Past Services
Sunday, January 29, 2012: "2012: What's the Big Deal?" --Cathy Denton
What is 2012, really, and why does it engender such fear, confusion, curiosity, wonder and excitement? Let’s see what information is out there regarding this date and what we can take away from this experience.Sunday, January 22, 2012: “The Sound of Music and Other Odd Tales: How an Atheist helped me understand Universalism and how music brought an Atheist to tears” --Gracia Walker
Sunday, January 15, 2012 --Buzz Thomas
Sunday, January 8, 2012: "Celebration of Lights" --Aaron Astor
Sunday, January 1, 2012: "Sharing Service" -Charlotte Goff
Sunday, December 25, 2011: NO SERVICE
Sunday, December 18, 2011: "Love: The Fourth Sunday of Advent" --Barry Whittemore
Sunday, December 11, 2011: "Healing When There Is No Cure." - Tandy Scheffler
Sunday, December 11, 2011: "Healing When There Is No Cure." - Tandy Scheffler
Tandy is in her fifteenth year as the religious educator at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. She is a Master Level Credentialed Religious Educator and serves as a member of the Religious Education Credentialing Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Tandy is working towards a Masters of Divinity at Earlham School of Religion, a Quaker institution, and plans to seek ordination as a Unitarian Universalist minister. She lives in Oak Ridge with her spouse Peter. She and Peter have two sons, one recently graduated from college and the other a senior in high school. They also have two feisty gray cats. She enjoys dancing and storytelling…and life. The heart of Tandy’s ministry is connecting with people and helping them find both sustenance and challenge in their Unitarian Universalist congregations. This is her third time to be with us, something she also enjoys.
Sunday, December 4, 2011: "Spiral Steps -- A Thoughtful Beginner's-Eye View of Earth-Based Spirituality" -Jennifer Spirko
Has your spirit felt the shifting of Seasons as the wheel of the year turns? Have you gazed at the setting sun or waxing moon and felt a connection that went beyond an appreciation of their beauty? Join us for a look into the spiritual traditions that value our personal spiritual connection to the physical world and its palpable "magic." The term "earth-based spirituality" is used to mean a lot of things, from New Age-inflected drum circles to historically reconstructed pagan rites, and many traditions, new and old, in between. Such a diverse web of spiritual practices is a good match for the UU outlook, as FUUF member Jennifer Spirko has found in her personal journey. She will try to tease out some of the history and philosophy of earth-based spirituality, particularly the related set of traditions known as Wicca.Sunday, November 27, 2010: "My Name Is..." -Rebecca Vial
Rebecca Vial is retired. She has been in East Tennessee since 1997. She has been a part of this congregation since Charter Sunday. Join us for this service to learn what the title is all about!
Sunday, November 20, 2011: "Abundance in our Lives-A Thanksgiving Bread Communion" -Tandy Scheffler
Join us in welcoming Tandy Scheffler, Director of Faith Formation at Oak Ridge UU Church. In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, we will share homemade bread together, taking the time to appreciate its smell, texture, taste, as well as to appreciate those among us who prepared it. In our culture of way too much “stuff”, what is the “stuff” of which we cannot have too much? Where is abundance in our lives, if we would but look and notice and name? How do we let a myth of scarcity overshadow this abundance in our lives? On this day, we will celebrate the power of gratitude in daily living.”
Sunday, November 13, 2011: "Eternal Life" -Jeff Fager
Nearly all religions posit some form of existence beyond this everyday life. That may take the form of reincarnation, another "land" like this one, or a completely different reality, but they tend to agree that death is not the end. What does that mean for "this life," and how can we think about "eternal life" constructively?
