Services

Mary Oliver & the Family of Things

Poet Mary Oliver recently died, leaving behind a rich and enduring body of work that is both beautiful and challenging. What is it about her poems that resonates so deeply with so many of us, especially as Unitarian Universalists?

MLK and Racial Barriers: Then and Now

For many people, the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008 seemed to indicate that we as a country were finally living into MLK’s dream of caring more about the content of someone’s character than about the color of their skin. In reality, how close are we to that dream? Or is such an … Continued

Working with What Is

No matter what we want to accomplish, no matter what we want to avoid, no matter what has happened in the past or what we hope will happen in the future—we must begin with what is right here and right now. This sermon explores how we might work to call ourselves back to the present … Continued

Termites, Starlings, and Human Possibility

This sermon will explore what we can we learn from termites and starlings about how human beings might work together differently to create previously unimagined or even unimaginable possibilities.

Choose Something Like a Star

In this sermon, poised between Christmas and Epiphany, we’ll follow the journey of the Magi in exploring what it means to choose the way of integrity, hope and personal accountability in an increasingly compromised world.  As Robert Frost put it in his poem, “We may choose something like a star/To stay our minds on and … Continued

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

This service will be an intergenerational, family-­friendly event featuring music from our children, youth and others, as well as stories and a brief re­enactment of the Nativity. We’ll also celebrate the 200th anniversary of the much-loved Christmas hymn “Silent Night.” (This service will take place Mon., Dec. 24, at 5:00 p.m.)

Dickens, the Unitarians, and Christmas

Charles Dickens, the great 19th-century English novelist had a profound effect on how Christmas is celebrated. Many of his ideas about Christmas and social reform were influenced by his involvement with Unitarianism. This service will explore these ideas and their relevance today.

Blue Christmas Vespers Service

The holidays are not always as cheerful as we might pretend. In fact, this time of year often brings painful memories and a profound sense of loss. This special service is for anyone who is struggling during this holiday season. (This service will take place Wed., Dec. 19, at 7:00 p.m.)

Music of the Season

This service will be comprised of holiday­-themed music from various Sunnyhill members and friends, including the choir, children’s choir, string ensemble and other individuals and groups of all ages and many different styles. Come celebrate music and the season!

Hanukkah

Religious freedom and political resistance are major themes in the story of Hanukkah and the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. In this service we will explore how and why these themes are just as relevant now as they have ever been. (Budget Meeting)