Upcoming Events

01 Jun

Posted at 13:01h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

Sunday, June 4: Gay Pride, Intersectionality, Liberation

Rev. Bill Zelazny

This month is known as Pride Month. It is important to people who live within the rainbow.  But, while Pride has come to be a celebration of LGBTQ+ people, the work is far from done. Bill is going to discuss the issue of LBGTQ rights, the intersection of different civil right issues (intersectionality) and liberation of all people and the challenges now faced by minorities groups with the growing reactionary political and religious climate.

Quorus, the newly formed LBGTQ+ chorus on Aquidneck Island will provide the our music for this Pride Month service.  

Sunday, June 11: They’re Taking Away Our Seven Principles, or Are They?

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The UUA is in the midst of a multi-year study to consider revising Article II of the UUA Bylaws – the article that defines the Association’s Purpose and lists the seven principles that have been the   short-hand way to describe what we believe.  Our bylaws require Article II to be reviewed every 15 years.  A proposed replacement for the current Article II has been presented after to be considered for the first of two readings and votes at the 2023 General Assembly.  Bill will explain the process and how the proposed Article II is the same as, and different from, the current one.

If you would like to read the proposed Article II and related information, go to:

 https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission

https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission/blog/faq

Sunday, June 18: On Celebrating our Blessings

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Rev. Dr. Rebekah Savage wrote a short poem entitled “Blessings are real, and ours to claim” — Blessings are real, and ours to claim and radiate/ Blessings are abundant, and ours to revel in and pass along.  Bill thinks this is a wonderful perspective to have.  On this last Sunday of the formal church year, and Father’s Day, Bill will lead us in a reflection on the wonder and power of life’s blessings, including fathers.

Summer Worship Service Break:

June 25 – July 30

Summer recess – no Sunday services. Services will resume Sunday, August 6th with four interesting and unique services, both outdoors and indoors. Watch for information in the Summer July/August Catalyst!

 

30 Mar

Posted at 14:27h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

Sunday, April 2: So, What Does Passover Have to Do With It?

Guest Speaker: Peter Freeman

It is that time of year again when thoughts turn to Spring and all its rituals. In true Universalist tradition, the Channing community has long recognized and reflected upon the relevance of Passover and Easter to our spiritual practice. This year, Passover precedes Easter. On Sunday morning, friend of Channing, Peter Freeman and Worship Associate Margaret Polski will reflect on the parallels between Passover and Unitarian Universalist principles. The incomparable Newport String Project will provide music for the service starting at 9:45am.

Peter Freeman is an attorney practicing land use law in Massachusetts. He is a Jewish person who grew up in Newton on the very “reform” side of the religion, a Yale alumnus and deeply devoted to the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics. He is inclined to fall asleep in Temple but always stays awake at Channing services.

Sunday, April 9: Something Happened…..Thoughts about the Easter Event

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The facts are lost to time, but something happened in Jerusalem two days after an itinerant Jewish prophet was executed by crucifixion.  Was a man actually raised from the dead?  Were people having post-death visions of a person as sometimes happens when a loved one dies or did Jesus really appear to people?  It is all a made-up fable to give credence to a new religious movement?  This Sunday let’s think about Easter, the resurrection and the fact that something happened.

The 2nd Sunday of the month is our nonperishable foods collection for local food banks.

Sunday, April 16: Religious Diversity

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society.  While this idea may seem normal for Unitarian Universalist, it is not in much of the world and faith communities.  This Sunday, Bill will discuss the idea of religious diversity and functioning in a pluralistic world.

Sunday, April 23: Protecting our Earth

Guest Speaker: Alex Chuman

Celebrate our Earth, and learn how you’re helping to protect it at our annual Earth Day service, April 23. Alex Chuman, Conservation Director for Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT), will be our speaker, His topic will be “Watershed Conservation on Aquidneck Island: How Land Protection and Good Stewardship Can Improve our Island Waters.”  This will also be Share the Plate Sunday, and ALT is our recipient for March and April. Your generosity will help guard your water supply!

