FEBRUARY 2012 All services begin at 11 a.m. FEBRUARY 19, 2012 Intergenerational Service “Caring” By Rev. Katie Norris and Bethany Ward, DRE Come explore this months pillar of character, caring. Join us after the service for our Potluck With Purpose, our intergenerational religious education session further exploring the pillar of caring. Please bring a dish to share. FEBRUARY 26, 2012 The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Bullies Speaker: Katrina M. Walker A service about appreciating that even experiences with those who were not kind to us or made us feel bullied can sometimes lead you in great places and to a new understanding of what it really means to accept all people. PAST SERVICES: JANUARY 8, 2012 Intergenerational Service “To Be Fair” By Rev. Katie Norris and Bethany Ward, DRE Come explore this months pillar of character, fairness. What does it mean to be fair? Is it possible to be fair in all things? How do we balance our own needs with the needs of others and still remain fair in life? Join us after the service for our Potluck With Purpose, our intergenerational religious education session further exploring the pillar of fairness. Please bring a dish to share. JANUARY 15, 2012 The Spirit and Social change Speaker: Aidan McCormack During this month we rightly turn to how to make a difference in our nation and our world when it comes to issues of racial equality and oppression. We hear a lot about how to act outwardly, but what about inwardly? How to we prepare our inward selves to act justly in the world? And what might this look like as Unitarian Universalists? JANUARY 22 The Power of Gestures Speaker: Emily Fuller Williams We will look at the qualities of some of the animals in our metroparks: great blue heron, chickadee, skunk. We can nurture these same qualities in ourselves (patience, cheerfulness, self-confidence) by practicing ancient symbolic gestures called mudras. Mudras are often called yoga for your hands. Emily has been a massage therapist for over thirty years. She has been teaching mudras to clients, friends, parents, and random people on airplanes for close to ten years. Her book, “Mudras: Ancient Gestures to Ease Modern Stress,” published by Parenting Press, explores how we can use these powerful tools. JANUARY 29 Breaking the Silence Speaker: Rev. Katie Norris One in five people will suffer from mental illness sometime throughout their life. However, mental illness is rarely spoken of in our society and it is still one of the illnesses with the most stigma attached to it. How can we break the silence, end the stigma, and understand mental illness better in order to help support each other? Speaker: Tom Beck Some people think that the philosophies of Jesus have very little relevance in modern Unitarian Universalism. Others are uncomfortable with the interpretation of Jesus and his deeds as represented in fundamental Christian doctrine. The subject of Jesus is hard to ignore as we enter the Christmas season. Speaker Tom Beck will explore the viewpoint that the examples presented through the life of Jesus have something of relevance to say to modern Unitarian Universalists. Tom Beck is a popular speaker with the Guest in Your Pulpit program, and has been invited to speak at OUUC several times over the past few years. He is a member of the Kent UU Church, and teaches speech at the University of Akron. DECEMBER 11: TBA DECEMBER 18TH – MUSIC FOR THE SOUL Presented by Erin, Wes, Lucy and Mike Carney Music has long been celebrated as a universal language that crosses the boundaries of language and culture. We also know through experience that music means so much more than a communication tool. Even great ancient philosophers such as Plato understood music as an absolute necessity when he said “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” Join Erin, Wes, Lucy and Mike Carney for a deeper look into the world of music as they discuss (and sing and play) music that touches the spirit as well as the mind. SATURDAY DECEMBER 24: CHRISTMAS PRESENCE Rev. Katie Norris and Bethany Ward, DRE. Intergenerational Worship To keep the true spirit of Christmas alive each season, we must remain open and present. Join us in creating space for this very notion through ritual, light, and community. DECEMBER 25: CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS SPIRIT, REV. KATIE NORRIS Join us for Christmas Day worship filled withmusic and story that focuses on the spirit ofChristmas. This is an intergenerational service and there is no childcare during the service. JANUARY 1, 2012: AS I SEE IT Speaker/Moderator: Norma Bishop Greet the new year with a consideration of the events that shape our