The Wheel of the Year turns. The light and warmth of Summer have passed, and we now enter together in the darkest part of the year. Many of us feel the pull to gather with family and friends around the hearth fire, and to turn our focus inward. Come explore what gifts this time of sacred darkness has to offer.
When we face tragedy or even difficult moments our instincts tell us to become protective of ourselves and our family, keeping others out and yet our history shows us that those who survive with strength and determination are those that are open to receiving the love and support from their community. We will explore connection as the path through challenges.
Together we will delve into faith as an aspect of consciousness and reflect on how we can help ourselves, and each other, along the path of transformation. Julia will draw from many spiritual, physical and metaphysical traditions to lead us in an exploration of transformation within an intentional community. This will include a look at beliefs, ideas, motivations, as well as some practical tools to help us along the way. Hoping to have a part two of this service in the spring to continue this work and discussion, so there may be homework?!
Catherine Stevens and Gaye Symington will be co-leading a This I Believe/ This I Wonder service on October 12th, beginning at 9:30am. Both Catherine and Gaye are members of MMUUF and approach theTIB/TIW service to as a way to explore an aspect of their spiritual journeys and invite reflections from the fellowship. They both live in Jericho.
Catherine plans to focus on Love as the center of the shared values of Unitarian Universalists as well as wondering about the many uses of the word, and sometimes the difficulty of loving. Gaye plans to reflect on the UU emphasis on seeking truth. Having been raised attending a church with a shared creed where congregants expressed their beliefs in unison, she now is more comfortable in a faith tradition that values the journey of learning and reflecting together, honoring different beliefs within a shared framework of values.
During times of uncertainty, how do we propel ourselves forward? Mary Beth will offer a personal take on what it takes to feel empowered enough to take your first step into the unknown.
Mary Beth McNulty (she/her) is a member, worship associate, religious education teacher for middle schoolers at the First Unitarian Society of Burlington. She is an educator, playwright, and enthusiastic napper. Originally from rural Virginia, she now lives with her family in Burlington.
The annual “Gathering of the Waters” at the MMUUF Barn on September 14 is the first service of the season, and one where we bring actual or virtual water from a special/favorite spot we visited over the summer. The service is also an opportunity for attendees to share what they had hoped to do since our last service in June, and if they were able to complete their hopes or if they did other things instead.
Join the Sunday Service Committee for a service of reflection, gratitude, and celebration of our fellowship year. And in what has become our end of year tradition, come prepared to write on a card what you hope to do/see and/or where you hope to go over the summer, to be saved in the Barn until our opening service in September.
The Cares and Concerns Committee of MMUUF will be hosting a memorial service honoring our beloved dead. Members and guests will have an opportunity to remember a beloved one no longer with us. This could be a person, or dog or cat, or any creature that caused your heart to swell with grief. Folks are asked to bring some items for our beloved dead altar, even if they aren’t speaking. But we would love to have people, members or guests, share a brief memory or a few words about whoever you are honoring. Children may also share before they leave for RE classes. It will be received with respect and love.
Join us to joyously celebrate Beltane, an ancient Celtic trading that brings community together to welcome the greening of the Earth back after the cold of winter. We will do a little drum trance to remember the ancient ways. If we are lucky we will once again dance the Maypole.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” are the first words of Jesus in the first section of teaching in the first book of the New Testament. Guest speaker Rev. Austin Hornyak will present this week’s service and share his thoughts on what these words tell us about the nature of spiritual life.
Rev. Austin Hornyak joins us from Shelburne, Vermont. He attended Duke Divinity School and has served United Methodist congregations in North Carolina and his native western Pennsylvania. For the past ten years, he has worked at Howard Center in Burlington as a social worker supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. Rev. Hornyak enjoys spending time with his partner Yasamin and her daughter, hiking, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and spoiling his cat, Quinn.
