Sermons

Sunday, July 30, 2023 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
A participatory service exploring the benefits of play which some play researchers describe as an essential part of being human. We will be using a madlibs format. Don’t know what Mad Libs is? Join us and find out!

Sunday July 23, 2023, 11am
Tobias Van Burn, Guest Speaker
Our first UU principle is to affirm the worth and dignity of every person.  Does that include Hitler? Putin? Sexual predators? What is the nature of evil, its origin and workings? How might we confront it?  Is Peace on Earth, without evil, possible?

–A sermon by Tobias Van Buren, member of our congregation and former UU minister 1967-79, serving churches in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and Beverly, Mass., after which he was a commercial fisherman in SC near Charleston.

Music will be provided by  Friction Farm, a husband and wife team of internationally traveling troubadours. Aidan Quinn and Christine Stay combine storytelling, social commentary and humor to create songs of everyday life, local heroes, and quirky observations. From ballads to anthems each song is filled with harmony and hope.

Sunday, June 16, 2023 11am
Rev. Dr. Neal Jones, Guest Minister
While our UU denomination focuses on racism, homophobia, and transphobia and the Right Wing foments a culture war and attacks our democracy, a war is occurring right underneath our noses which hardly anyone is talking about. On July 23, we will. Here’s a clue: you can’t achieve racial, gender, or reproductive justice without economic justice.

Rev. Dr. Neal Jones is a psychologist at the Pisgah Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. Born and raised in North Carolina, he earned his B.A. in Political Science from Wake Forest University, his M.Div. from Southeastern Seminary, and his Psy.D. from Baylor University. He has served as the minister of five congregations in North and South Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania, including the UU Congregation of Columbia for 11 years. He has also served as the chair of the National Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church & State. Rev. Dr. Jones teaches and practices a spirituality of personal wholeness, relational respect, and social justice.

Sunday, July 9, 2023  11am
Kelly Riedesel, Member and Guest Speaker
Carolyn Cartland was a founder and former president of EqUUalAccess, a UU program promoting equality and access for UU’s with disabilities. Kelly dedicates this sermon to Ms. Cartland and the merciful reciprocity that comes from the shining of each of our spirits. Join us for a heartfelt celebration of the power of super YUU.

Sunday, July 2, 2023 11am
Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, Guest Minister
Human beings live by our stories.  Yet individuals, couples, families and organizations can get stuck in stories that limit our sense of possibility or make us feel bad.  We don’t have to hide anything in order to gain a fresh perspective on who we are–and to appreciate it.

Guest minister Roger Jones (he, him) preached for us in July of 2022 and is happy to return to Asheville.  He is a co-minister at the UU Society of Sacramento, where he has served since 2008.  He has served congregations in Silicon Valley, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Indiana.  He holds degrees from Indiana University, Meadville Lombard Theological School, and Pacific School of Religion.  

Sunday, June 25, 11:00am
Guest Speaker, Sequoyah Christine Rich
Join us for an exploration of the Buddhist perspective on: Loving Kindness. Rumi said, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

Sunday, June 18, 2023
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
In 2015, our denomination approved a Reproductive Justice Statement of Conscience. For there to be reproductive justice, all women and birthing people must have the freedom, without shame or judgment, to choose to have children, to not have children, to have the right to bodily autonomy and to parent in a safe, well-resourced environment where children may thrive. Join Rev. Claudia, Worship Associate Joyce-Hooley Gingrich and Alexis Crosswell as they reflect on today’s complicated legal and moral landscape after the repeal of Roe.

Sunday, June 11, 2023
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
On this 100th Anniversary, join as we celebrate one of Unitarian Universalism’s most significant ceremonies.  Unitarian Rev. Nobert Čapek created this meaningful ritual in 1923 to help the people of Prague heal from the ravages of WWI.
Please bring a flower with you as we bless these flowers and the gift of our beloved community.

Sunday, May 28, 2023 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” These words from Joseph Campbell were particularly meaningful to me as I left my comfortable life and career to enter the unknown and become a minister. Something within us calls us to life, and somehow through the process, we learn to hope and trust.

Sunday, May 21, 2023 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
What is the difference between resume virtues and eulogy virtues, David Brooks asks in his book, The Road to Character.  What if Erik Erikson’s eight stage of life is not the ultimate but the penultimate, a question asked by Lenora Montgomery at my Meadville Lombard Theological School graduation where I received my Doctor of Ministry degree.  Kathleen Taylor said in her Ted Talk “Rethinking the Bucket List,” that it is never too late to shed what is false, and it is never too early to find out who we are.

Sunday, May 14, 2023 11am
Kim Collins, Religious Educator
In these times when children are under attack from many angles, what kind of mothering are we talking about? How do we balance fiercely protecting our children from school shootings and regressive legislators with getting the dishes done? Kim Collins will lead us in a time of rest and reflection as we consider that balance and how we can mother each other.

Sunday, May 7, 2023  11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Join us to celebrate Faith Development for all ages in our congregation. We will honor graduating seniors and share gratitude for all who have worked with children and adults to promote spiritual deepening.
Worship Team: Rev. Claudia, Kim Collins, Jen Johnson, Les Downs

Sunday, April 30, 2023  11am
Rev. Audette Fulbright Fulson, Ministerial Candidate
What comes next? A meditation on hope and our future.

