Members of the Sunday Program Committee and Reverend Melissa Carvill-Ziemer would like your evaluation of our Sunday worship. We have prepared a short survey enabling members and friends to provide feedback on various aspects of worship. We are also curious about the theological make-up of the congregation and have posed questions pertaining to personal religious beliefs. The results of the survey will be shared with the congregation in a worship service devoted to highlighting our congregation’s religious beliefs and worship preferences on May 20. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete on-line.
Month: March 2012
April 4th Spiritual Cinema in Fessenden Hall,7p.m.
In honor of the upcoming holiday, we will show the 1972 comedy musical GODSPELL. This joyful film retells the Easter story in the times of the Hippie Movement. It distills all that is best in the Christian stories. It is all welcoming, all inclusive. Seasonal treats will be provided.From Tolerance to Humility, March 25, 2012
Led by The Rev. Tim Temerson and Worship Associate Kristina Spaude –
As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm tolerance as an important religious value. But is it enough simply to tolerate difference and diversity or can we move to a deeper, more authentic place of acceptance and celebration? Today we will explore the beauty and the challenge of difference and consider the role of another religious value – humility – in helping us to move beyond tolerance.
The Rev. Tim Temerson is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron. He and Rev. Melissa will be participating in the time honored tradition of a pulpit swap this Sunday. With this swap, they are looking forward to strengthening the ties between our congregations.
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April Sermon Topics
During the month of April, we hope you’ll join us Sunday mornings at 9:30 or 11:15 as we explore expressions of justice.
April 1, 2012 Let My People Go!
The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Kristina Spaude – A message of liberation is at the heart of the scriptures and stories of Passover. Freedom is a requirement for the realization of justice. How are we still struggling for freedom in our own time? How can the old story help illuminate the struggles that greet our hands and feet today?
April 8, 2012 In His Eyes
The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer, Director of Religious Education Karen Lapidus and Worship Associate Max Grubb – Jesus was radically egalitarian. In his eyes all people were equal. Equality is a hallmark of justice. We will celebrate human equality and dignity in our special Easter services this morning. Our earlier service will be crafted with adults in mind, our later service will be created for children (first graders and up) and adults together. The choir will sing, we will celebrate and our annual egg hunt will be held immediately following our second service.
April 15, 2012
Led by Commissioned Lay Leader, Deb Chaney from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Canton and Worship Associate Elaine Bowen
April 22, 2012 The Planet our Children Will Inherit
The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate MaryLou Holly – Justice needs us to take a long view. Our children and our children’s children and their children and theirs will be the inheritors of this planet. What must we do, who must we be to be good stewards of the earth? Today is Earth Day. Come hear stories, come sing praises, come pledge your hearts again to this planet we share.
April 29, 2012 Grateful for the Changemakers
The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Bonnie Harper – So often our conversations about the demands of justice can become difficult or even depressing. To be grounded in the quest for justice as a religious person is to be grounded in a vision that sustains hope. This morning we will lift up stories of people creating change, people who are helping us find a way and the will to travel the way we have found. Today we lift up gratitude for people who help us become the change we want to see.
This Particular Call, March 18, 2012
Led by Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Bonnie Harper –
Every year our association of congregations has a General Assembly in June. This year our gathering will not be business as usual. This year we will have a Justice General Assembly with a very particular call. Whether you think you might have any interest in attending or not, I hope you will join us to consider the call our association is being invited to respond to in Phoenix and all across our country. David Petras of the Phoenix Witness Project will be with us to receive our special collection which will be used to help fund scholarships to Justice GA.
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Screening Lost in Detention
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent will host the next gathering of the William Williams Project (formerly the Sacred Conversation on Race) for a screening of the PBS Frontline video Lost in Detention followed by community conversation. Lost in Detention is a documentary by award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa which “examines the impact of the Obama Administration’s controversial get-tough immigration policy.” We will reserve some time at the end of our gathering to discuss next steps in planning for the future of this group.
We will be meeting from 4pm to 6pm on Sunday, March 18 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent, 230 Gougler Avenue, Kent, OH 44240. There is parking behind the church in a gravel lot. Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome. Please contact the church with questions or for additional information.
Five Below Fundraiser – Raise Money While You Shop!
A new Five Below fundraiser is scheduled for April 5, 6,and 7 at the Stow store located at 4332 Kent Road. All the items in the store are $5 or less! It is a great opportunity to purchase spring items and Easter goodies! 10% of your purchase is donated to the Church. (Flyer must be presented at time of purchase for donation credit.)
Stewardship Video
What Nourishes You?
Check out the UU Church of Kent Stewardship Campaign video created by David Smeltzer.
