Upcoming Services
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| Monthly Theme – Pluralism I wonder how the moonflower feels about its sweet sister, the morning glory. What it must be to know that the world longingly awaits another while you must seek solace hidden under a night sky. When the world has told you to hide, only the shadows welcome you in. And while blooming in the dark has its beauty, it’s also a lonely way to live. And who can blame this moon-drenched cousin for wanting to hide? After all, we, too, know what happens out there in the light of day. We are parsed and picked over, told who and what we need to be so that we will finally be loved and finally let in. And so we shape-shift until our original curvature is no longer remembered, until our masks become indistinguishable from our face, and the pieces of us allowed out in the sun forget the parts buried deep in the cold earthen layers of time. Maybe that is what the moonflower is doing out there in the dark. Maybe it’s not hiding after all but instead trying to remember who it once was. Or maybe it knows who it is, and its blooming is a way of saying, “Come find me. I’m still here.” Which, of course, means that maybe this month is not just about making it safe for others to come out of the shadows but also a reminder that we all have pieces and parts buried in the dark. So friends, what do you say? Let’s go find them. Let’s put ourselves back together again. |
All services are multi-platform services in-person and Live on YouTube at 10:30 ET.
In-person service is healed in our budding at 25 Chalice Circle, Fredericksburg, VA 22405. Our Live Stream can be viewed On YouTube
May 5th
Many Voices: Stories from R.E
By: Mandolin Restivo
Can you imagine a school where children attend once a week for an hour, attendance is optional, teachers donate their time on a day off of work, children have a variety of teachers, and adults show up to learn in the community? The dictionary defines a Miracle as “a marvel, outstanding accomplishment.” To me, the miracle of religious education is the leaders who show up each week who are transformed themselves while they teach our students. It’s the alchemy that is created when we learn and grow together.
May 12th
Our Superpower and Our Kryptonite
By: Rev. Doug McCusker
Unitarianism and Universalism have long been open-ended liberal faiths willing to adapt and transform to the changing world. Our non-creedal and non-doctrinal nature enables us to be a large tent that welcomes a variety of theologies and practices. One could say that pluralism is our superpower. And we can be as orthodox as any other group when it comes to power, privilege, and institutional change. Join us as we explore how to truly embrace our differences while leaving space at the center for new insights.
May 19th
From Polarization to Pluralism
By: Rev. Doug McCusker
Polarization in politics, religion, and geography are perceptions of dualism as rigid divisions within society. When we relate with the polarities through a reactionary lens, we can easily divide ourselves as Us and Them. In Taoism, the yin and yang are portrayed as flowing opposites in mutual tension, each containing a little of their counterpart. Suppose we can relate with each pole from a place of responsiveness, where we stand in recognition of our own innate wholeness. In that case, the experience of polarity can be one of expansion, flow, contrast, and generative transformation rather than division.
May 26th
Brompton School
By: Amber Dawson
Brompton Community School’s mission statement is “To educate and honor the whole child by cultivating reverence for the natural world, self, learning, and community so they become lifelong servant leaders.”
What sets BCS apart is the amount of time they spend outside, their focus on social-emotional learning incorporation of nature, studies, ecology sustainability, environmentalism, experiential learning, access to adventurous play, mastery-based learning, the ability to stretch and challenge students in new ways, dedicated community service for every class, access to nature every day, no standardized testing, and an overall holistic whole child approach. This will be a multigenerational service.
