Buxmont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Podcast

Speaker: Cynthia Snavely Immigration as a moral issue is a Unitarian Universalist Association study action issue. Many agree that our current system is broken. To advocate for a fair and just reform we need to become informed about the problems and the issues. Cynthia Snavely is the minister of Goodloe Memorial Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bowie, MD and the administrator of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice for the Baltimore Washington Northern Virginia Region. She served as the minister of BuxMont for two years when BuxMont called its first settled minister.

May 1, 2011Topic: “Catholicism and Unitarian Universalism”Speaker: Laurence MullinsLarry Mullins is a former Catholic Priest who lives at Ann's Choice. He served as a parish priest in Southeastern Iowa and left the ministry in 1971. Beneath the surface of the Roman Catholic Church there is a dynamism that reflects a multifaceted and universal concern for life as a follower of Jesus. As we pass from the "Age of Belief" into the "Age of Spirit," an emphasis on the Social Gospel of Jesus can give impetus to similar actions for peace, healing, forgiving and the practical love of neighbor and the planet that can be found in both Catholicism and Unitarian Universalism.

April 24, 6:30 a.m., Easter: “Daylight”Intergenerational Sunrise ServiceBuxMonters of all ages are invited to bring a seed or a flower to this Earth Centered sunrise service.

April 24, 10:15 a.m., Easter: “Saying Yes to Life”Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. SchatzIn the season of nature’s rebirth, we celebrate spiritual rebirth in its many forms.

April 17: "LGTB Equality Rights in Pennsylvania"Speaker: Steve GlassmanSteve Glassman is Chairman of The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and Vice Chairperson of the Governor's Cabinet on Disability Rights. He will discuss the political climate with regard to LGBT equality at the local, state, and federal levels and cover issues related to: basic civil rights protections; relationship recognition, including same sex marriage laws; immigration reform; the implementation of the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell;" adoption and foster care issues; bullying and harassment; and hate crimes directed at LGBT individuals and communities.

Speaker: Rev. Libby SmithOur lives are complex, filled with many different pieces and different facets. Some thrive on that complexity and others find it disorienting. When life feels fragmented, how can we find peace among all those pieces? The Rev. Libby Smith grew up in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York, PA. She received her Master of Divinity from Harvard in 1992 and was ordained the same year. After a one-year interim ministry in Rockport, MA, she came to Bucks County and enjoyed eight rich and rewarding years as the minister at BuxMont. Now, after five years as a nursing home chaplain, she is back in the parish, serving the UU Fellowship of Lower Bucks.

Speakers: The Southampton Small Group Ministry For their service project this year, the Southampton SGM has chosen to present a Sunday service that engages the congregation in a respectful discussion of an important social issue. The multifaceted issue being used this morning is immigration. The Southampton SGM hopes those who join in the discussion will frame their responses to the issue in terms of a UU Principle that informs their thinking.

Speaker: Laurie BrooksMost people think of a greater deity as a “he,” yet this was not always true. Early civilizations across the world had strong, thriving Goddess religions. Does it make a difference what pronoun a deity is referred to? Maybe more than you would think. Come and learn how it happened and how it affects you   It's Not Eve's Fault:  How the Loss of the Goddess affects our world   Goddess worship was very prevalent across the world in pre-Judaic times, with women being considered the ones  'made in the image of the creator'.  Then the Hebrews introduced the concept of a male God, followed by Christianity and Islam.  The change in the dynamic of females and males has been affected ever since, with women losing out.  The change has also affected the physical world around us, with negative outcomes being obvious.  This will (hopefully) be an eye-opening education in how society is affected by the sex of the Divine.   These are t

Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. SchatzUnitarian Universalists often speak of “the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” This is easy to embrace in theory, but sometimes difficult in practice. How does assuming goodwill enrich our lives and relationships?

March 6: “The Fellowship of the Possible”Speakers: Rev. Daniel S. Schatz and other BuxMont members Fifty years ago, our fellowship began with a few dozen members in rented space. Today, we stand as a beacon for our values and a haven for spiritual growth, community, and love. When we come together in the spirit of possibility, we can achieve anything!

Speaker: Ted Schick There's a view abroad in the land, propagated by thinkers as diverse as Dostoevsky and Sartre, that if God is dead, everything is permitted. Is that true? Is God the source and ground of morality? Do we need God to author or enforce the moral law? Dr. Ted Schick, Head of the Philosophy Department at Muhlenberg College, will address these questions at this Service.

Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. Schatz, Dawn Star Sarahs-Borchelt, John Hook Adults and children of all ages are invited to join us for a very special intergenerational Valentine service, featuring the Mi’kmaq story of Turtle Elder and the beauty within each of us.

Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. Schatz Our values define us as we walk and act in the world. Our religious community can be a powerful force for those values. How can we learn to live our convictions, both individually and as a fellowship?

January 30: Love and Service Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. Schatz In the eyes of the world we are defined not only by the service we perform for humanity, but also by the love we bring to that service and to one another.

Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. Schatz2011 is BuxMont’s 50th year! To celebrate, we will be telling stories about BuxMont’s past and present throughout the year, beginning with this special service of celebration and sharing.

2011 January 2, UU and World Religions Part 2 Lance Robards

2010 December 12: UU and World Religions Part 1 Lance Roberds

November 14, 2010 - "Music of the Spheres" Speaker: Rev. Daniel S. Schatz Human beings are intensely musical creatures. Whether we notice it or not, music surrounds us in everything we are and do.  

Speakers: Melissa Mantz and Joy Weatherill Melissa Mantz of the Bucks County Housing Group (BCHG) and Joy Weatherill of BuxMont will tell us of the work they do bringing hope and help to people who are homeless in Bucks County. Melissa is Development Officer for the Housing Group, and for many years Joy has been the BuxMont person most involved in our sponsorship of an apartment at the Housing Group’s shelter in Doylestown. BCHG is dedicated to the premise that basic housing and access to food for everyone is necessary for the community as a whole to be healthy. We also believe that lack of affordable housing and food insecurity are concerns of the community at large and as such need to be addressed by the wider community. Partnerships with organizations such as BuxMont are essential for BCHG to meet the needs of the client families we serve. Although it seems a lofty goal, it would be great if Bucks County could be a beautiful place for everyone.

July 25: “The Other Six Days”Speakers: BuxMont Members and FriendsCoordinator: Tom ThomasWe will explore how we live our Unitarian Universalist principles the other six days of the week. A few BuxMont people will talk about how they live their lives as UUs away from BuxMont. How do YOU act on our faith?