Sunday, April 23, 2023  11am
Rev. Audette Fulbright Fulson, Ministerial Candidate
Science. Story. Mystery. And us, in between.

Sunday, April 16, 2023  11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Join Rev. Cathy, members of the Environmental Justice group, and Chris Rosser, singer/songwriter, for a special Earth Day service.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” –Dalai Lama

Sunday, April 9, 2023 11am
Rev, Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Who was Jesus really? “The first two centuries following Jesus’ death were not an interim period that allowed Christianity to get its act together, they ended up being an absorbing, unfinished story, or a series of unfinished stories” according to the authors of the book of After Jesus, Before Christianity. How did Jesus, the anti-Roman, anti-oppression egalitarian who was a political threat to the Roman Empire become the Son of God who died for our sins?

Sunday, April 2, 2023 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Join Rev. Claudia Jiménez and Religious Educator Kim Collins for all ages worship reflecting on this year’s General Assembly (GA) theme: Faithfully Becoming. Meet our UU Asheville delegates and join us during the second half of the service to explore spiritual practices: a labyrinth walk, zentangles , or a sing along with our guest musicians, local acoustic duo Friction Farm. Come ready to try something new!

Sunday, March 26, 2023, 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
This Sunday marks the formal conclusion of the Annual Giving Drive.  We will welcome new members as we celebrate with gratitude UU Asheville’s “being and becoming” with lots of music, a skit, and fun.  Following the service, there will be food, games, more music, and fellowship!

Sunday, March 19, 2023  11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Many years ago, a youth group I worked with added “oops/ouch” to the covenant they were writing. What a concept! Join us for a multigenerational service exploring the importance of covenanting in our UU faith as well as the gifts and challenges of embracing the oops! and ouches! in our relationships.

Sunday, March 12, 2023  11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead  Minister
Marina Cantaczino is the founder of the Forgiveness Project and has been gathering stories of people who have lived through trauma and injustice yet sought forgiveness rather than revenge. Drawing from her insights and my own personal experience, I will explore how by changing the stories we live by and tell ourselves we can create hope for a better future.

Sunday, March 5, 2023  11am
The YRUU Teens
We generally don’t look forward to feelings of vulnerability – they can be scary and painful, yet it is often necessary to open oneself for learning and growth. There are many ways to experience vulnerability, including making mistakes and meeting new people. This Sunday’s service will be led by our high school youth group, Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU), as part of their Religious Exploration. They will share stories and reflections about building connections through vulnerability. Come to hear from, support, and worship with our youth!

Sunday, February 26, 2023 11am
Rev. Jake Morrill, Guest Speaker
When the night is dark, there is a choice. When the seas are stormy, there is a choice. When things are uncertain, there is a choice. When lives are in danger, there is a choice. Yes or no: will you be a lighthouse? On this Sunday, as you gather to kick off this giving season, you are asked how you will shine, and for what holy purpose. In other words, UU’s of Asheville: will you be a lighthouse?

Rev. Jake Morrill is a product of the religious education program of the Tennessee Valley UU Church. He served the Oak Ridge UU Church as Lead Minister for 19 years. A former UUA Trustee and a former Chaplain in the US Army Reserve, Jake is a leadership coach and consultant, working with companies seeking cultures of emotional maturity, able to manage relationships effectively, with depth and care. A long-time student of Bowen Family Systems Theory, he is on the faculty of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. His most recent book is The Boundaries Workbook, published by Rockridge Press in 2022. Jake and his wife Molly are the proud parents of two soccer-obsessed teenagers. His website can be found here.

Sunday, February 19, 2023 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Our denomination is re-imagining its foundational documents i.e. Article II. Have you heard about this? The last major change was in 1985.  The charge to the team reviewing the documents emphasized that one core theological value shared among UUs is LOVE. Join us to explore the meaning of love as a theological statement that moves us to choose the path of love for personal and societal change.

Sunday, February 12, 2023 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Based on the work of Sharon Ellison and Marshall Rosenberg, we’ll explore ways we can improve our communication by paying attention to unconscious words and gestures we employ when feeling defensive, angry, or frustrated. Ellison argues, “We have adopted war strategies in our communication.”  We can change this by not focusing on the feelings of anger or frustration, but by looking for our common humanity. We can improve our lives by taking time to learn better strategies for communicating in every area of our lives.

Sunday, February 5, 2023 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
This is an exciting time for UU Asheville as you move closer to calling your new settled minister. There is evidence from your previous ministries that this is a congregation that knows how to love a minister. But, what does that mean? What can you do to cultivate a mutually healthy, meaningful, and collaborative relationship with your new minister?

Sunday, January 29, 2023 11am
Susan Fredrick-Gray UUA President
“We know from these last several years the challenge, the loss, and the creativity and possibility of these transitional times. In liminal times, there’s always a risk that fear and anxiety will dominate and lead people to cling more tightly to what has been.”—Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, UUA President
What does it mean for us as Unitarian Universalists to live as a people of hope and imagination—especially during in-between times? How can we challenge ourselves (and each other) to learn and grow in uncertain times?
Join Rev. Cathy this Sunday to explore what possibility looks like in UU Asheville’s time of change.  This timely and inspiring sermon was pre-recorded by our UUA President for use in congregations experiencing transition.
Discussion will follow the service.

