Scott writes: This Sunday I will engage in a structured “Chancel Conversation” with a dear transgender friend of mine Johanna Swendson, who will join us via Zoom from her home in Vero Beach Florida. Johanna is an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, which I served for more than a decade, and she helped me to understand the challenges (and blessings) of being a transgender person in America today. This conversation takes on added importance because of the increased ignorance about -- and growing hostility and injustice directed toward -- transgender and other gender minorities. Do be with us for this important conversation.
Sunday service timeline:
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
Scott writes: “By way of an old/curious story from an old New England UU church, I want to explore what will be required to make Unitarian Church North the kind of congregation that reaches its fullest and finest potential. Do be with us as we launch our 2025-26 Stewardship Campaign.
Sunday service timeline:
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
Scott writes: “What better time -- than these slower days of mid-winter? – to reflect on the importance of solitude in our lives. Solitude, unlike loneliness, can be put to positive purpose in our spiritual lives…do be with us as we explore this important topic together….by way of 19th Century Unitarian seer Henry David Thoreau.
Sunday service timeline:
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
Scott writes: “The lives we live on this earth are filled with copious amounts of both good and bad luck…but seldom do we think about luck as having a spiritual dimension. I am persuaded that how we respond to the various shades of luck that enter our lives has everything to say about how successfully we will navigate our days on the earth.”
Sunday service timeline:
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
Today, we will look beyond defining February as a month of romantic love to a Celebration of Connection.
We are currently experiencing a societal epidemic without a vaccine: loneliness. Society defines normalcy and success as being in a romantic relationship. This metric excludes many people. Consciously reframing the goal of February as one of connection allows for inclusion rather than exclusion.
Connection doesn’t have to include fireworks and giddiness. It’s a feeling of being part of something greater: awe from seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, gaining new insight into our true selves, and acknowledging the humanity of others through impromptu conversation, a smile, and eye contact.
Moving beyond discomfort in being with our true selves is key to experiencing and enjoying connection. Once we gain confidence in being with ourselves, we gain more confidence in engaging with others.
By the end of today’s conversation, you will awaken to seeing connection as being within your control and experiencing more contentment in life.
Catherine Thomas is a speaker, host of The Catherine Thomas Podcast and The Compassionate Conversation Series with Catherine Thomas, and author of Awakening the Vulnerable Heart and Inspiration From What Is. She is passionate about high-octane coffee, urban walkabouts, and holding space for the stories of those encountered along the way. A lifelong Wisconsinite, Catherine resides in Cedarburg, the community of her heart. Learn more at awakeningtoinspiration.com.
Sunday service timeline:
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
The meaning of worship is
to be shaped by
what is of worth.
We gather together in spiritual community because we need constant reminders of what matters most in life. In a world of heartbreak and dehumanization, our congregations and communities call us to our better selves. We learn to live with more wisdom, more connection, and more compassion.
Our Worship Services are weekly reflections that weave together our own thoughts and experiences with music, beauty, poetry, and words that both comfort and challenge. Our programs for all ages inspire and awaken us to our capacities to make a difference in our own lives and in the world.
