Speaker: Laura Gossman

Yuletide Traditions: Ancient Roots, Modern Relevance

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We’ll explore the history of yuletide traditions, how yule is celebrated across many religions, and the joy and meaning that yule traditions and stories hold for us our modern times. As part of our holiday “Love Notes and Cookies” project, Cyndia Caravaggio will lead a Love Notes writing opportunity during and after the service. We’ll also be collecting food donations for Food For Thought. Youth programming and childcare are available, and conversation and refreshments follow the service. Everyone is welcome!

Celebrating the Legacy of James Reeb – Compassion in Action

Come hear the story of UU minister Reverend James Reeb, who grew up in Casper and was tragically killed in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, while protesting in support of voting rights. Let’s also celebrate the completion of the downtown Casper James Reeb Memorial Mural and honor the people whose vision and hard work made it a reality. Youth programming is available, and conversation and refreshments follow the service. Everyone is welcome!

Poetry in Summer

Thomas Hardy said “Poetry is emotion put into measure.” Everyone is encouraged to bring a favorite poem to share – your own or a poem from a favorite poet. Childcare and youth programming are available during the service, and refreshments and conversation follow. Everyone is welcome!

How Shall We Be Together? Exploring Covenant

Covenant is the silk that joins UU congregations, communities, and individuals together in a web of interconnection – among themselves and the greater world. “The practice of promising to walk together is the precious core of our creedless faith” (uua.org). We join in community not … read more.

Rev. Pearson’s Spiritual Path to Universalism

Pentecostal Bishop Carlton Pearson’s conversion to Universalism cost him almost everything, but his faith remained strong. We’ll share his journey, recently documented on the “This American Life” podcast and in the Netflix movie “Come Sunday.” Service leader Laura Gossman. A youth RE program and childcare are available during the service, and refreshments and conversation follow. Everyone is welcome!

Changing the Words: Jason Shelton Responds in Love

In response to painful feelings of exclusion expressed by UU’s living with disabilities, UU music minister, Jason Shelton, changed the title and words of of his well know song “Standing on the Side of Love” to be more inclusive. The UUA followed Shelton’s lead by changing the name of its interfaith social justice program of the same name to “Side With Love.” Words have power. We can unknowingly make someone already made to feel invisible by our culture feel even more invisible by our language and metaphor. But does getting hung up on metaphors distract us from efforts to truly improve accessibility and inclusion?  And how far do we go? A time for discussion will follow the presentation. A youth RE program and childcare are available during the service, and refreshments and conversation follow. Everyone is welcome!

Earth Day 2018 – The World Within Us

In this Earth Day Service, we will explore our 7th Principle, the interconnected web of all existence of which we are a part. We inhale, and exhale, again and again countless times every day.  Inhale…at what point does air become breath? Exhale…when does breath become simply air? We are of the earth, and the earth is in us.  “What we do to each other and to our world, we do to ourselves.” During this service we’ll explore that statement, and the ambiguity and paradox we face when we try to apply it in our day to day lives when we try to figure out how to live in ways that respect the interdependent web of all existence, and when we try to figure out ways to help protect our precious earth. Click on the service title for a link to the full presentation text.

Let it go… (say what?!)

Everyone is encouraged to bring a can of soup or other non-perishable food items to donate to Food for Thought to help fill weekend food bags distributed to school children in Natrona County.

Discussion Forum: Kindness

Laura Gossman will facilitate a discussion forum on the monthly worship theme of “Kindness.” Deliberately practicing kindness syncs well with Unitarian Universalism’s emphasis on “deeds, not creeds.” We’ll explore our current culture’s ambiguities surrounding kindness, and reflect on why we should and how we can behave more kindly.