Eighth Sunday of Spring: May 11.
Feminist Theology.
Rev. Meredith Garmon.

May 2008 Topics
Sunday 11AM

Sunday Service at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville is the high point of our life together and is the best way to discover what being a "UU" is all about. As we are non-creedal, our worship services are influenced by centuries of Unitarian and Universalist religious tradition, the religions of the world, our spiritual journeys, social justice issues, and science. Though our topics are diverse, our rituals like the Chalice Lighting, Singing, Joys and Concerns, and Generation to Generation give us continuity, as does our belief that "we need not think alike to love alike"(Francis David, Transylvanian Unitarian minister 16th Century). We seek to achieve a "relaxed reverence" where people feel welcome, just as they are, to join us in exploring the mysteries of life.

Children are a welcome part of our worship service as we gather, sing, and tell stories. As time for the sermon approaches, the children and their teachers usually go to their Religious Education classes. A window room is provided at the back of the sanctuary for families with infants and toddlers where the children can play or nap, and their parents can view and hear the service. Once a month on the first Sunday of the month we have KISS (Kids in service Sunday). Here we stay together across the generations to share worship together. 

It is traditional in Unitarian Universalist congregations that the minister leads worship services for three weeks each month, and has seve

ral weeks off during the summer for study, preparation and renewal for the coming year. On the Sundays when the minister is not in the pulpit, a committee of congregants, the Sunday Worship Service Committee, guided by the minister, prepares the worship services. Sometimes these services are intergenerational and interactive, calling on the congregation to participate in some way. Sometimes we invite a guest minister from another UU congregation, a guest minister from another faith, or an expert on a topic of interest to deliver the sermon. We recognize that inspiration can come to us from many different sources and that our minister is much more than a "preacher." 

Besides fun, hospitality, good food, and a great message, there is another thing that consistently stands out about worship at UUF: our music program. Our excellent Minister of Music and music director of 30 years, Ruth Lewis, leads choirs of enthusiastic singers spanning all ages. Many people cite the music as their main attractant to UUF.

Please join us so that as we grow in diversity, we will grow the beloved community.

Seventh Sunday of Spring: May 4.
Annual Animal Blessing and Celebration.
Rev. LoraKim Joyner.
Come one, come all species and ages to this celebration of the web of life. We invite you to bring you animal companion to partake in the service—just make sure they are healthy and well restrained (and glad to join the rest of the pack, herd, flock, troop, school, well you get the idea)..

Eighth Sunday of Spring: May 11.
Feminist Theology.
Rev. Meredith Garmon.
Feminist theology had a big impact in churches and seminaries in the 1970s and 80s. It still does.

Ninth Sunday of Spring: May 18.
Faithful and Fateful Decisions—Death Penalty, Abortion, and Physician Assisted Suicide.
Rev. LoraKim Joyner.
Today we will look at doctrines of life and death in religious landscapes. We will emphasize capital punishment in today’s service, and also include abortion and physician assisted suicide.

Tenth Sunday of Spring: May 25.
Tattoos—Marking Memories and Bodies Together.
Rev. LoraKim Joyner.
Today we will hear stories behind the tattoos adorning our members' skin as well as reflect upon the history, meaning, and popularity of these living images in ink. If you have a tattoo, please send a picture and/or story of the tattoo to Rev. Joyner.

Religious Education for Children