November 2024

31 Oct November 2024

Posted at 11:29h in Upcoming Events by

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary

Services are live streamed on the CHANNING YOU TUBE CHANNEL and available for viewing afterwards.

Sunday, November 3: Considering Civic Responsibility

Rev. Bill Zelazny

One of the things in which we UU believe is the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in the larger society.  In fact, that conviction was included in our former Statement of Principles and Purpose.  But, Bill asks what more is there to UU civic responsibility?  On this election eve he will help us think about civic responsibility from a UU perspective.  What might that mean for us as citizens holding on to a Unitarian Universalist religious perspective?  Is there a spiritual side to civic responsibility?

Our music guest this Sunday will be Jim Egan who, along with our Music Director, Jan Navarro, will bring us some songs, and maybe even a dance, that can perhaps counter the tensions we may be feeling as election day draws near. 

Sunday, November 10: Channeling Dr. Strangelove

Margaret Polski

Every once in a while, someone asks me how I can be a Unitarian and a war gamer. Yet Unitarian Universalist tradition has embraced advocates for the use of military power in international disputes, proponents of just war theory, pacifists, and those who hold a variety of positions in between. In this Veteran’s Day weekend service, I will answer those folks who wonder how I reconcile faith and war gaming.

Margaret Polski is a member of the Channing Board of Trustees, the Worship Committee, and a faculty member in the War Gaming Department at the U.S. Naval War College where she works with senior military leadership to understand and confront current and future U.S. national security threats.

 Sunday, November 17: Mending Personal Fences

Rev. Bill Zelazny

In the fall, farmers will use the days to mend fences around their property that have broken. In many religious traditions, fall is also seen as a time for mending emotional and spiritual fences with both the living and the dead.  With the upcoming holidays that are culturally focused on bringing people together about to begin, Bill thinks it may be a good time to reflect on mending and repairing relationships that have been broken or damaged. 

 Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is observed in the USA on November 20.  As we have done for the past several years, members and friends of Channing Church will lead us in a time of remembrance during service to honor transgender and nonbinary people who have been murdered in the United States due to anti-transgender violence. 

An expanded service of remembrance will be held at 11:30 in the Sanctuary lead by members of Channing Church and will include a performance by Quorus and a reading of the names of individuals who were murdered around the world by transgender violence.

Sunday, November 24: Thankfulness In Spite of it All

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The national and international news is depressing.  Our national conversations seem to be more full of anger and hatred than in the past, coming out of overheated political posturing and commentary. And, of course, many of us have had difficult things happen in our lives this past year. But, as difficult as it may be, the Rev. Janet Parsons from the Gloucester UU Church reminds us in an essay that we cannot wait until all is well to say “thank you.”  Come to think of it, choosing to say “thank you” may be considered an act of defiance.  Let’s think about this with Bill on this Sunday before Thanksgiving. 

 Share the Plate: The 4th Sunday of the month is “Share the Plate Sunday” when all cash and checks with a memo “Share the Plate” or “STP” collected during the offering are donated to a nonprofit organization chosen by the Social Action Team and approved by the Board of Trustees. In November & December we will collect funds for bus transportation which will be donated to TAM, Housing hotline, McKinney Shelter and Lucy’s Hearth.