Worship Associates Jon Czarnecki and Lauren Keenan Can I trust you? This is one of the most intimate questions a person can ask of another person. This morning we will explore what trust means. Sociologists have identified at least three dimensions of trust. Often one kind of trust leads us to unexpected (and unwanted) consequences … Continue reading “The Many Dimensions of Trust”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and Worship Associate Max CajarTo trust and be trusted is a warm and wonderful feeling. However the sense of safety and support trust offers us is more than a feel-good experience. Trust is also an essential ingredient in all healthy relationships, societies, and civilizations. Given the social significance of trust, and troubling … Continue reading “Worthy of Trust”

Rev Elaine Gehrmann and Worship Associate Ann JohnsonMost of us come into the world trusting that what we need will be there for us — food, comfort, love. We tend to trust that the world is a benevolent place until we discover otherwise. The more we learn and grow, the more we realize that trusting … Continue reading “Building and Rebuilding Trust”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann with Heather Vickery preaching and Worship Associate Christina ZaroAccompaniment is the radical act of being with someone even when it is hard, and you don’t know how things will turn out. With the increase in fascism across our country, our society often tells us to isolate, take care of our own first, … Continue reading “Accompaniment, and Leaning into Trust in Uncertain Times”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and Worship Associate Celia Barberena One concise definition of trust is to be “consistent, available and reliable.” And yet in this quickly-changing uncertain world, whom can we trust? Where can we find people who are consistent, available and reliable, and how can we strive to be more that way ourselves? If you’d … Continue reading “You Can Count On Me”

Worship Associates Annan Paterson and Max CajarWe have our own histories and stories living with disabilities. They shape us and inform our personal and spiritual experiences. How can our Unitarian Universalist principles guide us as we live with these challenges and help us grow as a congregation? If you would like to join our service … Continue reading “Our Disabilities, Ourselves”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and Worship Associate Charlotte BearUUCMP is a remarkable place: a caring community created and sustained by an amazing array of members and friends, guided by a spirit of love and justice, and seeking to welcome all. This Sunday marks the kickoff of our annual operating fund pledge drive – an auspicious opportunity … Continue reading “A Place of Welcome”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and Worship Associate Allysson McDonaldPluralism is one of our newly adopted UU values, but what does it really mean when we say it? And how do we put it into practice? And who is the “we”?One definition states that pluralism is “active engagement with diversity”– but is that really possible, or even … Continue reading “Our Pluralism Project”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and Worship Associate Björn NilsonWhy is it that the world seems to be growing ever more divided? Why is it that people seem more polarized than ever – whether on social issues, on religious belief, or political persuasions? If our goal is to help build a peaceful world with justice for all, … Continue reading “Of Insiders and Outsiders”

Worship Associates Ann Johnson, Christina Zaro, Ray Krise, and Lauren KeenanStorytelling is baked into our DNA. Very few things are truly universal across cultures, but basic storytelling appears to be one of them. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Today … Continue reading “Our Stories”