As we celebrate our declaration of freedom from a king, it is also helpful to reflect on what our freedom is for. True freedom entails using our freedom for each other, seeing ourselves as in this together, living into our interdependence with one another, and cultivating a culture of empathy.
A Journey in and out of Religion
Marion Hill, speaking
Many people come to a Unitarian church after having been brought up in another denomination but then finding that their original religion didn’t “work for them” in adulthood. Today Red River UU member Marion Hill will discuss the sometimes surprising journey of Frank Schaeffer, whose parents were missionaries to Switzerland and who, in young adulthood, became a leader of the religious right, but then rebelled against that life. In three bestselling books—one of which is titled “Why I Am an Atheist Who Believes in God”—he details the twists and turns in his thinking that brought him to a position of both belief AND non-belief.
Comparing the evangelical/fundamentalists he knows so well to the New Atheists (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and others), he finds both of their approaches equally unsatisfactory.
At the Congregational Meeting in May, several people said they wanted to try some different types of mornings. The worship team has decided to make this fifth Sunday in June one of our trials. We will have a short service and then break into small groups to talk about special questions, provided by the Worship Team. Remember there will be a fifth Sunday potluck after.
There is so much change happening right now that it may feel as if the whole world is in a storm. How do we find the way to move with and through the storm? Not running for cover, but finding who we must become to ride it out and emerge triumphant. When the storm settles, as it must, how do we help to keep the house from blowing away? Presented by Rev. Summer Albayati, UUA Congregational Life Staff, Pacific Western Region.
When it comes to the most important things in life and as we face the most urgent challenges of our time, we cannot go it alone. Community and collaboration are key to our personal and social well-being.
We hear a lot of talk about the rights granted by the United States Constitution, but even more fundamental than our constitutionally guaranteed rights are our universal human rights that are shared by every person on earth and ought to be respected by all persons whether one is a citizen of the United States or not.
Last March six from our congregation participated in a special gathering of all the North Texas UU congregations to collectively celebrate “A Century of Anniversaries” for the 13 UU congregations in North Texas. The guest preacher for that gathering offered an extremely moving discourse and on Sunday we will watch her remarks and also have glimpses of that Sunday celebration of Unitarian Universalism. This is a Sunday when we can belatedly share in what was an excellent experience, well worth bring home for all to enjoy.
True freedom includes not only the freedom from being harmed by others, but also the freedom for doing actual good within the community of all life
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