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Sunday Morning Worship Services
10-11 am with potluck following; All welcome; Childcare provided.
June 22 – “The Transforming Power of Love: Living Universalism Today” with Rev. Dr. M’ellen Kennedy. We are in the midst of a Universalist Awakening! The sweet, loving message of our heritage is the balm for the agonies of our era. How are You living this sweet message of Love? How are You called to live it? With accompanist, Helen Wilson! Annual Meeting after the service to be followed by a potluck picnic.
June 29 – “Addiction: What Is Not an Addiction?” with Rev. Gregory Wilson. Addiction is a profound spiritual issue. There is a complex relationship between addictions and the economic system, and the way the economic system demands adherence to its process. As a result of this, we humans respond by developing a myth that supports and normalizes addiction! Given this, do we even know what non addiction is? This exploration will both challenge You and open your eyes to a larger view to this immense social and spiritual issue. With accompanist, Helen Wilson.
July 6 – “Cultivating Happiness” with Ginny Sassaman. The focus of the service will be the critical need to build our personal resilience, compassion and happiness, to do our best to make the world a little better for all. Ginny gave a key note address at the National Happiness Conference held recently in Burlington. This sermon is a continuation of the
significant work Ginny is doing nationally with the Happiness Movement. Music will be provided by the Montpelier Ukulele Players. Accompanist, Joan Stepanskie.
July 13 – “New Church for a New Era” with Rev. Dr. M’ellen Kennedy. The spiritual longing which we each experience is a timeless part of our heritage as human beings. The form which this longing takes on, changes from era to era. It is clear that the old forms are in need of renewal and indeed, many new, exciting forms are emerging. In the New Testament, Jesus says, “No one pours new wine into an old wineskin.” What are your inspirations and dreams for creating vibrant community? Let’s explore how we can fulfill our spiritual longing, taking the best of what tradition has to offer and being open to fresh perspectives and renewal. Accompanist to be announced. The Post Potluck Small Group today will be offered by Rev. M’ellen and Sue Stukey, will be a continuation of this topic.
July 20 – “Eastern Practices for Well-Being” with Rev. Dr. M’ellen Kennedy. As we find our way into new ways of creating spiritual communities, bridging Eastern and Western traditions offers a rich opportunity. This week we’ll turn to the East for inspiration on practices for living well on the earth as spiritual beings. Rev. M’ellen will share with us Sufi, Buddhist, and Hindu practices. Next week, we’ll turn toward our own Western Christian tradition for inspiration. Join us for both services Accompanist to be announced. The Post Potluck Small Group will be on this topic and will be facilitated by Rev. Laelia Tawnamaia by Skype.
July 27 – “Universalism: Real Religion” with Rev. Richard Trudeau. Rev. M’ellen had the pleasure of meeting Universalist historian, Rev. Richard Trudeau, at the Universalist Convocation in Cincinnati in May. It turns out he’ll be in Canada in our neighborhood this summer and agreed to drop by and preach for us. He has written a book on Universalism which we’ll be reading. Here’s a quote from the book: “In Universalism, the reward for doing good is not salvation in a possible next life but happiness in this one.” Accompanist to be announced. Rev. Trudeau has graciously agreed to stay for the Post Potluck Small Group discussion of his book. Promises to be a rich Sunday.
August 3 – “Judge Not …” with Rev. M’ellen Kennedy. This year a bunch of us met monthly to work together on being more compassionate people as we read together the book, “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life”. One of the biggest lessons some of us
got out of it is an understanding of what an immense spiritual trap we get caught in when we judge others. Rev. M’ellen will share her reflections on the spiritual challenge of non-judgment. This service will build toward the depth and application which will be offered by seminarian, Andre Mol, the following week. With accompanist, Joan Stepanskie. You’re welcome to stay for the Post Potluck Small Group discussion on the topic.
August 10 – “Compassionate Communication” with Andre Mol. “Shared Space” Compassionate Communications calls us to speak at a level that honors emotions and connects each of us to our universal needs. This is not our typical way of speaking with each other. What would our world be like if we set aside our judgments, our ideas of right and wrong, and we spoke from that shared space of emotions and needs? Accompanist to be announced.
August 17 – “Creativity is Our Birthright!: Art and Spirituality” with Rev. M’ellen Kennedy. Art and Spirituality are two sides of one coin. Creativity is our spiritual essence. Let’s explore the spiritual power of art through music, poetry, dance and more! Special guest musicians on tap! Stay after lunch for a Post Potluck Circle of creative sharing and perhaps drumming.
August 24 – “Becoming More Compassionate People: How Our Amygdalae Got Smaller!” with Members of the Universalist University Course Members including Rev. M’ellen Kennedy. This past year, eleven of us have been meeting about monthly and working our way slowly through the book, “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life”, by Karen Armstrong.” At each meeting we would discuss a chapter in the book. More importantly, with the intention of becoming more compassionate people in the course of our year together, we’d explore how we were learning to live the lessons from that chapter in our everyday lives. During this service, we’ll share some of what we learned in this collective endeavor . We had such a fun time that we want to do something similar next year. Accompanist to be announced. Please join us for a Post Potluck Small Group sharing on learning to live more compassionately.
August 31 – “A Homily on Uncertainty” with Dr. Seth H. Frisbie. Our guest speaker will discuss the uncertainty in our daily lives, scientific discovery, historic records, and religious scripture. This will be our final service for the season. No Small Group today. Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Info on our minister and guests in the pulpit:
Rev. Dr. M’ellen Kennedy serves as our summer minister, preaching about half of the Sundays that we meet. She is a Unitarian Universalist minster and co-founder of the UU Small Group Ministry network. She is also founder of Peace and Unity Bridge, a program to cultivate friendship and understanding among Muslims and non-Muslims, sponsored by this congregation.
Dr. Seth Frisbie is a professor of chemistry and has worked on drinking water and public health in Bangladesh and other developing countries for the last 17 years. His team has helped improve the health of over 60,000,000 Bangladeshis and is helping to prevent hundreds of thousands of cancer deaths around the world. Please read more at http://
www.uuworld.org/news/articles/289495.shtml
Andre Mol currently attends seminary at Meadville Lombard Theological School. He is also a board member and active lay leader at Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society in Middlebury, VT. He is deeply interested in exploring and practicing transformative change through dialogue. He lives in Brandon with his wife and two young children.
Ginny Sassaman left the D.C. fast track in 2001 with her husband Bob and moved to Vermont. In 2006, Ginny returned to school, earning a Master’s in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies at Woodbury College in Vermont. Since then, she created the position of staff mediator for Home Share Now; co-founded Gross National Happiness USA; and created The Happiness Paradigm Store and Experience in Maple Corner. Today she works as a mediation coach, an artist, a workshop facilitator, and a writer/advocate for happiness at Happinessparadigm.wordpress.com. She also logs many happy hours as
a grandmother. She is a member of the Montpelier, Vermont Unitarian Church.
Rev. Richard Trudeau was for 17 years the minister of the UU Church of Weymouth, MA and for 35 years a teacher of math and the history of astronomy at Stonehill College in Easton, MA. His latest book is Bible Stories for Skeptics. He is married to Susan O’Connor, who runs a non-profit organization that teaches computer skills to residents of Roxbury, MA.
Rev. Gregory Wilson has been Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard, in Melbourne, FL since 2004. Gregory lives in Port Saint Lucie, FL, and in the summers, in Vershire, Vt. He’s serving as interim minister at South Strafford, Vermont.
