January
2011 January 02
Gary Kaupman
"The Price of Invulnerability"
This is a video presentation of The Price of Invulnerability with Brene Brown, PhD. Dr. Brown is a Research Professor at the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work who believes that in our anxious world, we often protect ourselves by closing off parts of our lives that leave us feeling most vulnerable.
But invulnerability has a price. When we knowingly or unknowingly numb ourselves to what we sense threatens us, we sacrifice an essential tool for navigating uncertain times – joy.
Come listen as Dr. Brown explores how and why fear and collective scarcity have profoundly dangerous consequences on how we live, love, parent, work, and engage in relationships - and how simple acts can restore our sense of faith, purpose, and meaning.
Service Leader: n/a. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 January 09
Rev. Terry A. Davis
"Leaving Behind to Find What's in Front"
Episcopal Priest and author Barbara Brown Taylor, in her memoir Leaving Church, notes that her search for real life has led her repeatedly through three distinct seasons of faith – finding life, losing life, and finding life again. Is loss a necessary part of discovery? How does this pattern of leaving and finding show up in our own faith and life journeys? The Rev. Terry Davis explores this theme and how, as Unitarian Universalists, we can find courage and deeper meaning in these cycles.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 January 16
Bill Fargo
"Buddha/Jesus"
There was a star that led to Jesus. The Buddha saw the morning star and woke up. The sight of these stars led to something special and holy. Jesus would come to be a prophet and a healer, and the Buddha taught individual holiness and responsibility. Both responded to the suffering masses and offered hope when it seemed there was none. We will talk about them and discuss how their teachings relate to what we can do in the present to help ourselves and our fellow beings.
Service Leader: Linda Kelly. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 January 23
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"The Serenity Prayer"
In his novel Angels and Demons, Dan Brown refers to the Serenity Prayer and attributes it, oddly enough, to St. Francis. Wrong. The prayer was written by the Lutheran pastor, Reinhold Niebuhr, at his kitchen table before joining his small congregation for the Sunday Service. Hitler was on the rise, and German clergy were divided by their allegiances. The prayer was a plea for resistance and courage. It became perhaps as well known and universal as any Christian prayer, including The Lord's Prayer, and Niebuhr became one of the 20th century's primary theologians and advocate of faith-based social justice.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 January 30
Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director, GALEO
"Justice for Immigrants: We are one family under God"
As the nation continues the emotionally charged debate on immigration, communities of faith continue to play an integral role of providing moral direction on how we conduct the debate and in determining outcomes on what we propose as policy solutions. This Sunday we will explore some different theological responses to the immigration issue and the challenges communities of faith weigh into to provide a moral compass for our nation. We will draw upon real-life human experiences that challenge our current "enforcement-only" approach toward a policy solution.
Service Leader: Myra Kibler. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
February
2011 February 06, Superbowl Sunday
Dr. David Center
"Transformational Experience: A Participatory Service"
In the book Living Deeply, a transformational experience is described as a change in the way you see the world and a shift in how you see yourself. It is not simply a change in your point of view but rather a whole different perception of what is possible.
This service will begin with a brief discussion of transformational experience followed by a two-part personal example where the parts were separated by a bit over a decade. An attempt was made to capture the state of mind that accompanied the second experience through a poem, which will be shared. Ask yourself if there is a point in your experience that your thoughts frequently turn to when reflecting on your life. If so, this was probably a pivotal experience and may qualify as a transformational experience even if you have never thought of it in those terms. Please reflect upon your own transformational experiences and share them with the congregation during the service.
Service Leader: Shirley Center; music: Richard Wilson (Piano).
2011 February 13
Ted Woehr
"Valentine's Day and the Need for Love and Affection"
We will explore the history of Valentine's Day and attempt to explain why there are similar customs in many other cultures. The history of this day begins in the 13th century AD with the beheading of a Christian priest in pagan Rome. As we explore the history of this day of conspicuous affection, we learn that the non-Christian world has set aside days to celebrate a day of conspicuous affection, as well. Is there something in our human nature that compels us toward celebrating our affection for our fellow man? For those of you who know, bear with me. For those of you who do not, stay tuned.
Service Leader: Terry Woehr. Music: Richard Wilson (Piano).
