Remembering, Resisting, Resilient
Watch the Video (You Tube link)
November 20th marks the day when members of transgender communities worldwide honor and remember those who were killed due to anti-transgender violence. But for some it is also a day when we not only honor the spirit of remembrance, but those of resistance and resilience as well. As a spiritual community of memory, join us in remembering the victims of transphobic violence in the previous year, and also in turning our energy to the acts of resistance and resilience - looking not only to what has passed, but to what emerges around us.
Special music
Stone Soup
Watch the You Tube video here The old story of Stone Soup tells of two weary travelers who arrive in a small village and unexpectedly bring a community together under the guise of making a delicious soup from stones.To make this story come to life, we're encouraging everyone who can to bring pre-cut veggies to add to the pot (from which volunteers will make a veggie soup for delivery to home-bound members), as well as non-perishable food to support our children with their food drive to benefit families in need in the Des Moines community. This participatory service will engage young and old alike in this important tale and also offer food to the hungry. Special music by the UU Singers - I See Colors by PinkZebra
Beyond Categorical Thinking
Watch the video (YouTube) UUA Transitions Director Keith Kron, who on Nov. 10 facilitated our "Beyond Categorical Thinking" workshop, is our special guest for this service. He will share observations from his experience overseeing the process of ministerial transitions in UU congregations for the past eight years, and in particular the way that assumptions about ministers and ministry sometimes cloud the way members think about a new settled minister. Following up on the learning from Saturday morning's workshop (9:00-noon), this service lifts up the invisible obstacles to calling the minister who is the best fit for the First Unitarian Church. Weaving a rich tapestry of music and spoken word, this worship celebration calls us to be our best selves. Special music by the UU Singers - Dawn by Bide and Barnum
We the People
9:15 & 11 am Celebrant: Martha Sherick Shen In this service, the first of the month when our theme is "Memory" and the Sunday before election day, we take time to remember the origins of our nation. There is a close connection between the development of our constitutional democracy and the engagement of Unitarians and Universalists in the public life after the American Revolution. The philosophy and principles underlying the US Constitution resonate with the later-developed UU principles, and it is no accident. Special music by the Bell Ave. Ringers - Ash Grove