“A Great Light”

The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt

This Sunday, we’ll continue our reflections on why we rejoice, and pay tribute to International Human Rights Week, which began on Dec. 10.  It’s important to keep in mind that, in spite of the ongoing and tremendous struggle for human dignity, there is a growing worldwide movement that has achieved great victories.  We’ll take a look at how different the world has become since 1945, and what we people of liberal faith can do to keep bending the universe toward justice.  We’ll have our second collection for holiday toys for the Regent Family Residence, and there’s still plenty of time to support our children and youth who are collecting “Change for Change” to buy chicks to help families in developing nations.  We look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

Youth Group leads Soulful Sundown, December 11th
This week’s Soulful Sundown worship service is being led by the Fantastic Fourth Youth Group.  Soulful Sundown is Fourth U’s evening service held at 5pm in the sanctuary from September through June.  Please join us for a dynamic worship service.

Fourth U’s Religious Exploration classes will be presenting this year’s holiday pageant, “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming,” as part of this Sunday’s morning service.  Everyone in RE has been working hard to make this a great Hanukkah pageant.  Please make sure you’re at Fourth on time to get a good seat and cheer on our young people, then stick around for coffee hour with latkes!

Soulful Sundown, 5pm– Jazz Vespers

Fourth U is participating in this week’s “Occupy the Pulpit” endeavor put forth by NYC’s Occupy Faith.  The theme for Jazz Vespers is “Seeking Justice, Singing Justice.”  Please join musicians Suzanne and Jeff Pittman along with Rev. Julie for an evening of jazz and protest.

The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt

Our theme for December is “Why Do We Rejoice?” and in these times there is good reason to both ask and answer this question.  I’ll be preaching about how it is that we are called on to rejoice, even when life circumstances, even the world situation, suggests otherwise.  We’ll be joined by Fred Johnson, member of the UU Church of Clearwater, Florida and a fellow at Intersections International, a multi-faith program of the Collegiate Churches of New York.  (It is thanks to Intersections International that we’ve been enjoying three panels from the Ribbons of Hope Project.) Fred is a widely respected musician, artist and healer who will help to create a very special worship time for all of us. It’s a wonderful Sunday to invite a friend!

 Following worship, at 1 pm, we are privileged to present a performance of “Under the Veil: 9/11 and Beyond.” This deeply moving piece, created by the Te’a Project with musical direction by Fred Johnson, is a powerful accompaniment to our morning service.  In words taken from its website, the play “uses theatre, music, and spoken word to dramatize the everyday clash of cares and threats that divide Americans from each other in the wake of 9/11. But beyond dramatizing those barriers, it also functions dramatically to foster the curiosity, insight and compassion that audience members need to transcend them.”  I hope you’ll go to the following website to learn more about the Te’a Project and its creative team: http://teaproject.com/projects.html

NO Soulful Sundown This Week
There is NO Soulful Sundown worship service this week, December 4th, to make time for the Te’a Project’s performance of “Under the Veil: 9/11 and Beyond.”  Soulful Sundown will resume on December 11th at 5pm, led by the Youth Group.

This Sunday, we continue our monthly theme, “Where Do We Come From?” with a very special guest: The Rev. Nihal Attanayake, the Director of the Faith in Action Department for the UU Church of the Philippines, and member of the Executive Committee of the International Council of Unitarian and Universalists. Rev. Attanayake will tell the story of how Universalism was born in the Philippines, and invite us to contribute to the building of the Quimada Dormitory, the church’s economic justice project. Rev. Rosemary will join us as worship associate, and a special collection for the dormitory project will follow the sermon. Our 5 pm Soulful Sundown will feature our popular Jazz Vespers service. We look forward to seeing you Sunday!

“Heroes and Martyrs”

The Rev. Joseph Ben-David

Our theme for this month is “Where Do We Come From?” It’s a time to reflect on our heritage as a free religious faith.  So we couldn’t have a better worship leader to start us off right than our own Rev. Joe Ben-David.  A fearless member of the Czech Resistance to Nazism, Rev. Joe came to Unitarianism in Prague, at a time when the church was the largest Unitarian congregation in the world.  For those of you who’ve never had a chance to hear the story of the Unitarian Association in Prague, and those who kept it alive, you’ll want to join us at 10:45 am.  Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, our senior minister, will also take part in the service.  If you’d like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, our monthly orientation for newcomers will take place right after the service at the front of the sanctuary.  We’ll see you then!

On this Sunday that celebrates the founding of Universalism in America, we’ll be celebrating the gift of salvation–yours, mine and all of creation. If you think liberal religious people don’t need salvation–think again! Join us as we tell the story of John Murray, “Father of Universalism,” and reflect on the many ways we are saved. We’ll be taking up TWO special collections this Sunday–one for the Regency Transitional Shelter school supplies fund, and the second in honor of Murray Grove, our Universalist camp and conference center. Our gifted seminarians will lead the 5 pm worship service, as they do each fourth Sunday. We look forward to seeing you at one or both services!