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A MONTH OF SUNDAYS - 2007 ServicesDecember 2007December 2, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Removing Our Blinders: We humans try hard to convince ourselves (and others) that we’re doing our very best to live up to our ideals. Could it be that we also look down on people who are less enlightened? Less willing to follow our example? Less worthy? Our nation is so great that we have to build stout fences to keep out the unauthorized; capitalism has both advantages and unin tended consequences; we’re so disgusted with politicians that fewer and fewer citizens bother to vote. We Unitarian Universalists are not without our blind spots. Perhaps this is the shallow side of living the good life. Let’s explore. December 9, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: A Unitarian Christmas: Even though we are a post-Christian religion now, Unitarians have made significant contributions to the season many call Christmas. Come learn how your spiritual ancestors influenced this holy day and how we might carry on the gift of enriching our culture. December 16, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Mary: In north eastern Brazil I was witness to Cirio, an annual religious festival in the city of Belém, Pará. Over two million people poured into the street to get as close as possible to Mary’s image as it was carried along. Millions of people around the world venerate and ascribe miraculous healing to her mercy. Was she the mother of God? Is she the Queen of Heaven? Christians have disagreed about her nature since at least the fourth century. What are we to make of the outpouring of sentiment for her favor in healing or as a mediator to Jesus? Let’s look at some of the theology, the Mariology, associated with Mary. December 23, 10:30 am. Spirit of the Christmas Tree: Presented by Live Oak children and adults, this is a musical Christmas pageant with a UU perspective. Many of our congregations have loved this service, written by Joyce Poley and Frank Henning. December 24, 7:00 pm. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Destiny’s Child: In the gospel of Luke, an aged Israelite man named Simeon stayed alive until he could behold the baby Jesus. The words he spoke as he held the infant in his arms caused Mary and Joseph to marvel. Simeon then spoke of Jesus’ destiny. His prophetic vision is both disturbing and freeing. What is the destiny of any child who takes Jesus seriously. THIS SERVICE IS INTERGENERATIONAL. December 30, 10:30 am. Aaron White: UU Stories for All Ages: As we approach the beginning of a new year, we will be looking back on some stories from history that have shaped our UU faith. Come join in this INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE as we hear, sing, and perform these wonderful tales from our UU heritage! November 2007November 4, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis and Rev. Chuck Freeman: Is God Keeping You From Going to Church?: "Maybe you’re uncomfortable with the idea of God — or at least someone else’s idea of God. Yet maybe you yearn for a loving, spiritual community where you can be inspired and encouraged as you search for your own truth and meaning. This is a church, you ask? Welcome to Unitarian Universalism." This is the text of the UUA’s full page ad in Time magazine. Come hear Chuck and Kathleen offer their perspectives on this national effort and how Live Oak relates to our larger Association. November 11, 10:30 am. Aaron White: Heroes of Imperfection: Hundreds of years ago, our Unitarian ancestors distanced themselves from the Calvinism of their day and said, "Humanity is NOT depraved!" Today we say (loudly and proudly) that we affirm "the inherent worth and dignity of every person". While the concept of "sin" is not a very useful one for many in our movement, we and the world around us remain imperfect. How might we as Unitarian Universalists imagine embracing our whole, imperfect selves as we transform the world? November 18, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Keeping Your Distance: Have you ever tried to look at your life objectively, as though you were an interested observer? This morning I’ll be using various metaphors to illustrate ways we achieve a measure of distance from ourselves and the immediacy of our daily lives. As part of a system of relationships, we can also learn to be connected but not caught up in the emotional landmines that sometimes trip us up — basic systems theory. November 25, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Temple Talk: Christianity is the primary religious foundation of our country. The Christian Epistles teach "your body is the temple of God". Yet on the whole we Americans have a profound disregard for our bodies. Diet and sedentary lifestyle choices are leading to a plethora of diseases. Obesity is a national epidemic. What is a spirituality of the body and a food ethic? How can you contribute to the health of body and planet through your food choices? As you recover from you Thanksgiving stupor, get a heapin’, healin’, helpin’ hand of food for the soul, body, and earth. October 2007October 7, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: With Heart, Mind, and Spirit: Choral singing is one of my