura Volmert Lay Leader: Hayden Nevill Music: Vera Alexander

Humans seek transcendent experiences in many ways, whether through religion, drugs, meditation, or a variety of other methods. This Sunday, we explore this longing for the transcendent, and the many ways it can appear in our lives.