Sunday, January 22, 2023 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
This month as we explore the the path of finding our center you are invited to consider the spiritual practice of prayer. What does prayer mean to you? Is it a “UU practice”? 

Sunday, January 15, 2023 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development and
Kim Collins, Religious Educator
Join us for an embodied, joyful thought provoking All Ages Service honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He said “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” How does Dr. King’s message and example inform the work of co-creating the Beloved Community? It is not enough to celebrate his legacy, we honor him through our actions.

Sunday, January 8, 2023 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Historically, introverts have been unfairly misunderstood. They are not necessarily shy, though introverts often avoid social situations because they are draining. They are not misanthropic (distrustful of humanity), they are not anti-social, they are not timid or insecure, and they are not rude. They are just different from extroverts.  You might be surprised to learn that there are many comedians and action actors who are introverts such as Harrison Ford and Steve Martin.

Sunday, January 1, 2023  11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Join me as we welcome the new year by taking a journey through four successive stages: Coming from Gratitude, Honoring our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes, and Going Forth.

Saturday, December 24, 2022
4 PM- Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
7:45 PM Mini Concert -UU Asheville Choir and Dr. Leslie Downs, Music Director
8 PM Candlelight Service – Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister

Sunday, December 18, 2022 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Drumming Circle following the service
NewComer Gathering 12:30-1:30 in the Sanctuary

Sunday, December 11, 2022 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
December’s theme is Wonder, but what happens if you aren’t in the mood for wonder? Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” But what if you are not in the mood, or you are simply comfortable in your gloom?  What’s the secret, can you be surprised by wonder?

Sunday, December 4, 2022 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister and Gina Phairas, Minister Search Committee
Rumi wrote, “And don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.”
For example, while a tree seems dormant above ground, the underground system of roots is busy at work growing, searching, and retaining nutrients to help get your tree through the winter and to prepare it for the spring.
UU Asheville’s roots have been riotous and preparing for spring, too! Ministerial Search Committee chair Gina Phairas will share with you what has been happening behind the scenes.  She will also be including the results of the survey and the next steps toward calling your new settled minister.
Soup Sunday Fundraiser benefitting YRUU

Sunday, November 27, 2022 11am
Kim Collins, Lifespan Religious Educator
All Ages Service with RE classes prior to service
If we know that the Thanksgiving story that many of us learned (and still do learn) as children is a myth, then why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? It still has a great meaning for many of us as a day to gather, feast, spend time with loved ones, and observe personal or family traditions. While it is important that we acknowledge the harm brought by the origin story, we can still celebrate in a meaningful way.

Sunday, November 20, 2022 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Holiday Craft Fair and Drumming

Sunday, November 13, 2022 11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development

Sunday, November 6, 2022 11am
Will Jernigan and Clyde Hardin, Co-chairs, Meet the Moment Campaign.

Sunday, October 23, 2022  11am  In Person and YouTube
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Courage or coraje en español, contain the root word “cor” which means heart in Latin. When we are courageous, I believe we are engaging from a place of love, from our hearts. It is often that which “breaks our hearts” that moves us to act despite our fear. When have there been moments of courage in your life? Join us to explore how courage shows up in our lives and our engagement with the world.  Will adopting the 8^th Principle ground our engagement?

After service (and coffee or tea), join Rev. Claudia and members of the 8^th Principle Team for a Reflection Circle in the Sanctuary at 12:30PM.

The Proposed 8^th Principle:

“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

WHAT IS BELOVED COMMUNITY?

Beloved Community happens when people of diverse racial, ethnic, educational, class, gender, abilities, sexual orientation backgrounds/identities come together in an interdependent relationship of love, mutual respect, and care that seeks to realize justice within the community and in the broader world.

Sunday, October 16, 2022  11amIn-person and YouTube
Rev. Jeff Jones, Affiliate Minister
I have found Unitarian Universalism to be a profound way to be religious.  It can transform us, provide comfort in times of struggle, and challenge us to live out our values.  Drawing on my experience serving at the El Paso border for a year, I will explore more deeply how we engage with our Unitarian Universalist faith.

Sunday, October 9, 2022  11am  In person & on YouTube
Dr. Edwin Murillo, Guest Speaker with special music by Chris Rosser
Dr. Edwin Murillo is an Associate Professor in the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He received his doctorate in Romance Studies from the University of Miami.  Dr. Murillo is a second-generation US Hispanic and the first person in his family to attend college. His articles have appeared in Hispanófila, Crítica hispánica, and Hispanic Journal, among others. His poetry, written in Spanglish and Portuñol, has appeared in various international academic journals. His short-story collection Midnight Vallenato was published by Floricanto Press in 2019. His book Latin America and Existentialism is under contract with the University of Wales Press. At UTC, he teaches Spanish language, composition, and literature courses, as well as creative writing in Spanish. He loves music, travel,and the noise his daughters make in the morning.