favorite creative endeavors, so I am delighted that Loose Threads, a small ensemble from Tapestry Singers, will be joining the women of our Live Oak choir on the occasion of Tapestry’s 20 years of music. Ruth Huber, Tapestry’s founding mother, will join us on this anniversary weekend, as will Anne Schelling, the current Artistic Director. Back in 1987, Ruth wanted to provide women in the greater Austin area the opportunity to sing together and explore their vocal abilities, regardless of skill level or experience. Over time, we keep getting better. Here’s to 20 years and counting! October 14, 10:30 am. Greg Sedlock: A UU Apostle’s Creed: I once had an apron that I wore while grilling that had a quote from W.C. Fields that said, “A man’s got to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another drink!” I frequently ask the question of myself, “What do I believe in?” I grew up Catholic. Every night before I went to bed, I said my prayers. One of them was the Apostle’s Creed. I wonder, can I write my own version of the Apostle’s Creed as a UU, even though we’re not a creedal church? Let’s see how it turns out! October 21, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Channel It!: Live Oak is known for our generous, welcoming spirit and wide-ranging ministries. Frankly, this has not translated into the financial stewardship of our church. Spiritual and psychological disciplines offer tools for channeling energy. Today we begin our stewardship drive for 2008 with an opportunity to channel our generous spirit even more broadly as we mature. October 28, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Muster: Each year around the Day of the Dead we memorialize the influential lives we have lost to physical death. The Texas Aggies have a tradition called Muster. The Roll Call honors Aggies that have fallen since the last Muster roll was read. As the names are called, a friend or family member answers “Here” and a candle is lit to symbolize that while those Aggies are not present in body, they will forever remain with us in Aggie Spirit. We will hold our yearly remembrance service employing this ritual form. PLEASE BRING A PICTURE OR MEMENTO OF YOUR DEPARTED LOVED ONES FOR THE ALTAR. September 2007September 2, 10:30 am. Doris Adams and Donna Durbin: Water Ceremony: The water ceremony, created almost 30 years ago by Unitarian Universalist women, is a ritual observed this time of year by Live Oak and many UU churches to celebrate sharing and community. We invite you and your family to bring a small container of water, taken from a place that is significant to you, to this service to mix with other water offerings. The service will focus on how water is symbolic of connections we have with each other and the larger world community. This is an intergenerational service with some special activities for the children. September 9, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis and Rev. Chuck Freeman: Gather the Spirit, Harvest the Power: Summer vacation is over, school is in, and all the chickens are in the coop! Live Oak inaugurates another church and Religious Education year. DRE Amanda Robinson will present our parable and lead the RE Covenant. Fresh off the Harvard grill, Ministerial Intern Aaron White will participate in our service as well. Good ole Ralph Waldo may even make an appearance! Come join the parade of old-timers, part-timers, and new folk as we kick off another circle around the sun together. September 16, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman & Paul Sullivan: The Great Charter of Our Being: Unitarian trailblazing Minister Theodore preached that freedom is the natural state of humanity. Organizing a democracy is the extension of individual rights reflecting “the principles of eternal justice”. We will honor the spiritual foundations of our U.S. Constitution and mark the 230th anniversary of the highest law within our nation — the document preserving and protecting our freedom. Our service will discuss the four religious freedoms in our Constitution and what will happen if we continue to lose our freedoms. You will also receive your own copy of the Constitution! September 23, 10:30 am. Aaron White: No Wrong Notes: As UUs, we’ve maintained the conviction from our Universalist ancestors that all human beings have access to what is sacred in the world. However, our living tradition also affirms that our life’s religious journey is never finished. What are the challenges and joys we meet in this tradition of continual growth and spiritual improvisation? September 30, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Things We Learn ... And Learn Again: Learning comes pretty naturally from the time we are infants until we think we know more than our parents. Tougher lessons come about through mistakes and life challenges. Failure to learn sometimes means that we get another chance to learn the same thing. Best of all are the insights and new information that make so much sense they shift our thinking from that moment on. Ponder with me some of those life lessons that we wish everyone would learn. August 2007August 5, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: That’s Why We Call It a Proverb: A saying becomes a proverb for good reason. Proverbs have been time tested in the real