Who are the moral owners of Unity Church? What is the relationship between personal and institutional morality? How can we move from "charity to solidarity" in our efforts for social justice?

The founders of our church chose their words carefully. For them the word pointed to the unity of religious experience. For us the word implies a quality of curiosity, engagement and respect. Are we living up to our name?

Itâs a common question among Unity parents: "What about the Bible?" Do the stories of the Old and New Testaments have a place in the religious upbringing of our children? Why does the Bible elicit a wholly different response from Unitarian Universalist adults than other sacred texts? Drawing wisdom from our liberal religious ancestors, William Ellery Channing and Sophia Lyon Fahs, worship leader and Director of Religious Education Kerri Meyer will frame a possible approach to the Judeo-Christian scriptures, useful to parents and Sunday School teachers and of interest -- Kerri hopes -- to all.

At age 6, Sophie discovered that time moves effortlessly from "now" to memory. Itâs a wonderful insight, but how important is "now?" What does it mean to be in the moment? Why do we live our lives in "future mode" while clinging to the past for guidance? If we are open, we can discover the "now" that calls us to play and to "dance in a spring wind." Then we can realize that "Only this moment is life."

Hear from several youth who -- in the eyes of their church and community -- are turning out to be fine human beings in a generation subject to our doubts. We will explore what ingredients contribute to the growth of a whole person in this moment in history. How are parents, other adults and the youth themselves cooks in the kitchen that is adolescence? Recipes and tasty morsels of young wisdom will be provided by worship leaders from among the youth of the church.

Mindfulness meditation encourages us to recognize the inevitability of pain and struggle in daily life - the embracing of this reality allows us to let go and find peace. This is the essence of what the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron calls "letting go of the story line." She writes, "real life problems are the material for waking up, not the reason to stop trying" - holding our struggles with the same honor that we hold our joy is the essence of waking up to life. But how do we learn to just "be" while still needing to do the "do"? Jenny explores the challenges in reaching this state of awareness, the journey to find peace there, and the role of faith and religion in this process.

Our liberal religious tradition values the role of rational inquiry more than other traditions. But careful, rational inspection of the best of our information and deepest of our intuitions can lead us into strange places. What happens when familiar truths are shown to have disconcerting implications? Some examples from the history of mathematics can be both cautionary and enlightening.

Unity Church encourages us to create lives of integrity, service and joy. How do we engage in this effort within our own lives, with each other, and beyond the walls of Unity Church? What holds us back and what drives us forward? Laura Smidzik takes a thoughtful look at the journey our faith calls us to take.

At the center of German philosopher Hegelâs construction of logic is the concept of Aufhebung, a word which carries three meanings: to lift up, to preserve and to destroy. This is a look into the spiritual practice of dialectics, or accepting seemingly contradictory ideas to be true, and the practical implications for those on the journey to integrity, service and joy.

Extraordinary rendition, denial of habeas corpus, enhanced interrogation tactics, waterboarding, torture. We have been hearing and reading these words too often since September 11, 2001. It has been difficult to follow the recent history. Itâs tough to sort out facts from spin, and for some, the issue is too abhorrent to think about. CVT and the National Religious Campaign against Torture have determined this June to be Torture Awareness Month and have charged religious communities across the country to recommit themselves to their most deeply held convictions and act in this effort to ban torture. Come hear what this means for our church and the larger Unitarian Universalist community.

In the Buddhist tradition, the first of the three marks of existence is impermanence. This idea that reality is constantly flowing has become embedded in modern, Western theological thought as âprocessâ. In this continual flux, is there anything permanent and unchanging? What is our place in this transient world? Where is the joy?

Did you know that Irma Rombauer was a Unitarian? And that Joy of Cooking has its roots in the Womenâs Alliance of the Unitarian Church in St. Louis? Janne and Worship Associate Jean Olson will lift up the unique contribution of Joy of Cooking and the importance of kitchen wisdom.

Did you know that the "K" in K-rations refers to U of M professor, Ansel Keyes? During World War II, Keyes was asked to devise a compact, nutritious packet for use by the troops. What did he include and why? What do soldiers need and why? Rob and Community Intern minister, Jacqueline Duhart, a retired Air Force officer will offer a service for Memorial Day.