Sunday, October 2, 11am In person and YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister

Sunday, October 30, 2022  11am  In person & YouTube
Chaplain Sequoyah Rich, Guest Speaker
Bring a framed picture of a loved one that has passed away. We are going to celebrate Halloween by creating an Ancestor Altar. Children are welcome to participate by bringing flowers to adorn the altar. Children may have seen a similar Ancestor Altar in the Pixar/Disney movie Coco from 2017. During our service we will:
*Learn about the Pagan roots of Halloween
*Experience and witness the Pagan ritual of calling in the Directions
*Commune with the altar by offering our joys and sorrows to the your ancestors and loved ones.
*Honor the memories of loved ones that have passed away in the last 12 months, by a public reading of their names.

Sequoyah is a Chaplain at the VA Hospital. She became a member of UU Asheville in May of this year and has become very involved. She co-leads the Buddhist Sangha and is a Worship Associate and a Pastoral Visitor. She graduated from Meadville Lombard Theological School with a Master’s Degree in Religion.

Sunday, September 25, 2022  In-person and YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Join Rev. Cathy and members of Unitarian Rainbow Unity (URU) as we celebrate LGBTQ+ lives and commit to fight for their rights. As Barack Obama once said, “When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.”

Sunday, September 18, 2022  In-person and YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Unitarian minister, Erik Walker Wikstrom wrote a wonderful little book called, Serving with Grace for church leaders that invites us to change the lens of volunteering at church as a job that needs to be done, to seeing leadership as a way of spiritually nurturing us, not a necessary evil.
He says when we understand leadership as spiritual practice, we can “stretch in new directions.”
Performing will be Emma’s Revolution.

Sunday, September 11, 2022  In-person and YouTube
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Join us for the launch of the new Religious Exploration year with a reflection on the importance of community as a catalyst for growth, change and spiritual deepening. What do we bring as individuals? How do we build and strengthen community TOGETHER? On this Sunday we will also have a Child Dedication and a blessing for this year’s Religious Exploration team. Nos vemos!

Sunday, August 28, 2022, 11am In-person and YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister and Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Bring a vial of water from a place (real or symbolic) that holds meaning to you so that we might mingle the waters of memories and hope in a shared communion of solidarity and peace.
In 1980, Carolyn McDade and Lucile Shuck Longview were asked to create a ritual for the Women and Religion Conference. They both shared “a vision for justice and the environment. The water symbolized the birth waters, the cycles of moon, tides and women, and all the waters of this small blue planet. The ceremony was also designed to demonstrate solidarity with women globally, as women the world over traditionally draw and carry water. Forty-two years after its creation, this meaningful ritual speaks to a deepening awareness of our solidarity with our siblings globally who lack the most basic and precious resources. It also speaks eloquently of our interdependence.

Sunday, September 4, 2022  In-person and YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington Interim Lead Minister
As we move into this exciting year of searching for your new minister, it is important to reflect on who you have been, who you are now, and who you hope to become as a beloved community.  What lies ahead?  What is UU Asheville being called to be in today’s world?

Sunday, August 21, 2022  11am In-person and on YouTube
Rev. Keith Kron, Guest Speaker
Religion, including Unitarian Universalism is at a moment in time. Can it survive? And what must it do in order to survive? What must we do? We’ll explore our place in today’s world, and why it’s metaphorical meteorites and not a comet that could wipe us out.

Rev. Keith Kron is the Director of the Transitions Office for the UUA, helping congregations and ministers as they navigate the ministerial search process.
    He is the former Director of the Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns for the Unitarian Unversalist Association. He held that position for over 14 years from 1996-2010.
    He has visited over 450 UU congregations across the continent, helping them in Welcoming Congregation work, Beyond Categorical Thinking workshops, and public witness.
    A former elementary school teacher, Keith also has taught an online class for Starr King School for the Ministry, our UU seminary in Berkeley, on children’s literature. He also leads workshops on the enneagram, plays and teaches tennis, and collects children’s books in his spare time (He has over 9,000 of them.).
    He currently lives in Providence, RI.

Sunday, March 14, 2022 11am, In-person and on YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
To live in this world. you must be able to do three things:

 To love what is mortal

 to hold it against your bones knowing  your own life depends on it;

  And, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.   —Mary Oliver

Sunday, August 7, 2022 11am In-person and YouTube
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
Join Rev. Claudia as she shares reflections on this year’s multi-platform General Assembly.

Sunday, July 24, 2022  11am  In-person and YouTube
Tobias Van Buren, Guest Speaker
Some octo-wisdom about how we can be too hard on ourselves, UUs in their own unique way, and some suggestions for taking better care of our most valuable asset: our selves. Original Blessings. The Titanium Rule.

Sunday, July 17, 2022  11am In-person and YouTube
Lea Morris, Guest

Sunday, July 10, 2022,  11am In-person and YouTube
Rev. Roger Jones, Guest Minister
In our society, family and other personal relationships can be blessed or troubled by our attitudes about money and resources. Yet the ways that we handle money can be a source of insight about our spiritual approach to life. With stories about family life, our guest invites us to think about our personal relationships, our sense of self, our money, and those funny places where they overlap.

