Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Presenter
Heidi MacLennan, Service Associate

As we go through life, we encounter many changes — transitions, stages, disruptions. These typically involve letting go of past beliefs, behaviors, in order to take up a new phase of life. We’ll explore what’s involved in beginning again as part of such transitions — whether we chose them or not.

0 0

Gaylee Tempkin, Presenter, D’Vorah Kelley, Service Associate

Join us as we explore the connection between the Unitarian Universalist values of Interdependence and Transformation, and a practice of intentional movement, breath, and touch in supporting physiological healing across all stages of life. Gaylee will share her work with children of all ages that taught empathy, consent, and emotional literacy. Her presentation also addresses shared autonomic nervous system challenges and ways to restore long-term physical, emotional, and autonomic stability as people age.

0 0

Presenter, Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Service Associate, Gaylee Temkin

Religious naturalism begins with a naturalistic worldview, using science as a basis for understanding what is real. This it combines with a religious orientation, including spiritual feelings like wonder and gratitude, and values rooted in nature, such as cooperation within groups and balance in ecosystems. This combination appeals to those of us who approach the world both empirically and emotionally. We’ll explore some ideas of Religious Naturalism, and consider our origin and place in the universe.

0 0

First introduced by philosopher Karl Popper in his 1945 book The Open Society and Its Enemies, the paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant will eventually be seized or destroyed by the intolerant. The question is : Are we globally living in one of those moments?
Moderated by Bob Koches

0 0

Presenters: Members of the Finance & Stewardship Team and the Sunday Service Team

Mark your calendars! This Sunday marks the launch of our Annual Pledge Campaign, as we gather not just as a congregation, but as a community bound by shared values, love, and a commitment to justice. We invite everyone—longtime members, friends, and newcomers alike—to reflect on what this spiritual home means to you.

Our collective pledges fund the vital work we do: vibrant worship, inspiring music, impactful social justice outreach, and more. They are a vote of confidence in our shared UU values and the radical hospitality we offer to the wider world. Together our gifts help weave the fabric of our future.

0 0

Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Presenter
Brad Wisniewski, Service Associate
Mary Doane, Piano

Many of us who have migrated to Mexico are here seeking belonging, a new life in a new place. Some of us are here as exiles, perhaps distanced or even estranged from families, perhaps disconnected from our homelands, from their culture and politics. Or maybe we find ourselves exiled from ourselves, trying to ‘fit in’, wearing a mask covering our true selves. How can we belong – to our own selves, to groups worthy of us?
Rev. Matt will present remotely via Zoom.

0 0

Presenter: Robbie Bergman, Service Associate: Hyacinthe Miller

Inside all of our brains is a filter that takes what we’ve learned to be important and make it stronger. So our beliefs are nurtured in such a way that we become set in our ways. Understanding this mechanism can help us coexist with people whose beliefs are in conflict with ours.

0 0

Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Presenter
Emilie Costello Service Associate

One of the laws of nature is that as the universe tends toward disorder, that entropy, the measure of disorder, increases. But we, as living things, push back against the flow of entropy, at least while we’re alive. As one writer put it, “we’re like little eddies in this greater entropic stream.” We’ll explore how we, as complex, emergent and evolving beings, fit into this larger stream that is our universe.

1 0

Moderated by Bob Koches.
Zeitgeist means the spirit or general mood of a particular time period—the ideas, beliefs, and cultural climate that are common in that era. It’s a German word literally meaning “time spirit.” This month we will look at the current global zeitgeist and compare our current moment with other historical time periods. The current global mood could be defined by uncertainty and stress as people try to cope with fast-changing technology, high living costs, and climate change. To emphasize this is not a United States centric topic but one with global emphasis.

0 1

Sean Donovan, Presenter,Annie Morris, Service Associate

Sean traces his theology to an unlikely source — editing a church newsletter in Knoxville for minister Kathleen Rolenz, where he slipped in Whitehead and Boehme. He distinguishes evil (a moral category requiring an agent) from suffering (which doesn’t), arguing neither is explained by a God who is all-powerful and all-good.

Process theology resolves this by redefining God’s nature: a God who persuades rather than coerces, since genuine love cannot coexist with unilateral control. Auschwitz becomes a real catastrophe God grieved, not a hidden plan. He weighs the hardest objection — that such a God is barely distinguishable from no God — through philosopher Hans Jonas, who proposed a God who contracted to make room for creation. Sean closes without resolution: the framework refuses to answer cheaply, and that refusal is the beginning.

1 0

2 0

1 0

Join us for an encore presentation by Jalisco Political Analyst and Journalist Carlos Navarro as he explores Mexico's Political system. 4-part series.
Presented by LCUUF.

2 0

Join us for an encore presentation by Jalisco Political Analyst and Journalist Carlos Navarro as he explores Mexico's Political system. 4-part series.
Presented by LCUUF.

1 0

Presenter: David Rosh, Service Associate: Robbie Bergman

Nearly every human being is looking for happiness, but very few know what happiness is. Conventional wisdom holds the concept that if we work hard, we will be more successful. And if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. Join David Rosh as he shares his long search for happiness in spite of his upbringing, because he now believes that our efforts to make ourself happy doesn’t just benefit us, but everyone around us–and we can become a purveyor of happiness. David will present many studies that support the fact that success follows happiness not the reverse and offers some practical advice and takeaways.

1 2

Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh
Service Associate: Sean Donovan

Deep listening involves giving others our pure, undivided attention. Such listening may involve words, but it also may involve connecting beyond words. And by listening deeply to others, we may end up listening deeply to ourselves. In this service, we explore the idea of deep listening: listening to ourselves, deeply listening to others around us, even listening to what is around us, be it the earth, God, or the universe.

0 0

Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Presenter
Beth Mason, Choir Leader
Lamar Allen, Service Associate

In song and story, Beth Syverson and choir will explore the origin and use of the song “We Shall Overcome” especially in nonviolent resistance movements worldwide. Rev. Matt Alspaugh will explore the connection of Unitarianism and Universalism with nonviolent resistance.

0 0

It is not only found in the senior population but also in the younger generations. We will explore why this occurs, its history, the social implications for global society, what it means to us as individual humanists and strategies to avoid loneliness.
Moderated by Bob Koches

2 0

Presenter: Rev. Matt Alspaugh, Service Associate: Robbie Bergman
Artificial Intelligence is perhaps the biggest technological change we’ve experienced in our lifetimes, along with all the other biggest technological changes: computers, the internet, streaming, smartphones, social media, and cat videos. We’ve each dealt with these other changes, but what about AI? I explore how I live with AI as a working minister, and how we might approach these tools in our lives.

1 0

D’Vorah Kelley: Presenter, Lynn Cleek: Service Associate
What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist in a changing world? While we claim no shared dogma, we are bound together by a powerful set of shared values. Join us this Sunday as we explore the “Value Flower” – a vibrant framework of Justice, Interdependence, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, and Generosity, all rooted in a central core of love.

Through story, song, and reflection, we will move beyond abstract ideas to look at the concrete actions we can take to live our faith out loud. Whether you are a lifelong UU or a seeker looking for a spiritual home grounded in deed rather than creed, you are welcome here.

3 0