This Sunday is a culmination of our year-long exploring and celebrating Hope Unitarian Church’s 50 years. The church charter was signed by 53 pioneers. We celebrate with song, stories, pictures and food.
This time of year is the intersection of the autumn equinox, harvest festivals, and the Jewish tradition of Sukkot. These celebrations honor Beloved Community while strengthening the resolve and commitment of individuals. We explore this paradox of community.
As we continue exploring Hope’s history decade by decade in this 50th year of the church’s life, we look at the new millennium. In the early 2000s the church was active in music, city life, and honoring all who passed. The church was busy building Beloved Community.
With a wonderful mix of music and ritual, we will gather together as a community to celebrate our ingathering for a new church year. We pour together waters from home and from afar in our annual water communion ceremony. You are invited to bring any water you have. During the service we pour all or part of the water you’ve brought. As always, we will have “proxy water” on hand.
Our Unitarian Universalist tradition recognizes six major sources of spiritual wisdom. We explore this sixth and final source in the ethical and spiritual wisdom of the world’s religions. It is a challenge to do justice to this expansive acceptance of the major religious traditions. How do we sort through the contradictions? Are there any ideas we cannot accept?
Wonder and curiosity are at the core of scientific discoveries and expanding our understanding of the cosmos. We will explore the use of reason and the discoveries of science along with the sense of wonder we all share.
In the harmony of nature and the sacred circle of life we are
located in an essential Garden of Eden, we explore the lessons
of nature, both in her beauty as well as in decay.
Ecclesiastes, one of a series of ancient wisdom texts in the Hebrew Bible, gives voice to the contradictions of life. reportedly, the musings by a King of Jerusalem, he relates his experiences and draws lessons from them. often self-critical. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die.;” What is wisdom and is it only found through the passage of time?
