Sunday Services

September 2

The Good Samaritan

Worship Associate: Brian Joyner

On September 2, 2018, a Nicaraguan group of 16 boys and young men (8-26 years old) will lead our service on the theme of the Helping Your Neighbor.  The Nicavangelists will share a program of acrobatics, dance, song and stories as they re-tell the story of the Good Samaritan through the lens of the harsh streets of Managua. They will talk about the current violent political situation in Nicaragua, sharing personal stories of their and their families’ struggles. They proclaim a message of hope where our individual actions of charity can have a profound impact on our world.

NOTE: We will have a special collection for the Nicavangelists at the end of the service. We also need some donations of food (or money) to help feed them while they are in town (Sunday through Wednesday).  Please contact Brian Joyner at BrianJoyner@me.com or by phone at 619-455-8122.

Joel Baker, accompanist

September 9

Days of Awe

Worship Leader: Rev. Barbara Fast

Worship Associate: Bryna Blum

The Jewish High Holy Days begin on the eve of Sept 9th.  The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called The Days of Awe. These are the ten days, when according to Jewish tradition, the Book of Life is opened and God decides what will become of us this next year.  The tradition says: “On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed.”  Let us explore this annual spiritual practice where we set aside time for honest inward reflection.

Jeff Barash, saxophone; Turner Blatchley, bass; Phillip Pollerana, drums; Kurt Jordan, accompanist

September 16

Connecting the Dots: Seeing and Appreciating Labor & Immigration in Our Daily Lives

Worship Leader: Megan Beaman Jacinto

Worship Associate: Denise Janssen Eager

In the third of our series, FDR’s Four Freedoms Re-imagined, civil rights attorney, Megan Beaman-Jacinto returns to UUCOD to talk about Freedom From Want or Need. She will explore the relationships between the services and comforts that we enjoy every day contrasting with the challenges faced by the people who provide them to us.

Kurt Jordan, accompanist

September 23

The Great Universalist Miracle

Worship Leader: Rev. Barbara Fast

Worship Associate: Brian Joyner

I am becoming more a Universalist Unitarian.  I hope it is because the first principle continues to call me into a practice of justice because of its demanding love. I hope it is not because I am losing faith in human nature.  For what ever reasons, I love the true story of how John Murray recovered his faith at Good Luck Point, New Jersey, in 1770. I hope I see you this Sunday. It can teach us about our times too.

Kurt Jordan, accompanist

September 30

Freedom of Religion

Worship Leader: Brian Joyner

Worship Associate: Shirley LeMaster

In this final service in the Four Freedoms Series, Brian Joyner will tackle "freedom of religion." 

Five hundred years ago, history's only Unitarian king proclaimed the right of all to worship God according to their individual beliefs. The United States began because of a desire for personal freedoms and tolerance for different religions. Unitarian Thomas Jefferson drafted the Virginia Statute of Religion Freedom, which became the basis for the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” 

After this brief history, we will explore how "freedom of worship" has become twisted into the concept of "religious liberty" where discrimination is given a free pass in the name of faith. Brian will offer some different perspectives on how we might resolve this cultural clash. Brian will close out our Four Freedom series with inspirational words for the hard work we have ahead of us if we hope to realize President Franklin D. Roosevelt's dream of creating a world where everyone has these four essential freedoms: freedom of worship; freedom of press and press; freedom from fear; and freedom from want.

Kurt Jordan, accompanist