Sunday, November 6, 2011: "A Press conference with God" -Jeff Hutchins
Jeff Hutchins, a UU speaker from Black Mountain, will present “A Press Conference with God,” which he calls “a bit of theological theatre.” Jeff is the author of the book “A Press Conference with God: An Atheist Talks to God and Gets Answers to Your Questions.” He has led this service at many UU congregations throughout the Northeast and Southeast, and now is bringing it to Maryville. The premise of the service is that Jeff will portray God's press secretary, come here to answer your questions for God.Sunday, October 30, 2011: "Day of the Dead- A Sharing Service" -Charlotte Goff
Day of the Dead is an ancient celebration in Mexico, Central and South America -- and now in a number of places in the USA. It is a celebration of the return of ancestral spirits. People take favorite foods and objects to the cemetery to celebrate with the spirits. We will take this opportunity to honor those who have gone before us and to share our memories and the influence they had upon our lives. Please bring a photo and/ or an object to put on the altar and a story to share with our fellowship.Sunday, October 23, 2011: “Cooking Up Family Recipes...And Family Values” —Rev. Billy Newton
The notion of family values certainly has been twisted apart and hijacked by particular political agendas and religious groups over the years. Perhaps it's time to rekindle a more progressive campaign for family values that reflects the commitment to inclusiveness and justice that many of us try to practice. Take a look at the values you hope you will pass along to your children and share with others in the community. They are probably not the dominant values of wall street or the fear tactics of many groups. How does it feel to fight those battles out there in that "mission field?" Take a look at the values that Foothills UU Fellowship families have shared, and the ones you wish they would share more openly. How does it feel to step into a community family that understands why diversity, respect for creation and creativity, and justice for all God's children are essential for our wellbeing? Sometimes, we need to hunker down with a family that understands these things, and together cook up some of those family recipes that we believe in. I hope that is what the FUUF family reunion will be like on October 23rd.Sunday, October 16, 2011: "Creation, Human Life, and Sunday Mornings" -Clark Olsen
This Sunday service is about our sharply-increased awareness of the universe and humankind's place in the universe, and the words we use to express that awareness. This leads to how our times together on Sunday can deepen our lives by providing love, courage and support to one another. Humans represent an extraordinary spirit in the universe, we live in an extraordinary point in human history, and our Sunday services can be extraordinary as well!Sunday, October 9, 2011: "Harvest Moon" -Jeff Fager
On October 12th, we will experience the 2011 Harvest Moon. On the 9th, Jeff Fager will explore this harvest season and what it means for us. For many thousands of years, humans have held celebrations around harvest time to acknowledge the gifts of the earth that supported life. In the twenty-first century, how do we experience harvest, and how to we respond to it?Sunday, October 2: "Together, We Can" -Angelina Carpenter
This Sunday we welcome another of our budding ministers. Angelina Carpenter is a student at Earlham School of Religion (Rev. Chris Buice's alma mater) where she has been pursuing the Master of Divinity through their distance-learning Access Program. She served this past year as Director of Community Life at Oak Ridge UUC. As a fairly new member of Tennessee Valley UUC, she is currently serving as a ministerial student intern. Here she is partnering with Jenny Arthur to focus on pastoral care and sampling other aspects of ministry. This fall she is leading a "Healing through Grief" group for people in transition from a variety of losses. Being Association Sunday, Angelina's topic will focus on where UUism is at this moment in history. What are we doing NOW to create the Beloved Community? How does fostering excellence in ministry lead us toward this dream? .
September 25, 2011: "What Language Shall I Borrow? Learning from Atheist and Agnostic College Students" -Anne McKee
In January 2011, Anne McKee, Campus Minister at Maryville College, conducted interviews with students who identify as atheist or agnostic, to try to learn about their development and their perspectives, as well as about their experience as students at a church-related college. Anne will share some of her findings, in hopes that they may be of interest to FUUF members, both as they seek to be a welcoming community and also consider their own spiritual paths.
