The Reverend Emily Melcher, preaching

What difference has UUCWI made in your sense of community, of interconnectedness, of covenantal relationships, of connection and caring?

 

The Reverend Emily Melcher with Becky Myrick and Eileen Soskin

As we welcome new members into our congregation, we consider the meaning of membership and covenant, and what it means to continually widen our circle(s) of belonging.

The Wonder of Christmas … 4 pm

“Let there be a season when holiness is heard, and the splendor of living is revealed. Stunned to stillness by beauty we remember who we are and why we are here.” ~ Rebecca Parker

Such is Christmas Eve. Please join us at 4pm for a traditional service of carols, stories and reflection, candle lighting and love. We will rejoice in the blessings and gifts of this season that have been celebrated in the northern hemisphere since the beginning of time.

Worship Leader: Terra Anderson

Quaker activist, master teacher and author Parker Palmer wrote “Self is a moving intersection of many other selves. We are formed by the lives which intersect with ours.” As All Saint’s Day approaches, we remember those who live in and through us, and reflect on how their values and choices are our enduring companions and guides.

Worship Leader: Jane Hayes

There are times in every life, and in the life of every congregation, when we do best to surrender our illusions of control, release our striving, and fall into the embrace of love, where faith is born, and a new sense of self can gestate.

Worship Leader: Andrea Fink
Music: The UUCWI Chalice Choir

You may have heard it said that “regret is a useless emotion.” On the contrary, I believe that regret is a natural human emotion that plays a vital role in reconciling us internally, with one another, and with the Spirit of Life and Love. The Jewish Days of Awe, also called the Days of Repentance, invite us to consider where we have missed the mark in our own lives and relationships. If we allow ourselves to experience our regret, it may become a catalyst for healing.

with The Reverend Emily Melcher
Worship Leader: Rick Weiss
Special Musician: David Edwards

We tend to enter into relationships (whether friendships, marriages, or shared ministries) with a mixture of hope and trepidation. It’s natural to put our best foot forward at the outset, even as we seek the best in one another. Still, we know there’s another foot, and in the end, we’re all perfectly imperfect human beings. The hope lies in the perfect relationship, which is to say in the relationship that nurtures, sustains, and challenges us, furthering our growth in ways both desired and unanticipated. Today, as we take the final step in discerning whether we would like Rev. Melcher to be our next minister, she will share what she has seen in us, and explore the hopes and trepidation she brings to our shared ministry.

The Ministerial Search Committee:
Becky Myrick, Dave Cauffman, Denise McIntyre-Workman, Eileen Soskin, Sara Heath, Suzi Pengilly, Tom Buxton