Our lives are permeated with issues regarding fairness. If one child gets a strawberry cone and the other gets vanilla, is that fair? How do we decide who gets what? If the issue is immigration or taxes, what is fair? Following the service we will meet in Fellowship Hall to select our social outreach projects for the year.

As we begin a new church year and see our world full of strife and our nation with a deep cultural divide, can we discern what kind of direction would be helpful for humanity? Can our religious path offer such a direction? Let's explore that possibility.

The stories we know and are comfortable with become who we are. How can we become a more diverse denomination capable of working good in this world if we don't know the story?

Today I will offer some reflections on the last twenty years. What are some of the events that stand out and define us as a community? What do we have to celebrate? What might the future look like?

In theology the problem of evil is considered one of the most difficult things to explain. What do we mean by evil and where does it come from? Maybe it has to do with the dinosaurs. Today we will hear from several graduating high school seniors who have grown up in our church. Special Music: Eli Hosbrough; Alex, Cindy, and Courtney Silver.

Today we welcome new members into our church. Each new member will bring new gifts into our common life, gifts that will enrich our community. We also celebrate the union of the Unitarians and the Universalists that took place 50 years ago this month. Main Street, USA, a great vocal quartet led by our own Jinny Gunnar, will share special music.

Last week Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed had some inspiring remarks about the message of Universalism and its timeliness in our ever-challenging world. Today we offer several ways this timeless message can be framed; ways that fit a variety of theological stances. Which will you take—door number one, number two, or number three?

Early in the 19th century Universalism swept across our young nation finding a popularity it never again achieved. It proclaimed a truly radical message. Is it time for us to return to the message that God’s love brooks no resistance that Universalism re-articulated for the 21st century? The choir will sing Annie Laurie. Our guest is a Meadville/Lombard faculty member and keynote speaker at our district assembly. He preached his first sermon outside of seminary in our church many years ago. Let us welcome him back to Peoria.

Universalism is on the move in the 21st century. It’s the cover story in this week’s Time magazine. What do these new Universalists tell us about what’s happening in our world? Amid a lot of chaos, a hopeful twist on an old message is changing religion in America. Special Music: Jay Parker will sing and Marcia Henry Liebenow, Concertmaster of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra will play violin.

Tolerance is a word we use in a positive way, but are there limits to tolerance? How can one honor the spirit of tolerance and yet respond in healthful ways to those who are not tolerant? Where is the balance point between tolerance and foolishness?