September 18, 2011: "Human Suffering, Evil, and God: 10 No’s and 1 Yes" -Marc Mullinax
Join us for this thought-provoking subject. Marc Mullinax, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Mars Hill College will be speaking on a number of readings including the following:
Epicurus: b.341 BCE: God either wishes to take away evils and is unable; or He is able and is unwilling; or He is neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able. If He is willing and is unable, He is feeble, which is not in accordance with the character of God; if He is able and unwilling, He is envious, which is equally at variance with God; if He is neither willing nor able, He is both envious and feeble, and therefore not God; if He is both willing and able, which alone is suitable to God, from what source then are evils? or why does He not remove them?
September 11, 2011: "Playing God" -Jeff Fager
On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Jeff Fager will be considering the topic "Playing God." It would certainly seem that those who flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were "playing God," but were they? What do those events have to tell us about how we should live in the world--how we approach consequential decisions?September 4, 2011: "Flutes, Autism, and a Different Way of Seeing" -Paul McAuliffe
Paul McAuliffe is a member of the UU Fellowship of Bay County in Panama City, FL. Paul will be joining us to discuss his own autistic journey of self discovery, and play quiet, soothing music on a variety of world/ethnic flutes. He will talk to us about what it’s like living on the autism spectrum in a “neurotypical” world and will also explain why Asperger’s Syndrome (high-functioning autism) kids will be the world’s future inventors and innovators.August 28, 2011: "The Zorba Spirit" -Rev. Don Beaudreault
Rev. Don Beaudreault from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice (Florida) will be conducting a very special service on August 28. Don is a dynamic minister and has brought spiritual enrichment, joyous celebrations, and greatly increased membership to the many congregations he has served in his over 30 years as a UU minister. He is also a marvelous jazz pianist and will add to this special day by playing the offertory for us after his sermon on "The Zorba Spirit," a message about joy and zest for life. For the youth of FUUF, Maria Siopsis of Maryville College will be teaching a Greek dance, so it should be an incredible day for all! We are excited to welcome Don and his partner, Juan Rivera; as well as a few guests from the UU congregation in Oak Ridge where Don was interim minister several years ago.August 21, 2011: "When a Nation Loses its Way" -Rev. Buzz Thomas
Rev. “Buzz“ Thomas of Maryville is President of the Great Schools Partnership as well as a minister, attorney, author, teacher, community leader, and USA Today columnist. As a minister, he has served churches in Tennessee and Louisiana. As an attorney, he has practiced law at every level of state and federal courts, including arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court. His legal clients have included the National Council of Churches, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Children’s Defense Fund. He has taught First Amendment law at Georgetown University. Reverend Thomas’s books and articles have been widely published, including a regular column in USA Today, and he has appeared as a guest commentator on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, C-Span, and NPR. This Sunday, he will give a sermon on “When a Nation Loses its Way”, touching on such topics as the debt ceiling debate and aspiring to become the nation we want to be. This is a sermon not to be missed!August 14, 2011: Annual Water Communion & Faith Development Kickoff
Water is the key ingredient of this special service. Water sustains all life. Think about a special spot where you can collect water to share at the service. Water gathered from a visit to the house of relatives or friends will carry special meanings & memories. You may enjoy gathering water from a stream, ocean, or lake, the backyard kiddie pool, the garden hose that watered favorite flowers, or the kitchen sink. Camping, picnics, the trip of a lifetime, or an ordinary vacation are also often sources of connection that we want to remember. Water brought to this service in small containers will be added to a collective container to symbolize our community & connectedness.August 7, 2011: "A Unitarian Universalist Salvation Story"--Gracia Walker Besham
Join us on Aug. 7th for, "A Unitarian Universalist Salvation Story: From fundamentalism to freedom.” This is one family's story of how life changing it can be when one chooses to be a Unitarian Universalist. Gracia Basham is currently the Secretary of the Southeast District Board & on leave of absence from Starr King School for the Ministry. Her home church is Holston Valley UU Church in Johnson City, TN. She serves her church as Chair of the Caring Team, Chair of the Hospitality Team, & Chair of the Mentoring Program.July 31, 2011: Sharing Service -Charlotte Goff
On July 31, Charlotte Goff will lead us in a small group service focusing on spirituality. We will be exploring the subject of spirituality --personally & within our spiritual community. What is spirituality? Is there only one true spiritual path? How do we know whether we’re on a spiritual path? Does our community help us develop our spirituality?
