BUUF Sunday Services Archive - 2014
January 2014
January 5, 9:30 & 11:15
Burning the Old Year - A Fire Communion Service, Rev. Dana Worsnop
What do you need to burn away from the old year that you might enter
the new one more lightly? Come to this fiery and lively service in which
we will burn away old burdens, old habits, old patterns in a flash. Come
consider what the New Year invites. Susie Hardy, service coordinator
January 12, 9:30 & 11:15
The Gentle Art of Hospitality, Rev. Dana Worsnop
Hospitality - Being open and welcoming to one another - is one of the
highest values in most all the religions of the world. Yes, even as so
many mis-use their religion to separate themselves from others. It is
the message of Jesus, of the Buddha and of Mohammed among so many
others. How do you invite others into your lives? Into this community?
BUUF Choir, music. Nancy Harms, service coordinator
January 19, 9:30 & 11:15
An Inescapable Web of Mutuality, Rev. Dana Worsnop
On this Martin Luther King Sunday we will consider the intricate and
intimate connections of mutuality which bind us to one another. What
might Dr. King have had to say about economic justice and the vast
economic inequities of our present day? Tammy Berdahl, Service
Coordinator
January 26, 9:30 & 11:15
Community House – A Dream and a Legacy
The congregation of our Unitarian Partner Church in
Mészkő dreamed for decades of having a community house
where the congregation could gather altogether for meetings, classes,
programs, and for regional youth gatherings. Most of the people who
originally conceived of such a place are no longer with us. But their
dream lived on and was finally realized last year. This service will
explore through words and pictures how dreams, actions, and love make a
community and a Community House. Carrie Bastian and Michael Stevenson,
music; Mary Hester, service coordinator.
February 2014
February 2, 9:30 and 11:15am
Creating Generosity, Rev. Dana Worsnop
We are called as humans seeking connection to be generous to and with
one another. Living with an open-heartedness, giving and receiving love
and kindness and forgiveness. What does practicing such generosity look
like? BUUF Choir, music, Patricia Heeb, service coordinator.
February 9, 9:30 and 11:15am
Loving Alike, Rev. Dana Worsnop
We often say we are a covenantal rather than a creedal faith. We come
together not because we share beliefs but because of the promises we
make to one another. So that we can learn and practice loving well. As
16th century Unitarian Francis David said, "We need not think [or
believe] alike to love alike." David Scott, service coordinator.
February 16, 9:30 and 11:15am
Living Without Hope, Rev. Ken Watts
What would our lives look like without Hope? Is Hope a help or
hindrance? When Pandora opened the lid to her jar all the evils that
befall the human race escaped: "burdensome toil and sickness that brings
death to men", diseases and "a myriad other pains". Only Hope remained.
What was Hope doing in a jar full of "all the Spites that plague
mankind: such as Old Age, Labor, Sickness, Insanity, vice, and Passion"
(Graves 1955:145), unless Hope was an evil itself? Mary Hester,
celebrant. Wanda Jennings, service coordinator.
February 23, 9:30 and 11:15am
Sustaining Ministry, Rev. Dana Worsnop
During this interim time, you get to reflect on ministry. What are
the qualities you want in your next minister? What do you want your next
minister to do among you? Ministry is a 24-7, and yet no minister can do
it all. Rev. Dana will share what she is learning so far about how to
make a ministry both rich and sustainable for minister and congregation.
Susie Hardy, service coordinator.
March 2014
March 2 — 9:30am & 11:15am
Follow Your Folly, Rev. Dana Worsnop
The trickster spirit of foolishness and folly has much to teach us,
especially when times seem overfull, anxious or simply serious. On this
Sunday we will invite whimsy and delight into lives that can often seem
too serious. BUUF Choir, music. Nancy Harms, service coordinator
March 9 — 9:30am & 11:15am
Our Heritage of Love, Rev. Dana Worsnop
Our tradition arises from deep Judeo-Christian roots. What does this
mean for those among us who reject a more traditional view of
Christianity? What does it mean for those among who still find meaning
and spiritual depth in those roots? Wanda Jennings, Service
Coordinator.
March 16 — 9:30am & 11:15am
Imagine the Possibilities - A presentation of provocative proposals,
Miriam Woito and the Team
Based on the Appreciative Inquiry Workshop a team of experts has
stretched, challenged and put their imaginations to the test to come up
with inspiring ideas to consider for the future of BUUF. We will be
sowing seeds for the imagination. To further provoke you Will Smith and
a friend will be performing so you don't want to miss this service!