lives. What are the news stories and events of the year 2011 that have given you joy or concern about our world? Norma Bishop will continue a popular OUUC tradition: an end of year discussion of the trends and events which have been especially meaningful to you and others. Please bring your own examples to add to the discussion. SPEAKERS: Rev. Katie Norris and Bethany Ward, DRE. Intergenerational Worship Join us as we look at the monthly theme of responsibility through the lens of Unitarian Universalism. Why does the word responsible appear in our fourth principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning? How are we acting religiously and responsibly when we stand on the side of love? Bring a dish to share and join us after the service for our intergenerational religious education time, Potluck with Purpose. NOV. 27: TBD Speaker: Deb Chaney Deb Chaney is an active member of UU Congregation of Greater Canton for the past 10 years where she serves as their Commissioned Lay Leader. She has also served as a Youth Religious Education teacher, Adult Religious Education faciliator, chair of the Worshiop Team and other activities. She is a licensed Social Worker with over 25 years experience working with children and families. Speaker: John Gardner What does it truly mean to “make someone’s day”? Is this something we can resolve to do in the lives of others? Some thoughts on the wellsprings of “random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” OCTOBER 9: DREAM SABBATH Guest Speaker TBA. Moderated by Marianna Carney. The UUA Standing on the Side of Love campaign has asked UU churches to participate in the DREAM Sabbath, an initiative enlisting churches, synagogues, and mosques around the country to dedicate time during their regular weekly worship service to a conversation about the DREAM Act. Today we will be taking part in this important conversation as we become more aware throughout the year of immigration rights and issues in our country, leading up to our Justice General Assembly in Phoenix Arizona June 2012. OCTOBER 16: RESPECT – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US? Intergenerational Service offered by Rev. Katie Norris and Bethany Ward, DRE Our focus pillar for some of our worship services and religious education this month is respect. Respect is part of our first principle of Unitarian Universalism and we talk about it all the time. But what are some of the difficulties of respect when it comes to daily living? What does respect mean to us as Unitarian Universalists? This service will be followed by our intergenerational religious education program, Potlucks With Purpose. Please bring a dish to share and stay after the service for discussion, creativity and action around the pillar or respect. OCTOBER 23: “UNKNOWN VISIONS OF LOVE:” Speaker: Rev. Colin Bossen This sermon explores theological universalism outside of the Unitarian Universalist movement. Rev. Colin Bossen is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Cleveland. OCTOBER 30: THE TRUTH BEHIND HALLOWEEN Speaker: Rev. Katie Norris Halloween is filled with tricks, treat, and parties, but there is a religious tradition behind Halloween. We will discover the truth behind Halloween and how it can still honor the meaning of this fun holiday today. Dr. Farid Sabet The Baha’i faith is one that has many similarities to Unitarian Universalism. We will learn about Baha’i faith, what they believe, what are the historical connections between Baha’i and Unitarian Universalism, and some of the current issues facing Baha’is today. Religious Education: First day of classes Religious Education: Children and Youth in classrooms Intergenerational Worship: Rev. Katie Norris & Bethany Ward, DRE To kick off the start of the church year, we will explore community through the story of Noah and the Ark. What must it have been like for all of those people and animals on the ark? How did so many creatures with so many differences figure out how to get along? This is also our annual water communion, so please bring a bit of water from a special place or which represents something special to you. We will gather these waters together and express our wishes for our church community. After Worship: North Olmsted Homedays Parade, 1:00: Join us as we march in the annual North Olmsted Homedays Parade. SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 – “REFLECTIONS ON LABOR DAY” Rev. Katie Norris We will explore some of the current issues around labor in our country and reflect on a Unitarian Universalist response to those issues. Potluck Lunch following the service: Please bring a dish to share Family Promise (formerly IHN) training at 12:30 p.m. |