July 24, 2011: "Martin, Mary, & Me,"--Sam Jones
Sam was born Janet Saunders in Dothan, Alabama. The name Sam was a childhood nickname that stuck. She was raised in Selma, Alabama in the 50's as a strict Southern Baptist, which was good training to become a good UU. She grew up experiencing the segregation & the stormy integration of the south. This upbringing gave her a unique perspective on the religion & life from which she is still recovering. Sam is the guiding light behind the Simplicity Group at Holston Valley UU Church.On the 24th, Sam will present some personal stories about growing up as the daughter of a Ku Klux Klansman, her love for Mary, the family's black maid, & sneaking around to the back of Martin Luther King's church where she promptly fell in love with gospel music.
July 17, 2011: “Ethics is Easy—Sort Of”— Dr. Jeff Fager
I will look at how various religious traditions and modern science tend to agree that core moral concepts seem to be hard-wired into the human psyche. Of course, that does not explain all of the vigorous debates over moral issues, but I believe Unitarian-Universalism can provide a solid foundation for understanding how we humans can create a strong ethical framework that we all can embrace.Dr. Jeff Fager is a charter member of FUUF and is married to Sally Fager.
July 10, 2011: “Why Unitarian Universalism is like a Weigel's Jug-o-Milk”--Jake Bohstedt Morrill, ORUUC
We sometimes think of a Unitarian Universalist congregation as something not unlike a porcelain egg: finely made, fragile, a thing of beauty more than of use, evidence of the higher things in life. In truth, however, a healthy UU congregation is more like a Weigel's Jug-o-Milk gas station. Come find out why on this summer Sunday.The Rev. Jake Morrill has served as Minister of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church for 8 years. A product of the religious education program at TVUUC, Jake has a passion for our liberal faith in East Tennessee. He serves as the Trustee from the Southeast District on the Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees, & with his beloved partner is the father of two wonderful boys.
July 3, 2011: Interdependence Day--Rob Spirko, Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Member
June 26, 2011: Summer Vocation: A Season for Growing Crops and Collecting Honey--Rev. Billy Newton
Join us Sunday, June 26th as we welcome our Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Ministry Consultant, Rev. Billy Newton to lead us in a service exploring summer as a season for personal growth and “vocation” with its opportunites for travel, exploring new forms of community, and living the questions that are most important to us. As Rainer Maria Rilke reminds us in Letters to a Young Poet, "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves… Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."June 19, 2011: Brother Utsumi & Sister Denise
Foothills U.U. Fellowship is pleased to welcome back Brother Utsumi & Sister Denise. In 1989, Brother Utusmi came to Atlanta to pray & work for the abolishment of nuclear weapons. Since coming to the South, Brother Utsumi has opened a temple & garden in East Atlanta & built the Great Smoky Mountains Peace Pagoda an hour away from Oak Ridge.June 12, 2011: Annual Flower Communion--Tandy Scheffler, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church
Over 80 years ago, Norbert Capek created the flower communion ritual for his Unitarian congregation in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Today, Unitarian Universalists throughout North America carry on this tradition. Join us this Sunday for our annual flower communion, a celebration of beauty, diversity, reciprocity, interdependence, and strength of conviction. Please bring flowers from your yard, if you are able. Each person will receive a flower to take home, so we need as many flowers as people on Sunday.June 5, 2011: Creating Our UU Community: Appreciations – Service & Example Mission Area Team
We are thankful to all who have served this past year to create our beloved community - Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. This Sunday will be a time to reflect, rejoice, and recognize our leaders and volunteers for their hard work, dedication, and passion that they have so generously offered. As UUA.org states, “The day-to-day life of a congregation is the glue that holds the spiritual community together and we believe it is our deeds, not our creeds, that are most important.” Join us as we celebrate and honor those who help to create, sustain, and energize Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship so that our presence is strong in Blount County!Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will hold its annual meeting to discuss the business of the fellowship after the service on June 5. All members of FUUF are highly encouraged to attend.
