Month: January 2024

Sunday, 4 February 2024: Love Is Too Strong a Word

LdeG

In 1986, Kurt Vonnegut asked what makes us so bloodthirsty, in the Ware Lecture “Love Is Too Strong a Word” at the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly. Vonnegut was a third-generation Unitarian, and great-grandson of a founder of the Freethinker’s Society of Indianapolis. We will hear a tape of his lecture, which is still startlingly topical today.

Lisa deGruyter will lead the discussion.

Please Join us for Worship.

Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on ZOOM and in person at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Children are welcome. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom. You may park in the lot on the west side of the building; DO NOT PARK in the Washington Avenue pay lot. Please enter through the door on the west side of the building.

Map

If you wish to join on ZOOM, please contact us for logon information. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using ZOOM.

A coffee hour, a time for discussion and socializing (including ZOOM participants), follows from the end of the service until 12:00 noon. More about us.

If you have been a regular attendee, we have added you to our Google Group if we had an email address. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group, which we will be using for staying in touch with each other. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page and Twitter account, as usual.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, 28 January 2024: Building Your Own Theology, Volume 2, Session 4

Robert

“Do you believe in the soul?” It wasn’t quite the question he had been going to ask, and it took him by surprise to hear it coming from his mouth. He had intended to say something less direct, but there was nothing less direct that he could say.

“Depends. Back in my day, we had it all set up. You lined up when you died, and you’d answer for your evil deeds and for your good deeds, and if your evil deeds outweighed a feather, we’d feed your soul and your heart to Ammet, the Eater of Souls.”

“He must have eaten a lot of people.”

“Not as many as you’d think. It was a really heavy feather. We had it made special. You had to be pretty damn evil to tip the scales on that baby. Stop here, that gas station. We’ll put in a few gallons.”

— Neil Gaiman, American Gods. 

This Sunday we will continue our religious education program with Exploring, volume 2 of Building Your Own Theology. In session four we will explore the nature of sin and salvation, asking ourselves “Are We Saved?”, and what does that mean, anyway? The course description and schedule are here.

We will open with a very brief service and chalice lighting, after which Robert will guide us through the course of study and discussions.

Please note that you are welcome to participate whether or not you have been keeping up to date on the sessions. We are using the course plan as a guide for discussion, not as a formula to arrive at any specific educational goal — we are, after all, working on *our own theologies*, not learning anyone’s official doctrine. All are welcome to participate. The reading and wheel diagram for session four are here and here. Regarding the questions of Sin and Salvation, a service on the teachings of Hosea Ballou can be found here.

** NOTE: If you wish to join us through ZOOM, please let us know before Sunday, so we can be sure to have the equipment in place Sunday morning. **

Please Join us for Worship.

Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on ZOOM and in person at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Children are welcome. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom. You may park in the lot on the west side of the building; DO NOT PARK in the Washington Avenue pay lot. Please enter through the door on the west side of the building.

Map

Note: If you wish to join on ZOOM, please let us know so we can be sure the equipment is ready on Sunday morning. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using ZOOM.

A coffee hour, a time for discussion and socializing (including ZOOM participants), follows from the end of the service until 12:00 noon. More about us.

If you are a regular attendee, we have added you to our Google Group if we had an email address. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group, which we will be using for staying in touch with each other. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page and Twitter account, as usual.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

— Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes, 20 December 1985

Sunday, 21 January 2024. No Service

Robert

Because of the cold weather and apparent road problems here tomorrow morning, we have decided to cancel tomorrow’s service and again postpone this week’s session of Building Your Own Theology until next week.

We hope everyone stays warm and safe, and that we will see you all next week.

We expect to return next Sunday, 28 January.

Thank you.

Sunday, 21 January 2024. No Service

Robert

Because of the cold weather and apparent road problems here tomorrow morning, we have decided to cancel tomorrow’s service and again postpone this week’s session of Building Your Own Theology until next week.

We hope everyone stays warm and safe, and that we will see you all next week.

We expect to return next Sunday, 28 January.

Thank you.

Sunday, 21 January 2024: Building Your Own Theology, Volume 2, Session 4

Robert
Sunset

Strange! that no one has ever been persecuted by the church for believing God bad, while hundreds of millions have been destroyed for thinking him good. The orthodox church never will forgive the Universalist for saying “God is love.” It has always been considered as one of the very highest evidences of true and undefiled religion to insist that all men, women and children deserve eternal damnation. It has always been heresy to say, “God will at last save all.”

— Robert Green Ingersoll, “The Gods”, The Gods and Other Lectures (1879)

This Sunday we will continue our religious education program with Exploring, volume 2 of Building Your Own Theology. In session four we will explore the nature of sin and salvation, asking ourselves “Are We Saved?” The course description and schedule are here.

