Sunday, June 18, 2017: Genealogy as a Spiritual Practice

LdeG

581020-M

Prelude: Leader of the Band – Dan Fogelberg

Welcome: The Paradox of Ancestry

We gather together this morning,
Because others came before us.
Some have left examples for us to follow,
Others lessons for us to learn from,
and the paradox is that many have left both pain and joy.
We honor our ancestors this morning, not because they are perfect,
But because, without them, we would not be here,
Together,
Sharing our joy, our pain, our living and our dying.

– Christopher A. Rothbauer Continue reading →

Forgiveness

Robert
Return of the Prodigal Son - Rembrandt

Return of the Prodigal Son
Rembrandt

Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans and myself from the community of sinners.

– Miroslav Volf, Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation

Edward Kim on Volf’s Exclusion & Embrace

Sunday, June 11, 2017: Creeds and Other Tests of Faith

Robert
Ancient document

Prelude I Believe in You – Don Williams

Welcome The beauty of the whole – Meg Barnhouse

We gather to worship, our hearts alive with hope that here we will be truly seen, that here we will be welcomed into the garden of this community, where the simple and the elegant, the fluted and frilled, the shy and the dramatic complement one another and are treasured. May we know that here, each contributes in their way to the beauty of the whole. Come, let us worship together, all genders, sexualities, politics, clappers and non-clappers, progressive or conservative, may we root ourselves in the values of this faith: compassion and courage, transcendence, justice and transformation.

Chalice lighting Community Chalice Lighting – Atticus Palmer

We call this light before us in hope that we may always remain a strong community,
working together to make the world a better place.
When we are grieving or sad,
When we are challenged,
When we need help,
This flame guides us out of the darkness.
When we are cheerful,
When we celebrate,
When we accomplish a great task,
When we return to a place that makes us happy,
The chalice reminds us to share our happiness with others.)

Continue reading →

9 Phrases Allies Can Say When Called Out Instead of Getting Defensive

CZ

There are many isms we are fighting on the way to equality for all people. Whether is be racism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, or any other system of oppression, if we are not from the marginalized group, we are not going to have all the answers or do everything right. As Unitarian Universalists we want to “answer the call of love” and help change the world, but sometimes we have to start with ourselves. This article by Sam Dylan Finch has better ways to deal with being called out by marginalized people, because being defensive does not get us anywhere. 

Namaste, 
Cricket 

Sermon: “Answering the Call of Love” by Rev. Jason Cook

CZ

“If you’ve looked ahead on your order service you know we’re going to be singing the song “Standing on the Side of Love” today, only we are going to be singing it as “answering the call of love” instead. The composer, Jason Shelton, has asked us to sing it that way from now on. The question is why?

In a word: ableism.”
Is the beginning of Rev Jason Cook’s Sermon delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fullerton, CA on November 13, 2016. I hope you find it insightful.
Namaste,
Cricket

Sunday May 28, 2017

CZ

“All around us lies what we neither understand nor use. Our capacities, our instincts for this our present sphere are but half developed. Let us confine ourselves to that till the lesson be learned; let us be completely natural; before we trouble ourselves with the supernatural. I never see any of these things but I long to get away and lie under a green tree and let the wind blow on me. There is marvel and charm enough in that for me.” – Margaret Fuller from “Good Sense,” in a dialogue between Free Hope, Old Church, Good Sense, and Self‐Poise, p. 127.
This Sunday John Hall will deliver a lesson entitled “On The Right Side of History”.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Our services are Sundays at 11 a.m. at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Our Religious Education/ Life Long Learning Class will meet at from 10am to 10:45 am with a coffee gathering before the service. More about us.

Adult religious education, at 10, will be our business and planning meeting for the next five or six months, including our Spiritual Outings for the summer. Bring your thoughts on services, outings, and anything else we should plan for.

Children are welcome. There is childcare and an activity for young children during the service.

The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom.

You can park on either side of the PWA building. The lots are marked as private, but are available on Sunday mornings.

Map

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information

or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Namaste,
Cricket