Monuments and Memorials in Our Own Front Yard
Diamond Park is a gem in downtown Meadville. We will take a walking tour of the park highlighting it’s history, development, monuments and memorials on the eve of Memorial Day.
Services
Nurturing
What is nurturing? How are we nurtured? How do others nurture us? How do we nurture others? How do we nurture ourselves? An exploration. LISTEN:
Trusting Strangers, Trusting Ourselves
Who we trust has changed over the years. When we lived in small communities, we trusted our immediate neighbors. We shopped on credit and bartered for goods and services. Now we put our trust in complete strangers we meet online. How can we take this blind trust and apply it to our relationships? How can … Continued
Creating Space
This morning, we will reflect on creating space to allow opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. LISTEN:
The Courage of our Foremothers: Judith Sargent Murray and Julia Ward Howe
In honor of Women’s History Month, we will celebrate the lives of two of the women in the history of our Unitarian Universalist movement who, through their courage and determination, advanced the cause of educational and social equality for all women in America.
Emotionality and Spirituality
Someone recently said to me, “Don’t make the mistake of confusing emotionality with spirituality.” That got me thinking. Do emotional experiences support spiritual depth? Do they distract from it? What is the role of feelings on the spiritual path? We’ll explore these questions through stories and music, with the choir and special musical guests.
A Recipe for Compassion
Recipes have cultural and historical roots. Each ingredient plays its own special part in infusing the dish with flavor. Many believe that even the mood of the cook can alter the outcome of the cooking. Let’s consider the ways in which food — for the stomach and the soul — can nourish us and help … Continued
How did we get here? An incomplete story on how humanism became part of UU.
An important questions to ask about Unitarian Universalism is how we moved from our start as people asserting that there is one rather than three manifestations of a Christian divinity to the celebration of theological diversity that UU is today. Rev. Bob LaVallee will offer an abbreviated version of that history with some observations about … Continued
“The Sound of Hope”
In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word “hope” and according to the biblical usage, hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope” in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.” My talk will include stories of survivors of violence, the work we do at Women’s Services, and the role “hope” … Continued
Showing Mercy When it’s Us vs. Them
Our first principle is the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This can be a hard principle to remember when faced with people who spew hatred and vitriol. In our current political climate, where things seem more divided than ever how can we show mercy and compassion towards people who believe the opposite of … Continued