May 29, 2011: Memorial Day – Dr. Jeff Fager
Monday is Memorial Day, and the entire weekend is given to remembering—specifically remembering those that died while in military service. While Unitarian-Universalism is not one of the historic peace denominations (i.e., philosophical pacifism is not essential), we U-Us tend to be peace-loving people. Thus, Memorial Day can create something of a conundrum for us. How DO we remember warriors that gave their lives for a cause? Does the nature of the cause make a difference? Can we separate honoring an individual’s courage from the policies of the nation for which he or she fought? What might be an appropriate U-U celebration of Memorial Day? On Sunday, we will consider that very question.
May 22, 2011: Annual Passages Service – Crystal Colter
Babies have been born… wise friends have passed away… young people are graduating from high school… loving parents watch as those babies graduate from high school & head into a new phase of life… new folks have found our FUUF family & joined our congregation…& more than a couple of us has had a foot or leg broken, sprained, or otherwise inconvenienced! Another year is passing, & in our congregation it has again been a year of significant events for many of our members & friends. Join us as we acknowledge together some of these important transitions & events in the lives of members and friends of our congregation.
May 15, 2011: Saying Yes & Saying No – A Holistic Approach to Stewardship —Rev. Billy Newton
For me, stewardship is a process of trimming, pruning, & stimulating new & abundant life. Budgeting time, talents, & treasures is certainly a daily part of our lives, but I think of stewardship as the foundation of how we say yes & no to the multiple budgets & other choices that face us all the time. Ultimately, the stewardship of saying yes & saying no is about discerning the direction of your life’s energies. Saying yes & saying no is about taking a stand on your truest sense of values and commitments, while stepping away from others. Saying yes & saying no is about becoming an intentional steward of our own lives, relationships & the things we treasure the most. I hope you will use this time of stewardship as something more than an organizational budget analysis, a sales pitch, or as Sunday to avoid. It can also be a pivotal time to reconsider how we say yes & no to ourselves and to the world we live in.
May 8, 2011: How to Save Mountains -Natalie Greene
United Mountain Defense has been working to end mountain-top removal coal mining for six years. They utilize administrative remedies, citizen air and water monitoring, and community organizing in coal-affected areas. Their commitment is to the mountains, water, air, and people of Appalachia. Natalie Greene is currently an intern with United Mountain Defense. For more information, visit unitedmountaindefense.org.
May 1, 2011: Sacred Sound in Stressful Times -Rev. Chris Buice and Mebbie Jackson
Many religious traditions have meditations to help us find a measure of serenity in the midst of surrounding chaos and confusion. Often these meditations involve sound. From Hinduism and the practice of yoga we learn about the sacred sound “OM”(sometimes spelled “AUM”) which is meant to ground us in the eternal principle at the heart of all things. In Buddhism there is the sound of singing bowls, gongs and chimes that are meant to take us into a deeper meditative state. Then there is the mysterious opening chord to the Beatle’s “A Hard Day’s Night” (which George Harrison described as an F chord with a G on top whatever that means). Not to mention the sound of the elevator in the parking garage at McGhee Tyson airport (but you will have to come to the service to hear the rest of the story about that one).Rev. Chris Buice is minister at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville. Mebbie Jackson will lead the congregation in a sound meditation.