Rev. Dr. Roger Jones is one of the Co-Ministers of Equal Standing at the UU Society of Sacramento, where he has served since 2008. He serves on the boards of his UU district, area YMCA, and a medical center’s chaplaincy training program.  He has degrees from Indiana University, Meadville Lombard Theological School, and Pacific School of Religion.

Sunday, June 26, 2022 11am  Pre-recorded
Rev. Susan Fredrick Gray
“We are not alone, though sometimes we forget that truth. We are woven into one cloth, one gorgeous blanket, designed for use, for comfort, to sustain and to love…”—Rev. Dr. Sarah Lenzi

“Woven in a Single Garment of Destiny” is a full-length video worship service exploring and celebrating hallmarks of our Unitarian Universalist theology.

We’re all connected: an interdependent whole. Therefore, says Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, “covenant is our religious response to our fundamental interdependence.” We make promises about how to be together, and how to be in the world. We also fall short of honoring those promises, inviting us to repair and strengthen the strands of community. The choice to mend broken strands of the web is an act of faithfulness.

The liturgist for this service, Rev. Erika Hewitt, UUA Minister of Worship Arts, coordinated a wide range of worship and music leaders for you to enjoy—including original songs composed just for this service.

Sunday, June 19, 2022, 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Send Rev. Cathy a photo of your father, grandfather, or someone who was like a father to you for our slide show, and bring a flower for our traditional Flower Communion.

In the years immediately following the First World War, Norbert Capek, who had once been head of all the Baptist churches in Bohemia, discovered that he had begun to embrace theological and religious convictions which were simply too liberal for that religious community. In response, he founded the Unitarian movement in Czechoslovakia. Many of its members, like Capek, had grown up in other religious communities and found that their religious needs could not be met by the empty ceremonies and the hymns which were part of the churches of their childhood. Dr. Capek responded by writing hymns of his own and devising new ceremonies. One of the most successful of these ceremonies was the flower communion service, in which each person in the congregation brought a flower to church and placed it in a vase. This simple ceremony began to spread among American Unitarian Universalists at about the time that Dr. Capek was executed by the Nazis at the infamous death camp at Dachau. 

Sunday, June 5, 2022, 11am
Dr. Leslie Downs, Music Director
On June 5 we’ll have our first in-person Music Sunday service since 2019!  The choir is excited! This service will feature the UU Asheville Choir and our in-house band, The Sandburgers. The music consists of uplifting songs with themes of joy and encouragement (because who doesn’t need that?). Included will be choir favorites from The Greatest Showman, as well as music composed by Mark Miller.

Sunday, May 29, 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
This Memorial Day we will honor some lesser-known heroes; men and women of the global majority who gave their lives for our country.

Sunday, May 22, 11am
Worship Team: Kim Collins, Jen Johnson, Les Downs, Rev. Claudia
Join us to celebrate Faith Development for all ages in our congregation. We will honor graduating seniors and share gratitude for all who have worked with children and adults to promote spiritual deepening. Our choir will be joining us.

Sunday, June 12, 2022  11am
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Devlopement
In 2015, our denomination approved a Reproductive Justice Statement of Conscience. Join Rev. Claudia and worship associate Jane Branham as they explore its implications for today as the reality of the overturning of Roe vs Wade is before us. How are we called as UUs to support the rights, needs and choices of everyone?

Sunday, May 15, 11am
Our Coming of Age 9th-10th graders will share their credos in this beloved UU tradition. These teens have worked all year to explore, define, and articulate their spiritual beliefs, what they set their hearts to, and how they can live their values in the world. What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist at this moment in their lives? We hope you will come to learn from our youth and honor their journeys in this milestone year of faith development.

Sunday, May 8, 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
This Sunday we will celebrate those who have mothered us in our lives.  If you would like to share a photo of your mother or anyone who has “mothered” you (your dad, aunt, sister, neighbor, etc.) send it to me via email attachment and I’ll add it to the slides for Sunday. minister@uuasheville.org. Below is a photo of four generations, my grandmother, my mother, me, and my daughter, Leslie to encourage you to share your memories.

Sunday, May 1, 11am
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
There is so much to celebrate!  And celebrate we will with music, a UU skit, and a time to recognize our newest members and our wonderful volunteers who make this community beloved.

Sunday, April 24, 2022 11am  In person
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Fatih Development
Join us for a time to reflect on the Earth that sustains us, grieve the damage we humans have inflicted upon it and recommit ourselves to act collectively for environmental justice.

Sunday, April 17, 2022 11am  In person
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
This Easter Sunday, through ritual and story, we will reflect on these questions as they might relate to the theme of hope and resurrection: How did we survive Covid? What did we learn? How did we stay connected?

Sunday, April 10, 2022 11am  In person
Dr. Edwin Murillo, Guest Speaker
Dr. Edwin Murillo is the Department Chair of Latin American Studies at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He has also been a professor at Penn State University-Berks. He received his doctorate in Romance Studies from the University of Miami. Most of his work focuses on Latin American Existentialism and his articles have appeared in Hispanófila, Crítica hispánica, and Hispanic Journal, among many others. His poetry, written in Spanglish and Portuñol, has appeared in various international journals. At UTC, he teaches Latin American studies, Spanish language, composition, and literature courses, as well as creative writing in Spanish. His short-story collection Midnight Vallenato is available through Floricanto Press.

