Celebrations of Life
2006 Archive

• January 1, 2006
  Milestones and Millstones
  Worship Associates: Mike Avery, Debra Gilbert, Evonda Valentine, Benjamin Ensor
  Special music by: Emily Ensor
  Our New Year's Celebration of Life will feature a Burning Bowl, an ancient Hindu purification ritual for freeing the negative aspects of the past from within us. By turning our burdens into white light, we can embrace the coming year with renewed energy. Let the flames of Love release them to the universe.
  
  
• January 8, 2006
  Soul Food
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Katie Brown
  What will feed you in the New Year and what role does the First Unitarian Church of Louisville have in nourishing your body and soul?
  
  
• January 15, 2006
  Martin Luther King, Jr. & The Gandhi Team
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Pat Allison
  With help from our First Unitarian Conflict Management Team today's service will focus on ways we might discover active non-violent paths of personal engagement for ourselves and our communities.
  
  
• January 22, 2006
  The Church of Christian Logic
  Rev. Norm Stewart with Special Guest, Bob Moore
  Bob is a member of the Church of Christian Logic which claims to be “the largest faith group in the Louisville area” with some 45,000 members. They don’t meet regularly and don’t believe that absolute religious truths exist. Come, meet Bob, and hear more about his unusual “church.”
  
  
• January 29, 2006
  Deism: Faith of Our Founders - Part II
  John Armstrong, Guest Speaker, Worship Associate Emil Roy
  John Armstrong maintains www.deism.org, one of the premier internet websites on Deism, the faith of many of our American founders and early Unitarians. Today John will share with us what he finds appealing about this approach to religious matters today.

  Rev. Norm Stewart will be the guest preacher in Lexington, KY this morning.
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• February 5, 2006
  Rememberfulness -- Drs. of Durability Intergenerational Celebration
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Pat Allison
  Our Doctors of Durability service remembers and honors our congregation's elders.
  
  "SOUPER BOWL" SUNDAY REMINDER: On February 5, 2006, when zillions will gather for "Super Bowl" Sunday, First U will host its own "Souper Bowl" Sunday and collect donated cans of soup for Dare to Care, a local food bank. Bring your cans of soup to church this Sunday. A church member will be at the parking lot entrance ready to collect your cans.

• February 12, 2006
  Matters of the Heart and Soul
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Katy Brown
  It's Heart Health Month and Valentine's week too. Following your heart . . . finding your soul . . . and perhaps greater health and wholeness in your life. . .
  
  
• February 19, 2006
  Thomas Merton - An Introduction
  Mark Meade, Guest Speaker, Worship Associate Emil Roy
  Mark is the Assistant Director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University
  
  
• February 26, 2006
  Four Spirits
  Author Sena Naslund, Worship Associate Rev. Norm Stewart
  In recognition of Black History Month, Sena Naslund will be speaking about her latest book, Four Spirits, a novel based partially upon her experience growing up during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, AL.
  
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• March 5, 2006
  A Faithful Expression of Your Generous Spirit
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Kathie Johnson
  Stewardship Sunday.
  
  
• March 12, 2006
  Putting It All Together -- 175th Anniversary Commemorative Quilt Dedication and Celebration
  Rev. Norm Stewart and our 175th Anniversary quilters
  
  
• March 19, 2006
  Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life -- Partner Church Sunday
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Kathie Johnson
  
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• March 26, 2006
  A Guest at Our House for UUSC Justice Sunday
  Worship Associate Joe Edmiston and special guest Mark McPeak, Deputy Director for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee will lead our service about the work of the UUSC today.
  

   

• April 2, 2006
  Matters of Style, Authenticity and Covenants
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Katy Brown
  Sharing the Wisdom--Some Unitarian Universalist congregations regularly include a "talkback" opportunity during or after their Sunday service. Personally, I like the opportunity for dialogue but don't care much for the name "talkback." Instead, I prefer to call such a dialogue "sharing the wisdom." Whatever you would prefer to call it, there will be a chance to discuss this Sunday's Celebration of Life and my sermon following the service in the sanctuary. If you would like to be a part of Sharing the Wisdom, get a cup of coffee, tea or water and come and join the conversation.
  
