Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County

Sunday Services

Sunday Service Times:
Two services, at 9:30 and 11:00 am, May 6 and 13, 2012;
One service, at 10:00 am, starting May 20, 2012;
Two services, at 9:30 and 11:00 am, starting September 9, 2012.

Traffic tips for one service and two services.

We leave some previous sermon topics here, to give you an idea of the things we talk about. It is easier to show "eclectic" than to spell it. We have three sermon collections, by
Rev. Joe Cherry, our Interim Minister,
Rev. Grace Simons, who retired in October 2011,
Our Guests - lay people, visiting clergy, journalists, professors and poets.

We shift to ONE service, at 10 am, on May 20, 2012.

Old Members and New Members
May 20, 2012 (ONE service, 10:00 am)
Rev. Joseph M Cherry
On the day of our Annual Meeting, we will celebrate our long term members and welcome new members into our fellowship. There will sharing of stories, and a sermon about the bonds that tie us together. Also, bring your voting hats, because after the service is our Annual Meeting where we will exercise our democratic process and obligations by taking part in the democracy of our faith tradition!
(Again) Annual Meeting after the service!

Mother's Day
May 13, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
Rev. Joseph M Cherry
This holiday sprung into its modern existence from Social Gospel practitioners around the turn of the 20th century. Unitarians, Methodists and Temperance folk each had a hand it its creation. It was a West Virginian woman, Ann Jarvis, who continued the work of her own mother that brought us what we think of as Mother's Day. Any holiday can be hard for some, and exciting for others. Days that celebrate family can be particularly difficult for some and extremely joyful for others. The Worship Committee invites you to either or both of our services for Mother's Day this year:
At 9:30 we will have a service of Healing.
This service is for people who struggle with Motherhood. Perhaps this is the first Mother's Day you've had after your Mom passed away, perhaps you've lost a child, or are estranged from some part of your family. We hope you'll consider our invitation to this quiet, supportive service.
At 11:00 we will have a service in the celebration of Motherhood.
Do you have an awesome Mom? Do you have a woman in your life who has nurtured you even though you're not related? If you're able, bring her along!
Read the sermon.

Rites of Spring
May 6, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
Rev. Joseph Cherry
All around us in nature there are new little lives, just beginning. The foal, the calf, even the little ducklings are taking their first, sometimes tentative steps into their own existence. We humans take longer to mature than most other animals. What can that mean for us?
Read the sermon.

Separating Faith from Religion
April 29, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
Mark Haskett
In Mark's opinion, understanding the difference between "faith" and "religion" is perhaps the most crucial provision we can bring along on our spiritual journeys. What is the difference, and what are the implications? What other (re)sources have contributed to our personal faiths? How can we fine-tune or completely change our own faith at this stage in our lives?
Mr. Haskett moved to Modesto in 1975. He served on the board of directors for Inter-Faith Ministries for over a decade before founding his own non-profit organization, InnerFaith Resources, to promote mutual understanding and dialog between the area's diverse religious communities.

All Beings Are Flowers
April 22, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
William Dufford
This service will celebrate Earth Day. The word "earth" can give the impression of an inanimate object, like a table or a chair. But the earth is alive with beings, and each being is an unimaginable treasure. Join us as we celebrate the living web that surrounds and flows through us. Join us as we explore how to dance as part of this living web with respect, awareness, and humility.
Mr. Dufford is a student at Starr King and well on his way to becoming an outstanding minister.

Prescott Estates / Whispering Woods
April 15, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
Rev. Joseph M Cherry
Rev. Joe radically revised his sermon for this Sunday, from what had been a look at baseball and "the good old days", to reflect on the April 12 shootings just down the road from our little church.
Read the sermon.

Improbable Beliefs
April 8, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
Rev. Joseph M Cherry
Easter is central to the faith of our Christian friends. What can we glean from this story of Jesus for ourselves? What improbable beliefs do we UUs have?
Read the sermon.

Poetry as a Way of Healing
April 1, 2012 (Two services, 9:30 and 11:00)
Pat Egenberger
We humans don't get to be very old before we experience loss or grief. The Buddha teaches that suffering is part of the warp and weave of our lives. Pat believes that articulating that pain through the reading or writing of poetry is one way to process our experience and, by so doing, give solace, nurture wisdom, build strength, and deepen compassion. Is there a poem your soul calls you to write?