Sunday, April 3, 2022 11am  In person
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Everyday miracles, that can make life worth living, happen all around us in every moment. There’s a wonderful greeting card about the humdrum of life (for those of us that sleep with cats) that says something like, “Some days it’s just not worth taking the cat off your face.” We’ve all had days like that! But then, there are those other days when our eyes are open wide and we can see the beauty in even a blade of grass, or days when we make the time to experience the joy of laughing with a friend, old or new, or taking time out to just have fun!

Sunday, March 27, 2022 11am In-person
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Making Lao Tzu’s wisdom relevant in our lives and in our dream of a better world.
If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace in the neighborhoods.
If there is to be peace in the neighborhoods, there must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart

Sunday, March 13, 2022 11am  In-person
Rev Cathy Harrington and members of the Transition Team
Join us as we outline the next steps in the Interim process that include choosing your Search Team!

Sunday, March 6, 2022 11am In-person
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister and members of the Transition Team
We Raise Our Sights is a looking back with gratitude to the remarkable people who recognized the need for the hope and the promise of liberal religion and did something about it.  

Sunday, February 27, 2022 11am  In-person
YRUU (high school youth group)
The YRUU group (high school youth) will share their original drama of how the Grinch tried to demolish UU-Asheville by unleashing a scourge on our community.

Sunday, March 20, 2022 11am  In-person
Guest speaker/singer-songwriter, Lea Morris will lead us in imagining a fantastical future. Send Rev Cathy a sentence or two about your wildest dream for UU Asheville, and Lea will spin your dreams into a song or two!
Lea was born in Baltimore to a father who toured the world playing trumpet in the funk band Black Heat and a mother who dreamed of opera while performing with her siblings in the Jones Family Gospel Singers. Lea was singing on the pulpit of the Baptist church where she grew up as soon she could speak. When she discovered the acoustic guitar as a teenager, she began teaching herself to play by writing songs.
Having shared the stage with luminaries including Odetta, Mavis Staples, Dar Williams and Anthony Hamilton, Leas sound seamlessly blends gospel, jazz, country and R&B into her own style – SoulFolk.

Sunday, February 20, 2022  In-person
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
What is the promise of Unitarian Universalism? Join Rev. Claudia and worship associate Charlie Marks as we explore how UUism calls us to engage in the world today. How do we avoid despair and maintain hopeful engagement? Thank you to all who submitted haikus for our service.

Sunday, January 30, 2022, 11am YouTube
Rev. Dr. Neal R. Jones, Guest Minister
It takes intention, effort, and practice to be miserable.  I’ll give you some proven strategies for perfecting this skill.
    Rev. Dr. Neal R. Jones is a psychologist at the Pisgah Institute in Asheville. Born and raised in North Carolina, he earned his B.A. from Wake Forest University, his M.Div. from Southeastern Seminary, and his Psy.D. from Baylor University. He has served as the minister of five congregations in North and South Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania, most recently at Main Line Unitarian Church near Philly and at the UU Congregation of Columbia, South Carolina. He also serves as the chair of the national Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church & State. Rev. Dr. Jones teaches and practices a spirituality of personal wholeness, relational respect, and social justice.

Sunday, January 16, 2022, 11am   Zoom
Rev. Claudia Jimenez,  Minister of Faith Development
On this day when we honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we explore his call to co-create Beloved Community and how it relates to the 8^th Principle Project.
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

Sunday, December 26, 2021 – A prerecorded service led by Rev. Cathy Harrington, with Worship Associate Adam Griffith.  The service features a homily by Rev. Susan Frederick Gray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

As we look ahead to the New Year, we have an opportunity to draw our attention to what sustains us, to draw our attention to the sources of love and care and gratitude in our lives.  In her holiday homily on gratitude, Susan Frederick Gray quotes adrienne maree brown, “I have had to soften my grip on a fearful future narrative and return to the humility of the present.”

Friday, December 24, 2021
5pm YouTube and In-Person
7:45pm In-Person only
Both services will be nearly identical, led by Revs. Harrington and Jiménez:
Vaccinations, masks and registration required to attend in person. The 5pm service will be live streamed on a closed link and can be watched at any time thereafter. To receive the closed link, sign up for worship service emails on our home page.

We gather to mark a night our ancestors have marked for thousands of years. Stories of kindness, generosity, hearts re-opened to love, and the miracle of hope will center our time together. You are invited to be touched by story, by candlelight, by tradition, by ancient rhythms of the soul. Come and share in this timeless celebration of mystery, magic and wonder.
For the 5pm service, music will be provided by Sandra Goodson, vocalist, and Dr. Leslie Downs, Music Director. Click here to register for the 5pm Christmas Eve Service.
For the 7:45pm, there will be a Pre-Service Mini-Concert Followed by an 8pm Service. Music will be provided by Tabitha Judy, soprano, and Dr. Leslie Downs, Music Director. Click here to register for the 7:45pm Christmas Eve Service.

