July 5, 2020

Kay Gonzales, Speaker

Kay Gonzales, Worship Leader

“Celebrating July 4th During Controversy“

244 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the colonists’ independence from Great Britain. Seventy-five years later, some Americans weren’t ready to celebrate. Abolitionist movement leader Frederick Douglass gave a scathing speech the day after Independence Day in 1852, saying: “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn…. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?” Douglass reminded listeners that when the Declaration of Independence was signed, many people were still slaves. Even the British were more likely to offer freedom to people of African descent than the colonists.

We celebrate the founding of our country this weekend in many different ways. We will explore the diversity and the pride of America that we share as well as some of the pain that we have experienced together.

July 12, 2020

Judy Raymond, Facilitator

“Summer Sharing Series: The Third UU Principle“

This service will follow the summer sharing service format, and explore the third UU principle, “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.”

Please take some time to reflect on the following “food for thought” questions before the service:

• Why do you suppose this principle addresses “acceptance of one another” and “encouragement to spiritual growth” in the same breath?  What could one part have to do with the other?
• Mosaic is a spiritual community.  What makes that different from a Rotary Club or a well-run PTA?
• Do you think spiritual growth is an important part of a person’s life?  What do you think a spiritually growing person looks like?  sounds like?  acts like?
• Do you think you are a spiritually growing person?  How so?

July 19, 2020

Kim Eddins, Facilitator

“Summer Sharing Series: The Fourth UU Principle“

This service will follow the summer sharing service format, and explore the fourth UU principle, “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”

Please take some time to reflect on the following “food for thought” questions before the service:

• How often do you spend time (in person, by phone or online) with another person?
• When you think of truth and meaning, what springs to mind?
• If you built your own personal religion from scratch, what would it look like? Would it have a lot of structure or be more informal? Would it have a doctrine or dogma? Would it have a deity?
• How does “responsibility” fit into your search for truth and meaning?

July 26, 2020

Kim Eddins, Facilitator

“Summer Sharing Series: The Fifth UU Principle“

This service will follow the summer sharing service format, and explore the fifth UU principle, “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” 

Please take some time to reflect on the following “food for thought” questions before the service:

• How do you, personally, participate in our American democracy? Do you vote? Do you research candidates before voting? Do you do anything between elections (write to your representative, volunteer, donate, etc.)?
• How do you feel about voting by mail vs. voting in person, whether or not there’s a pandemic?
• What, if anything, do you believe needs to be done to address or prevent voter fraud?
• How accessible do political leaders need to be? Do we have a right to demand answers to all of our questions? Is their personal life rightfully our business? Why or why not?
• How do you see the relationship between “right of conscience” and “democratic process”?
• When a political leader changes their mind, do you see them as thoughtful, or as a “flip flopper”?
• If you could change anything about our current system of voting or governance, what would you change, and why?