In Northern  places, November is a time when the world seems to be holding its breath. Gray skies and bare trees mark this interval between high Autumn and Winter. Some find November dismal, but there is a beauty to it than can be appreciated by those with open eyes and open hearts.  It’s no coincidence … Continue reading On This Gray November Morn

Join us in person at 3401 W. Jefferson St., Joliet We will reaffirm our sacred connections with Mother Earth, and celebrate the traditional Celtic Festival of Lughnasadh, Lammas, or First Harvest.  Bring a summer gift from the Earth (grain, fruit, vegetables, bread, flowers, etc.) to church for our Lammas ritual. For assistance with joining the … Continue reading You Are a Child of the Earth – First Harvest

At Solstice we celebrate the beauty of Winter, but come January 1st the lights go out, the tinsel is in the garbage and the parties are over.  Not so very long ago, Winter was seen as a season with its own unique pleasures and delights just like any other.  This service will explore the possibility … Continue reading The Last of the Old-Fashioned Winter Lovers

How do we know when something is no longer right for us?  Let’s explore together. (Apologies, but this service was not recorded.) For assistance with joining the online service, click here.

During what has come to be known as “The Burning Time” in Europe and America, which included the Inquisition, it’s estimated that as many as 9 million innocent women, men and children were persecuted under the varying official definitions of “witchcraft.”  Of course, this type of persecution is as antithetical to Unitarian Universalist beliefs as … Continue reading Every Day We Will Remember – Reflections on The Burning Time –

From the old Irish tales of the Faerie folk and the English legend of  Avalon, to modern vampire lore and ghost stories, stories of other realities co-existing with our own, although not ordinarily accessible to us, are common in cultures all over the world.  Do alternate realities actually exist, or are they pure fantasy?  Do … Continue reading Mist Around The Bend – On the Possibility of Alternate Realities

The word “God” can be a hot-button for many Unitarian Universalists. But the late maverick Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong, whose best known book is “Why Christianity Must Change or Die,” gives us some new ways of looking at the concept. He says, “I can tell no one who God is or what God is. … Continue reading Humans Wrote the Bible, God Wrote Life – The Teachings of John Shelby Spong

A lighthearted but meaningful service with a message of hope for Unitarian Universalists, updated to reflect on troubled times in recent years. For assistance with joining the online service, click here. Coffee Hour- 11:30am after Sunday Service ID: 667 067 586#

For many centuries, people have gathered together around the time of the Winter Solstice, latterly known as Christmastide, to eat, drink and share tales, merriment and music. Many of these gatherings lasted for a good number of days, not just one or two. Since, in this year of the pandemic, such gatherings will most likely … Continue reading To Drive The Cold Winter Away

Human beings seem to have an innate need for connection and belonging.  For many, this is met by family, or by work, or by other activities where people come together for a common purpose.  Many Unitarian Universalists harbor beliefs and viewpoints which tend to be a bit out of the mainstream.  For us, a church … Continue reading Falling in Love with Being Together – Why we ‘Do Church’