Come celebrate the affirming, uniquely Unitarian Universalist ritual of Flower Communion. Developed by Czech Unitarian minister, Norbert Capek who died a martyr at Dachau, the ritual celebrates the intrinsic beauty of each and every soul. Bring a flower for the arch. This Family Sunday service is for the whole church family.

Barry Lopez asks, "How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in oneâs culture but with oneself?" How do we embody the generous spirit of mothering in this troubled time? The answers may lie in the workings of an anthill or the language of our very DNA. Ruth MacKenzie is a student of theology at United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, as well as a professional creative and performance artist.

Increasingly, we are not only conscious of the nutritional value of the food we eat, but also its source and sustainability. We are also increasingly aware of the ethical and political dimensions to the food we eat. Explore the dynamics of the food chain and what is healthy eating when the well-being of the whole planet is considered.

We conclude our series on covenant and creed with a service to honor those who are Coming of Age this year. Building on the Saturday night ceremony at which each participant will offer their theological statement, the services will highlight those practices, which are essential to our liberal faith. Community Ministerial Intern, Jacqueline Duhart, who has been working with our Coming of Age class all this past year, and Kerri Meyer, Director of Religious Education join Rob in conducting the service.

"Although there are considerable differences between American UUs and Transylvanian Unitarianism - because we live in different societies and in slightly different kinds of cultures - I am more and more conscious about our common passion for justice, human dignity, true fellowship, real peace and love â and I know that we all feel responsible for these values. As a progressive liberal from Transylvania, being here gives me the unique opportunity to learn from your experience, spirituality, and social involvement. "  Rev. Bela-Botond Jakabhazi

The liberal church was founded upon the understanding of covenant as the central binding agent, not creed.  Given that historic understanding, Janne and Worship Associate Elizabeth Alexander will explore the promises the liberal church makes to its members and friends.  

An introduction to our way of being religious. Who were our spiritual ancestors? What do we promise each other? Covenant for us is more a verb than a noun, a way of being religious together rather than a set of fixed beliefs.

The entire church family will gather to "practice resurrection." Easter celebrates far more than simply the coming of spring. Easter is the joyful recognition of the ministry of Jesus and the many ways his work lives on in all our lives.

Theologian James Luther Adams identified five smooth stones of liberal religion. These stones can be thought of as the stepping stones that we walk upon as we move forward into the future. Explore the smooth stones of our liberal religion that speak to what we might become in the future.

There are times in life when only faith will suffice. Rob and Worship Associate Elizabeth Alexander have collected stories of such times in the lives of church members and will offer them in collage as part of the service. Even though we know that spring is on the way there are times when even the resilience of the seasons seems in doubt.

How do we keep our heart attuned to the harsh realities of what happens in the public squares of our sacred world? How do we become more and more conscious and spiritually engaged? Explore the road toward becoming an Active Witness; a tool that may reawaken/reconnect us to the fullness and wholeness of life.

Sometimes our efforts at keeping our lives in balance are not enough. With a chance misstep, the world tilts, and we take a tumble. Can we fall with grace, or do we resist the inevitable outcome? Can we recover, and how? Who is there to help us, and can we accept that help?

The Blues tradition embraces the reality that some times "just gettinâ down" with our blues can be the wisest thing to do in response to our disappointments.

There is no work (outside of serving as an instrument of evil) that cannot be made worthwhile. Both suffering and joy are largely a matter of consciousness. Gandhi taught that caste was a matter of karma. In other words, know your place and find happiness there. That approach is in direct conflict with working for human liberation. Or is it?

W. E. DuBois states, "Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the play-time." In justice-making work is there room for joy? If so, how do we find joy and sustain it? This service will be led by Jacqueline Duhart and Worship Associate Neely Crane-Smith.

Every great tradition points to the fact that compassion can take root in a heart thatâs been broken. There is work we do that we know wonât be accomplished in just one generation. We do it anyway because we know itâs right. Rob and Worship Associate Estelle Brouwer will speak of their own heartbreak and of why good work is sometimes worth the risk.

The first service dedicated to the theme of "Work Worth Doing" will explore the important work of raising and mentoring our children and youth.

With the joy of birth and hope that the Christmas season offers us, there is another side. Holy Innocents Day, an ancient Feast Day, recalls the story of the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem as described in the Gospel of Matthew. How can this apparent evil be part of the Christmas story? How do we face the fact that we live, and many around us suffer and die, daily? Come explore how we may navigate a world full of suffering, violence, and despair.