Sunday, April 30: Finding Meaning in Everyday

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Searching for meaning is a primary motivation for each of us.  Feeling that our life has meaning is fundamental to the experience of being human. Philosophers, psychologists, and psychiatrists argued that meaning in life is a rare, profound experience, attainable through an active search, deep self-reflection, or some other arduous way of creating meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. But does it really require all of that?  Bill will explore the notion of creating meaning in our everyday life this Sunday by just living life. 

27 Feb

Posted at 14:59h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

Sunday, March 5: Goals, Success and the Journey

Rev. Bill Zelazny

“Life is about the journey, not the destination.” is a quote, attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, often used for self-help, mindfulness, and as a pick-me-up, especially if you’ve not accomplished a goal. The funny thing, though, is that we won’t truly understand the value of the journey until we’ve taken the journey, since usually your eye and mind are focused on a goal rather than the journey to get there.  Today, Bill will talk about the ideas of goal, success and journey and what these mean for fully living life.

Sunday, March 12: Security and Serenity

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Security is the feeling of being safe and in control. Serenity is to be calm, unruffled, unconflicted and peaceful.  They are not the same, though they may each enhance the quality of the other. Based on material presented by the Rev. Christine Robinson and Alicia Hawkins from the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque in their book “Listening Hearts” and others, Bill will explore these concepts and what they might mean for our spiritual well-being.

The 2nd Sunday of the month is our nonperishable foods collection for local food banks.

Sunday, March 19: “What Not to Cook” Women’s Work Theater Collaborative

Rev. Bill Zelazny

It’s 1963.  It’s before Betty Friedan wrote the Feminine Mystique.  It’s after the end of WW2 – when women were forced out of their jobs and back into full time domestic duties.  It’s a dilemma for a lot of women.  They want more.  They don’t want to cook every day.  They don’t want to handle all the domestic responsibilities by themselves.  They don’t like the assumption that they should like it.  That they “should” be happy.  That they “have it all.”  We say “Hold on one minute there folks…we just may think AND DO otherwise.”

WomensWork is a Providence area creative collaborative working to promote theatrical opportunities for women of all ages, with a focus on women over 40.  Channing congregation member, Gayle Hanrahan, a member of the collaborative, has secured this production for our service Women’s History month service.

Special music at Channing on March 19th!

On Sunday, March 19, classical guitarist Victor Main returns to Channing and will be performing before and during the service.  Victor was a big hit at Channing last year and it is exciting to have him returning.  

Victor is an award-winning classical guitarist, composer, and educator.  He is president of The Rhode Island Guitar Guild which presents concerts and masterclasses of international soloists and ensembles in addition to leading educational outreach programs for aspiring musicians.

Victor began his guitar studies in high school at the age of 16 and quickly decided to pursue his passion for music at the conservatory level.  He received his Bachelor of Music degree in Guitar Performance from the Mannes College of Music and his Master of Music degree from University of Rhode Island.

The special music starts at 9:30am.  Be sure to attend!

 Sunday, March 26: A Celebration of Dedication and Wonderful Music

Rev. Bill Zelazny, Choir and Congregation Members

This Sunday will be our Music Director’s last regular Sunday with us.  Today, will celebrate Janet Grant’s remarkable 31 years tenure with Channing Memorial Church in word, song and music

Everyone is invited to attend a potluck reception in honor of Janet in the Parish Hall immediately after the service

31 Jan

Posted at 12:44h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

Sunday, February 5: Trust-A Building Block of Life

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The Rev. Justin Schroeder once said, “We know that DNA is the building block for all life. But more than just DNA is needed to build and sustain a fruitful, healthy, and vibrant human life.  Trust — trust in ourselves, in other people, in institutions — is a foundation all building upon which we can build a life strong enough to carry us through heartbreak and setback.” This Sunday, Bill will explore the several aspects of trust and how each is part of the foundation of a good life.