April 24, 2011: Easter -Rev. Billy Newton
Join us for a celebration of renewal and new life, at the culmination of the holiest week in Christian and Jewish calendars.April 17, 2011: What We Can Learn from Animals -Kim Trevathan
To celebrate Earth Week, Kim Trevathan's talk, "What We Can Learn from Animals," will focus on the inspiration, companionship, and life lessons that non-human animals can impart to us. He will show some photographs and tell some true stories that come from his excursions in the wilds of Tennessee, Kentucky, and elsewhere.
April 10, 2011: Compassion for One and All -Cathy Denton
The dictionary states that compassion means a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. I ask who are the others we need to feel this for and do we dare include ourselves.Cathy Denton is a charter member of FUUF and is currently working on her Masters in Divinity. She plans to specialize her practice in Spiritual Counseling, administering Reiki treatments and Hypnotherapy to help people live fuller lives as they let go of limiting beliefs and spiritual blockages.
April 3, 2011: Prayer in a Mysterious Cosmos: Unitarian Universalism and the Cheyenne Way - John Bing
This service will contain some basic elements of Cheyenne ritual including Cheyenne prayer songs. The sermon will trace John's spiritual journey from Unitarian Universalism to cultural anthropology and his immersion in Cheyenne society and ceremony.John Bing grew up attending church at TVUUC until he left Knoxville to attend college in Boulder Colorado where he majored in anthropology. John then earned a doctorate in anthropology at Emory University in Atlanta. He did three years of ethnographic fieldwork on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. His dissertation explores the cultural conflict and sycretism between Alcoholics Annonymous and Cheyenne ritual treatment of alcohol and drug abuse.
March 27, 2011: Enough is Enough: The Spiritual Side of Economics - Rev. Billy Newton
This sermon will explore the challenge of sustainability in our personal lives, and when "enough is enough" in our economics, our work, and our lifestyles. Drawing on the biblical text in Genesis and a theological study on "Sabbath Economics," Newton will ask what it means that God looks at all of creation and sees that "it is very good." Newton says, "I think we have a lot to learn from the creation story and the patterns of seasonal change when it comes to our spiritual lives and daily living. I'd like to introduce an alternative understanding of sabbath and earthly goodness that can shape faith identity, perspectives on social justice, and our own attempts at self-renewal."March 20, 2011: The Hard and Soft of Conflict - Tandy Scheffler
Where would you place yourself on the conflict engagement continuum? Perhaps you are an avoider, a pleaser, or a stiff and fair competitor. And where would you put yourself on the conflict attitude continuum? Do you dread it, relish it, or vacillate between the two, depending on whether the "other side" is your mother, your spouse, or your boss? All of us experience conflict on a daily basis. You would think we would all be experts! And yet, like sex, we often don't talk about conflict or spend time developing a healthy relationship to it. Conflict happens. It is neither good, nor bad. Our ways of working through conflict make the difference. Our ways of working through conflict can distance us from others or move us toward Beloved Community. On Sunday, March 20, we will explore conflict as a necessary part of our personal spiritual journeys and a vital aspect of a thriving congregation. Did you know that the healthiest churches experience a lot of conflict?March 13, 2011: Religious Community - Charlotte Goff
The common elements in affiliating with a community are the impetus toward belonging and associating with those sharing common principles aimed toward the human need to share. We invite you to reflect on the role of the church in your life and your role in the life of the church. Be prepared to share the things about our church community that most interested or excited you when you first started attending and that made you want to keep coming. What are the top three to five things that keep you here now? How has being a part of this church community transformed you or changed your life? How could we better meet your spiritual needs?March 6, 2011: Girl Scout Sunday - Jennifer Spirko
