Rev. Ritchie discusses Sophia, or “Wisdom” in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the changing reputation of Mary, mother of Jesus in the Christian tradition, to explore how our images for the divine can to either diminish or inspire our respect for the worth and dignity of all people and genders. Attend in person at … Continue reading The Day Sophia Went Missing
Join us at the Barn at Stratford for “Story Sunday” Our service is an OPEN MIC “Story Sunday” facilitated by Becca Morse Our theme is “The Story of Us.” Bring any ”stories” that are less than 4 minutes long to share that speak to who we are as individuals, as Unitarian Universalists, and as a … Continue reading Story Sunday
One of the basic tents of our faith is a commitment to continuous revelation, the belief that we cannot limit ourselves to truths discovered in the past but must also be open to truths yet unfolding. In the sermon, Rev. Ritchie explores how this teaching leads us to embrace new possibilities, tell alternative stories, and … Continue reading Yes. And…
Rev. Ritchie explores the misconceptions surrounding agnosticism and speaks about its role in the important work of undoing not binaries that are not only theological but can be used to stigmatize some human identities (lost/found, believer/unbeliever, light/dark). Attend in person or online (link below) Stay after worship for our workshop on Nonviolent Communication Workshop, described … Continue reading On the Altar of the Unknown God
adrienne maree brown, activist and student of complexity and change tells us we are living in other people’s imaginations. Currently, we find ourselves in a battle of imaginations. Science fiction can be subversively creative, can we live into author Octavia Butler’s admonition to “make revolution irresistible”? Our guest preacher today is Marti Thompson. Thompson is … Continue reading Science Fiction and the Moral Imagination
We celebrate Easter with an intergenerational flower celebration. If possible, bring a cut flower to service for each member of your party. EASTER EGG hunt immediately after worship. Join us in person, or online, link below. Current Covid Policy: Vaccines are strongly recommended. Masks are not required, but please consider that masks are our best … Continue reading Flower Celebration and Easter Egg Hunt
Rev. Ritchie explores the themes of miracles, signs and wonders inside of the Passover stories, charting how such stories can expand our own moral imagination and capacity to respond to change with resilience and even grace. Current Covid Policy: Vaccines are strongly recommended. Masks are not required, but please consider that masks are our best … Continue reading If There is A Fire on the Mountain: A Passover Reflection
Rev. Ritchie recounts the many institutions and practices, from rural cemeteries to cremation to memorial societies and green burials, that Unitarian Universalists have put in place to make sure that the dying, the dead and those in mourning are not exploited, but rather granted the maximum of agency and dignity in their hour of need. … Continue reading The Good Death, Unitarian Universalist Style
In honor of Women’s History Month, Rev. Ritchie explores some snapshots from Unitarian Universalist history where women creatively subverted gender myths and conventions, and what lessons we might carry forward from that work into the current day. Attend in person or online. Congregational meeting to immediately follow worship, stay on the worship link to attend. … Continue reading Myth America, UU Style
Rev. Ritchie shares how critical race theory, with its emphasis on the frank presentation of vulnerability accompanied by the resistance to privatization of pain, restored her sense of wholeness in a trying time in her personal life. Similarly, it can offer a path forward for a wounded nation. And yet Critical Race Theory is currently … Continue reading True Confessions of a Critical Race Theorist
