May 2023 Services

May 7th, 10:45 a.m.
Rev. Kimberley Debus – “Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout”

Our Unitarian faith is borne out of a heresy. What does that mean, and what can we learn from being heretics today?

May 14th, 10:45 a.m.
Rev. Karyn Marsh – “We are all Mothers”

May marks the blossoming of Earth in the northern hemisphere, which may be why motherhood in the United States is celebrated on the second Sunday of the month. While Mothers’ Day is intended to honor literal mothers, it need not be so limited. Thirteenth century Christian theologian Meister Eckhart wrote: “We are all meant to be mothers of God. For God is always needing to be born.” By this statement, Meister Eckhart means that creativity is the Divine force working within all humans, and therefore, all humans are co-creators with God. In this service, Rev. Karyn Marsh will explore mothering as a spiritual practice for all.

May 21st, 10:45 a.m.
Rev. Dr. Michael Franch – “We Remember: Taking Memorial Day Seriously”

I have opposed every war we’ve fought in my adult life. I’ve considered them unjust, wrong-headed, and even worse. I have demonstrated against them. I have supported candidates who opposed them. And yet, every Memorial Day for the past twelve years, I’ve led a Memorial Day Service – on the actual day – in my home church. I’ve preached to this congregation twice about the importance of Memorial Day. I do so again on May 21 because I think it is our duty to care.

Dr. Franch is Affiliate Minister at the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore.

May 28th, 10:45 a.m.
Rev. Dr. Kenton Stone (speaking remotely from Mexico) – “Mountaintop Moments”

In the Hebrew bible Moses met God on Mt. Sinai and came down to change the world with the 10 commandments. We may not change the world, but we all have mountain top experiences in life. Before being at home in Cumberland’s mountains and now in Mexico’s, I was a mountain top person as a teen when I spent one year in the USA as a missionary kid to Uruguay. I delivered newspapers and saved up the money to send myself to a teen summer camper at Hilltop Ranch in Maryland. Though Hilltop was squarely evangelical, compared to my Assemblies of God Pentecostal background it was my first experience of a more liberal practice of religion that changed me for life. At Hilltop Ranch I found how to have self esteem and faith in myself all on my own, with my own way of experiencing God that led me to the UCC and the UUA. What mountaintop experience have you had in your life that you can return to now for reflection on the path ahead?