• April 9, 2006
  Leaping Barriers and Healing Wounds
  Emil Roy, Worship Committee, and congregants.
  Several members will speak frankly on ways they have overcome alienation or misunderstandings with others.
  
  
• April 16, 2006
  Intergenerational Easter Sunday Celebration of Life
  Rev. Norm Stewart
  
  
• April 23, 2006
  The Real World: Realistic Ways to Make a Difference
  How would a first-grader change the world? How can you? Find out at our High School RE service on the 23rd. From the collective power of ants to the acts of single individuals, there are many ways that change can be enacted in the real world. Don't miss out on the chance to see our youth in action!
  
  
• April 30, 2006
  Celebration of Life
  Rev. Norm Stewart, Worship Associate Katy Brown
  
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• May 7, 2006
  And So It Goes
  Rev. Norm Stewart
  May 1st was the pagan holiday known as Beltane. If you happen to read this in time you can join our local CUUPS Chapter on April 30th to celebrate this important day on the pagan wheel of the year. We'll continue to celebrate Beltane by dancing the May Pole in today's Derby Weekend Celebration of Life. Also, new members will be formally welcomed to First Unitarian on Sunday, May 7, during the Celebration of Life.
  
  
• May 14, 2006
  Music Sunday Celebration of Life
  Come join us as we take a walk down memory lane with music that might have been heard in our church during its long history. Celebrate the strong role that music has played in the 175 years that First Unitarian has been in Louisville.
  
  
• May 21, 2006
  Religious Education Recognition Celebration of Life
  Join us for this annual Celebration of Life where we honor all R.E. participants, recognize our high school graduates, and celebrate our multigenerational village... The service will include some very special music.
  
  
• May 28, 2006
  Beings of Service
  Rev. Norm Stewart
  This Memorial Day Weekend we will honor those who are serving or have served our country and examine the service component of a spiritual life.
  
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• June 4, 2006
  Celebrating our Coming of Age Program Graduates
  Today we honor our Coming of Age program participants, recognize their accomplishments,
  and celebrate with them as they share their "Statements of Belief." Special music will be provided by members of the
  Coming of Age group. (No children's R.E. today - we invite children to join in the Coming of Age celebration. Childcare will be provided for our young UUs.)

   

• June 11, 2006
  All Church Camp Out at O'Bannon Woods
  A weekend long Celebration of Life.
  Left Behind
  At church in the music room: Left Behind, a Celebration of Life with the Rev. Norm Stewart for those who didn't make it to the camp out.
  

• June 18, 2006
  At the Edge of Summer
  Rev. Norm Stewart
  At the Edge of Summer, the coming Summer Solstice, we
  will have a Flower Communion and also bid Safe Passage to more than 16 members of our church community who will be
  heading off to General Assembly in St. Louis.
  
  
• June 25, 2006
  Blessing the Animals
  Tiffany and Doug Taylor
  Today we will honor the pets and animal friends who are a part of our blessed
  community. You are invited to bring pets on leashes or in appropriate carriers to the Celebration of Life. They must have adult supervision at all times for the safety and enjoyment of everyone. We encourage you to bring pictures or mementos of pets living or gone to decorate the platform.
  
  
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• July 2, 2006
  Belonging
  Jill Sampson
  What does it mean to belong to a UU church? How is that "belonging" different from belonging to other churches? Jill Sampson will present a sermon by Matthew Tittle, a UU Minister in the Bay Area.
  Great Sermons Series
  
  
• July 9, 2006
  The New Pacifism
  Sam Avery
  Are those opposed to war in the nuclear age "pacifists" in the traditional sense? Do we have to be opposed to the wars of the past in order to oppose the wars of the future? The "New Pacifism" seeks a more broad-based, practical, means of assuring permanent world peace. The sermon in html format.
  
