Labor Day through Memorial Day we have two services each Sunday morning, one starting at 9 am and the other starting at 11 am
During the summer we have a single 10 am service, as we do on the Sunday after Christmas and the Sunday after New Year’s Day.
Each service begins with the lighting of the chalice,
the symbol of Unitarian Universalism and ends with a challenge
to renew our commitment to living our faith. Services are always
music-filled,
because our congregation is blessed with amazing talent and a beautifully restored historic pipe organ. You'll find descriptions of upcoming services in the lower right column of this page. Each service is unique: here are samplings
of past sermons. Frequently the congregation is invited to "Talk Back", to share their views on what the minister has said. Join us for conversation over coffee after each service.
Child and Youth Services
Sunday services for children preschool through fifth grade begin at the same time as adult services and last 25 minutes longer. Nursery care and Sunday School are held in George Bray Hall on the lower level of the church. Officially called "Young Religious Unitarian Universalists", older children come together to explore and share their own beliefs, learn more about world religions and build a community of trust and mutual support. YRUU Juniors (6th through 8th grade) meet Sunday mornings from 10:30 to noon and/or Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. YRUU Seniors (9th through 12th grade) takes place Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30PM. All YRUU meetings are held downstairs at the Annex.
Detailed information on these and all other Religious Education programs for children
and adults can be found in our Prospectus for Religious Education.
May 4 ~ Entitled?
Most of us take certain rights for granted (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come to mind) - but when is a right really a privilege? For example, most of us would agree that education through high school is a right, but what about college? And why is voting a right, but driving a privilege?
Tony's sermon will explore "entitlement mentality," both good and bad.
May 11 ~ Children's Sunday?
Our children will be leading this Children's
Sunday service in honor of Julia
Ward Howe, Unitarian peace activist who
originally proposed Mothers' (Peace) Day.
In honor of Julia we will gather at Monument
Square to end our service with a
peacemaking demonstration, including
songs of fellow-UU Pete Seeger.
May 18 ~ Where Free Speech and Hate Speech Intersect (Request sermon)
Should there be limits to free speech?
Besides limits for safety reasons (like the
ban on yelling "fire" in a crowded theater),
should there be limits on speech that is
"incendiary" in other ways (e.g., Don
Imus)?
Tony Larsen preaching and our Olympia
Brown Choir singing.
May 25 ~ Bridging Sunday
Our graduating seniors will give their
"going away" thoughts. Come, help us
send them off with our blessing.
June 1 ~ Affirmation Sunday
Our eighth-graders will be
"affirmed" (UU equivalent of confirmation,
bar/bat mitzvah) at this Sunday's service.
They will each give a sermonette on what
their UU faith means to them, and their
parents will speak, too.
June 8 ~ UU Revival Sunday
This is our annual "UU Revival" Sunday
and the day of our annual church picnic.
The service will be an Amen-shouting,
foot-stomping, glory-singing revival of our
UU faith. After the service we will have
our usual picnic but at a new place: Lockwood
Park (corner of Ohio Street & Graceland
Blvd). The church provides the brats,
franks, and buns. You bring something to
share, your own dishes, eating utensils,
beverage, blankets and chairs. There are
rest room facilities available.
June 15 ~ Touching Base
Celebrate Father's Day with music
from "3 Quarts and a Pint" (Wayne Johnson,
Vern Peterson, Tony Larsen, and
Everett Kuiper), plus a sermon by Tony
Larsen on how we all seem to need a place
of safety that we can come back to. What
is that "base"?
June 22 ~ Loyalty
This is our annual Blessing of the Animals
service with music from our Olympia
Brown Choir.
June 29 ~ The Partisans of Prickle and the Partisans of Goo
Tony will speak about the difference
(and complementarity) between religion
based on head vs. heart. We will also have
a tour of Mound Cemetery after the service
(about 11:30 am) to learn about some of our
UU forbears buried there.
The sanctuary
