“Generosity on an Interdependent Web” Justin M. McCreary
     We oversimplify the practice of generosity, by focusing most often on the practice of giving, which is important. However, what we then leave out is the importance of receiving gifts. It is easy in a culture that idealizes the myth of the Self-made Man, to forget that giving and receiving are both part of the same practice. We cannot teach our children that giving is a positive value while repudiating the one who receives. Brene Brown puts it this way in her book The Gifts of Imperfection, “When we attach judgement to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgement to giving help.” It is important that we teach our children to be generous, but it is just as important to model the other side and learn to graciously receive help, regardless of how self-made we feel. 

 Samhain is a holiday that many of us know about, but by another name Halloween. Children of many different Faiths love to dress up in costumes and collect candy. Adults also like to dress up. There is more to Halloween than just Costumes and Candy. Come with us on an Adventure to the Shining Isle between the Worlds! 

 October 22nd, 2023, 11:00 AM “Our Prophetic Heritage of Peace” by Rev. Gary McAlpin
While war continues to rage in many parts of the world, our UU faith guides us to be the prophetic voice of reason and peaceful resistance. With Israel declaring war on Hamas and the continued invasion of Ukraine, we must stand firm in our faithful allegiance to peace. Our heritage speaks to this resistance in our lives and in our examples as a faithful people, to stand up in the face of oppression and terror.
SUNDAY SERVICES STREAMED EACH WEEK:
 https://zoom.us/j/95346408780?pwd=UkpSOVEyQUdaYjNmL1o0TTloSGFDQT09 

 As I close out my sermons on Heritage this month, I want to take some time, not just to explore the gifts but what also seems like the curses of heritage. Heritage gives us the opportunity to draw from the power of our ancestors and our identity, but turned inward, it becomes an excuse for the destructive tribalism behind racism, sexism, and anti-LGBTQ sentiments. This Sunday I’d like to reflect on the world around us when heritage hurts…
SUNDAY SERVICES STREAMED EACH WEEK:
 https://zoom.us/j/95346408780?pwd=UkpSOVEyQUdaYjNmL1o0TTloSGFDQT09

Last week we explored our human heritage as we took a walk down our genetic memory lane. This week, we will reduce that circle and spend some time with our Unitarian Universalist Heritage.

Livestream each Sunday   https://zoom.us/j/95346408780?pwd=UkpSOVEyQUdaYjNmL1o0TTloSGFDQT09

 October 1st, 2023, 11:00 AM “The March of a Common Heritage,”
 by Rev. Justin McCreary 
  What is your heritage? When you think of it, what do you think of family, culture, or religion? It is important when we reflect on our heritage to feel pride, but to also understand the inherent biases. Heritage is a double-edged sword, it can bring people together or build walls, because heritage is not just something we have, but it is something we build. Before we build though, we must understand the common foundations written in DNA. 

 September 24th, 2023, 11:00 AM “Living on the Edge: being Prophetic in a World of Injustice,” by Rev. Gary McAlpin 
     Central to our Unitarian Universalist faith is living in a prophetic way, not necessarily as seers, but of being a light pointing the way in darkness, showing the injustices and needs of our world. Being a prophet can be lonely and dangerous because it requires us to live on the edge of existence looking in, but our calling is nonetheless clear, to be a prophet, a voice and action of change, bringing that justice to those who need it most, while also sometimes being scorned by the establishment. What ways can we live out our calling to be a prophetic voice to our world? Let’s explore this together. 

 *Radical is a term that gets thrown around a lot lately. When I was a kid the term Radical meant something different. Radical had become a term that had synonyms like, awesome, fly, or dope. Which are generally considered affirmations of positivity in relationship to something, for example: That blouse is radical. But I am aware of the original meaning of this term, which involves revolutionary change. This Sunday I’d like to explore the cross section of being welcoming and a radical 

 The church is important and because it is important it is dangerous. When confronted with the vastness of the mind and the brutality of life, the church offers a safe place to explore who we are, and what we want to become. Not just the part of us that is seen but unseen, thusly we are confronted with the danger of church. For many the church becomes a place that lulls people into false security with easy answers, and when this happens the church can do more harm than almost any other organization. For this reason, it is important for us to not just know who we are but take seriously the task of creating a space that is truly safe. This service will be streamed live via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/95346408780?pwd=UkpSOVEyQUdaYjNmL1o0TTloSGFDQT09 (Webinar ID: 953 4640 8780