Sunday Services Gallery

On the 250th anniversary of the original No Kings Day, it’s hard for many of us to feel hopeful or patriotic. And yet, patriotism has never been more important. What’s a patriotism for religious liberals, which holds America to her dreams without looking away from her nightmares? What can we learn from stories of grassroots resistance, past and present, as well as from the principles of Unitarian Universalism?

Rev. Fred Wooden returns to the pulpit

From the earliest recorded human history, nature has inspired awe and a creative response, from visual art to prose and poetry. Donald Mace Williams, a long-time newspaper man who writes poetry, will lead us on a journey through nature’s poetry and then everyone is invited to share a short poem! So, let’s get poetic and bring poems!

“Patriotism” is an intense word. It can evoke love and fellow-feeling; chauvinism and belligerence; loyalty and service. However they define it, most Americans consider themselves patriots, though plenty do not. For the 250th birthday of the United States, Rebecca Mattis wonders: How do our thoughts and feelings about our nation fit into our spiritual and emotional lives? What would we like to celebrate?

“Patriotism” is an intense word. It can evoke love and fellow-feeling; chauvinism and belligerence; loyalty and service. However they define it, most Americans consider themselves patriots, though plenty do not. For the 250th birthday of the United States, Rebecca Mattis wonders: How do our thoughts and feelings about our nation fit into our spiritual and emotional lives? What would we like to celebrate?

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a service of love songs? With a nod to the C.S. Lewis classic The Four Loves, UU speaker and Austin folksinger Steve Brooks uses music to explore the varieties and meanings of love. Some will be familiar and some obscure, but come prepared to sing along.

Many of us are motivated by a desire to contribute to a more just and compassionate world. The Effective Altruism movement offers a framework for turning that motivation into more meaningful impact. It explores not just how to help, but how to help most effectively. This talk explores how we can use reason, empathy, and a global perspective to better align our values with our actions.

Artemis Two’s photographs remind us our planet is just one of an uncountable number of planets circling an uncountable number of stars. But it is our home, our own Blue Boat Home. Help celebrate our earth with song, story, and plant sharing.

Helen Pluckrose is a British political and cultural commentator and a liberal humanist. Her work has addressed ideologically biased and shoddy academic publishing within cultural and identity studies and traced the evolution of postmodern thought into Critical Social Justice activism. She writes about why we should care about what is true, individual liberty, and our shared humanity. Ultimately, Helen wants to persuade people to value evidence-based epistemology and consistently liberal principles.