Sunday, February 12: Being Loving Can Be Hard

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Pulitzer Prize winner poet, Franz Wright, wrote in his collection of poems Walking to Martha’s Vineyard, “How is it that I didn’t spend my whole life being happy, loving other human beings’ faces.”  His question reminds us of the human tendency to fall short of our highest aspirations, especially when it comes to love. Being loving can be hard, and we often fail to do it well.   On this Sunday before Valentine’s Day, we’ll take a stroll through the various scenes of love in our lives.

Fika Fellowship after church Feb. 12th! The Social Action Team would like to invite you for a Fika on Sunday, February 12th after church in the Parish Hall. What is a Fika? In the Swedish tradition, a Fika is a moment to take a break for a cup of coffee with a delicious baked good to go with it. More than just a coffee break, a Fika is a magical time to slow down and spend time together. We will be providing traditional Swedish baked goods and collecting donations for the UUA disaster relief fund, our February Share the Plate recipient.

Sunday, February 19: A Magnifying Glass on a Dangerous Idea-Christian Nationalism

Rev. Bill Zelazny

We have just finished a round of elections where the idea of Christian Nationalism was part of the political discussion.  Christian nationalism is the notion that America is a nation by and for Christians alone. It is a contributing ideology in the religious right’s misuse of religious liberty as a rationale for circumventing laws and regulations. It leads to discrimination, or calls to discriminate, and at times use violence, against religious minorities and the nonreligious.  It is a dangerous, non-democratic, political and social phenomenon.  This Sunday, Bill will talk about this concept and its implications for everyone, especially people who identify themselves as theologically liberal.

Sunday, February 26: Talking with Each Other

Members of CMC

The Worship Committee is working to create a service that we will do something that Channing people really like – provide an opportunity to talk with each other.  This Sunday we will hear about life events from congregation members that were significant to them or taught them a lesson or gave them new insight.  Come to the service to learn more about your friends and congregation neighbors.

AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE! Do you have an insight about life? A profound experience that got you thinking in a new way? A humorous episode that came just at the right time?  A very meaningful event in your life that you fondly, or not so fondly, recall today years later? Don’t be afraid to share your story with the congregation.    Contact Rev. Bill (minister@channing.org) or Judie Porter for more information and volunteer to be a speaker

 

30 Dec

Posted at 13:53h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

 Sunday, January 1: Brunch and a Few New Year Thoughts

This Sunday we will celebrate the start of a New Year with a Channing Church New Year’s bunch at 10:00 in the Parish Hall.  Bring some food (do you have a New Year’s specialty?) to share. After we eat Rev. Bill will lead us in reflecting on a new year. We will also play a Resolution Game – come up with a resolution you think some world leader might make (serious, not so serious, outrageous)

Sunday, January 8: Music, Music, Music!

Cory Pesaturo

Guest presenter, Cory Pesaturo, is revolutionizing the accordion and accordion performance.  He holds world championships on acoustic, digital and jazz accordion.  In 2017 he became a Guinness world record holder when he played a 32 hour and 14-minute accordion concert.  Cory is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of music in Boston – one of only two accordion graduates.  This service will be a fun and inspiring way to start your new year! An amazing musician and speaker, you’ll want to see him play and hear his talk.  Music starts at 9:30am.

Sunday, January 15: Power, the Three-Part Brain and Personal Agency

Jeannette Bessinger

In my last year of theological study in social change at Starr King School for the Ministry (a UU seminary), my concepts about personal power have transformed. In this service we’ll explore models of power based on elemental archetypes we can actually draw on when we need to show up strong in challenging situations. And we’ll look at some ways we might work with the hardwired functions of our three-part brains to disengage the governors that can disempower us from the inside.

Sunday, January 22: Sixty Years After M. L. King

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Sixty years after Dr Martin Luther King campaigned for racial equality some things have changed, and some things are pretty much the same.  This country continues to struggle with race, but in ways different from what Dr. King was battling.  As our annual tribute to Dr King Rev. Bill will look at the race issues facing us in the 2020s.

Sunday, January 29: Facing Fears            

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Our fears serve a great purpose. The can prepare us to face a threat as adrenaline rushes through our body, so we can physically respond with speed and strength. But sometimes our fears are concerns made up by anxious minds.