2011 February 20
Rev. Scott Dillard
"Looking at Our Past and How It Shapes Us Today"
This Sermon looks back at William Ellery Channings' sermon Unitarian Christianity and outlines the ways in which his thinking can be instructive for us as Unitarian Universalists today.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 February 27
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"The Dance of the Hours"
Basically, our liberal religious view is that, in terms of the nature of the universe, things are as they should be, or things simply are as they are. The human task, then, is to discover and celebrate the wonder and the beauty of Life Itself and creatively adapt to its gift and its harsh realities. This Sunday, Dr. Frost will speak of the harsh realities and the walk in beauty through them.
Service Leader: David Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
March
2011 March 06
Rev. Tom Are
"The Palestinian-Israeli Situation"
Rev. Are will give some background to the current problem between Palestinians and Israelis. The Palestinians consider the Israelis an occupying force; the Israelis believe their security needs justify their actions. This will be an informal discussion with questions encouraged.
Service Leader: Myra Kibler. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 March 13, DST begins
Geraldine Barker
"Let's Go to General Assembly!"
The UUA's General Assembly will be in Charlotte NC this year from June 22 through June 26. This is UUA's 50th Anniversary year. At this service Geraldine will present information about past Assemblies and about the benefits of attending. Donna Waddell has attended before and will share her experience with us. General assembly is a joyous occasion and an opportunity to learn more about UU, meet members from other congregations, and be presented with many new ways to live our faith.
Service Leader: Donna Waddell. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 March 20, Vernal Equinox, Purim begins
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"The devil, You Say?"
The nice person who writes a religion column on Saturdays for the Atlanta Journal Constitution devoted her February 19 column to the very devil. Her purpose, she says, was to issue a solemn warning – liberal theology notwithstanding – that the devil is "real", "not" a metaphor, symbol, or myth but an actual horrible creature who is responsible for all the evil in the world. I will look elsewhere, for this sermon on evil.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 March 27
Rev. Heather Collins
"Aloha"
And, so, another adventure for the Mountain Light Unitarian Universalist Congregation begins as we say goodbye to GAHA and hello to our new home. Where will that new home be? More than a physical place, it will be in our hearts and in the heart of Mountain Light which has a heart of compassion, love, and affection. Thus, says I, Heather Collins. I am glad that I will be with you all this day, a day of departure and a day of arrival into a new phase of your journey together. Please join us to mourn and to rejoice in this new season.
Service Leader: Terry Woehr. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
April
2011 April 03
New Home Dedication and Celebration
This week, Mountain Light will have moved into its new home at the Church on the Hill, and we will be enjoying our first service there. This will be a joyous celebration dedicating the space to MLUUC and marking the beginning of our future congregational life there. While much of the service will be familiar and comfortable, it will also include ceremonies and celebrations that are out of the ordinary for Mountain Light. These particular steps out of our routine will be experienced only at this special occasion – a service planned and written specifically for Mountain Light members and friends.
Service Leader: Myra Kibler. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 April 10
Donna Waddell
"Losing One's Religion; Finding One's Religion"
Most UUs have chosen Unitarian Universalism later in life, as opposed to growing up in the church. The Rev. Forrest Church (1948-2009), pastor of All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City, authored a book called Our Chosen Faith. He emphasized the fact that our denomination is made up of converts rather than lifelong UUs. My message will focus on why we have turned away from the church of our childhood and what brings us together today as Unitarian Universalists. While we do not have to go to church or belong to an organized religion in order to believe and have faith, we will explore the benefits of belonging to and attending church. Many UUs say they can experience their faith in the forest, but what do we find when we come to church?
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 April 17, Palm Sunday
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Living the Good Life"
"This, my dear Glaucon, is a time of great danger for a person. To prepare for it, you must be extremely careful, putting aside every other pursuit and focusing on how to distinguish among good and bad lives and finding teachers who can foster that ability." Those words from Plato's Republic might be a caution to us in our time – a time of great danger for a person. But, how do we live "the good life"? And, how do we distinguish between "good" and "bad" persons?
Service Leader: David Johnson. Music: none.
