Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (RVUUF) Ashland, OR

Without knowing it, we Unitarian Universalists create and – if we're not mindful – perpetuate certain myths -- from “you can believe anything you want” to “we prize individualism.” In this service, guest minister Rev. Erika Hewitt counters some of these myths with (what UU leader Michael Durall calls) Helpful Heresies.

Our guest minister is the Rev. Erika Hewitt, who has just completed a ministry at the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist congregation in Southern California. She is an expert in Worship for All Ages and is author of the book, Story, Song and Spirit. She is on a trip through the Pacific Northwest, and we are lucky to have her with us this Sunday.

Reflecting on our historical roots, we will lift up the “parents” of Unitarianism and Universalism in the United States. William Ellery Channing defined Unitarian-ism in a famous sermon in the early 19th century as a group of liberal Congregationalists split from their more orthodox colleagues. Hosea Ballou clarified the Univer-salist theology in his writings and preaching. Both of them affirmed a benevolent, loving God in contrast to the prevailing perspectives of their day.

As we approach Valentine's Day, we'll consider love in its many forms. Our Fellowship is a place to experience and witness love. Part of our work as a religious community is to expand our capacity to love beyond our immediate family and friends. We learn to do that within our Fellowship and support each other in reaching ever further to embrace others with curiosity and compassion.

The practice of compassion is named explicitly in our Unitarian Universalist principles and is implicit in all of our spiritual work. Compassion is at the center of most religious and spiritual practices. In this service, we will seek to understand compassion and find inspiration from varied traditions to make compassion real in our lives.

Very common and yet often misunderstood health conditions fall in the category of “mental disorders.” These are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. Deepening our understanding of total health allows us to bring more compassion to ourselves and others in our daily interactions and enables us to work for justice and equity in the arenas of health and well-being in our society.

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As we enter the Chinese “Year of the Dragon”, come learn to be empowered and confident to handle the challenging situations that you encounter. We all have “fire breathing” dragon within us and sometimes we get into “heated” conversations that feel too hot to handle. This service will include a demonstration of Compassionate Communication to show new ways to dance with dragons that enhance your connection and help you see the tender heart even within the fiercest beast. Let us explore how to express ourselves with strength and authenticity. Our children will do their Dragon Dance at the end of the service.

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As we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. we will consider the power of his dream and vision. RVUUF member, Natalie Tyler, will share her powerful experiences with Martin Luther King, Jr. In her story and her lessons from this great person, we can learn how she has learned to integrate famous concepts of his like “We must face the forces of hate with the power of love” and “All people are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”

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The aging process brings many gifts and many frustrations. When we are young, we often pay little attention to aging. As we enter mid-life and beyond, we are often forced to attend to changes in our bodies and our life circumstances. We will consider the benefits of aging and how to build our capacity to handle the inevitable losses.

Our families (parents/grandparents and kids) will participate in “Welcome the New Year” events during the service.

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Join us for a ritual to release the past year and embrace the coming year with renewed energy. In the first part of the ceremony we will reflect upon the challenges, changes, lessons and joys during the past year, and experience a “letting go” of what was. The second part of the ceremony will focus on the Phoenix process of being reborn into a new life of opportunities, resolve and hope for the year to come. Children and teens are welcome to participate.

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On Christmas morning, our Music Committee will lead us in singing our favorite Christmas carols during this informal gathering. Come celebrate the holiday in song with your RVUUF friends!