October 7
Sermon:: Rev. Dr. Nina D. Grey

Association Sunday
A Beacon of Hope: Strengthening Our UU Faith

Now is the time to strengthen the bonds of our faith. We have chosen October 7 to witness with Unitarian Universalists all over the land celebrating Association Sunday. Through our worship, action and our generosity, we stand on the side of love, a beacon of hope in a world that needs our liberal witness and faith. Today we join hearts and minds, as we raise up Unitarian Universalist essential values for our times. We will have a guest trumpeter joining with our choir, and in other ways we will lift up the redeeming spirit of our faith. We invite your generous support for our Unitarian Universalist Association. An offering will be received for the support of growth. Funds will be dedicated by the UUA for increasing the visibility of Unitarian Universalism, strengthening the growth efforts of congregations, and supporting ministers of color and their congregations.

October 14
Speakers: Rev. Dr. Nina D. Grey

Called to Ministry

What is a call? Are we called? As we gather-in new members and honor longer time members, Rev. Nina invites us to reflect together on what it means to be a member of a UU congregation like ours, a multigenerational, multiracial liberal religious community. We explore our understanding of shared ministry. And in the light of our mission, vision, and the principles of our Unitarian Universalist faith, we wonder about the ministries to which we are called.

A luncheon to honor our long-time members, sponsored by the Membership Committee, will follow the service.

October 21
Sermon: Rev. Dr. Nina D. Grey

United Nations Sunday and
The 51st Birthday of the Chicago Children's Choir

It is our pleasure and blessing to welcome the Chicago Children's Choir as we celebrate their 51st birthday and United Nations Sunday. The late Rev. Christopher Moore, Associate Minister of our church at that time, founded the Choir in 1956 and established United Nations Sunday as the official birthdate of the choir.

The mission of the Chicago Children's Choir echoes that of our church and the United Nations, for the Choir continues its lifelong commitment to building bridges of understanding across differences that often divide. All three of these institutions, the church, the UN, and the Choir seek a similar vision of one world of harmony and peace and justice for all. And so we are fortunate this Sunday to host and hear the wonderful Chicago Children's Concert Choir as they sing songs from many sources. We will take a special offering for the Choir.

We will also take the Third Sunday Social Mission Outreach plate collection. For more information on this, please see our newsletter, page 6.

October 28
Speaker: Rev. Shuma Chakravarty

Spiritual Strengths and Gifts

Echoing Jesus' question, "What will it avail a person if he/she should gain the whole world and lose one's own soul," Rev. Shuma will reflect on the resemblance of our own age to that of the Roman Empire before its fall. Shuma will invite us to reflect on what are some important choices and redemptive options that we can cherish, where we can start
to first find and then deepen our spiritual life , how we can become kinder, gentler human beings.

Rev. Chakravarty is is a minister in both the Unitarian Universalist and the United Church of Christ denominations. She was born in India, but lived most of her life in Boston, Massachusetts. She currently serves two UCC churches in Montana. She identifies herself as a poet and mystic, whose heroes are Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.

October 30
Speaker: Rev. Ellen Cooper-Davis

Rev. Ellen Cooper Davis returns to our pulpit after a year of internship at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal IL, where she was ordained on June 1, 2007. Prior to her internship, Ellen worshipped with us at First Unitarian Church of Chicago. When she began Meadville/Lombard Theological School, Ellen sang in
the choir, and later both preached in our pulpit and led our Earth-Based Spirituality Group. As Ellen progressed in her path toward ministry, our Board of Trustees voted to sponsor her for the UU ministry. Ellen and Andy Cooper-Davis were blessed by the birth of their first child, Lilith Rebecca Cooper-Davis, on July 21, 2007.

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