world, dispensing useful wisdom. When personal or big picture reality looks grim, trust in the proverb over short term experience for a dose of hope. August 12, 10:30 am. Mark Skrabacz: Covenant: The UU Glue: Since we are a non-creedal church, what unites us? Mark will trace the early and contemporary history of how UUs have engaged that question. He will offer descriptions, prescriptions, ideas, and practices that hold UUs together. August 19, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: A Triple Whammy For Good!: Recently several events merged. Chuck heard that San Francisco is banning paper and plastic bags for ecology reasons. He met with the program director at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and our Access For All Committee is looking for a fundraiser. The AFSC has an ongoing relationship with The Dignity and Justice Maquiladora Company in Piedras Negras. One way they make money is to sell their handmade tote bags. This sermon will engage global economic justice in our backyard. Access For All plans to sell the tote bags after the service. It will have a triple whammy benefit on a sewing cooperative owned by women workers, the environment, and Live Oak’s Access For All Committee! August 26, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Within These Walls: What a beautiful building we have! Generosity, foresight, and lots of hard work made it possible to move in on June 1, 2003, then to remodel the sanctuary to suit our congregation. Now we have a chance for an all-out effort to do some fix-up, paint-up, and spruce-up. Come dressed for work! During the service we’ll share some thoughts about these walls and what they represent. Right after the service, join the lunch line then, divide and conquer! We need workers of all ages (sign up your children, too). We also need cheerleaders, picture-takers, and errand runners. Let’s get our Hands on Live Oak! July 2007July 1, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: True Patriots: Heroes of Conscience: We live in a time when Americans are being lauded as patriots for all the wrong reasons. Come prepared to name your current hero of conscience and hear Chuck lift up the name of Lt. Ehren Watada, who embodies the best of the distinguished moniker, patriot. July 8, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Integrity: In religion, politics, and personal life, integrity is my word for the consistency and honesty each requires. Yet I was surprised to learn that some people shy away from the term. Let’s explore! July 15, 10:30 am. Linda Webster: Rhythms of Change: Cycles of the Earth and Moon: Every day we move from dark to light to dark again. Every month we watch the moon take the same journey. Every year we cycle with the Earth through the seasons, from birth at the Winter Solstice, to fullness at the Summer Solstice, through darkness and death at Samhain/Halloween, and back again to birth and renewal. This journey through the seasons is called by Pagans the Wheel of the Year, and many holidays in the Judeo-Christian tradition are also based on these cycles. We celebrate many of the Goddess holidays on the labyrinth during the month walks. We also have labyrinth walks on the full moon and the new moon. How do these cycles of change reflect our own patterns of growth and change? July 22, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Joy, the Creative Human Response: Lord Byron wrote, “All who joy would win must share it — happiness was born a twin.” With this title and quotation, the Rev. Oren A. “Pete” Peterson spun four theme talks for our district’s Summer Insti- tute in 1989. This will be my own take on, well, the joy of joy! Then, I’ll be taking off for this summer’s Summer Institute at Lake Murray near Ardmore, OK. July 29, 10:30 am. Robert Jensen: Presbyterian Follies: Why I Joined, Why I Stayed, and What I Hope to Find: Why would a secular left/feminist political activist who never believed in gods join a Presbyte- rian church? Why would the church bureaucracy mobilize to kick him out? And, now that he’s won the right to remain a member, what’s the plan? In 2005, Robert Jensen joined St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, with the hope of poking around the question, “What does it mean to identify as a Christian in the modern world?” Ironically, his membership has raised that question, and in this talk Jensen will offer a tentative answer to that question and examine the lessons learned from the controversy over his membership. June 2007June 3, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: From That Day the Manna Ceased: The Israelites finally reached the Promised Land and they ate the produce of Canaan. From that day the manna ceased. Live Oak is moving into a new phase of our congregational maturation. Let’s explore what developmental analogies exist between us and the ancient children of Israel. June 10, 10:30 am. James D. Hamilton: Keeping the Faith: Many Unitarian Universalists’ spiritual lives continue in the historic faith that lies at the roots of Unitarian and Universalist tradition. Many others come to our churches unaware that this 400-year tradition of progressive Christian thought preceded the denominations’ merger in 1961. Where have we traveled along this historic path? What