Preview: February 26 : A New Story of Salvation with visiting minister - Rev. Fran Dew

Date: 
February 26, 2012 - 10:30am

A New Story of Salvation

We need to be reminded that we are in the business of saving souls. Our "Good News" is no less real for being different. This morning, from the perspective of a long time UU (48 years and counting) and a retired UU minister, Rev. Fran Dew will be reflecting on the life saving qualities of our faith.

The Reverend Fran Dew comes to GPUC from her family home near Ann Arbor. After a lengthy sojourn raising a family in the Pacific Northwest and a career in interim ministry which took her from coast to coast, she returned to Michigan for a retirement of gardening in her grandmother's gardens.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Fran Dew
Worship Associate: 
Cynthia Luce

February 19: The Face of Jesus (LISTEN) plus bonus information and the "Detroit Jesus" poem

Date: 
February 19, 2012 - 10:30am

The recent Rembrandt exhibition at the Detroit Institute of the Arts raised interesting questions about the nature of Jesus. Rev. Shelley explores the meaning of this powerful spiritual figure as she asks “Who is Jesus to Unitarian Universalists?” You can listen to the Community Prayer and her sermon by double-clicking on the audio play arrow below, or you can download the digital file to your personal listening device by right-clicking on the Mp3 filename.

This is the insightful and provocative book  mentioned in Rev. Shelley's sermon:  Saving Paradise  How Christianity Traded Love of the World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rebecca Ann Parker and Rita Nakashima Brock  http://savingparadise.net/

This is a link to the source of the Detroit Jesus poem:  DETROIT JESUS.

Also below is  the link to the PDF of the publicity poster for the Historical Jesus movement event here in Grosse Pointe at Christ Church in March.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Jim Moir & Andrew Hartz Jr.

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Feb.12th service: Love Has No Borders (LISTEN) Plus BONUS LINKS

Date: 
February 12, 2012 - 10:30am

This year's Standing on the Side of Love Sunday  explored the tender/harsh realities of our nation's immigration challenges.  The focus was on what is happening right here in Michigan, as we affirmed that love has no borders. You can listen to the Community Prayer and Rev. Shelley's sermon by double-clicking on the audio arrow button below, or you can download the file to your personal listening device by right-clicking on the Mp3 filename.

Here are the links to more information as referred to by Rev. Shelley in her sermon:

Check out UUA Congregational Study Action Issue about immigration
http://www.uua.org/immigration/re/moral/guide/index.shtml

Join Rev.Shelley at the Northern Borders immigration conference in Detroit https://statevoices.salsalabs.com/o/26/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=149

Youth opportunity to learn more about immigration social justice!
www.heartlanduu.org/Site%20Documents/Events/JusticeCON%20flyer%20Mar12.pdf

"They Take Our Jobs" and 20 Other Myths About Immigration by Aviva Chomsky

http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=1855

Participate in District Assembly on 3/31 in Lansing

http://heartlanduu.org/District_Assembly_Pages/Assembly_workshops.html

Join Rev. Shelley in Phoenix!  http://www.uua.org/ga/2012/index.shtml

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Cynthia Luce

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"Lean on Me" - A closer look at Emerson's "Self Reliance" (LISTEN) PLUS bonus links from sermon

Date: 
February 5, 2012 - 10:30am

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous essay, “Self Reliance” is often referenced by folks who admonish others to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and take control of their lives. But a closer look at Emerson reveals a very different reading of this iconic American message. This Sunday's service and sermon explore what good ole Ralph was really saying to us about self and reliance.

You can listen to a digital recording of a portion of the service and sermon by double-clicking on the audio play arrow below, or you can download the file to your personal listening device by right-clicking on the actual .Mp3 filename.

Hear more about Collaborative Consumption from Rachel Botsman's TED lecture - http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/why-own-when-you-can-share

Learn about time banks - http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/time-banking-an-idea-whose-time-has-come

Get more details on the gift circle concept - http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/to-build-community-an-economy-of-gifts

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Tonya Wells and Andrew Hartz Jr.

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"Living in the Darkness" with guest minister Rev. Andrew Weber from Ann Arbor (LISTEN)

Date: 
January 29, 2012 - 10:30am

Many people view winter and other dark moments as times of waiting for the light of spring. The winter is a season with its own characteristics, which can be enjoyed and which can help us to see how to live through dark times in our lives. Our guest minister Rev. Andrew Weber from the Ann Arbor Unitarian Church delivers this service of warmth.