UU Navy Chaplain notes that often religious paths can help us cope when we are afraid. Some can give us inner fortitude to charge ahead and some help us cope by cultivating the inner life so our the spirit is strengthened to face anything that happens in the material world.   Rev. Bill will help us look at how to face our various fears.

 

30 Nov

Posted at 13:56h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

Sunday, December 4: I Can Hardly Wait 

Rev. Bill Zelazny

According to the religious festival calendar we’ve now begun Advent. But what the heck is Advent? It is a time of waiting and preparation for the coming of Jesus. But what about us who do not hold to the traditional story of the birth of Jesus in a stable? Rev. Bill thinks that Advent is relevant to all of us.  Today we will talk about what this religious event means in the Christian calendar and how it can also be a symbol for the waiting everyone has to do in their lives.   During the service we will light the first candle of an Advent wreath and learn about the meaning of the candles.

Sunday, December 11: A Gift to Oneself: Looking Back

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The end of the year is a time for reflection. It’s important that we look back and reflect on the past year.  While we all have ups and downs there are a few specific types of memories we should look at which are probably most useful for us to better prepare for the future.  Bill will look at what is suggested as the most useful things for us to reflect on as we get mentally and emotionally ready for the next chapter of our life.

Sunday, December 18: Celebrate the Holiday with Music

The vocal group SummerSong will celebrate the holidays at Channing with music and words about Hannukah, the winter solstice and Christmas.  The words and music will be uplifting, entertaining, and fun, and will include a sing-a-long or two so everyone will get to join in the merry-making.

Saturday, December 24, 5:00PM

Christmas Eve: Reflection and Beauty

Rev. Bill Zelazny,  Janet Grant & Guests

The sanctuary will be decorated, the candles will be lit, the readings assembled, the music ready to be performed all for a beautiful evening service to usher in  Christmas. Our Christmas Eve service is for adults and children with members of Channing Church providing scripture and secular readings, guest musicians, a choir singing modern and traditional anthems, and congregation carol singing, all concluding with the lighting of individual candles and singing Silent Night in the darkened sanctuary.  Come, bring family and friends for our very special Christmas Eve service.

Sunday, December 25: A Day of Rest

NO SERVICE

Sunday, January 1

A preview: We will hold a breakfast gathering with a short service in the Parish Hall at 10:00 

01 Nov

Posted at 12:49h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary followed by Fellowship Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

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

Sunday, November 6: What to do When the World had Gone Crazy         

Rev. Bill Zelazny

By nearly every objective measure, the world is a better place than it has ever been in modern history.  So, why does doesn’t it feel that way? It seems as though the world is spinning out of control.  People of all ages are saying and doing stupid things.  So is the world really worse, or is it just that we’re more aware of all of the bad things than ever before?  And, regardless of which it is, what can we do to make our lives seem less like we are living in the world of the Mad Hatter?  Let’s talk about this on the Sunday before the mid-term elections.

Sunday, November 13: Relationships are Essentially a Spiritual Matter

Rev. Bill Zelazny

We are about to enter the annual traditional six weeks with family and friends of merriment and congeniality or tension and potential minefields – the holidays where we are often with many people, some of whom get on our nerves. Let’s take a little while this Sunday morning to think about making and keeping healthy relationships, whether for the holidays or all year.

The second Sunday of the month is our Nonperishable foods collection for local food pantries.

The Social Action Committee (SAC) is pleased to announce our annual Brunch for the Bus will be held following church on Nov 13th.  Come enjoy a delicious brunch with all donations raised going to support bus transportation for four agencies serving the homeless, Lucy’s Hearth, McKinney Shelter, Housing Hotline and Turning  Around Ministries.

