July 1
Speakers:
Rev. Nina Grey

How Good It Is To Dwell Together:
Immigrant Families and Religious Communities

During the late spring, I was asked by Susan Leslie of the UUA if I would please represent the UUA at the Chicago Launching of the New Sanctuary Movement. Given our congregation's interests in justice, as well as the First Forums and Racial Justice Task Forces's attention to immigration issues from a racial justice perspective, I agreed readily.
UUA President Bill Sinkford had announced our denominational support of the New Sanctuary Movement..

This morning I will share some of my growing awareness and in the First Forum to follow, Chicago Sanctuary Alliance's Jennifer Hill will speak about prophetic hospitality and the New Sanctuary Movement. These are steps in educating ourselves about some of the injustices of the immigration systems today, and various ways that religious communities can get involved.

July 8
Speakers:Sarah Gettie Burks-Anderson

Patriotism

What does it mean to be patriotic in today's world of globalization, neo-colonialism and conflict? On this weekend following the July 4 holiday, we will celebrate the values upon which our country was founded while exploring patriotism within the context of global citizenship. We will take these ideas into special consideration in light of the ongoing war in Iraq. Sarah Gettie Burks-Anderson is a ministerial aspirant and student at our neighboring Meadville Lombard Theological School, where she has just completed her first year of studies.

July 17
Speaker: Erin Gingrich

July 22
Speaker: Andrew J. Greenlee, Jr.

Faith in the City

In a rapidly changing world it is often difficult to make sense of our environment and how people act within it. This sermon will explore the nature of change within urban environments and will offer some suggestions as to how we can cultivate new spiritual meaning amidst the massive physical and social change around us. Andrew Greenlee is
member of First Unitarian and is a doctoral student in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He serves on the Board of Trustees, the Social Mission Outreach Task Force, and as a leader in the First Unitarian Young Adult and Campus Ministry.

July 29
Speaker: Richard Pardo

Must there be a Conflict between Science and Religion?

Since the advent of modern science, tension and conflict have dominated the relationship between science and religion especially in the western world. Although it appeared that an uneasy understanding was developing through the twentieth century, this truce has erupted into nearly an all-out war in the last thirty years. As a practicing scientist and religious humanist, I have watched these developments with surprise, shock and bemusement. Join me as I explore the situation and try to understand whether these two great intellectual traditions can not only co-exist but also benefit our understanding of the interdependent physical and intellectual worldview.

Richard Pardo is a physicst at Argonne National Laboratory where he is the the Manager of Operations of the ATLAS facility, a national user facility for nuclear physics research. His research includes using nuclear physics techniques to measure water movement in the oceans that directly control the earth's climate. Richard is a member of First Unitarian and of the Humanist Small Ministries Group at First U.

First Unitarian Homepage