You can listen to the Community Prayer and Rev. Weber's sermon by double-clicking on the audio play arrow below, or if you prefer to download the file to your personal listening device, click on the actual filename of the Mp3 .

Service Leader: 
Reverend Anrdew Weber
Worship Associate: 
Joseph Buttiglieri

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James Luther Adams and the Five Smooth Stones of Unitarian Universalism

Date: 
January 22, 2012 - 10:30am

James Luther Adams was the leading Unitarian theologian of the 20th century, ending his career at Harvard and having among his students Christopher Hedges, who wrote War is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, in addition to many others.  His encounter with early Nazism in Germany in the late thirties and the anemic response by church leaders there, led to his concern about such an occurrence happening in our own country.  His observations about our faith tradition and both its strengths and weaknesses are still very timely.

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Meet Reverend Karen McFarland:

Rev. McFarland graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry and has served churches in Logan, UT, Brighton, MI and Woodstock, IL.  Her major field of study is feminist theology and she has been lucky enough to have studied with most of the major thinkers and writers in this field.   Before becoming a UU minister, Karen was a professional musician, playing and teaching viola and violin.  She free-lanced with many orchestras and chamber music groups all over the country.  Now no longer playing, she keeps her hand singing in the Gaia International Women’s Chorus, the Ann Arbor UU Church Chalice Singers and the Ann Arbor Women’s Chamber Chorus.  Rev. Karen lives in Dexter, MI on the Huron River and enjoys watching the wildlife and passing of the seasons as they effect her yard and ecosystem.

Rev. Karen is married to a forest ecologist and has adult twin sons, one living in Ann Arbor and the other in Royal Oak.  She is currently writing her autobiography with the idea not of producing a great work of literature, but in the hope that interesting stories can be handed down to her descendants who may not have any idea what it was like to live before television, space travel or texting.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Karen J. McFarland
Worship Associate: 
Jim Moir

Our Work to Do: Reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King and Grosse Pointe (LISTEN) ... Plus Bonus Links

Date: 
January 15, 2012 - 10:30am

We celebrated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday by revisiting and reflecting on Dr. King’s visit to Grosse Pointe in 1968 and considering the work we are called to do today to realize his dream of justice and equality in our community and our world. You can listen to Rev. Shelley's Community Prayer and sermon, with guest speaker Dr. Bill Salot, by double-clicking on the audio play arrow below, or you can download the file to your personal listening device by right-clicking on the .Mp3 file name.

BONUS MATERIAL: 

For a look at photos and newspaper articles of King's 1968 speech at Grosse Pointe South, click HERE.

For the text of his speech click HERE.

CDs with audio recording of the speech, including Rev. Dr. Harry Meserve's introduction, are available at the Grosse Pointe Public Library.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Cynthia Luce

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Don Hines Memorial Service (LISTEN TO A DIGITAL RECORDING)

Date: 
January 7, 2012 - 11:00am

You can listen to almost the entire memorial service for Don Hines by either double-clicking on the audio play arrow below, or by clicking on the actual file name to download the recording to a personal listening device.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Tonya Wells

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How May I Serve? (LISTEN TO THE SERVICE)

Date: 
January 8, 2012 - 10:30am

What does it mean to serve as part of your spiritual practice? Rev. Shelley explored the idea of serving and what it means in a faith community.  If you were unable to be at this service, you can listen to a portion of it (Community Prayer & the sermon) by double-clicking on the audio play button below, or if you prefer to download it to your personal listening device, right-click on the .mp3 filename.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Joseph Buttiglieri & Andrew Hartz

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Ring In The New! A New Year's Day Service with More Bells! (LISTEN)

Date: 
January 1, 2012 - 10:30am

We began the New Year with thoughtful prose, a fresh perspective, cacophonous bell-ringing and renewed energy for 2012!  If you were sleeping in this morning and missed it,  you can listen to most parts of the service by clicking on the audio play arrow below, or, if you prefer to download the file to your personal listening device, right click on the Mp3 file name.

Service Leader: 
Reverend Shelley Page
Worship Associate: 
Tonya Wells

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