When generally accepted scientific research findings and the doctrine of a religious tradition are inconsistent, many faiths urge congregants to believe their scripture. Not at the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Several congregants are retired scientists who would make the opposite choice. This orientation goes back centuries. Joseph Priestley was both a renowned scientist, who discovered … Continue reading UU and Scientific Discoveries [#81]
Instead of insisting that all congregants adhere to a scripture, creed, or creation story, Unitarians are united by a set of seven universal principles. One principle is “the inherent worth and dignity of every person” and another affirms everyone’s “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship congregants appreciate this freedom … Continue reading Respecting Personal Choice [#80]
Unitarian Universalists have long emphasized celebrating the natural world and protecting it. In 1843, Unitarian Rev. Margaret Fuller spoke out to challenge the Western cultural notion that everything in nature was created to be used however humans saw fit. From their beginnings in America, Unitarians and Universalists saw in the natural world a place to deepen their essential connection to what they saw as “the ground of all being.” By the late nineteenth century, the two … Continue reading Connecting with the Natural World [#79]
We learn in the news about profound harms being done to people around our country and the world. Many label these actions “evil.” Unitarian Universalists typically don’t focus their attention on evil. They emphasize reassuring people that human beings are fundamentally good, that kindness ultimately prevails. However, they know that evil impulses can spring up … Continue reading A View of Evil [#78]
A first step taken when beginning the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship weekly service is lighting a small flame at the center of a chalice placed in the center of a table that sits at the center of the altar. Why is that flaming chalice an essential Unitarian Universalist symbol? In the 1940s, as the German army imposed … Continue reading Our Chalice [#77]
The Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship aspires to be a ”beloved community” — a term often used by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. And they wish the same for our town, county, state, and nation. In a beloved community everyone is respected and cared for, absent of poverty, hunger, and hate. Of course, realizing this vision … Continue reading To Become a Beloved Community [#76]
Unitarian Universalism is a marriage of two religious traditions, both emerging during the Protestant Reformation. Unitarianism was founded in the 16th century by people who questioned the notion of the Trinity, viewing it as neither Biblical nor theologically sound. They contended that God was One—Unitarian as opposed to Trinitarian. Universalists questioned the Calvinist doctrine that … Continue reading UU Origins [#75]
Although there’s lots of diversity among Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship members, there are also many things they agree on and hold sacred. Here are a few of them: Big Love – They affirm that every person is worthy and deserving of love. Hell Outta Here – They don’t believe in hell, nor in any other kind of eternal afterlife … Continue reading A Few Things About UU [#74]
Unitarian Universalists view as sacred what they deem worthy of their highest respect and reverence. They avoid distinctions between what is sacred and secular. They may speak of the sacred as manifest in people, or nature, or even all of creation. Or, they may speak of it as the human impulse toward the transcendent. Whether … Continue reading What Is Sacred to UU [#73]
The Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship supports ethical values that honor the worth and humanity of all people. Members tend to take compassionate positions on gun control, immigration, and care for the hungry and homeless. Some aspects of these issues are politically controversial. This congregation does not advocate for any political party or candidate. … Continue reading Our Ethical Values [#72]