2011 April 24, Easter Sunday
Rev. Heather Collins
"Radical Love"
It seems a far-out event, this sunrise service we will hold on Terry and Ted Woehr's lawn. The service will be in keeping with the attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions of a generation of people, we folk who frequent Mountain Light as a source of strength and guidance, more than of a particular faith system. As I consider the energy, the history, the changes that came about during the 60s and 70s when many of us were coming of age, I hear the language and the music of the day, and the concept of liberation, of radical freedom, and acceptance which has long been a part of Unitarian Universalist thought as well. After all, our faith movement comes out of the "Radical Reformation", so let us gather before sunrise – say at 6:30 a.m. – to literally greet the day. Rad, man!
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: David Bowen (guitar).
May
2011 May 01, May Day
Rev. Dr. Scott Dillard
"Emerson's Divinity School Address"
Rev. Dillard will present Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Divinity School Address", which was delivered to an audience set to enter active Christian ministry in 1838. In his address, Emerson made comments that were radical for their time. Emerson enunciated many of the tenets of Transcendentalism against a more conventional Unitarian theology. He argued that moral intuition is a better guide to the moral sentiment than religious doctrine, and insisted upon the presence of true moral sentiment in each individual, while discounting the necessity of belief in the historical miracles of Jesus.
Service Leader: Shirley Center. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 May 08, Mother's Day
Myra Kibler
"Hospitality as a Spiritual Practice"
The practice of hospitality presents an opportunity to align ourselves with our deepest values and experience the mystery of life in its essence. The practice of hospitality opens us to a truth that we recognize only in glimpses, that we are not only neighbors, brothers, sisters; we are the same. In this presentation, we will explore hospitality as a personal and a congregational spiritual practice.
Service Leader: Myra Kibler. Music: none.
2011 May 15
Terry Woehr
"Got Religion? Hallel-UU-jia!!"
Eunice Benton, outgoing Mid-South UU District Executive Director, gave a rousing sermon at Mid-South's Assembly this month. Myra Kibler was fortunate to catch Eunice immediately following her message of hope and hallel-UU-jia, and Eunice was kind enough to give Myra her written sermon. It is this sermon I will liberally draw from, weaving Mountain Light UU Church's personality into the elements Eunice so eloquently presents. One question to pique your interest and get your mind a thinkin': What is our mission, our ministry; grounded in our values, what do we name as our purpose for being here?.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: none.
2011 May 22
Herb West and Myrna Adams West
"Sitting at the Welcome Table"
Herb West and Myrna Adams West, co-founders of MLUUC (along with Donna Waddell), will recount the founding of the congregation and challenge members and friends for future adventures. There will be lots of singing, memories, laughter, and fun as we help celebrate MLUUC's new home and its future.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano), Herb Westand Myrna Adams West (various instruments).
2011 May 29
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Dearly Beloved"
Speaker John Boehner and Congress have plans to use taxpayer money to pay for private lawyers to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Enacted in September of 1996, the law prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Rev. Frost will have something to say about that on May 29.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
June
2011 June 05
Rev. Terry Davis
"The Thing with Feathers"
American Poet, Emily Dickinson, wrote "Hope is the thing with feathers/that perches in the soul/and sings the tune without the words/And never stops at all." In days past and present, where have women and men found such courageous and steadfast hope? As Unitarian Universalists, how does our faith understand hope and its sources? Rev. Terry Davis explores the nature of hope and its uncanny way of showing up when and where we least expect it.
Service Leader: Dave Johnson. Music: none.
2011 June 12
MLUUC Annual Meeting
Do not forget that on this Sunday, June 12, MLUUC will hold its 2011 Annual Meeting. This meeting will be preceded by a short service but with no sermon. It is absolutely vital that we have as many MLUUC members as possible present for this meeting and service, because we will need a quorum to vote on several important issues that will affect our activities in the coming fiscal year. Please be here if possible.
2011 June 19, Father's Day
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Life With Father"
... that Sunday morning, my father came out to where I shuffled in dread in the gravel drive. I didn't know how much damage I was about to do, but I knew I was about to cast us away.
He came to me, sandwiches for us and a thermos in his bag, and asked if I was ready to go.
"Gee, Dad." I said. "A couple of my buddies are picking me up and we're going to go over to the baseball game." "Oh. alright." He said. "Goodbye." His face could not hide. He turned and walked away, the golden cord unraveling as he went.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: none.
2011 June 26
Karen Boyer and Donna Waddell
"What Are Our Values?"
