July 31 “Singing for Our Lives: Cultivating Creativity” with Rev. M’ellen Kennedy and Kayla Becker
Spirituality and creativity are inextricably linked. Let’s explore and experience this sacred connection together. Friends on the Path small group discussion after the potluck on the theme of the service.
August 7 “How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain” with Rev. M’ellen Kennedy
Part of being human is that we have an internal longing for the cleansing of our perceptions, the expansion of our consciousness, the widening of our awareness. We’ll explore the current perspectives and research on spirituality, practices and states of consciousness for what we can gleam about being better people and living more meaningful lives. The title of the sermon is that of a new book by Dr. Andrew Newberg. Friends on the Path small group discussion after the potluck on the theme of the service..
August 14 “Slow Living: A Spiritual Practice for an Instant Gratification World” with Kali Fyre
Kali is Unitarian Universalist seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School and Student Minister at U.U. Congregation of Milford, NH. Rev. M’ellen knows her from seminary and local connections.
August 21 “Taking Our Lives Back: Why We Love to Eat Greens!” with Rev. M’ellen Kennedy
Our accompanist will be Lindsay Wade. Friends on the Path Group discussion after the service.
August 28 “Hearts of Flesh” with Rev. Joan Javier-Duval
Ezekiel 36:26: “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Living with an open heart can be challenging in these troubling times, yet, it is also a spiritual practice that offers possibility for redemption and hope. What insight can these ancient words from the prophet Ezekiel offer us in our time?
The Rev. Joan Javier-Duval has served as the settled minister of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier since August 2015. Joan has also served the Unitarian Society of Germantown in Philadelphia, PA as both a Ministerial Intern and as a Consulting Minister, and she has preached in dozens of congregations in the Northeast and New England. Joan is a graduate of Yale Divinity School. Before entering the ministry, Joan worked for several years as a community and political organizer and leadership development trainer. She lives in Montpelier with her husband Jared and son Liam.