does it look like now? And what does it mean for the foundations of UU faith and practice today and our role in the larger interreligious community? June 17, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: I Thought My Father Was God: He wasn’t the old man in the sky with a long, white beard, but my father did rule the family roost with iron-clad discipline. He knew all, controlled all. Was he not the earthly equivalent of God in my world? Honor your fathers today with blessings upon them for all they have done. How much fatherhood has changed for today’s men! June 24, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Say It Loud: I’m a Liberal and Proud!: The integrity of the term “liberal” has been sullied to the point that it is now a dirty word. Former liberals hide as “progressives”. How did this proud tradition fall into such ill repute? What is the difference between a religious liberal and a political liberal? Can the word liberal be redeemed? May 2007May 6, 10:30 am. Live Oak Choir: For the Birds: Songwriters and poets use the imagery of birds to express many things. The choir will present songs and poetry celebrating the return of the birds. May 13, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Mama, Do You Love Me?: The title of the children’s book Mama, Do You Love Me? (written by Barbara Joosse and illustrated by Barbara Lavallee) reminds me that kids need the reassurance that Mom loves them no matter what. My mother did, and the Live Oak mothers I know maintain that kind of love, in spite of the challenges of children who step on their very last nerve. Let’s think about motherhood and what it means. May 20, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: It’s a Mystery: This line is a stock response of religion when something can’t be explained. Is this “answer” a complete cop-out or does it have any validity at all? Can Mystery inhabit a positive place in our spiritual lives? May 27, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Take Me to the Bridge! : In this INTERGENERATIONAL service, we will mark, honor, and ritualize our middle school and high school youth’s passage to new heights in their earthly sojourn. April 2007April 1, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Saint Kangaroo: Many of us grew up with Captain Kangaroo’s gentle and warm presence daily in our living rooms. Through his TV work and off-air life, Bob Keeshan approached children with intelligence and respect. After the Captain’s 30-year run was over, Keeshan spent his life in strong advocacy for children, including working to ban corporal punishment. Come be graced and enchanted by the Captain once more! April 8, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis and Rev. Chuck Freeman: Extravagant Bounty: Nature seems to thrive on excess. The numbers of seeds and eggs, baby calves and lambs, wildflowers and cardinals, depend on abundance for survival. Celebrate spring by bringing a flower for each person to combine in a colorful display of community. Take home a different flower as a symbol of our multiple interconnections. This Flower Communion began in Prague and has spread throughout the Unitarian Universalist world. April 15, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Paradox in Spring: Though bluebonnets and paintbrush and coreopsis delight the eye, some hearts are heavy in the spring. The death of loved ones, an ongoing war, or personal malaise can feel more like dying inside than blooming. Sometimes you have to nurture the darkness even in the light. April 22, 10:30 am. Daniel Llanes: Uniting Earth and Sky and You: On this Earth Day, Daniel will discuss and demonstrate ancient and modern rituals to create a healing vortex through movement, sound, music, and poetry. April 29, 10:30 am. Live Oak Congregation: Poetry Service: Our annual Poetry Service! Join your friends and neighbors in a celebration of the beauty and power of the written word. Readers and artists will include Live Oak member and friends of our church family. If you love poetry, don’t miss this unique, special, intellectually stimulating, and spiritually engaging service. March 2007March 4, 10:30 am. High School RE Class: Artic- UUlating YUUr UU Faith: LUUrning, ComUUnication, and TrUUthiness: The High School RE class will be presenting this youth-led service. Have you ever actually thought about what being a UU means? Have you ever had trouble expressing why you are a UU or what you believe? Come find out what the next generation believes and how they express it. March 11, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Fear Factor: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” The reality of this exhortation in the Gospel of Matthew goes beyond some absurd made-for-TV spectacle. What is the timeless truth and one contemporary meaning of this saying? March 18, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: Soul Journeys: Some religious sects specialize in journeys of the soul, but don’t we all have that experience from time to time? Let’s talk about some of the common and extraordinary journeys our own souls have traveled both at home and around the world. March 25, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Ask a UU Guru: On the eve of Chuck’s 11th year at Live Oak, a gusher of cosmic wisdom