Sunday, December 19, 2021 11am  YouTube and In-person with reservation
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister and CUUPS
Solstice is from the Latin sol stetit meaning sun stood still. Carolyn McVickor Edwards explains this in her book, The Return of Light.  “For six days in the northern hemisphere’s December, the sun ceases its southernly crawl on the horizon and appears to rise and set in almost  the same spot. The ancients watched this quiet drama with  drawn breath. Would the sun move again? Would life itself continue?”

Sunday, January 9, 2022  11am Youtube and In-Person
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
We experienced a forced slow-down due to Covid-19 lockdowns, and I hoped that people would recognize that slowing our crazy lives down is a better way to live. But it seems we have slipped back into our old habits moving from one peak experience to the next. Our 21st century society is moving at a dizzying pace!  How can we reclaim and sustain a healthy balance in our lives? 

Sunday, December 12, 2021 11am YouTube
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister and Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Fatih Development
The temptation these days is to focus on what’s wrong in our world, Cathy and Claudia will invite us to reflect on the many reasons to be hopeful and to choose to joyfully engage the world with curiosity, compassion and love.

Sunday, December 5, 2021 11am You/Tube 
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
As the days grow shorter, we are eager for the solstice when light begins to grow again.  Christians observe Advent as waiting for the birth of Jesus, but non-Christians, Agnostics/Theists, Jews, and Humanists can view this time as waiting for the rebirth of love, justice and peace. We are all waiting for the pandemic to end. We are hoping for an end to the discordant in our nation’s politics.  In a novel I was reading recently, a Native American elder told the hero who was suffering from despair, “You can continue to walk with despair, but you can choose a different companion.”  How about hope or expectant waiting?

Sunday, November 28, 2021  11am YouTube
Rev. Claudia Jiménez, Minister of Faith Development
Join us for a service of song and gratitude. Even in this weird, seemingly apocalyptic time, there are many opportunities for gratitude.The simple gifts we receive each day: a kind word, a colorful card, a bird at the feeder can bring delight. Come prepared to share the gratitude in your heart that co-exists with sadnesses and challenges in all our lives.

Sunday, November 21, 2021  11am Live Zoom
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister and Universal Rainbow Unity (URU) Members
This service is an opportunity to learn about transgender people and learn how to be an ally and help change the culture, making society a safer for transgender people and for all people (trans or not) who do not conform to conventional gender expectations.
We will take time to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th (watch the eNews for more information).

Sunday, November 14, 2021 11am Live Zoom
“To meet the enormous challenges of today and build a more just future, we need big ideas and bold change. We must fundamentally transform the way things are, so that we do not perpetuate systemic inequities and repeat the harms of the past.” Mary Katherine Morn, UUSC President

Guest at Your Table (GAYT) is UUSC’s annual intergenerational program to raise support for and awareness about key human rights issues. Since UUSC works in more than 20 countries, with over 50 grassroots partners, there are thousands of individuals involved in and who benefit from the work that our members make possible.

Sunday, November 7, 11am Live Zoom
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
UU ministerial students are required to take at least one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and I took my unit during the summer after my first year of seminary. I spent ten weeks training as a chaplain at a major trauma hospital in Greenville, SC.  During this time, I struggled felt inadequate in situations where I was asked to pray with patients.  After an intense summer of wrestling with my theology and showing up for people when they needed me, I resolved my difficulty with the meaning of prayer.  You might be surprised to hear what I learned that challenging summer.

Sunday, October 31, 2021 11am Live Zoom
Rev. Claudia Jiménez, Minister of Faith Development
Join us for our annual service to recall loved ones (human and otherwise) who are no longer with us. Please bring a picture or memento for our “All Souls Table” so we may all honor their memory. Weather permitting, we will gather outdoors and stream the service. There will be candle lighting in the sanctuary. After service there will be a Halloween parade, treats (for children and four leggeds) and food for sale by our Coming of Age Youth). 

Sunday, October 24, 2021 11am  Zoom
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
The Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and similar sentiments are reflected in Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.  Challenging this belief, Rev Cathy will explain why giving and receiving are equally important and one cannot exist without the other.  It is harder to receive than to give, and Cathy will share her own journey of learning this important lesson: : Giving and receiving are parts of the same divine dance that need to be synchronized.  To receive a gift graciously is indeed a form of giving. 

Sunday, October 18, 2021 11am Live Zoom  
Mariela Perez-Simons, Guest Speaker
Oxytocin, the Nervous System, and the Biology of Love.”
How the practice of devotion can help us heal our nervous systems as well as our ecosystems. 
BIO: Rev Mariela is a Cuban-American maestra & minister in the Unitarian Universalist denomination; she currently lives in Grand Rapids, MI from where she teaches about religious naturalism and intimacy with the natural world.

Sunday, October 10, 2021  11am  In-Person and Zoom
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead MInister
Animal blessings originate out of the Catholic tradition; however, many Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations have adopted this practice and have made it a uniquely UU type of blessing. Our seventh principle which states that we are all a part of an interconnected web of existence is the underlying motivation for many of these services.
The entire service will be held outside at UUCA with LIVE music, but it will also be available to watch on Zoom. There will also be a place in the service to commemorate beloved pets who have passed so send a photo with the name of the pet to Cathy at minister@uuasheville.org.

