Sunday Services for February 2018

​theme: Love

Services include sermons preached by Rev. Andrew Clive Millard unless otherwise noted.

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February 4th: “The Promise and the Practice of Our Faith”

What​ ​would​ ​it​ ​mean​ ​to center worship​ ​entirely​ ​around the​ ​voices​ and experiences ​of​ ​black​ ​Unitarian​ ​Universalists?​  What truths​ ​might​ ​we​ ​hear,​ ​however​ ​difficult?​  ​What​ ​might​ ​we​ ​learn?​  ​How​ ​might black​ ​UU​ religious professionals​ ​teach​ ​us​ ​to​ ​be​ ​better​ ​allies,​ ​better​ ​siblings​ ​in​ ​faith, and​ ​even​ ​better​ ​citizens​ ​in​ ​our​ ​community?  Our​ ​hope for a truly inclusive faith promises a new​ ​way​ ​of​ ​being​ ​together and asks us to practice the work of ​​dismantling​ ​white​ ​supremacy.

February 11th: “Gathered to Celebrate”

This February 13th is Shrove Tuesday, a holiday barely celebrated in most of the United States, but in New Orleans it is the culmination of over a month of parties and parades.  Mardi Gras is not just a day, or a weekend, but a state of mind, celebrated by people of all religions and races.  It is the antidote to seriousness.  Let the good times roll.

Rev. Charlie Dieterich joined the Unitarian Church of Norfolk as Developmental Minister in 2015, having worked with congregations in New Jersey and Louisiana.  A former engineer, he received an M.Div. from the Starr King School for the Ministry in 2010 and has a special interest in disability issues and LGBT advocacy.  We welcome Rev. Charlie back to the Fellowship in this pulpit swap with Rev. Andrew!

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February 18th: “Our Great Covenant”

One of the most common affirmations in Unitarian Universalist services is the Blake covenant: “Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law.  This is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.”  This is a great ideal, but how do we put such promises to practical use?  How do they help us address contentious issues?

February 25th: “Answering the Call of Love”

“Love is the spirit of this church...”  But love is more than a noun; it’s also a verb — an action verb!  Through stories, responsive readings, meditation and personal testimony, we’ll explore what it means to answer the call of love in our own lives.  We’ll sing the Rev. Jason Shelton’s hymn with its new words, and we’ll hear music from our beloved ChorUUs.

This service is offered through collaboration between the Sunday Services Committee and the Music Committee, with special music provided by the ChorUUs!