David Scott, service coordinator.
March 23 — 9:30am & 11:15am
Peacemaking as a Spiritual Path, M'Tae
M'Tae will present the tenets of the Zen Peacemaker Order: Not
Knowing, Bearing Witness and Loving Action and discuss their origin and
ways to observe them in daily life. Teresa Wood, Service
Coordinator.
March 30, 9:30am & 11:15am
Avoiding the Energy Crisis, Rev. Dana Worsnop
Where do you expend most of your energy? How does it reflect your
deepest values? Where do you spend your financial resources? How does
that reflect your fondest dreams for your life? How can we feel abundant
and generous even in uncertain times? We consider these questions as we
consider dreams for the future of this community. Mary Hester, Service
Coordinator.
April 2014
April 6, 10:00 am
Loving the Hell out of this World – celebration Sunday Single
Service, Rev. Cecilia Kingman and Rev. Dana Worsnop
The religious life can break our hearts, and break our hearts open. What
do you find heartbreaking? What gifts can flow out of you, into an
aching world? Let's give ourselves away, together! Come hear the Boise
Cello Collective and join in the party. Nancy Harms, Service
Coordinator.
The Rev. Cecilia Kingman is a member of the Red Pill Brethren, a group
of people who seek to turn our lives and churches inside out and bring
love into the most broken places of our society. She is an award winning
preacher and has served congregations throughout the West. Rev. Kingman
is President of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Unitarian
Universalist Ministers Association, and resides in Seattle with her
family. Nancy Harms, service coordinator.
April 13, 9:30 and 11:15 am
The Wolf, I'm Afraid, Is Inside Tearing Up the Place, Rev. Jackie
Kelly
The title of this sermon comes from a letter written by author
Flannery O-Connor a month before her death from lupus. It provides us
with a way to consider suffering: how it is experienced and how it may
be reflected upon, both by those who experience it (which is all of us
at one time or another) and those who are in relationship with the
sufferer (which is also all of us). Gail Haldeman, celebrant. Teresa
Wood, service coordinator.
April 20, Easter Sunday, 9:30 & 11:15 am
Falling and Rising Again – A Human Story, Rev. Dana
Worsnop
Resurrection, rebirth, new life arising from the ashes are powerful
archetypes. The story of Easter is one of them. How do we embrace the
concept and reality of resurrection in our lives and in the world? BUUF
Choir, music; Nancy Harms, service coordinator.
April 27, 9:30 & 11:15 am
The Sutras, Mark Zimmerer
The Yoga Sutras are 195 short aphorisms written by someone named
Patanjali 2500-3000 years ago, as an instruction manual for living a
life that will lead to enlightenment. In January of 2014, Mark Zimmerer
began a project of compiling different English translations into one
document. What might this ancient text have to say to us in the 21st
century? Debra Smith, celebrant. Susie Hardy, service coordinator
May 2014
May 4, 9:30 & 11:15 am
Senior High Bridging, BUUF high school seniors
Come get an infusion of hope for the future! Our Bridging Ceremony is
a Sunday where we hear words of wisdom from our graduating high school
seniors. Experience our next crop of community leaders and rejoice! Come
help our graduating youth bridge to young adulthood and celebrate! Rev.
Dana Worsnop nad Emmie Schlobohm, DRE celebrants. Nancy Harms, Service
Coordinator
May 11, 9:30 & 11:15am
Many Mothers, Rev. Dana Worsnop
We all have had many people – women and men – who have
mothered us through our lives. We have all been mothers, whether we have
children in our lives or not. On this Mother's Day, may we honor all our
mothers. Nancy Harms, celebrant; David Scott, service coordinator
May 18, 9:30 & 11:15am
Why I Cannot Give Up on God (Even Though I've Tried), Rev. Dana Worsnop
Often when we speak of God, we do it in the negative, speaking of the
God we don't believe in – the bearded grandfather in the sky, the
smiting and vengeful omniscient presence that alternately judges us and
answers prayers. Yet is there another way to positively name the sense
of transcendence and connection that feels like it lies beyond us? BUUF
Choir, music; Nancy Harms, celebrant; Patricia Heeb, service
coordinator
May 25, 9:30 & 11:15am
Our American Roots, Rev. Dana Worsnop
On this Memorial Day Weekend, we will consider the deep connections of
our religious heritage to the founding values as a nation. And we will
consider how those values might call us to respond to those who have
fallen in military service. Debra Smith, celebrant; Teresa Wood,
service coordinator
June 2014
June 1, 9:30 & 11:15 am
The Sacred Art of Appreciation, Debra Smith
This is Appreciation Sunday. How does an institution such as a church
go about showing appreciation? Well, there is on the internet, a handy
appreciation calculator. Alas, it is about calculating projected home
values. I checked. Today, calculator or no, we will formally appreciate
the service of a number of stalwart members who have decided it's time
to step aside to make room for a new generation of volunteers. And we
will reflect on how appreciation is a sacred practice that enriches all.
