Speaker: Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson

Prophets and Profit

Throughout history, people have claimed that wealth and power are a consequence or a sign of spiritual blessing.  It is the gods, or God, who has made them profitable.  But others have said that it is more important to be prophetic than to make a … read more.

Flower Celebration

On Pentecost Sunday, Christians celebrate when the Spirit allowed them to communicate across boundaries of language, and filled them with love and care for each other.  In the 20th century, Norbert Capek created the Flower Celebration to remind his Unitarian congregation that their diversity, gathered together, … read more.

The Courage to Be

Paul Tillich, the great existential theologian of the 20th century, believed that human beings faced a set of anxieties which could only be met with deep, profound courage.  These anxieties included our knowledge of our own death, worry about our moral failings, and fear of meaninglessness.  … read more.

The Courage to Parent

Being a mother or any kind of parent is a courageous choice.  In this world of war, the climate crisis, pandemic, and economic insecurity, it can also be a courageous choice to not be a parent.  We’ll talk about courage, choice, parenting, freedom, peace and … read more.

The Transcendentalists

We’ll conclude our series on the theological roots of Unitarianism with the folks who line up best with Earth Day: The Transcendentalists.  Their insights into nature, the self, wonder, and art have deeply shaped our faith and our country.  We’ll talk about what they believed … read more.

Easter and the Liberal Christians

As we celebrate Easter, we’ll learn about the early Unitarians, who sought to call themselves “The Liberal Christians.”  What did they believe?  Why were they so influential in the creation of America?  Why are they responsible for the word “antidisestablishmentarianism”? And what can they teach … read more.

The Humanist

The Humanist movement among the Unitarians and Universalists, which began in the early 1900’s and continues to this day, has transformed our faith. It has cleared away old habits and created new ones.  It has created new language and made space for new possibilities.  We’ll … read more.

The Arians

We begin a series on the theological roots of Unitarianism (and Universalism).  The Arians had radically different ideas about Jesus, power, the state, and God than what became orthodox Christianity.  We’ll explore their thoughts and what they mean for our lives today.  Caution: this may … read more.

Yin & Yang

Our final service on Taoism.  Yin and Yang are about balance, and about how we need both sides of a thing to have fullness.  How do we live with balance? What happens when we get unbalanced and how do we get back?  Also, thoughts about … read more.

Wu-Wei

We continue our series on Taoism.  Wu-Wei, roughly translated to “non-action” is not a passive stance.  Instead, it is about being very intentional with our energy.  Instead of rushing in, what does it mean to wait for things to be ripe? How do we cultivate … read more.