Archives: Services

Stepping into the Unknown

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.

Gathering of the Waters

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.

Final Service – Looking Back and Looking Forward

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.

Memorial Service

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.

Beltane

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.

The Nature of Spiritual Life

“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.

Poetry Service: Personal Faith and Spirituality in Hard Times

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For the past 2 years, MMUUF has held annual poetry services focused on bringing our community closer together. As we share poems that are meaningful to us, we learn more about each other. As we co-create community poems in the moment, we weave our stories together. In this year’s service, we’ll focus on the ability of poets to capture our fears and help us find our strength through faith and spirituality in difficult times. In this interactive service, fellowship members will share poems relevant to this theme. Our choir will share reflections on spirituality through song. And if time allows, we may even write a poem together. All are welcome.

Danielle Thierry is a member of MMUUF, where she’s active in the choir, religious education, and cares and concerns committee. Danielle is a lifelong writer and musician who often finds strength in words and music in hard times. She currently focuses much of her writing work on helping to make federal government benefit programs more accessible through clear language and people-centered design. She previously served as the community organizer and executive director of the Burlington Writers Workshop, co-founded Vermont’s community-led literary journal Mud Season Review, and has taught writing in community college, workshops, and other settings. 

Ann Bonanno is a member of MMUUF, and has chaired the Sunday Service Committee for the past decade or so. Ann’s spirituality is based in the natural world and the connections between all living things, and she can often be found in the woods talking to the trees and any other being that catches her eye. Ann spends some time each day grateful for her community and the beautiful state of Vermont.

A Tribute to the Celebration of Holi

While the holiday is Hindu in origin, Indian people in all regions of the country and of many faiths enjoy it together, so it fits well with our UU spirit of inclusiveness. This service will be intergenerational, so no RE classes will be held. Rather than merely delving into the holiday intellectually, we will practice its customs together. Weather permitting, we’ll begin with a Holika Dahan bonfire, continue with an indoor portion of music and dance (yes!) and end with the traditional throwing of gulal, or colored powder. IMPORTANT: If you would like to participate in the color throwing, please wear old clothes or, even better, a white tee shirt that will show off the colors. Celebrators of Holi typically wear white. (You can buy white tees at Michael’s or JoAnn’s for a couple of bucks; I have a few for people who forget or don’t receive this message in advance.) The powder generally washes out, but please don’t wear silks or fabrics that can’t be washed.

Beth Esmond has been a member of MMUUF for more than 25 years. She and her husband own a communications firm and live in Jericho with their very tiny dog. Beth previously led a Holi service about 10 years ago with Friederike Keating and both of their daughters, Josie and Katerina, who were celebrating their Coming of Age that year.

Finding Calm in the Midst of Chaos

Most everyone is feeling unsettled these days. What can be done to not be swept away in the mania? Mary Kintner will explore ways to keep your balance.

Mary Kintner has an undergraduate degree in social welfare and nursing, and is a doctor of Chiropractic. She has been meditating and teaching yoga since the 1970s. Mary is coasting into retirement but still doing chiropractic, massage, teaching yoga and educating people about diet and nutrition. She loves to be outdoors and lives with her polydactyl cat, Polly.

What exactly happened to the UUA Principles and what do the new Values mean for our Fellowship?

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A year ago, the UUA approved changes to Article II of the UUA bylaws including the creation of new Values in place of the Principles. Confused? Come to the service to learn more about the changes and join us in a discussion about our individual thoughts about the Values and how our Fellowship might incorporate them.

Catherine Stevens lives in Jericho with her husband and their two dogs. She recently retired as a resource development director for non-profits and is looking for an opportunity to continue helping on a project basis. She and her husband like to travel, to learn about other cultures and history. Closer to home, she travels to Mills Riverside Park almost daily to enjoy nature with her dogs. Catherine is a member of the MMUUF and has served on the Sunday Service Committee for 15ish years.

Kristen Hayden-West is a member of the Mt. Mansfield Unitarian Fellowship where she serves on the Membership and Sunday Service committees. Beyond her work as a Curriculum Designer for the State of Vermont, and her side hustle flipping thrifted items on eBay, she enjoys being active outside and getting together with friends and her two adult children.