Our Sunday worship is a hybrid format: both in person in the sanctuary and via Zoom* meeting software.

   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.

Upcoming Speakers and Topics

May 1:  Rev. Kenton Stone. Pandemic Nice. Over two years of pandemic, mask mandate protests, yet another booster, and an alphabet soup of Covid variants—how do we keep a positive attitude with a new normal like this?   Is a dip into our reservoir of niceness the way to replenish our weary souls?

May 8:  Marlin Barnes. Where Is the Music? A professional musician explores the science of sound and the spirituality of music.  

May 15: Dr. Melanie Davis.  Jumping into Change. Are you listening to what calls you?  If you jumped at a chance to change your life, might you stand on the holy ground of being your true self? Be inspired by stories of six people whose mid-life shifts paid off.   (Dr. Davis last spoke to us January 16 about racism and “Reconnecting with the Spirit of Life.”)

May 22: Rev. Dr. Paul Britner. The Power of Forgiveness. Forgiveness often is confused with absolution. But it’s not letting someone off the hook; rather, it’s about letting ourselves off the hook—moving beyond the anger and resentments to a place where another person’s misconduct no longer is an obstacle to our own happiness.

May 29: A Life’s Précis. Epitaphs and obituaries are ways the deceased or their survivors summarize a life’s philosophy or accomplishments, sometimes profoundly, sometimes with humor.  How do you want to be remembered?

June 5:  Mark Bernstein. Driven by Waves. Ah, spring!  A chance for renewal.  An opportunity to start over.  How will you be renewed?  What will you create that never was?  What will you leave behind?   (Mr. Bernstein last spoke to us on October 10 about  “Stealing Second Base.”)     

June 12: Rev. Marta Valentin.  Bearers of Light. Surviving difficult times-—like Hurricane Katrina in this sermon by a New Orleans UU minister in New Orleans or the pandemic for us today— and finding our way back to things that matter requires Bearers of Light to guide the way out of darkness. How can we be bearers of light for ourselves and others?

June 19: Rev. Dr. Paul Britner. Biblical Fathers. For very good reasons, UUs largely disapprove of gender-based roles that confine men and women to socially accepted boxes (not to mention the binary premise of the statement). While not advocating for a return to the norms of antiquity, Rev. Paul suggests there is some guidance for parents in general and fathers in particular that may inform our spirituality today.

June 26:  Rev. Ed Poling. St. Francis and al-Kamil, the Sultan of Egypt: An Interfaith Encounter.  In 1219 Francis of Assisi joined the Fifth Crusade to the Holy Land —not to “fight the infidels” but to meet “the enemy” face-to-face and become friends. Francis’ audacious reach across the religious chasm between Christians and Muslims provides a model for interfaith dialogue today. (This service was originally scheduled for April 26, 2020 but cancelled by Covid. Its hopeful message is especially welcome now.)