A Month of Sundays

April, 1999

Apr 11 | Apr 18 | Apr 25

Flowers and the resurgence of vegetal life figure heavily in our understanding of what this day means, but there is more - a promise of new energy and personal renewal after loss. We will examine some of the traditional myths and share our extended e-mail correspondence on the meaning of Easter for Unitarian Universalists. You’ll have to attend to find out which traditions we draw from.

The Ministerial Search Committee is about ready to present a candidate for the position of Senior Minister. This is a good time, therefore, to look at the relationship between clergy and congregation and to inquire into how you might get the best from your new minister.

Reflections about Environmental Ethics, especially in our urban context. Dr. Hepokoski is the Professor of Liberal Religious Ethics at Meadville/Lombard Theological School. Before joining the Meadville faculty this fall, she served fourteen years in the parish ministry, most recently as an interim minister with our congregation in Ames, Iowa.

Music for this service from John Berquist. John is a folk musician and folk life consultant, specializing in the immigrant cultures of the upper Midwest. He has served as music and choir director for several UU congregations, most recently in Ames, Iowa.

At the beginning of the church year Dennis passed out cards during the worship service, inviting people to suggest a sermon topic on one side and to write about what was going on in their lives on the other. Many people wrote of the dilemmas involved in being a care giver, and still others wrote of their fears and feelings about being taken care of. This is an area in which we have some expertise. Sydney was born with a rare bleeding disorder similar to (but not the same as) Hemophilia; Dennis’ first wife suffered from Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. This service will include a dialogue describing some of the stresses, fears, comforts, and even techniques we share as we struggle to take care of one another and of the frailties with which we are endowed. There will be time for congregational discussion.