Join us after the second service for refreshments, and a joyful honoring
ceremony in the Greene Grove. BUUF Choir, music. Patricia Heeb,
celebrant. Wanda Jennings, service coordinator.
June 8, SINGLE SERVICE at 10:00 am
Earth was Given as a Garden— Flower Communion, Rev. Dana Worsnop
In this all-generations service, we will take up the story of the
Garden of Eden and how we can see all the earth as a garden in which to
flower. We will share in BUUF's annual Flower Communion. Emmie
Schlobohm, celebrant. Nancy Harms, service coordinator.
June 15, 10 am
Taking Pride, Rev. Dana Worsnop
As we enter Pride season, this congregation has much to be proud of
in its advocacy for the LGBT community. We will consider what has been
accomplished in bending the "moral arc of the universe" toward justice,
as well as what there is still to do. Janice Eby, celebrant. Susie
Hardy, service coordinator.
June 22, 10 am
The Strength of the Pack is the Wolf, Bryan Jennings
I have only one message. Every sermon or part of a sermon I have done
at BUUF over the past nineteen years has been, at heart, about one
thing, and this is another of the same! Gail Haldeman, celebrant. Teresa
Wood, service coordinator.
June 29, 10 am
Refugees in Our Back Yard, Rabiou Manzo, Shannon Davis-Jones, Danel Jones; International Rescue Committee
During the past decade, more than 5,000 refugees have resettled in
Boise. Who are these people and how have they fared in Boise? How do
they find housing and jobs, and deal everyday with the myriad challenges
of life in the U.S.?
A panel of speakers from the International Rescue Committee (IRC)
will tell us about their work with refugees. Special music from the Congolese
Refugee Youth Choir. Debra Smith, celebrant. Mary Hester, Service
Coordinator.
July 2014
July 6, 10am
The Flipside of Service, Mary Hester
We all like to be of service to others. But what happens when we get
asked "If there is anything I can do, let me know." Are we too
independent? Proud? What if allowing others to give to us, is in fact a
service to them. Sue Langley, music. Gwyn Reid, celebrant. Nancy Harms,
service coordinator.
July 13, 10am
The Secret to Life in a Children's Song: A Deconstruction of 'Row,
Row, Row Your Boat', Carrie Bastian
This summer, let's set sail down the river of life and discover if
all we really need to know, we learned in a song we sang in
kindergarten. Perhaps "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" was penned by a mystic
sage or zen master? Will Smith, music. David Scott, celebrant. Teresa
Wood, service coordinator.
July 20, 10am
Quest: A Spiritual Journey
Last August 2013, 18 intrepid members of BUUF entered the Quest
program, a two year personal spiritual development curriculum including
6 weekend retreats, monthly meetings, and instruction and support to
commit to a daily spiritual practice. Together with 14 Spiritual
Companions and supported by a seven member Ministry Team, we have
journeyed together through our first year. Come join us hear what we're
learning and consider if Quest might be in your future. Sue Langley,
music. Jackie Groves, celebrant. Susie Hardy, service coordinator.
July 27, 10am
Tools, Matthew Sabin
We all have a box full of (metaphorical) tools. Our social, technical
and professional tools we use daily and are probably in good repair. Do
you consider religion to be in your tool box? If so what condition is it
in? Whether you think of religion as like a hammer, an axe? A spoon?
Maybe a sail? I have some thoughts on the use and maintenance of our
religious tool set. Four Shillings Short, music. Sharene Watsen,
celebrant. Patricia Heeb, service coordinator.
August 2014
August 3, 10am
"Gods, God, No God: Can We Accept Them All?" Elton Hall
The great diversity of views held by UUs include monotheism,
polytheism, atheism and many spiritual traditions. How can they all be
"true"? We will explore what is going on in our experience that
allows—indeed, makes necessary—this diversity and why it is
important to us and to the world. Liza Long, music. Barbara Morledge,
celebrant. Teresa Wood, service coordinator.
