Reflections on the words and deeds of two fascinating, complicated, and influential women: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and May Sarton. Cady Stanton was the radical voice of the 19th century feminist movement; Sarton, 20th century author of 53 books including memoir, journals, novels, and poetry, has been called “Our Poet” by the UUA.
Our annual Independence Day service explores the words and writings that helped make our country what they mean for today.
What do we gain from taking a risk? Whether the outcomes of a risk go as we planned, go differently than planned, or any combinations between, there are always lessons that can be gained when we take risks. Join with us as we reflect on lessons we gained from risks taken.
Nature inspires theists and non-theists, mystics and poets, humanists and ecologists. Come celebrate Earth Day with us as we explore some words and reflections from those who adore Nature.
What might happen if we embraced paradoxes? Are there times when it would be of benefit to us to abandon thinking in binaries and instead sit in paradox?
Our culture’s concept of love emphasizes romantic love. The ancient Greeks had six words for different forms of love. How might an understanding of their diverse forms of emotional attachment impact the way we live?
The “condensed books” version of how and why I became a UU is fairly straightforward. The reality is more complicated. Come reflect with me as I weave together several voices that nourished my jagged journey to this place. I expect similar voices have nourished many of our journeys as well. Our support for a “free and responsible search for truth and meaning” and “encouragement to spiritual growth” provides an excellent setting in which each of us can create a spirituality that is our own and that responds to who we are as growing, changing human beings. Trigger warning: My spiritual journey has been shaped in part by my childhood experiences of abuse. I will mention this, although not in detail, in the sermon.
The New Year is a time in our calendar when we think circularly – connecting our past year, to the present moment, to the future year about to unfold. What are the benefits of thinking circularly? How might we use circular time more often in our lives? Together we’ll think “outside of the box,” composed of straight lines, and instead think inside the circle.
Are our hands and hearts as open as they could be to the gifts of the universe? Or are they closed and shutting down opportunities and paths of relationship? Together we will explore some symbols and techniques for increasing our openness and maximizing our receptivity to what the universe has to offer us.
“As Unitarian Universalists, we embrace the reproductive justice framework, which espouses the human right to have children, not to have children, to parent the children one has in healthy environments and to safeguard bodily autonomy and to express one's sexuality freely. Reproductive justice bridges the gap between reproductive rights and other social justice movements.” Come hear the stories and motivation to action from two leaders of the Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice. (quote from UUA Statement of Conscience 2015)
