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 (2023)

January 1: Abundance and Emptiness.  The winter holiday season, with its festive togetherness and frequent extravagance, can leave us with mixed feelings as we gaze into the new year. What does our spirit need to add or shed for growth or contentment?

January 8: Lora Powell-Haney. Centering Our Values. If someone asked about your values, could you list them? At the start of this new year, let’s explore the core values of Unitarian Universalism—and our own— so we can demonstrate who we are by the choices we make and how we show up. A new speaker for UUCH in person in the sanctuary.

January 15: Rev. Susan V. Rak.  Grow Your Soul – 20th century Unitarian minister Powell Davies is often remembered for one saying: “Life is just a chance to grow a soul.” But what is a “soul” to a 21st century Unitarian Universalist (Rev. Rak last spoke to us in March 2022).
***Offering in Action Collection> Potluck Lunch after the service.

January 22: Rev. Dr. Paul Britner. Unredeemable? Three weeks into 2023, many of us already have given up on our New Year’s resolutions. Can people really change? Yes! This message compares the UU model of spiritual growth, which makes us responsible for changing ourselves, with the more traditional models of conversion or grace, which rely on the goodwill of a distant deity.

January 29: The Flame Beneath the Ice: Winter is more than icy roads and high fuel bills. Let music from cellist Jane Peatling and Marlin Barnes on marimba, and poetic readings from the worship team show you the beauty, serenity, and promise of winter.

February 5: Rev. Peter Friedrichs. Everything is Possible. If we believed that all things are possible, how would that change our thinking and our lives? How would it change our church?
***Canvass Presentation at 12:15pm in the sanctuary and on Zoom.

February 12: Rev Dr. Paul Britner. Attributes of Love. Is love really universal? Yes and no. All humans desire to love and be loved, yet the idea of love varies among cultures and traditions. This message compares the most famous Christian expressions of love, 1 Corinthians. 12 (Love is patient, love is kind….) with sacred texts from other traditions, such as Taoism and Hinduism.

February 19: Dr. Melanie Davis. Honoring Your Inherent Worth and Dignity. UU’s covenant to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people, but may neglect to affirm their own. Learn a spiritual framework for recognizing your own value. (Dr. Davis last spoke to us in May 2022).
***Offering in Action Collection. Potluck Lunch & UU Book Table after the service.

February 26: Yvonne Pfoutz. Dual Identity? UU churches tend to be less similar to each other than those in other denominations. One UU church may have regular communion while another rarely mentions Jesus. Our own church has a strong Humanist heritage. Are these dual identities (Humanist UU, Buddhist UU, Christian UU, Pagan UU, etc.) strengths or weaknesses for Unitarian Universalism – or perhaps a bit of both?

NOTES:

Please log in to Zoom or be in the sanctuary by 10:30 a.m. Our services end around noon and are followed by refreshments and time to chat.

Because the sanctuary chair and row spacing is still two-feet apart, the seating is limited. We are suggesting that first time visitors attend on zoom, but if you do want to attend in person, please email worship@uuhagerstownmd.org to be sure there is space.   

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 are slowly figuring out how to safely be together in person again so be alert for on-going changes.  

• Masks are now optional. Some fully-vaccinated people will continue to mask for additional safety; others will not. If you are not fully-vaccinated, we ask you to mask and protect yourself and others.
• No singing in the sanctuary yet.
• No after service refreshments yet
• Please be thoughtful with your greetings. Most people are not ready yet for hugging and other close contacts so always ask.

• Improved Air Quality  The new HVAC system installed in last summer 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.