 Sunday, November 20: The Discipline and Ethics of Gratitude

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The Rev. Galen Geunerich, senior minister at All Souls Church (UU) in New York City, written that he has a problem with how we often define or describe Unitarian Universalism by emphasizing the secular concept of freedom and not believing in things that orthodox Christianity holds to be true. Rather, he thinks Unitarian Universalism should be defined and described by the term gratitude. Rev Bill thinks this is an interesting perspective and will explore this idea that our faith should be based on the religious idea of a discipline and ethic of gratitude for “all that is our life”

Sunday, November 27: Poetry: Emotions, Memories, Experience

Linda Beall & Others

Poetry expresses emotions, evokes memories, opens the heart to a spiritual or religious experience, or can draw a person into a sensory experience.  Last year’s poetry service on Thanksgiving weekend received so many nice comments that we wanted to do it again this year!  On this Sunday, members of the congregation will share their favorite poems and why those poems are meaningful to them.   Come to a Channing Church Sunday poetry fest.

Poetry readers are welcome. If you are interested in participating, contact Linda Beall

30 Sep

Posted at 11:11h in Upcoming Events

Sunday worship at 10:00am in the Sanctuary

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

 Sunday, October 2: Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table              

Rev. Bill Zelazny

In Psalm 23 we read “ [The Lord} prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemy.” This is a praise psalm about the grace and protection received from God.    Whether or not we believe we are protected by God in our daily living, the reality is that there are mental and emotional enemies – anger, greed, ego and entitlement, intolerance, workaholism and others — that are always waiting to get control us — to get a seat at the table of our life so to speak.  So, come and join Bill at the table to see what guests we probably do not want to invite to sit with us and what we can do to keep them away from our table.

Sunday, October 9: Gaia:  Our Unitarian Universalist Interconnected Web

Rev. Paul Sprecher

The Gaia theory posits the Earth is a self-regulating complex system involving the biosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrospheres and the pedosphere.  The name comes from Gaia, the Greek goddess of the earth – that is, Mother Earth.  And our mother is under relentless attack. 

We can’t fix that all by ourselves — but still, we can each do something, as our Seventh Principle obligates us to do.

 Rev. Paul Sprecher retired from his seven-year ministry at First Parish in Bridgewater in 2021.  Previously, he served as minister at Second Parish in Hingham and as Sabbatical Minister at the Murray Church in Attleboro and Chatham Meeting House.  In other lifetimes, Rev. Paul taught seventh and eighth grade US History and English for at the Collegiate School for Boys in New York City and later as Vice President for Technology at the American Stock Exchange.

 The second Sunday of the month is our Nonperishable foods collection for local food pantries.

Sunday, October 16: I’m Here for You….Kinda

Rev. Bill Zelazny

“I am here for you no matter what you need.”  We may say something like this when a friend or family member is going through a rough patch. But relationships are complicated, and we may not be ready to mentally or physically take on such a commitment, or maybe we. We just need to be truthful to ourselves and others. This Sunday, let’s take a look at the complexity of relationships and our feelings about them.

Sunday, October 23: What Does it Mean to be Human?

Rev. Bill Zelazny

This is probably one of the major “ultimate questions” we have about life.   Jumping off from an  essay on this topic by the Rev. Owen Peterson, Bill will reflect on this question and they will ask you about your thoughts on this topic during a Congregation Conversation in the service.

Sunday, October 30: I’m Not Who You Think I Am

A. O. Gutierrez

The ancient Celts divided the year into two halves, the light half and the darker half, and held four celebrations to mark the changing seasons.  Of these four sacred times, Samhain was perhaps the most significant as it is thought to have represented the Celtic New Year.  Through music and words, our guest speaker, A. O. Gutierrez, will talk about the fairy faith, mostly in Ireland, and its relation to modern beliefs.

 

31 Aug

Posted at 12:54h in Upcoming Events

No Service Sunday, September 4th.  Enjoy a Labor Day Weekend outing or picnic!

INGATHERING!!

Sunday, September 11: UUs are Called to be Priests and Prophets                      

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Unitarian theologian James Luther Adams believed all Unitarians (Unitarian Universalist) were called to be “priests” – honor and celebrate the spirit for ourselves and others —  and to be prophets – call forth and point the way for people to bring justice to all.  Although we may have heard this before, let’s use this first service of the new church year to revisit summons of our faith. 