  
  
• July 16, 2006
  What's Behind the Ivory Door?
  Lay minister, Homer Wilkins, leads us in an Intergenerational Service based on the A.A. Milne play, The Ivory Door.
  
  
  
• July 23, 2006
  Midlife Crisis as Spiritual Practice
  Rev. Mitra Jafarzadeh shares with us, "This topic came to my mind first in response to my worries about turning 35. Then it seemed to have application to intellectual, spiritual, as well as physical growth. Is it possible that the anxiety and restlessness associated with a mid-life crisis could yield healthful results?"
  
  
  July 30, 2006
  Slights of Passage
  Annie Foerster
  "Rites of passage are important landmarks in our life. We celebrate such events as birthdays, graduations, marriages, with rituals that everyone recognizes. What about those passages we don't celebrate? What are they, and why don't we celebrate them?" Annie Foerster is serving as Interim Minister in northern Cincinnati for a second year.She is author of the book "For Praying Out Loud," and is working on a second book of prayers for children.
  
  
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• August 6, 2006
  Lammas
  This service is led by CUUPs.
  Lammas is an earth-based celebration that marks the middle of summer and the beginning of the harvest. It is the first of three harvest festivals and is usually associated with ripening grain, which is why we celebrate with breads. Find out how this ancient holiday can have significance in today’s world.
  
  
• August 13, 2006
  No Deposit, No Return
  JoAnn Dale, Holly Hogue, and Patricia Triplett lead an exploration of how sharing the ministry can yield spiritual and emotional harvest.
  
  
• August 20, 2006
  What’s So Good About “Aging”?
  The Brownbaggers raise our awareness about the surprises and joys of aging. This light-hearted, tender service led by Anne Miller will be a treat.
  
  
• August 27, 2006
  Not Me--AKA T-Shirt, Clean-Up Day
  Join Geneva Fry for an Intergenerational Service about the blessings of work. Then stay to help clean the church at our annual fall clean-up event.
  
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• September 3, 2006
  Walking and Rolling: One Couple’s Journey into Life with Quadriplegia
  Wayne and Linda Givens discuss the injury that let to Wayne’s disability, their responses to that injury, and lessons learned along the way.
  
  
• September 10, 2006
  Wade in the Water
  Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
  Join in the Ingathering! We will come together as the church community, including our new interim minister, our new music director, children and youth, their teachers, and most important—you, the congregation. This service features the water Communion; please bring water symbolic of your experience over the summer.
  
  
• September 17, 2006
  Succulent Spirituality
  Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
  So often we associate spirituality with asceticism. Explore the wonders of succulence: the miracle of abundance that can be found even in the desert wilderness.
  
  
• September 24, 2006
  The Healing Time
  Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
  What are we to make of the conjunction of the autumnal equinox, Rosh Hashanah, and Ramadan? What does healing look like? What do we do with our wounds? The inspiration for this service, and its title, come from a poem by Pesha Gertler.
  
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• • October 1, 2006
    On Turning
    The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman
    The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is known as the Sabbath of Turning. This Celebration of Life focuses on themes of the Jewish Days of Awe.
    
    
  • October 8, 2006
    Shadow and Light
    The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
    Psychologist Carl Jung declared that every person has a shadow side. Ambrose Bierce defined a saint as a “dead sinner, revised and edited.” But Walt Whitman wrote, “In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass.” How do we get in touch with our inner saint? Can we acknowledge our shadow side? When we look at ourselves and those we encounter, do we see the shadow, or the light?
    
    
  • October 15, 2006
    Service Honoring National Coming Out Day
    Troy Jackson, worship leader; Katy Brown, worship associate
    On October 11, 1987, half a million people marched on Washington, D.C. for gay and lesbian equality. Events of National Coming Out Day are aimed at expanding everyone’s awareness of the GLBTQ community.
    
