What is Truth and Why Does It Matter?

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We seem to find ourselves in an increasingly post-truth society in which many people simply confuse truth with ideology or whatever gets repeated the most by their favorite politicians or news sources. What does it mean for something to be true and why does this matter for the creation of human and ecological flourishing in our world?

The Rev. Dr. Mark Davies is the Oklahoma State Humanities Scholar for the Smithsonian Institute Museum on Main Street Water/Ways exhibit.  He is also the Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics; Director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility; and Executive Director of the Leadership. Education, and Development Hub North America for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry at Oklahoma City University where he has worked in both teaching and administration for 22 years.  He is a United Methodist minister and holds a Ph.D. in Social Ethics, from Boston University.

Mark engages in advocacy and activism in the areas of peace, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Locally this is expressed through his work with the Human Community Network, which works to create non-violent systemic change for a just and flourishing human and ecological community through collaboration, education, innovation, and action.

 

For All That Is Our Life – All Music Assembly

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Our familiar and well-loved hymn of thanks and praise is the inspiration for this musical service at the cusp of Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Our talented musical volunteers and the Worship Team present a morning program that mines the riches of our Singing the Living Tradition and Singing The Journey hymnals to celebrate not only gratitude, but also the many contrasting elements and moods of our shared humanity. This promises to be a very special assembly!

White Lion, Radicals, and UU Values

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A look at three points in American History from 1619 when the first African slaves arrived to 1919 when the largest deportation of immigrants from these shores took place and to 2019 where questions of who are citizens, who are immigrants, who belongs and who decides still plague us.  Ponder this fact of history: without the idealistic, strenuous and patriotic efforts of black Americans, our democracy today would most likely look very different – it might not be a democracy at all.

This assembly will include prayers for the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The Rev. Strong, a sixth-generation UU, co-founded our congregation 22 years ago as a outreach ministry of Community UU Church in Plano where he served as minister.  After retirement and the death of his husband John, he relocated to Texoma and is an active lay-member of Red River UU’s where he is the lead coordinator for the Worship Team.

Strong grew up in Madison WI and received his BA degrees in Psychology and Spanish language from the University of Wisconsin, and his Masters of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry, part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley CA in 1979. Over the next 30+ years he served UU congregations in ME, VA, MA, CA, AZ, WI and TX.

The Joy of Impermanence

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Most people, if they give any thought to impermanence, have a negative view of it. Why do good times have to end? Why do loved ones have to go? Why must health and youth fade? What we do not contemplate is that –were it not for impermanence– we’d be stuck forever in old problems, with unwanted company, and never-ending negative situations. Impermanence is a blessing!

Tashi Nyima is a Buddhist monk and a practitioner of Indo-Tibetan Yoga and Ayurveda for more than thirty years. He is the director of the New Jonang Buddhist Community in Dallas, Texas and a spokesperson for Dharma Voices for Animals.

From Fundamentalism to Freedom – A Personal Journey

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An overview of my personal journey through fundamentalist Christianity to a religion of inclusion, justice, and sustainability.

The Rev. Dr. Mark Davies is the Oklahoma State Humanities Scholar for the Smithsonian Institute Museum on Main Street Water/Ways exhibit.  He is also the Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics; Director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility; and Executive Director of the Leadership. Education, and Development Hub North America for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry at Oklahoma City University where he has worked in both teaching and administration for 22 years.  He is a United Methodist minister and holds a Ph.D. in Social Ethics, from Boston University.

Mark engages in advocacy and activism in the areas of peace, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Locally this is expressed through his work with the Human Community Network, which works to create non-violent systemic change for a just and flourishing human and ecological community through collaboration, education, innovation, and action.

The Global U/U Story

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UNO Sunday

On this United Nations Sunday, an exploration about an important global issue and be inspired to take action in the name of justice. That’s what the global U/U story is all about – Unitarians, Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists around the world engaging in liberal spiritual worship and doing their part to bend the arc of history toward justice.

This I Believe: Five Members Share their Credo

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Don Rogers, Ellie Dyer, Jack Bolerjack, Jolene Whitten and Joyce Peak, speaking.

all have a foundation upon which we build our religious philosophy. It is nestled deep in our soul rather than printed in any brochure and hungers to be shared. It comes from the depth of our own thought and heart. It is the core of our individual spiritual path. Credo literally means, “I give my heart and loyalty to…” Astute credos marry the gifts of both intellect and spirit. Credos spur presenters to select highlights from their religious odyssey, highlight in those affirmations that sustain them during the happy and hard days and nights of life.

Our First Breath is from the Ocean

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On Sunday an exploration of the significance of the oceans for all life on earth and what responsible care calls us all to do to care for and protect this beautiful and precious part of our planet.

The Rev. Dr. Mark Davies is the Oklahoma State Humanities Scholar for the Smithsonian Institute Museum on Main Street Water/Ways exhibit.  He is also the Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics; Director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility; and Executive Director of the Leadership. Education, and Development Hub North America for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry at Oklahoma City University where he has worked in both teaching and administration for 22 years.  He is a United Methodist minister and holds a Ph.D. in Social Ethics, from Boston University.

Mark engages in advocacy and activism in the areas of peace, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Locally this is expressed through his work with the Human Community Network, which works to create non-violent systemic change for a just and flourishing human and ecological community through collaboration, education, innovation, and action.

And the First Angel Sounded the Trumpet

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Dr. Tata returns to Red River with an oddly coherent message from the apocalyptic Book of Revelation. Turns out John’s Revelation isn’t a fanatical religious rant. Even in the first century, we were warned against the idolatries of empire, and the warning is even more timely today vis à vis the climate crisis. The hegemony is slow to be moved to fix what it can fix. It’s an inconvenient truth about how we have come to this point in our history. (Spoiler alert: The whole book’s a spoiler.)

Bible: Truth or Fable?

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There are three levels of the Bible. Level one is all lies, level two is half truth and level three is all truth? This talk will open your spiritual mind to reason and reasoning of the Bible. What level are your at?

James was born in Fort Apache, Bronx, NY.  Raised Catholic until the age of 14, he ventured into the world and has been self employed all his life.  He and his wife have children and “many grand kids”.  His greatest passion and interests are always looking for WHY.  In 1984 he earned a Doctor of Divinity but chose not to be a parish preacher.  He has self published ten books exploring the Bible and offered to share his insights on the Bible with us.  He is a friend of the congregation and we welcome him to our free pulpit.

On the 5th Sunday we change slightly our morning schedule, suspending Conversations & Calorie in favor of “In 4 Lunch” – an all-church potluck.  Everyone is invited to bring a dish to share and plan on tarrying following the morning assembly to break bread together.