“Born This Way.” “I’m beautiful in my way, ‘cause God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way. Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set, I’m on the right track baby, I was born this way.” Student Minister Bruce Beisner will explore the theology behind … Continued
“The Book by its Cover.” Physical attributes provide multiple clues within our highly social human network about what we might expect from any individual. Some of these are controllable (dress, for instance) and others are not. Let us think together about ways in which we judge others and are ourselves judged by the complexity of … Continued
“Immigration Justice: Neighbors, Economics and Spiritual Hospitality.” This weekend, a diverse interfaith alliance led by local Unitarian Universalists will be focusing on immigration reform with a day-long conference on Saturday and a public witness on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. At Hopedale, we will explore our spiritual call to “love our neighbors,” the systems of oppression … Continued
“Unitarian Universalism: A Journey Away from Christianity.” Two hundred years ago, Unitarians were Christians who followed Jesus but did not worship him. Universalists were Christians who believed all souls go to heaven. Today’s UUs hold a rainbow of theological perspectives from humanists to pagans to mystics. How does our religion’s name keep up defined in … Continued
“Begging Your Pardon.” What does it mean to pardon someone, to lift a story up out of history? On February 19, 1999, President Clinton issued a presidential pardon for Army Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper, the first African American to graduate from West Point. He had been unjustly courtmartialed over 100 years earlier. Diane Wright, a … Continued
”A broader view of love.” In honor of Valentine’s Day we will consider the complexities of love in community. Jennifer Blue will lead a circle worship centering on what we love about Hopedale. Adult RE, 1:30pm to 3:30pm, on book “A Chosen Faith.”
February 5 -“Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going?” Thomas Starr King is famous for observing “Universalists believe God is too good to damn them while Unitarians think they are too good to be damned.” With the merging of our two great faiths 50 years ago, we have grown even less concerned with … Continued
“We’re All in This Together.” Universalism teaches that we are interdependent creatures. The US Constitution states our commitment to “promote the general welfare.” Our culture has turned its back on the principle of sharing our abundance and replaced it with excessive capitalism which benefits some at the expense of others. How are we called, as … Continued
“Lessons from the Struggle for Civil Rights: Movement and Change for Immigrant Rights in the 21st Century” Although there are definite parallels between these two movements for human rights, there are key differences that must be addressed if the immigrant right’s movement is to move forward. Guest Shelly Jarrett Bromberg is an associate professor of Spanish and … Continued
“Becoming Anti-Racist.” Theologian Thandeka has called racism “America’s birth defect.” Today, racial discrimination is often more camouflaged and subtle than in the past, but it is still present in our communities and affects all our lives. We’ll explore how naming oppression and acknowledging its destructive effects can help us continue the work of dismantling the … Continued