The long midwinter nights seem almost out of time. We rush around in hope of pleasing those we love the best while the world around us slows down to starlit stillness. A quality of spiritual surrender is forcing ourselves to slow down.

The title of this service comes from the poetry of Sufi poet, Rumi. But folk wisdom posits that guests, like caught fish are welcome for about three days.

All creation sings the secret told to Mary by an Angel. Soon God will be born again through you. Soon love will come to you in human form.

In a quest for efficiency, order and even survival, we compartmentalize our lives, separating work from family, from church, from leisure. We know that some boundaries are necessary, but when do we go too far? What is the spiritual cost to such dis-integration?

The story of the first Thanksgiving may well be mostly myth. We know how quickly gratitude gave way to conquest. But seeds of possibility and hope were planted with the corn when spring finally arrived after that terrible first winter. For years now weâve been planting seeds of hope in Transylvania. Weâve exchanged visits, struggled for mutual respect and gained far more than we could ever have imagined as genuine, lasting friendships have taken root.

We welcome Vivek Pandit, freedom fighter, community organizer and the visionary founder of Vidhayak Sansad, an organization at work freeing slaves in India. Vivek, who is in Saint Paul to explore partnership possibilities with Unity Church, asks us to contemplate the following question. How can liberal religion help newly liberated people to achieve inner freedom? Breaking physical chains is easy when compared to confronting the oppression of self-doubt.

To miniaturize another human being is a violent act. When we make assumptions about others on the basis of some singular aspect of their identity we diminish and marginalize them. Rob and Worship Associate Mary Baremore will wrestle with this all-too-human tendency.

College education, money, sound body and mind, heterosexual, male, physically attractive, white skin, English speaking, socially skilledâdo these characteristics separate us from beloved community and contribute to our collective suffering or bring us together in a spirit of love that is healing and liberating? Worship and reflect on how sins of privilege can be transformed and blaze a path toward freedom and justice for all.

Kabir says, Go over and over your beads, paint designs on your forehead, wear your hair matted, long and ostentatious. When deep inside you there is a loaded gun, how can you have God?" We live at the intersection of spiritual development and right action in the world. Urgency is understandable but so often its also an indication that weâre hiding behind the troubles of the world as a way to avoid confronting our own troubles. We run from church to church or from crisis to crisis hoping against hope to find an all-consuming cause. Such behavior can perpetuate the very injustice its intended to combat. Rob and Worship Associate, Craig Allen will begin our series on "Identity and Violence."

Evil prospers and wrongdoing asserts itself; loved ones disappoint us and fall short. Even our own dreams die and our courage often fails us. In the face of this often cruel reality, how dare we lay claim to hope? Rev. McNatt invites us, and our faith, to endure. This Celebration Sunday join us as we renew our financial commitments to our church community.

As part of our series on faith, Janne and Worship Associate Karen Palmen will examine where we look for validation of our faith. Do we look inward for our own sense of truth or do we look to outside sources? Or is it ever that clearly delineated? Emersonâs essay on self reliance will be a primary source for this service.

What does faithful living look like? What does faithful living feel like? It must have to do with living aligned to our values. What questions should we be asking ourselves? How can we most usefully serve one another in living faith-filled lives? Rob, Janne and worship associate, Estelle Brouwer will each offer reflections on these essential questions.

What is the role of faith in a noncreedal religion that is so attractive to skeptics? In what ways is faith different than belief? Janne and worship associate Don Brunnquell will examine the role of faith in todayâs world.

In Jewish tradition the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called "the Days of Awe." That awe is inspired by the sure knowledge that you and I can move beyond our brokenness, beyond our dissolution and begin again. Each year we celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days in a service, which culminates with a "Litany for Atonement." Rob Eller-Isaacs will offer a sermon on faith. Jean Olson will serve as worship associate.

First lines explores the importance of beginnings and what it means to have a beginnerâs mind.

Is it possible that starting a backyard flock of three chickens could be a meaningful response to the human crisis of inequity in food production and distribution? What does producing our own food at the really local level reveal to us about the relationship between feeding our communities and nourishing our souls? And what are you supposed to do when one of your hens begins to crow? Kerri Meyer reflects on the growing trend of keeping chickens and the âinexpressible satisfactionâ that comes from more than just fresh eggs.