Everyone is invited to bring a token from their home – a flower, a leaf, a pebble, a house picture or other small item — to place on our celebration table to represent the bringing together or our secular and our religious worlds.

Picnic time!   After the service we will have our traditional annual “start-of-the-year” picnic in Touro Park (the Parish Hall if it is raining). Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish to share, or if you prefer, bring a personal box lunch.

On this opening Sunday we celebrate being back together with music by special musical group Home Brew.  Music will start at 9:30 with a pre-service concert.   Bring a friend to enjoy the music and engage in our service.

Sunday, September 18: Everyday “Holy” Spaces

Rev. Bill Zelazny

A quiet spot in the park, our house, the family summer cabin, our flower garden, the church sanctuary are places that have become sacred or “holy” to us.  These special places shape and our spirit and affect our soul.  This Sunday, Rev. Bill will explore the spirituality of space.

This sermon is a lead into a Learning Center program about special spaces in and around Newport and Channing Church.  See the article on Page 6 for more information.  Invite a friend to the service and the TLC program to learn about the power of space.  

Enrollment for the 2022-23 children faith development program will take place after church in the Parish Hall

Sunday, September 25: Our Life Should Preach More Loudly than Our Lips Rev. Bill Zelazny

The title is a quote from William Ellery Channing.  This sermon is a reflective pause for us to consider what this means, and what it takes for a person’s life to bring a positive message to the world. 

 

 

30 Jun

Posted at 13:37h in Upcoming Events

 

Summer Worship Service Break:  Summer recess – no Sunday services June 26 – July 31. 

 

Sunday, August 7: The Spirit is Moving

Rachel Balaban

The service will take place in Touro Park, weather permitting. Alternate location will be the Sanctuary.

Gather in Touro Park for our first summer service during which Rachel Balaban will lead us in a series of gentle movement activities to exercise the body and open the mind and heart to the spirit.

Sunday, August 14: Walking Mediation and a Bit of Poetry            

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The service will open at the Portuguese Discovery Monument. Please be at the monument by 9:55 a.m.

Walking meditation is not just moving the legs to get from one point to another. It is an intentional activity where participants observe, reflect, meditate as they move along the path.  Our path will around Brenton Point Park where we can feel the ground, see the flowers, plants and kites, hear and smell the ocean and the sea gulls. We will not talk during the mediation walk.  We will stop occasionally to hear a poem read by a participant.

Congregation members are invited to bring a favorite poem or short inspiration reading.  A recorder, flute, guitar or other similar “light” instrument is also welcome. The service will open at the Portuguese Discovery Monument. We will walk around the Park, weather permitting, stopping occasionally to listen to a poem and spend a few minutes absorbing the environment. The alternate location in the case of rain will be in the sanctuary. (a light sea mist will not cancel the outdoor walk)  Please be at the monument by 9:55.

Sunday, August 21: Stepping out of the Shadow – Talking about Spiritual Experiences

Rev. Bill Zelazny

The service will take place in the Parish Hall

It may not happen often, but when it does, we know it – the moment is different.  We use words such as “swept up,” “caught,” “opened,” “engulfed in something mystical,” “other worldly” to describe the event.  This Sunday, in a small-group type discussion format we will talk about our spiritual experience(s) or particularly moving life events that have happened to us.

Consider these questions before the service: Do you think you’ve had a spiritual experience/ very moving event and where did it happen? Have you feel the presence of the ‘Holy’ and where did it happen?  Have there been times in your life that you could call peak experiences that perhaps opened you to something greater than yourself? Why do we tend to be spiritually shy, that is what make it hard to speak about such experiences or the that ways we connect to the sacred?”

We will meet at 10:00 in the Parish Hall so that we will be able to sit in a circle to talk with each other.

 Sunday, August 28: Lessons Water can Teach Us

Rev. Bill Zelazny

Water can just rest quietly, tumble over cliffs, flow, bubble, crash over the land in a deluge, swirl in an eddy.  But it can also teach us about life.  Today, Rev. Bill will explore an ancient Buddhist teaching about what we can learn from water.  We will meet in the sanctuary.