July 5 Rev. Nancy McDonald-Ladd. Living Water.  Working from a little-understood story in the Gospel of John commonly called “the woman at the well,” this sermon explores what it might mean for the wisest of teachers to sit and learn from exactly the person they were meant to ignore or discount entirely.  How are we shaped by dialogue rather than monologue? How do the relationships that shape us serve as living water in a dry land?  Children in the sanctuary for the first part of the service.

 July 12  Mark Bernstein. Moments of Light and Dark. Do you believe in miracles?  Based on the generally accepted definition of “miracle”, most Unitarian Universalists, steeped in science and logic,  would say no.  But what if we change the definition?

July 19  Rev. Dr. Paul Britner.  Paul’s Theological Dictionary: Faith.  When others ask, “Are you a believer?”, they usually have a specific belief in mind. Yet, faith is as universal as the human experience; it just takes different forms.

 July 26  Rev. Doug McCusker.  Why Can’t We Be Satisfied? We are taught that to stand still is to fall back. We must keep striving for more and never be satisfied in order to grow. And isn’t growth the holy grail? But what if the secret to satisfaction is not to increase what we have? What if it is to manage our wants even if that means wanting less? Getting off the treadmill of constant growth can lead to a happier, more satisfied life.

 Aug. 2  Jennica Davis.  Taking Joy Seriously.   Exploring how joy and community-building can be transformative forces in our lives, Ms. Davis invites us to experience a radically inclusive, accessible and spiritually grounded community.

Aug. 9    JD Stillwater.  Monkey Business – Jane Goodall & Other Animals. Humans are special, right? We have tools, language, self-awareness, morality … or are we? Jane Goodall’s impressive legacy includes rescuing the science of animal behavior from its own religion-based dogma. Knowing we evolved, is it really so surprising that our cousins have qualities we once thought unique to us.

 Aug. 16  Rev. Dr. Paul Britner.  Courage is a virtue that we sometimes think people have or don’t have. Yet, it is no different than any other virtue we admire—love, forgiveness, and justice to name three. It can be nurtured and grown, which is to say, we all can have more courage if only we’re willing to do a little work.

 Aug. 23  Mark Bernstein.  Faithful Dissent. Throughout the history of Unitarian Universalism, it has been dissent, not resistance, that has moved our faith tradition forward.  This practice of dissent continues today to be paramount if we are to overcome our differences with each other and with a demanding and troubling world.

 Aug. 30  Cameron Young. ‘Kneading’ Towards Liberation.  Many of us grew up hearing the story in the Gospels of Jesus ‘healing’ the blind man. Some traditions emphasize that Jesus’s miracle was the most important part of this story. I beg to differ.   Children in the sanctuary for the first part of the service.