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We are Heretics! Syncretism
August 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Online and in-person
Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson
The third and final sermon on heresies (and my second-to-last sermon with you). Syncretism, or the mixing and synergy of different religious ideas, is a heresy and sometimes a philosophical problem. It can easily slip into colonialism. Yet, this kind of inclusive pluralism is core to who we are. Many windows, one light. We’ll talk about the theological gifts and challenges of pluralism, about atheism and humanism, and curiosity.
We will share the plate with Interfaith Alliance
Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all.
We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. Click Here to Donate
Sunday Morning Meditation
1st and 3rd Sundays
9:15 in the Library
The next session is August 17th.
We meet to meditate together and center ourselves for the day. Please join us for Sunday Morning Meditation.
JOIN US IN CELEBRATION!
After serving as Senior Minister of our church for 17 years, Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson is concluding his tenure on August 24. You will have several opportunities to join us in gratitude and celebration, as we wish him well on his journey.
Friday, August 22, from 5-8, Open House Celebrations-Edgewater Events-RSVP
There will be a cash bar (cash only)
Sunday, August 24, from 8:45-9:45 for donuts and coffee at our church
Sunday, August 2,4 from 11-1, Potluck at our church after service.
Bring your own table service and any optional gifts.
Layman’s Tour of the Church Siding Replacement Project
Our major siding replacement project is two months along, with 3-4 weeks to go. Like every project on your house, once you start repairing one thing, you uncover new problems to fix. Same here. Problems mostly outside the scope of the replacement project. Which, of course, means extra spending. This morning, Dave gave me a “walk around”. Here is what I saw.
Good Grief. We are lucky to have our B&G guys. Dave Schubert is there every single morning, oftentimes with Clark, to coordinate with the DPI people. Often working alongside to repair things that might be our responsibility.
We made a good choice with DPI. Schubert is fussy. He says he has not worked with contractors as attentive and conscientious as Zack, Dustin, and the others. They don’t just speed past something. They stop to go back, fix it, then do it right, etc.
Remember that 20-story condo in Florida? The concrete spalled, salt air got in, corroding the rebar, and the 20-story building collapsed, killing a bunch of people. DPI has spotted the same thing happening to our concrete columns. To a much, much smaller degree. Luckily, the man-lifts are here, and DPI has experience repairing this condition.
Potentially saved our minister’s life. Visualize the sanctuary. The wood walls are suspended between the concrete columns. Zack (DPI) was up on the manlift and found a wall section where he could easily push the entire wood wall a couple of inches back and forth. The anchors were either missing or corroded. The wall has now been securely anchored to the concrete column. You could imagine a circumstance where a strong wind might come up on Sunday morning and push that exact wall section in. To fall onto the podium and the minister. That would not be good. Probably disrupt the Sunday service.
In one spot, the metal flashing on top was bent, allowing water to leak behind the siding and into the wall. That section of the wooden wall structure and insulation was pretty well rotted out, needing replacement.
Probably 27,893 nails. Of course, one of them hit a wire, taking out one of the security cameras.
Our 70-year-old wood siding looked old and ragged. So, we are replacing it. Of course, our 70-year-old wood window frames also look old and ragged. Especially next to our shiny new siding. The windows at the top of the sanctuary are especially bad. With the man-lifts already there, it makes sense that these should be repaired now. The windows in Deale Hall will be a bigger project that will wait for a coming year.
Past Sunday Services
Did you know you can watch past Sunday services anytime? We have them on our website under past worship services so you never have to miss a Sunday! Click here to find a service that you haven’t seen yet! You can also always go to our Facebook and YouTube pages.
The Board of Trustees:
President: Wendy Bennett
Vice President: Diane Kuehl
Clerk: Scott Garwick
Treasurer: Bob Spelman
Trustees: Kendra Asbury, Clark Logemann, Neita Webster
The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL | 4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107 | 815-398-6322 | uurockford.org |
