UUCCI

On this Easter Sunday, we explore the poetic wisdom found across different religions. For most Unitarian Universalists, the symbolism of Easter is about new life and goodness overcoming death and systems of oppression. Easter, like spring and other holidays this time of year, invite a poetic mind and appreciation for our shared humanity that seeks the good and right in all we do.

Reflections on life and death are at the heart of the human experience across religious traditions. But what about the space between the two? Joy and happiness are not assured to any of us in life and many peoples in this country and abroad suffer tremendously throughout life. Rev. Nic will offer his thoughts on the reality of suffering as it pertains to our lives, our interfaith work, and how we think about the vast space between life and death.

0:06 Opening Words

You can find the written service on Substack!

What is good? Moral? What actions should I take in this situation or that? Is there a universal good or a handbook on ethics? While every religion has teachings on what is ethical, as Unitarian Universalists, we recognize that not one religion holds ultimate truth whether about God or about ways of living moral lives. Rev. Nic Cable will explore how learning from and with people from diverse religious backgrounds will enhance our ability to put love at the center of all we do.

We begin this Sunday with the first of a series of services around the theme of "Becoming Bridge Builders." Rev. Nic Cable will offer reflections on the many ways various world religions define God, Gods, Goddess, and Spirit. He will reflect on the limitations of language to express the mystery and wonder billions of people across time and place have had regarding divinity and the power of metaphor to enlighten our pathways.

Like the chicken and the egg, we might wonder what came first sexuality or spirituality? Often seen as oil and water, a conversation has been unfolding for millennia between these two forces of the human experience. Rev. Nic will bring the new into conversation to consider how we might exorcise our aversion to either or both in our individual and shared lives. Doing so, may bring new understanding, value, and gratitude for these companions on our journeys through life.

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the topic of bodily autonomy is

Music represents and impacts so many facets of human existence. From history, culture, and religion, to identity, struggle, and social justice movements, music and its unique vibrations across time and culture holds the key to our interdependence and liberatory future. Rev. Nic concludes his three part series on how the artistic mediums of film, literature, and music with a focus on how music may bring us back to one another in the end.

Alfred North Whitehead believed "It is in literature that the concrete outlook of humanity receives its expression." In turning toward the world of writing and reading, we discover an important question: 1) how does literature relate to our ability to communicate and imagine across time and place? Rev. Nic will explore the power literature can play in our lives and our emerging future.

For the next few weeks, we will explore various mediums of art and the impact they have on our sense of self, place, and purpose, and our relationships to others and the world. We begin with a dive into the world of film with an inclusion of TV/Streaming services which have blurred the line between the industries. Rev. Nic will consider how film can shape our values, our understanding of the world, and the character in which we hope to live.

Throughout the last several decades, our congregation has been committed to the social justice concerns of our wider community and world. We have focused on different issues and initiatives, as well as cultivated different partnerships to meet the demands of the day. Led by members of the UU Courageous Action Network, this service will articulate some of our past commitments and those opportunities emerging in 2024.