What are our values? Have you ever participated in a values clarification exercise? Did it work? Can you easily list your values? This sermon will explore why our values are important and how we know what they are, we mean REALLY! Karen and Donna will discuss their own journeys of discovery when they opened the envelope and suddenly had their values out in the open.
Service Leader: Karen Boyer and Donna Waddell. Music: Laura Burton (piano).
July
2011 July 03
Rev. Scott Dillard
"A Celebration Of The Fourth"
This sermon looks at our Unitarian Universalist heritage as a free faith that rests in the American tradition of choosing for ourselves what to believe and how to believe in it. Any break with the past, as our country once did, is a movement toward the unknown and toward a liberation of the mind and spirit to a new way of being.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 July 10
Rev. Heather Collins
"Unity is not Uniformity"
Ah, the paradoxes of life may be glimpsed in so many ways, and here is another; how can we be one body yet each of us be so different? Are we really all that dissimilar, even if we do speak different languages and follow different cultural norms, and hold to a wide variety of beliefs and attitudes? This will be the topic of our exploration this Sunday as we seek to identify that which is worth our time, our energy, and our other resources, and I hope you will join us.
Service Leader: Terry Woehr. Music: Richard Wilson (piano), David Bowen (guitar).
2011 July 17
Donna Waddell
"Stewardship"
Stewardship is a term we often use with regard to handling the money and assets of another. Sometimes we make reference to being stewards of the environment, although Mother Nature is perfectly capable of taking care of that herself, thank you very much! So, exactly what does stewardship mean both personally and in the content of a church? We will explore the topic, focusing especially on living in a capitalist economy.
Service Leader: Karen Boyer. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 July 24
Dr. David Center
"The Question of Values"
This service will be follow-up of the recent service on values provided by Donna Waddell and Karen Boyer. It will be a participatory service. The service will begin with a brief discussion of the nature of values and their importance to us. Also, reviewed will be three of the primary sources from which values have been derived. The service will conclude by introducing a number of questions that will be open for comment and discussion by the congregation.
Service Leader: Shirley Center. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 July 31
Dr. Phil Hamlin
"Gaming God: Some Thoughts on Contemporary Religion"
Dr. Phil Hamlin is a professor of philosophy and longtime UU who, with his wife, will be visiting Shirley and David Center next weekend. Dr. Hamlin has agreed to be our guest speaker on July 31. A potluck follows the service.
Service Leader: David Center. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
August
2011 August 07
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Stop the World: I Want to Get Off"
A gentleman by the name of Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on May 21 – the rapture, Armageddon. You probably noticed that it didn't happen. As Edward R. Morrow used to sign off, "It was a day like all days." Mr. Camping's wife says that he is "mystified" that his prediction did not come true. Of course, Mr. Camping is not the first by any means to predict the end of it all. What's behind this obsession with getting off the world?
Service Leader: Robin Lewis-Wild. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 August 14
Rev. Dr. Scott Dillard
"Sabbatical: A Time for Rest, Rejuvenation, or Reintegration"
I've been an academic for over twenty-five years, and this fall will be my first sabbatical leave from the classroom. As I enter into this time of "rest", I am called upon to contemplate what this means for me on more than a career level. What can the notion of sabbatical give to each of us as spiritual beings? It might be that we can see that intentional periods of rest are just what we need in order to bring ourselves back into spiritual well being.
Service Leader: Kasey Castleberry. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 August 21
Myra Kibler
"Jesus Without Christianity"
Many of us know Jesus as a proclaimed son of God who died on a cross, so depicted as a centerpiece in many churches, and whose violent death has saved mankind from sin. Subscribing to belief in this story has been used as a test of a person's faith. Some Biblical scholars and progressive ministers within Christian denominations are now saying that Christianity has got it wrong. There is a growing movement to "save Jesus from the Church." Spokesmen in this movement include Marcus Borg (Presbyterian), John Crossan (Catholic), Shelby Spong (Episcopalian), and Robin Meyers (United Church of Christ). I will share some of Robin Meyers' views based on his book, Saving Jesus from the Church, and from his recent lectures in the Mountain Top Lectures series at Big Canoe.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 August 28
Eduard Loring
"Open Door Community"
Eduard Loring is a founding partner of the Open Door Community, a residential Catholic Worker community located in Atlanta. Mr. Loring's mission is to minister to the homeless poor, feed the hungry, visit Georgia's prisons including death row, and shout justice from the streets and rooftops.
