August 1
God and Gods: Naming the Sacred
Rev. E. Arlen Goff
Do you believe in God? Are you a theist, an atheist, a deist or a non-theist?
Is God one or many, male, female or genderless, young or old, near or
far, personal or impersonal, creator or created, a figment of your imagination
or a timeless, universal archetype? If you believe in God, what do you
call him/her/it? Does she/it/he have a name, a form, or a shape? When
you close your eyes, and someone whispers the word "God" in
your ear, what does your mind's eye see? And if there is a God, can
it/she/he be truly known? If you have the answers to any of these questions,
please let me know.
August 8
Building a Durable Faith: Transformation, spiritual growth & renewal
through community
Rev. Rhett D. Baird
Share The Plate with Macon-Bibb Citizen Advocacy ~ Today is the first
of a trilogy of sermons inviting us to plumb the depths of our being
to seek out and name and reflect upon some of the values which are the
sources of the deepest meanings of our lives. This first sermon will
be a kind of personal search to name some of the building blocks of
who we are and the sources of our spiritual sustenance. I am grateful
to be part of a faith tradition that is inclusive and affirming and
encourages such a journey.
August 15
Sustaining a Renewable Faith: Transformation, spiritual growth &
renewal through community
Rev. Rhett D. Baird
In this second of a trilogy of sermons, I will name and explore some
of the values that sustain me as I live out my life within our liberal
religionvalues that point toward some of the strengths of our faith.
I am grateful to be a part of a faith tradition that holds me accountable
for my covenanted behaviors to honor the inherent worth and dignity
of every person.
August 22
Sharing a Universal Faith: Transformation, spiritual growth &
renewal through community
Rev. Rhett D. Baird ~ Annual Water Communion ~ Congregational Meeting
~ The homily today will conclude the trilogy of sermons by naming some
of the values and exploring the meanings of those values important to
Unitarian Universalism, as gleaned by your minister. This is certainly
not intended to be an exhaustive list, but rather a thought-provoking
and personal one. How do we name and how do we share our good news,
our life-affirming good news? How do we live out that good news so that
the actions of our lives announce every day the renewable, sustaining
and enriching power of Unitarian Universalism?
August 29
The Spiritual Practice of Forgiveness
Rev. Scott Dillard
Bryant H. McGill writes that “There is no love without forgiveness,
and there is no forgiveness without love.” Forgiveness may be
one of the most difficult of all spiritual practices to master. It requires
of the practitioner a benevolent heart and a clarify of purpose that
is not easy to attain. However, without forgiveness there can be no
progress toward growth in relationships with others or even with the
self. Let us contemplate the nature of forgiveness and some of the spiritual
benefits that may be attained by engaging in this most sacred
practice.