In March of 1912, Juliette Gordon Low called a cousin and announced, "Come right over! I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" She was back full-time in her native Savannah, Ga., after a quarter-century in Great Britain. Her unhappy marriage to an Englishman had at least one happy outcome: Juliette had met and become friends with Robert, Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Boy Scouting, and his wife Olave, who headed up a similar group for girls, the Girl Guides. Juliette was determined that American girls should have the same opportunities to explore the outdoor world, play sports, and learn skills as the English Girl Guides. Hence that historic phone call to her cousin. On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low gathered a group of 18 girls at her Savannah home, the first Girl Scout troop in the U.S. Juliette had prevailed over her hearing impairment, and she had outlasted her philandering husband. In her 50s, instead of settling down to the quiet life as an eccentric socialite, she became the eccentric founder of a movement that today serves 2.4 million girls nationwide. Join us for Girl Scout Sunday to celebrate the birthday of the Girl Scouts of the U.S. and to learn more about the history and purpose of Girl Scouting, a movement that enters its second century next year.February 27, 2011: What does it mean to be blessed? - Reverend Billy Newton
Have a blessed day. Blessed are the peacemakers. Bless you, my child. Bless this food. Bless her little heart. Count your blessings. God bless America. This service will include a reflection from Rev. Billy Newton on the beatitudes or blessings that are part of our culture and faith traditions. Drawing on Matthew 5 and examples of Celtic blessings, Rev. Newton will explore how an understanding of blessing can shape a community for better or worse.Rev. Newton is an ordained Presbyterian minister with extensive experience in higher education. He currently serves FUUF as a ministry consultant.
February 20, 2011: Quaker Service - Sharon Phelps
Join FUUF friends for a Quaker-style meeting! Our friend Sharon Phelps will be present as we explore this special way to worship together in community. Sharon attends the West Knoxville Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and has been a Quaker for about 15 years. As the West Knoxville Friends Meeting website states, a Quaker meeting encourages and allows us the space to "bring ourselves into harmony with Spirit in our daily lives."February 13, 2011: Sometimes Feet Are Not Feet - Dr. Jeff Fager
Dr. Jeff Fager is Vice President and Dean of the College at Maryville College, and he is a charter member of FUUF. He will deal with a subject apropos to Valentine's Day - human sexuality. As an essential component of the human experience, sex has played a complex role in the religions of the world and, consequently, our understanding of its proper place in our lives. The service is intended for adults, and a special Faith Development class for children will be provided. If this were a movie, it might be rated PG-13.February 6, 2011: Peacespeaking - Reverend Glenn Evans
Rev. Evans will be delivering a message titled "Peacespeaking." Says Evans, "It is easy for me to forget the impact on others of what I say and how I say it. Non-violence and peacemaking often start as soon as our minds send a signal to our vocal cords and mouth to make one word shape or another. I think of the song, Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." The February 6th service will focus on how peace often begins with how we speak to each other and ourselves.Reverend Glenn Evans is a United Church of Christ pastor who worked near Rochester, New York for forty years before moving to Knoxville to be closer to family. During his ministry in Rochester, Rev. Evans began a chaplaincy program at a local community college, served on an area task force on AIDS, and spent ten years as a part time chaplain for the local VA hospital.
January 16, 2011: Environmental and Climate Change Justice - Reverend Doug Hunt
Unitarian Universalists have a long history of respect for and protection of the environment and those who inhabit it. Please join us Sunday, as Reverend Doug Hunt leads us in a service focusing on care for our world and invites us to reflect on the natural gifts we are given.Rev. Doug Hunt became Executive Director of Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light (TnIPL) in October 2008. TnIPL works with the Tennessee faith community on issues of environment, climate change, and sustainability. He is an ordained clergy in the United Church of Christ and has worked for environmental, economic, and social justice in a variety of local, state, national and international settings for more than 35 years. TnIPL is one of 39 state affiliates of the national Interfaith Power and Light campaign. Most recently Doug has worked for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in TN Agricultural and faith communities; UT's Agricultural Policy Analysis Center on sustainability and bioenergy issues; The Sierra Club on international issues; and the International Center for Technology Assessment. Doug holds masters degrees in Theology from Howard University and Computer Science in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