We in America are immersed in a culture of violence, and in general we donât even notice. Our news, our entertainment, and our societal norms lead us to accept horrific violent acts as normal, acceptable, business-as-usual. As Unitarians, as people seeking to lead a religious life, should we be concerned? What response can we offer?

In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. It may also be a journey to a sacred place or shrine of importance to a personâs beliefs and faith. Lyn Burton will share joys, hardships and insights from her seven-year journey of faith as a Unity Church sponsored candidate for UU parish ministry on the path to Preliminary Fellowship in the UU Ministerâs Association.

For many people, working in corporate America seems both necessary and unavoidably numbing. Is workplace spirituality really an oxymoron? Must it be so? Come for some observations about the alleged conflict between work life and personal essence based on Craigâs 15 years working for large Minnesota businesses.

The Joy of Ripeness Justin Schroeder

Life is full of beginnings and endings. Yet, there is that magical moment, that space someplace between the beginning and the ending, where a fullness and perfect readiness is reached. It is as if we have been preparing our whole lives for this moment, this moment that can come again and again in our lifetime. It is a moment of joy, a moment of perfect ripeness - filled with sweet nectar, ready to burst forth.

The Journey We're Ready For by Teresa Schwartz

We make our paths by walking them, step by step. If our lives are a journey, are we ever truly ready? How would we know? What is the role of faith as we step into the unknown, especially as Unitarian Universalists? As we reach the close of our church year, we"ll reflect on the paths weÃïïve made together, and what lies ahead as we move into the ripe season of summer and the ripe season of ourselves.

In part, Memorial Day is a day of remembering all who have given their lives in service to our country. In this remembering, we are drawn into larger questions of meaning and purpose in our own lives: What am I willing to sacrifice? Who or what am I most authentically serving?

Work That is Real

by Rev. Dottie Mathews, Fox Valley UU Fellowship of Appleton, Wisc.

The title for this sermon comes from the Marge Piercy poem "To Be of Use." Explore the dynamics between finding coherence in our inner life and how we then take that coherence (or sense of meaning) out into the rest of our lives, our work, our home, and our relationships.

"Abundant Possibilities"

by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, All Souls Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Marlin Lavanhar grew up Unitarian Universalist at North Shore Unitarian Church in Deerfield, Illinois. After graduating from Tulane University, he relocated to Kyoto, Japan, where he worked and studied for two years. Leaving Japan, he and a friend took a three year, around the world odyssey on mountain bikes. The trip took him through some of the world's highest mountain ranges, across parts of the Gobi desert, Tibet, India, Pakistan, through the Middle East, across Eastern Europe and North America. It was on this trip that he felt the call to Unitarian Universalist Ministry.

His sermon explores the power of generosity and possibility - and the surprising moments that can come from spontaneous giving!

Easter Sunday

by Teresa Schwartz and Justin Schroeder

We honor the Easter story every year; every year we are in need of resurrection. We will celebrate doubt and belief, the commonplace and the miraculous, our fears and our hopes as we reach into new life.

Fools, Foolishness, and Folly:

What Clowns, Jesters and Pranksters Have to Teach Us

by Justin Schroeder

This April Fool's Day (and Palm Sunday), come laugh and chortle as we explore the history of the holy fool - those clowns and jokesters that throughout the ages have managed to penetrate our upright defenses to tell us the things we really need to know.

The Idolatry of Symbols by Rev. Karen Gustafson

Karen was ordained by the Duluth Unitarian Universalist congregation in 1986. She is a graduate of the Starr King School for the ministry in Berkeley California. Before becoming an minister, Karen was a public school educator in Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. She is married and has four just- barely-adult children. Karen is inspired by the poetry of Mary Oliver, Denise Levertov and Wendell Berry and time in the woods and near the lakes of northern Minnesota.

This sermon explores symbols and the power they can hold over us.

Gates, Alarms, Mace, and Faith: Finding Real Security in an Insecure Age. ByJustin Schroeder

What makes us safe, really safe? Is it a home alarm system, razor wire, the truth, or a hand gun next to our bed? How secure is secure enough, and what's faith got to do with it?

We strive for excellence, but when does it become too much? When does our pursuit of improving our careers, our homes, families, bodies, our very selves become too much? When does our drive to be better keep us from doing anything at all? What awakens this drive is us? What feeds it? What can it offer us? As part of our Lenten series on idolatry, Sabbatical Minister Teresa Schwartz and Worship Associate Karen Palmen will explore the idolatry of perfectionism.