has been visited upon him. Is there a religious/spiritual question that you always wanted a minister to give a straight answer to? Submit them in writing to editor@liveoakuu.org. Guru Chuckananda (self-proclaimed) will answer them sight unseen for the sermon portion of this service. Make up your mind about his Guru status! (Editor’s Note: please put March 25 Sermon in the subject line of the email. Those who already sent in questions before the sermon was postponed last month do not need to send their questions again.) February 2007February 4, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Dear Live Oak, The "UU Guru" service will have to wait for another day in the wake of a sudden death in our community. The theme of the Worship time will focus on our tangible immediate and long term response to the family. Kathleen will do the Opening Words and Parable and then go the RE classes to be engaged pastorally with the children, youth, and teachers. The sermon will be, "Let The Live Oak Say". Please continue to keep the good thoughts, prayers, and acts of compassion flowing! Soulfully, Chuck February 11, 10:30 am. Rev. Diane Heath and Rev. William Metzger: On Being a Theological Hybrid: Unitarian Universalists tend to be theological pluralists, with diverse roots and feet in different traditions. Our guest ministers will reflect on their own experience as “hybrids”. They are visiting from Philadelphia, where Rev. Metzger is interim minister at First Unitarian Church and Rev. Heath the interim minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Lower Bucks County, PA. Diana, a Texas native, and Bill a South Dakotan, married last year in Dallas. February 18, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: You Louse!: “O wad some Power the giftie gie us / To see ourselves as ithers see us!” Those two lines come from a longer poem by Robert Burns. He was inspired to writhe To a Louse when he saw one crawling around on a lady’s bonnet in church. He mused on how we see ourselves and how we think other people see us. To turn this around, how do we see others? Do we lose our sense of compassion when we think someone else is “misbehaving” in some way? A certain amount of conflict could be avoided if we saw others as they see themselves. What are relationships for, anyway? February 25, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: An Applauding Congregation: Kathleen and Chuck recently spoke at a UU conference. Someone asked Kathleen about the appropriateness of clapping during the church service. Her spontaneous response was delightful: “Live Oak is an applauding congregation”. What does this say about our theology/philosophy of worship? What is the character and quality of the worship experience we are seeking to create together? January 2007January 7, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: Chuck’s Psychic Guide to 2007: I relish standing in the grocery store checkout each new year and seeing all the tabloid psychic predictions. What feeds humanity’s desire to know the future? Would you want to see your life events if you could? Come hear Chuck’s forecasts and get his 800 number! January 14, 10:30 am. Rev. Kathleen Ellis: A Prophetic Voice: On this weekend in which we acknowledge advances in overcoming oppression of many kinds, it is appropriate to remember one of our own heroes who died December 10. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley, one of Unitarian Universalism’s few ministers of color, was instrumental in helping the rest of us do the soul work required in overcoming personal prejudice and systemic injustice. She served several congregations, including First UU Church of Austin as an interim minister with her husband, Clyde Grubbs. With sorrow we acknowledge her death, yet with hope we celebrate her life and works. The UUA has already announced the new Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley Fund. Contributions to the Fund will be used “to support Unitarian Universalist congregations and their lay and ordained leaders who are committed to the transformative work of creating inclusive multicultural communities of the spirit.” January 21, 10:30 am. Rev. Chuck Freeman: What Is Your Ministry?: When I was in the Church of Christ I constantly heard people asking one another this question. Members took this pursuit very righteously, in the best sense of the word, searching for their ministry inside and outside of the church. We, however, serve on Committees. Do we lose something in the translation? Come hear MINISTER (a tiny clue) Freeman’s take on the matter. January 28, 10:30 am. Rev. Mahalene Louis: CraQKing the L.O.V.E. QKode: Rev. Louis invites you to CraCK the L.O.V.E. QKode, in view to open your QKabbalah, that is, your “receiving” to life. Imagine the benefits of having your L.O.V.E. team (the Leader Officer Visionary and Engineer in you) supporting you, aligning, and engaging to meet the goals that free your mind and evolve the heART? Join Rev. Maha and discover how to better communicate with your L.O.V.E. team, and have the results that bring you JOY! Past ServicesSee what our sermon topics have been for the past few years!
2006
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Copyright ©2006, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church.