We will open with a very brief service and chalice lighting, after which Robert will guide us through the course of study and discussions.

Please note that you are welcome to participate whether or not you have been keeping up to date on the sessions. We are using the course plan as a guide for discussion, not as a formula to arrive at any specific educational goal — we are, after all, working on *our own theologies*, not learning anyone’s official doctrine. All are welcome to participate. The reading and wheel diagram for session four are here and here. Regarding the questions of Sin and Salvation, a service on the teachings of Hosea Ballou can be found here.

** NOTE: If you wish to join us through ZOOM, please let us know before Sunday, so we can be sure to have the equipment in place Sunday morning. **

Please Join us for Worship.

Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on ZOOM and in person at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Children are welcome. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom. You may park in the lot on the west side of the building; DO NOT PARK in the Washington Avenue pay lot. Please enter through the door on the west side of the building.

Map

Note: If you wish to join on ZOOM, please let us know so we can be sure the equipment is ready on Sunday morning. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using ZOOM.

A coffee hour, a time for discussion and socializing (including ZOOM participants), follows from the end of the service until 12:00 noon. More about us.

If you are a regular attendee, we have added you to our Google Group if we had an email address. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group, which we will be using for staying in touch with each other. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page and Twitter account, as usual.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, 14 January 2024: Building Your Own Theology, Volume 2, Session 4

Robert
Sunset

Strange! that no one has ever been persecuted by the church for believing God bad, while hundreds of millions have been destroyed for thinking him good. The orthodox church never will forgive the Universalist for saying “God is love.” It has always been considered as one of the very highest evidences of true and undefiled religion to insist that all men, women and children deserve eternal damnation. It has always been heresy to say, “God will at last save all.”

— Robert Green Ingersoll, “The Gods”, The Gods and Other Lectures (1879)

This Sunday we will continue our religious education program with Exploring, volume 2 of Building Your Own Theology. In session four we will explore the nature of sin and salvation, asking ourselves “Are We Saved?” The course description and schedule are here.

We will open with a very brief service and chalice lighting, after which Robert will guide us through the course of study and discussions.

Please note that you are welcome to participate whether or not you have been keeping up to date on the sessions. We are using the course plan as a guide for discussion, not as a formula to arrive at any specific educational goal — we are, after all, working on *our own theologies*, not learning anyone’s official doctrine. All are welcome to participate. The reading and wheel diagram for session four are here and here. Regarding the questions of Sin and Salvation, a service on the teachings of Hosea Ballou can be found here.

** NOTE: If you wish to join us through ZOOM, please let us know before Sunday, so we can be sure to have the equipment in place Sunday morning. **

Please Join us for Worship.

Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on ZOOM and in person at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Children are welcome. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom. You may park in the lot on the west side of the building; DO NOT PARK in the Washington Avenue pay lot. Please enter through the door on the west side of the building.

Map

Note: If you wish to join on ZOOM, please let us know so we can be sure the equipment is ready on Sunday morning. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using ZOOM.

A coffee hour, a time for discussion and socializing (including ZOOM participants), follows from the end of the service until 12:00 noon. More about us.

If you are a regular attendee, we have added you to our Google Group if we had an email address. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group, which we will be using for staying in touch with each other. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page and Twitter account, as usual.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Birth of The Unitarian Church in Transylvania

Robert

“Dávid Ferenc” (@unitariandavidferenc) posted this earlier today (6 January 2024) on Facebook:

456 years ago today:

On this date, January 6, in 1568 king John Sigismund assembled a Diet to be held in the town Torda (today Turda in Romania). At this Diet our Bishop Francis David inspired the delegates to later approve the first toleration edict of freedom of faith among the Christian religions.

This was a new and revolutionary idea of freedom of religion at that time, and therefore January 6 1568 also is considered by tradition to be the birth of The Unitarian Church.

Persons identified in the famous painting by Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch showing Bishop Francis David at the Diet of Torda 1568.

Saturday, January 6, 2024: Epiphany

Robert

Today marks the end of the Christmas Season according to Western European tradition. Known as the Feast of the “Epiphany”, or “Theophany”, or “Three Kings Day”, it marks the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles through the arrival of the Magi — the “Three Kings” or “the Wise Men” who journeyed from “the East” — in Bethlehem to worship the newborn Christ; for some Christians it is the proper time for giving gifts. In the traditional Western ecclesiastical calendar it marks the end of the sacred time of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the beginning of the Ordinary Time that extends until the beginning of the sacred time of Lent.

Clamavi de Profundis, “We Three Kings”

For those interested, Patrick Murfin has provided a nice summary of the traditions of Epiphany, the Star of Bethlehem, and the popular carol “We Three Kings”.