Spiritual Cinema, March 21st, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 P.M. Topic: Stereotyping
Our March Spiritual Cinema will explore the damage done by stereotyping of all kinds, racial, gender,gblt, and other forms of mass media stereotyping. We will show fifties sit-coms Amos n’ Andy and Car 54 Where Are You? to illustrate the kind of biases and bigotries that still affect us all. Each short film will be followed by discussion of the issues raised by this material. Some snacks will be provided, but this is not a pot-luck affair. All materials shown are g-rated, children are encouraged to come and share their reactions to art that has shaped the world in which they are growing up. Please be aware that this material has been chosen preciously because it is offensive!
Family Movie Night, March 23rd,7 P.M. to 9 p.m.(+)
Our March 23rd family movie is a collection of Star Trek parodies. No, we won’t show any actual Star Trek, but we will show famous take offs on Star Trek, like the legendary seventies spoof Quark, “Where no Fan has gone Before” from Futurama, plus the movie serials that inspired the t.v. show, Captain Video and Buck Rogers. Unfortunately,we can not show our planned movie, Galaxy Quest, due to copyright issues .This just leaves us more time for Star Trek parodies and inspirations. These will include “Space Patrol”,which is often called “The Star Trek of the Fifties”,animated cartoons, and much more. This is a potluck affair, while some food will be provided, please bring in your favorite dishes.
What It Takes to Speak Out, March 11, 2012
A New CUUPs Group Is Forming
What will the new CUUPs group be like?
Practicing Paganism is a lifestyle, a spiritually inclined belief system that is centered on Mother Earth and Her gifts. Our group will not have one specific path that is required for its members to follow. There is no “one right path” for Pagans to follow. Each member of the Kent CUUPS group will be encouraged to celebrate their unique path and spirit with others.
The group will be Earth centered and family friendly. We will practice and promote reverence for our Earth and all of the gifts She gives us. Caring for the environment is of paramount importance, as is teaching our children how to do so as well. Every ritual and gathering will be written to include children and families, ensuring comfort and simplicity for those involved.
For the rituals and gatherings that are to be held outdoors, we will use my (KC’s) yard or a local park will be reserved for our use.
Our sabbats, or holidays, follow the seasons of the Earth and there will be information sheets on each sabbat shortly. We follow the Wheel of the Year which begins on Samhain (October 31), though our belief is that there is no beginning and no end. Rather the Wheel is a continuous circle. Of course we also follow the Lunar cycle and observe the full Moon every month.
Pagans work with different Goddesses and Gods. Since the Goddess resides inside all of us, our spiritual practice is to call upon Her when necessary, and to call upon different Goddesses and Gods that will aid us in our works. We worship the Goddess of the Earth, the Goddess of the Moon, and the God of the Sun and we thank them for their gifts and abundance.
I am looking forward to leading this group and being your Priestess. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you have. If you would like to participate in the leadership of the group please contact me as soon as possible.
Thank you!
KC Pallone
The Way Gratitude Wears, March 4, 2012
The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Dani Beale – Have you ever considered the way gratitude wears? I mean, the way you wear gratitude in your heart and mind and body and spirit. I also mean the way gratitude wears a way to generosity. This morning we will celebrate the many gifts bestowed by the practice of gratitude.
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New CUUPS Group Forming
A new CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) group is forming. KC Pallone will head the new group and is looking for members. There will be an information session in which you can find out more on March 4 during coffee hour. With the success of this session and interest in a new CUUPS group, KC will lead the group.
What will the new CUUPS group be like?
Practicing Paganism is a lifestyle, a spiritually inclined belief system that is centered on Mother Earth and Her gifts. Our group will not have one specific path that is required for its members to follow. There is no “one right path” for Pagans to follow. Each member of the Kent CUUPS group will be encouraged to celebrate their unique path and spirit with others.
The group will be Earth centered and family friendly. We will practice and promote reverence for our Earth and all of the gifts She gives us. Caring for the environment is of paramount importance, as is teaching our children how to do so as well. Every ritual and gathering will be written to include children and families, ensuring comfort and simplicity for those involved.
For the rituals and gatherings that are to be held outdoors, we will use my (KC’s) yard or a local park will be reserved for our use.
Our sabbats, or holidays, follow the seasons of the Earth and there will be information sheets on each sabbat shortly. We follow the Wheel of the Year which begins on Samhain (October 31), though our belief is that there is no beginning and no end. Rather the Wheel is a continuous circle. Of course we also follow the Lunar cycle and observe the full Moon every month.
Pagans work with different Goddesses and Gods. Since the Goddess resides inside all of us, our spiritual practice is to call upon Her when necessary, and to call upon different Goddesses and Gods that will aid us in our works. We worship the Goddess of the Earth, the Goddess of the Moon, and the God of the Sun and we thank them for their gifts and abundance.
I am looking forward to leading this group and being your Priestess. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you have. If you would like to participate in the leadership of the group please contact me as soon as possible.
Thank you!
KC Pallone