Neil is the author of two acclaimed books, VoiceMale, and Fatherloss. He is writer-in-residence at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Rev. Kelly Flood, and their 13-year-old son, Evan. Neil is co-founder of the Unitarian Universalist Menâs Network. Justin Schroeder will join Neil as his Worship Associate.

Rev. Jennifer Crow, First Unitarian Church of Rochester, New York  delivered at www.unityunitarian.org

"Deep Democracyâ?

Teresa Schwartz

How do our âdemocratic idealsâ? line up with our basic lived values, in our lives, and in the world? How is our democracy failing us? Or have we failed it? In this service, Teresa Schwartz and worship associate, Dick Buggs, will look at ways to ground ourselves in a democracy that is life-giving, transformative, and reminds us that as a part of the interconnected web of life, we must work toward the common good.

Delivered at www.unityunitarian.org.

What we do we mean when we talked about "Beloved Community"? How do we recognize the "Beloved Community," and how do we know if we're there? On this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, we'll explore visions and intersections of "Beloved Community," "Mountain Top" experiences, and the "Kingdom of God."

"Tolling of Bells" - Rob Eller-Isaacs and Janne Eller-Isaacs

January 7, 9:00, 11:00 and 4:30 pm. Delivered at www.unityunitarian.org.

We begin each new year with a memorial service for those who have died in the previous year. Rob and Janne will each eulogize men and women whose lives have shaped the world of art or politics, literature or science.Everyone will have an opportunity to acknowledge those theyâve loved and lost. In grief and gratitude and gladness we turn to welcome the new year.

Family Christmas Sunday: This year our seasonal focus will be turned to the Santa Lucia story that mysteriously made its way from Italy to Sweden. Come see our own Lucias process in with the candles and hear the wonderful story again.

Delivered at www.unityunitarian.org.

To paraphrase columnist Ellen Goodman, holidays are the only times Americans are required to sit down to dinner with people they don't like. And isn't church in part about learning to love people we don't necessarily like? Rob and Worship Associate Sonia Hazard will suggest some ways to breathe peace into what can be a challenging time of year.

November 26 (9:00, 11:00, 4:30) by Teresa Schwartz

âHand in Handâ?

We gather as a church community in spiritual companionship. As such, we share our stories with one another. Hallman Ministerial Intern Teresa Schwartz and Worship Associate Don Brunnquell will explore how stories â those of our personal lives and of our religious heritage â can help us find forgiveness, agency, and inner peace.

"Choose Life"  Delivered at www.unityunitarian.org.

Come join in a time for giving thanks as the whole church family comes together to celebrate Partner Church Sunday. The service will be led by Rob and Janne. Our Hallman Interns, Justin Schroeder and Teresa Schwartz, will participate as well. The offering will be dedicated to help support the efforts of our Partner Church Ministry Team.

"Ordinary Things" by Richard Foushee

This service will reflect on appreciating the simple in a complex world by exploring the writings of the 17th century haiku master Matsuo Basho.

"Godtalk: UU Children and Theist Language" - Kerri Meyer

Our childhoods are chapters of naming, a time when words are magically attaching themselves to our reality and becomng the currency of our transactions with other people. What do our children mean, whether they come from theist or humanist families, when they use the word God? How do we respond to the Godtalk they are absorbing simply by existing in a predominantly Judeo-Christian religious culture? What choices are we making, as teachers, parents, and fellow seekers, about the theological language we use with our young people, and to what end?

"Conditions for Travel" Jenny Wilson

Writer Frederic Brussat claims that "we read the world to see what it can show us about the meaning of life. Through this reading, we gain a new understanding of our place in the universe and learn to recognize the many movements of the spirit." Join Jenny Wilson as she explores the journey we share as planetary pilgrims traveling on the edge of a galaxy.  

"Shaping Unitarian Universalist History: The Ministry of Frederick May Eliot" by Briana Melom. 

"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from." - Alex Haley.

This service helps us to remember the ministry of Dr. Frederick May Eliot, minister of Unity Church from 1917-37 and president of the American Unitarian Association just prior to the merger with the Universalists in 1961. As we make space in our busy lives for what Eliot called a sacred reality, we recall one who illuminated our heritage of faith. Briana Melom will be joined by Worship Associate Sharon Hogenson.