Sunday, October 3, 2021  11am Live Zoom 
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister 
Rev Cathy will take you on a journey to another world.  As in a science fiction movie, this is a world that’s all around us, yet it’s almost invisible.  It is the world of people without homes. In her first semester of seminary in the fall of 1999, Cathy took an amazing class that changed her in ways she didn’t expect and shaped her ministry forever.  The class was called Bearing Witness, named after a book written by Zen Buddhist, Bernie Glassman. It was taught by Kay Jorgensen, a Unitarian Universalist minister, and Carmen Barsody, a Franciscan sister. These remarkable women are the ones who founded the Faithful Fools Street Ministry in San Francisco.

Sunday, September 26, 2021  11am Live Zoom
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead  Minister
William James, author of Varieties of Religious Experience, came to believe that human existence, even at its best, is left with an “irremediable sense of precariousness”; it is a “bell with a crack.”  Human existence, life, is a bell with a crack.  I wonder if Leonard Cohen read William James….?

Sunday, September 19, 2021 11am  Live Zoom  
Rev. Claudia Jiménez, Minister of Faith Development
Our congregation’s racial justice initiative invites us to consider our commitment to changing oppressive systems. It can be an uncomfortable and joyful journey to explore how we can each act in ways that disrupt racist practices. Join us to hear personal reflections, music and readings about the possibilities before us.

Sunday, September 12, 2021 11am Live  Zoom   
Rev. Dr. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. ~ Joseph Campbell

UU Asheville is in the midst of a ministerial transition while at the same time coping with the multiple changes caused by the pandemic. All of this uncertainty can feel unsettling, but transition can also be a time that is pregnant with possibility.  We must be willing to dwell in the messy middle for a time, and just like with making bread, things can be sticky for a while. Bread undergoes many transitions and ultimately “dying” in the oven as it transforms into sumptuous aromatic loaves. Campbell famously said, “Follow your bliss. We must be willing to give up the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”  What will UU Asheville look like in five years?  Ten years?  Much will depend on how comfortable we can be living in the creative, messy tension of what was and what will be.

Sunday, September 5, 2021  Live Zoom  
Rev. Dr. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister  
Our Unitarian Universalist congregational polity is affirmed by our covenant with one another; to support, to honor, to grow into a greater affection for ourselves and the world.  Our vision of becoming better people, better parents, better citizens of the world, are only made possible by our willingness to walk together on the journey. 

Sunday, August 29, 2021  Live ZOOM
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
I’m delighted that North Carolina is home to beautiful waterfalls, mountain streams and rivers. My home state of Michigan is surrounded by the largest bodies of freshwater in the world and is also blessed with many beautiful rivers and streams. As residents of such an embarrassment of water riches, it would be easy for us to take this rare gift of fresh water for granted. The World Water Vision Report suggests that the world water crisis is not about having too little water, but is more about how we manage our water. Billions of people are suffering as a result of the mismanagement of our world’s water. Our Water Ceremony this year honors the sacred gift of water.

Here’s a link to the slides that were used in the Water Service worship service–all 76 of them!.  Many thanks to all who contributed!

Sunday, August 22, 2021   Live ZOOM 
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development
This month as we welcome our Interim Lead Minister, Rev. Cathy and prepare to launch our Faith Development programs in October, Rev. Claudia invites us to consider what faith development is, why it matters and what our focus will be this new church year. Religious educator Kim Collins will offer a reflection on our Family Ministry focus. There will be a virtual blessing of the backpacks, the briefcases/computer bags and purses during service. Rev. Cathy and Rev. Claudia invite you to pick up a special gift on Saturday 1-3pm in the parking lot that will be used during the blessing. We will be taking videos for the service, optional, of course,  so we will be asking for your consent. 

Sunday, August 15, 2021   Live Zoom 
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
Unitarians and Universalists have always been considered heretics because we choose our faith, not because we are simply contrary or rebellious.  “Heresy” in Greek means “choice.” Unitarian minister Jack Mendleson wrote, “Tragedy and death stalked those who first laid the foundations in Europe that was to bear the Unitarian and Universalist names.” Unitarians were given that title because of a carefully reasoned choice to say “No.” to the doctrine of the Trinity, and Universalists were called, “the no hellers” because of their belief in Universal Salvation.  

Sunday, August 8, 2021  Live Zoom at 11am
Rev. Dr. Cathy Harrington, Interim Lead Minister
It’s Rev. Dr. Cathy Harrington’s first worship service with UUCA.  We’ll learn more about her and what her hopes and intentions are for this two-year interim period.

Sunday, August 1, 11am Live Zoom
Our Poetry Sunday team has used the theme of Rekindling the Light to select poetry for this service.  Many thanks to the planning committee of Sammy Fong, Virginia Bower, and Worship Associate Joyce Hooley-Gingrich.
 
Music this Sunday is provided by Walela, Kate Wolf, The Sandburgers, and  Dr. Leslie Downs, Music Director.