Service Leader: Terry Woehr. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
September
2011 September 04
Gary Kaupman, Terry Woehr, and Dave Johnson (reading for Ted Woehr)
"UU Principles at Work"
Tomorrow is Labor Day which most of us now celebrate more as an 'end of summer' rather than a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." We'll learn who said those words and a little more about the history behind the holiday. Then, Mountain Light members will share something about the challenge they face holding true to UU's Principles in today's working environment.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson.
Note: Break down room. Be out by noon.
2011 September 11, 9-11 Remembrance
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Are UUs Christians or What?"
Almost without fail, when I'm asked what I do, I say that I am a minister. Fair enough. But, then, comes the inevitable follow-up. "Really? What church?" I'd like to just say "Baptist" and get it over with, but I have to be true to my school so I say "Unitarian Universalist (I'll admit to sometimes taking the short cut and just saying "Unitarian"). Then comes the clincher. "Unitarian. Are Unitarians Christian, or what?" I usually answer, "We are a very liberal version of Christianity." That's true. But, it's a cop-out. I'll say more about it in this sermon.
Service Leader: Dave Johnson.
Note: Set up room before and break down room after the service.
2011 September 18
Rev. Heather Collins
"Water Ceremony: A Taste of God"
"The Taste of God" ... what might that be? Sweet water and absolute contentment seems to be the answer according to the thirteenth century Sufi mystic and poet, Rumi. My homily this morning is inspired by one of his poems, "Poems of Ecstasy and Longing," a small excerpt of which we will read together. The greater portion of this morning's service will be dedicated to Mingling of the Waters. In this UU ritual of sorts, we share stories of our travels and our lives as we pour into a common bowl the water we each collected throughout the year during our journeys. Remember to bring to church this morning the water you collected, and, no worries if you forgot to collect any; all are invited to share in this, one of our most beloved services of the church year.
Service Leader: Kasey. Music: David Bowen and Ben Bradley (guitars).
Note: Set up room. [No set up was required since we forgot to break down the room.]
2011 September 25
Donna Waddell
"Mindful Eating"
Donna Waddell, one of Mountain Light's founding members, really loves food. This Sunday, Donna will share some experiences and knowledge gained at a recent retreat where she explored the meaning and implications of that love.
Service Leader: Karen Boyer. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
Note: Board of Director's meeting after the service.
October
2011 October 02
Dr. David Center
"My Most Challenging Principle"
David Center, Board president for MLUUC, has been studying Unitarian Universalism's Seven Principles, and, like many of us, finds that living a life that is true to them is not always easy. This Sunday, David will share with us which principle is the most difficult for him and why. Discussion, as always, will follow. If the format works well and is as engaging as we hope, we will ask other MLUUC presenters to do the same with the six remaining principles over the next six months.
Service Leader: Shirley Center. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 October 09, Atlanta Pride Parade
James Newton
"One Man's Gender Journey"
The week surrounding this Sunday contains National Coming-Out Day (October 11) and is the weekend when Atlanta holds its Pride Celebration (LGBT). When Donna Waddell, MLUUC member, first met James Newton at North Georgia College, he was a lesbian woman. He is now a gay man serving openly as such in the Gwinnett Police Department. Individuals like James who have explored the reality that gender is not always the simple binary proposition that most have taken for granted since they were swaddled in pink or blue, describe a profound shift in consciousness and in how they view the world.
Service Leader: Donna Waddell.
2011 October 16
Rev. Scott Dillard
"Narrative Spirituality"
The way in which we tell our personal stories of spiritual awakening determine how we then shape our spiritual lives. This sermon looks at the telling of personal narrative as a way to determine what it is we believe, how we live out that belief, and why it is important.
Service Leader: Kasey. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
Note: Break down room after service for Weddings on Saturday and Sunday.
2011 October 23
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"The Great American Religion"
Out of all the particular beliefs, And out of all the particular faiths, There arose in America a kind of "common faith", A common religion by unspoken consent. This "common religion" has been variously called "Civic Religion", "The Religion of the Republic," or, "The American Religion".
Service Leader: Carol Johnson.
Note: Our service will be in the Cherry Log Christian Church's social hall. The Board of Directors will have their monthly meeting after the service, at Coosawatte River Resort's Fireplace room.
