Sunday Topics
Our Sunday worship is a hybrid format: both in person in the sanctuary and via Zoom* meeting software. (See below for more details about on-line & in-person services).
Upcoming Speakers and Topics
Children in the sanctuary for first part of the service. Faith In Action meeting at 12:15 p.m.
July 14: Mark Bernstein. Selling Onions. Benedictine hospitality requires that we welcome the stranger, not only into our homes, but into our hearts. This form of radical hospitality is the essential message in “The Rule of St. Benedict”, a book written in the sixth century and just as relevant and important to Unitarian Universalists today.
Drum Circle 6 – 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.
July 21: Rev. Susan Maginn. Wandering Pilgrimage. Many devout people—Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, etc.—go on pilgrimages. What about Unitarian Universalists? What would be the purpose of going on pilgrimage and where would you go? Why?
Offering in Action Collection. UUCH Book Table Open. Potluck Lunch after the meeting.
July 28: Irene Glasse. Magnificent Imperfection. People are imperfect by nature, but perfectionism persists in so many areas of life. How do we let go of unreasonable expectations and embrace the parts of ourselves we find challenging? How do we thread the needle between embracing imperfection but not using it as an excuse to avoid difficult topics, activities, and conversations? Explore approaches to the magnificent imperfection in our world, our spirituality, and our sacred selves.
August 4: Bret Lortie. Music and Mediation: Resolving Conflict in a Warring World. In a world besotted with binary thinking and valuation, music may offer an alternative approach to conflicts.
Children in the sanctuary for first part of the service. Faith In Action meeting at 12:15 p.m.
August 11: Robin Reichert. Walking to Walden with Emerson and Thoreau. After a first-time visit to the land of the Transcendentalists, Robin shares insights into how we can simplify our lives and know ourselves as part of the planet we live on rather than simply calling it home. She shares a personal story of living in a 10′ X 10′ cabin, Henry David Thoreau- style, and how that experience altered her life.
Drum Circle 6 – 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.
August 18: Rev. Dr. Paul Britner. Progress, Not Perfection. We live with the tension between accepting ourselves as we are and striving to be better. This message considers how early Unitarians struck that balance with something they called “salvation by character” and how we might adapt their approach to the 21st century.
Offering in Action. Potluck Lunch after the service. UUCH Book Table Open
August 25: Rev. Scott Alexander. Which God Don’t You Believe In? Do you believe in a God/god? If you do, how does that God/god support you in facing life’s existential crises like death?
How to Attend Our Worship
Please log in to Zoom or be in the sanctuary between 10:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. The pre-serviced music begins at 10:40 a.m.
Our services end around noon and are followed by refreshments and time to chat.
To attend a service via Zoom, you need the new log in link and password, which are emailed each week on Friday.
If you aren’t receiving the link, email worship@uuhagerstownmd.org by Thursday to be added to the worship log in list.
*If you have never used Zoom, check out the Zoom Basics Page.
Covid Safety Precautions: We continue to focus on being together in person again but Covid precautions change. Be alert for on-going adjustments.
- Masks are now optional for fully-vaccinated and boosted people. Some fully-vaccinated people continue to mask for additional safety; others do not.
- If you are NOT fully-vaccinated and boosted, we ask you to mask to protect yourself and others.
- People are asked to mask while singing hymns.
- If a family member or you are feeling ill (cold, flu, etc.) or have been exposed to Covid, please stay home and attend via Zoom.
- Please be thoughtful with your greetings. Many people are not ready yet for hugging and other close contacts so always ask.
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Improved Air Quality The new HVAC system installed in 2020 in both the Martin House and sanctuary should keep us safer as well as warmer and cooler. The new system includes an air purification system in the HVAC ductwork. According to the EPA, the combined use of filtration and germicidal UVC light is an effective means of preventing the distribution of airborne viruses in occupied spaces. Our system has a high intensity dual-light system: one light controls bacteria, viruses, and mold spores; the other oxidizes and removes noxious odors. The air goes through the purification system eight times an hour.