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 how to attend on line and in person services). Please arrive or log in between 10:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.
Upcoming Speakers and Topics
November 1: Interdependence. Based on our 7th principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part”, this service explores some of those connections, especially the ongoing influence of the ancestors on our community and ourselves. *Family service with children in the sanctuary for the first part.
November 8: Rev. Sunshine J. Wolfe. Transformative Joy. Maintaining resilience is difficult in times such as these but joy and play can help. Joy and play are not something we earn through hard work but a tool that helps us do the difficult things and build community.
November 15: Rev. Dr. Paul Britner. Our UU Faith In Word and Song. Learn more about the new UU shared values— love, interdependence, equity, transformation, pluralism, and generosity— through readings and songs.
November 22: Irene Glasse. The Winter Hearth. Cold temperatures and shorter days draw us inward to hearth and home. Have a more connected, spiritually-centered winter through hearth-tending, animistic approaches, and winter folklore and customs.
November 29: JD Stillwater. Sin, Repentance, & Grace: An Evolutionary Perspective. Are we inherently, fatally sinful? Or, does the fact that we evolved offer hope for our growth and wellness? (Hint: why yes, yes, it does!) Reconsidering our most “sinful” tendencies in the light of evolution sheds the shame and shifts us toward the healing power of gratitude.
December 6: Rev. Dr. Paul Britner. Social Justice in “A Christmas Carol.” Drawing on Unitarian Charles Dickens’ enduring story, this message asks what it means today to build a society in which every person can earn a living wage, provide for their family, and have access to the health care necessary to live with dignity. *Family service with children in the sanctuary for the first part.
December 13: Mark Bernstein. Daring to Do Right. Moral courage is the willingness to act on your ethical judgment even when doing so brings fear, backlash, or personal cost. Throughout our UU history, numerous stories of moral courage have served as inspiration for us today and helped to define who we are as Unitarian Universalists.
December 20: Lessons and Carols UU Style is adapted from a service created by Janet Palmer. This very UU program is both traditional and the contemporary, with seasonal readings and holiday music. No matter how (or if) you celebrate winter holidays, you will find something here to lift your spirits. Bring Christmas cookies to share.
NO CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE THIS YEAR
December 27: Joyce White. Fear Not: The Tension Between Wonder and Evidence. Joyce explores meaning-making through personal stories and a novel look at angels and aliens.
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. Service begins with music 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.
- People are asked to mask while singing hymns.
- Except while singing, 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.
- 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.