    
  • October 22, 2006
    A Slice of Pi
    The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
    Think you are a universalist? A few years ago, Yann Martel wrote a novel called The Life of Pi, which tells the story of.Pi (who else?). Pi can teach us a thing or two, about religion, love, and life.
    
    
  • October 29, 2006
    Dia De Los Muertos
    Troy Jackson, worship leader; Fred Lehman, worship associate
    Our annual inter-generational celebration honoring our ancestors who dug the wells from which we drink. Our children will be trick-or-treating for UNICEF at this service, so please bring plenty of change.
    
    

  
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• November 5, 2006
  The Church, The State, and The Voting Booth
  The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman
  What is the relationship between church and state, religion and politics? What ought to be the relationship? How separate are they, anyway? Is it time for a divorce?
  
• November 12, 2006
  Being Grace
  The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman
  Theologians have wrestled with the concept of grace for hundreds of years. But fools rush in where angels fear to tread....
  
• November 19, 2006
  Giving Thanks
  The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman
  I have always regarded Thanksgiving with suspicion. So often the message seemed to be, “Be thankful that you are better off than some other person,” which can easily translate into being thankful for someone else’s misery. How do we give thanks appropriately? At this Celebration of Life, we will gather as a community, and practice giving thanks.
  
• November 26, 2006
  Thanksgiving
  Barbara Coles and Michael Wilding.
  A giving of thanks, an expression of gratitude, a celebration of what we have received. Are we always aware of our good fortune? America is only one of many countries to set aside a special period of thanks giving. Hear about the common thread of gratitude we share.
  
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• December 3, 2006
  Kwaanza
  This service will focus on the principle of Kuumba, or Creativity. The River City Drum Corps will make a return appearance.
  
  
• December 10, 2006
  Waiting
  The Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
  At this time of year, the hours of daylight are shrinking, the trees are mostly bare, and spring seems very far away. It is easy to lose hope. The Christians linked the birth of Jesus to the winter Solstice, and designated the four weeks before, Advent, reminding their followers that in spite of the growing darkness, new life will be coming. It is a season of waiting. What are we waiting for? Is our waiting passive, or active? Are we bringing an attitude of despair, or hope?
  
  
• December 17, 2006
  A Season of Wonder
  Join us for our annual Religious Education Celebration of Life, planned and presented by the children and youth R.E. classes. Special music by the Choir for All Ages and many of our talented young musicians.
  
  
• December 24, 2006
  The Poetry of the Season
  Rev. Betsy Scheuerman.
  This time of year has inspired many wonderful poems. Let the music of the spoken word pour over you, in this quiet and meditative service. December 24 (pm)
  
  
• Vespers - The Birth of the Holy - Sunday, December 24
  Preludes at 4:30pm - Service begins at 5pm
  Rev. Betsy Scheuerman, Will Plummer, Choir, Orchestra, and many others.
  As UUs, we understand that it is not just Mary who gives birth to new life. We understand that it is not only the Baby Jesus who is Holy. All of us, women and men, old and young, carry the holy within; all of us can give birth to something new, something wonderful, something holy. The music will be a highlight of this service: This year the choir and a small orchestra will be performing Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F. There will also be much wonderful music during the preludes. Join in singing carols, join in the celebration of new life, join in the joy of the growing light.
  
  
• December 31, 2006
  Ceremony of the Burning Bowl
  Troy Jackson and Barbara Coles
  On New Year's Eve before the champagne cork pops, the ball drops, and you have a pound of confetti to sweep up, join us for the Celebration of Life as we stand on the cusp of the year and celebrate what we've done right. As part of our tradition we enact ceremony of the Burning Bowl were we send up to the Spirit of Life what we wish to gain and what we wish to release.
  
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• Return to upcoming Celebrations of Life
  Coffee and refreshments served following the service in the Social Hall.
  For directions, see our map to the church.
  First Unitarian Church * Unitarian Universalist * UU * Louisville Kentucky * KY 5493

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