2011 October 30
Logan Nicholson and Ron Brown
"Song of the Enotah"
Logan and Ron, residents of Sarasota who are frequent visitors at Mountain Light, will read prose and poems from Logan's book Song of the Enotah which is about growing up in Hiawassee. Logan knows many old Appalachian songs, so if we are lucky, he will share some of those also.
Service Leader: Terry Woehr.
Note: The Pavilion must be set up before service. There will be a potluck lunch after service.
November
2011 November 06, DST ends
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Whether 'Tis Better to Suffer"
My title is, of course, a line from what is perhaps the best-known quotation from what some consider Shakespeare's best-known play, Hamlet. Hamlet muses on life and death. "To be or not to be? That is the question." And the question at the crux of the soliloquy is whether to endure suffering or, by taking action, end it. Choose to die. The sermon is about assisted suicide. Death with dignity. Or, is there something profoundly moral and heroic that must insist on suffering to the bitter end?
Service Leader: David Johnson.
2011 November 13
Gerald Robison
"Human Slavery – A Legacy of Shame"
In this year of the 150th anniversary of our Civil War commencement, I will review our nation's past regarding slavery, how the practiced changed into the Jim Crow culture, and how we still are perpetrators or victims of human enslavement even today.
Gerald, a member of UUCA in Atlanta and a Quartet of singers from UUCA join us this Sunday to present both sermon and song. Please do not let the sermon's serious subject get you down, the Quartet's musical offerings are filled with messages of hope and peace, and Gerald's preaching style (he was a Church of Christ Minister for 12 years) is dynamic and engaging.
Service Leader: David Center. Music: Robison's Quartet (a capella).
2011 November 20
Jerry Gonzalez
"Latinos in America"
How does the immigration debate shape our nation's future and the American family? Jerry Gonzales, a strong advocate for Latino rights who serves as the first executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO), will be our guest speaker this Sunday. Jerry will speak about some of the personal stories which are impacting all Latinos in Georgia given the hostile environment that has been created by laws like HB87.
Service Leader: Carol Johnson.
Note: Meet half hour early. Break down room after service. Be out by noon.
2011 November 27, Advent begins
Rev. Heather Collins
"The Bounty of Thanksgiving"
In this season, as daylight flees before the advance of the longest night, it may be easier to find the light of gratitude giving way to the darker emotions that arise from ingratitude. "What helps keep our inner lights burning bright?" you ask. Coming together in community is one thing, and I'll hope you will do just that this Sunday as we explore some other things that help. If you are in town, come down and be with your Mountain Light family this Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Service Leader: Robin Lewis-Wild. Music: David Bowen (guitar)
Note: Set up room before service.
December
2011 December 04
Ted and Terry Woehr and Gary Kaupman
"Our Spiritual Narratives"
Three congregants will tell us their experiences with church. One person will tell us the first, one the best, and one the worst.
Service Leader: Gary Kaupman.
2011 December 11
Rev. Dr. Edward Frost
"Epiphanies"
In James Joyce's early uncompleted novel Stephen Hero, the character, Stephen Daedelus, defines Joyce's concept of the epiphany. It is, Daedelus says, "A sudden spiritual manifestation, whether in the vulgarity of speech or of gesture, or in a memorable phase of the mind self." It is, he said, "The most delicate and evanescent (the most fleeting) of moments." I hope my sermon will prompt you to think of an epiphany you have had (or will prepare you to have one).
Service Leader: Carol Johnson. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
2011 December 18
Lord David-Michael Searcy
"A Yule Celebration"
Much of the imagery and ritual that we associate with Christmas was appropriated by Roman Christians in the 4th Century CE from Pagan traditions which celebrate the Earth and believe all living things have a spirit. Pagan tradition generally espouses pantheism and sees the divine in everyone. Sound familiar? David-Michael, our presenter this day, is a Wiccan Priest who has a wonderful sense of humor and a fine sense of style.
Service Leader: Donna Waddell.
Note: Break down room after service for an event on the 19th.
2011 December 25, Christmas Day
Rev. Scott Dillard
"Christmas Stories"
This service looks back at our favorite Christmas memories from our youth to try to find out the lingering meaning of the holiday for us.
Service Leader: Terry Woehr. Music: Richard Wilson (piano).
Note: Set up room before service.