August 10, 10am
"Two Weddings and a Funeral," Roger Sherman
Earlier this year many of us participated in an Appreciative Inquiry
process to learn from each other what it is that we care about in our
past, what we want to keep and leave behind on our continuing journey
and what we want the future to look like. This next year we will be
choosing a settled minister. Much change is in the offing. How will we
continue to build our beloved community? Some reflections on where we
are going as I begin my year as the president of the Boise UU Fellowship
board. Elton Hall, celebrant. Mike Lemieux, music. Susie Hardy, Service
Coordinator.
August 17, 10am
"Beyond BUUF, Beyond Belief!"
BUUF members who attended the Pacific Northwest District Assembly in
Spokane and the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly in
Providence, RI will be relating highlights of those forays into the UU
world beyond BUUF! Gwyn Reid, celebrant. Liza Long, music. Mary Stell,
service coordinator.
August 24, 10am
"A Palestinian Speaks," Reem Anani
Reem Anani is a displaced Palestinian who will share out of her
knowledge and personal experience, broadly covering the history of the
Palestinian-Israeli issue, as well as touch on what is happening today,
making us aware of the social justice issues involved and why it should
concern we UU's. Debbie Espen, director of the Boise chapter of
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East is sponsoring
Reem's presentation and will introduce her. Mary Hester, celebrant. Mike
Lemieux, music. David Scott, service coordinator.
August 31, 10am
"How to be a UU Missionary," David Scott
Although many associate missionaries with Christianity, especially
with Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, there have been, historically,
missionaries from a multiplicity of faiths. Typically, however, people
do not associate Unitarian Universalists with missionaries. So, why not
us? This and other burning questions will be pondered (perhaps
fruitlessly) by David Scott and some special guests through the power of
theatrical arts and oratory. Wanda Jennings, celebrant. Carrie Bastian
and Will Smith, music. Mary Hester, service coordinator.
September 2014
September 7, 9:30 & 11:15am
"The Trouble with Bubbles – Water Communion All Generations
Service," Rev. Dana Worsnop and Emmie Schlobohm, Director of Religious
Education
We will re-gather as an entire worshiping community with the annual
Merging of the Waters Service. We'll hear the story of a certain queen
in a distant land who had some trouble with a particular bubble and
learn how we might avoid similar troubles. BUUF Choir, music. Emmie
Schlobohm, celebrant. Nancy Harms, service coordinator.
Sept. 14, 9:30 & 11:15am
"All Are Called," Rev. Dana Worsnop
If the church is doing its good work in our lives, we should feel
called forth in some way. How are you called, and to what? Nancy Harms,
celebrant. Mary Hester, service coordinator.
Sept. 21, 9:30 & 11:15am
"We are the Church that...," Rev. Dana Worsnop
After a year-plus of preparation and consideration, who are you now,
and who do you still want to be? These are the perpetual questions of
interim ministry ... and of life. Sharene Watsen, celebrant. Susie
Hardy, service coordinator.
Sept. 28, 9:30 & 11:15am
"The Price of Silence: Speaking Up, Ending Stigma," Liza Long
Liza Long is the mother of a child who has bipolar disorder. She
wrote an emotional response to the tragic school shooting in Newtown,
which the Boise State University online journal The Blue Review
published as "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother." In her book, The Price of
Silence, she takes a devastating look at how we address mental
illness, especially in children, who are funneled through a system of
education, mental healthcare, and juvenile detention that leads far too
often to prison. She is speaking in a way that we cannot help but hear,
and she won't stop until something changes. BUUF Choir, music. Mary
Hester, celebrant. Teresa Wood, service coordinator.
October 2014
October 5, 9:30 & 11:15am
"Beyond Categorical Thinking," Jo Victoria & Gil Guerrero
Co-facilitators Jo Victoria and Gil Guerrero from the UUA Transitions
office will share their personal perspectives on the experience of
identity, and how our understanding of identities impacts the
ministerial search. After worship and a pizza lunch, we encourage
everyone to attend their workshop entitled "Beyond Categorical Thinking"
as we learn about the way that our personal experiences and biases can
hinder us from finding the best minister for our congregation. The
workshop will take place between 1:15 and 4:15. Please come to both the
worship service and to the workshop. Elton Hall, celebrant. Mary Hester,
service coordinator.
October 12, 9:30 & 11:15am
"Instant Karma," Rev. Dana Worsnop
John Lennon warns us about Instant Karma. Sometimes the powerful
truths of life and death and love will catch us unawares and we come
face-to-face with ourselves and the world in an instant. What do we do
next when that happens? Elton Hall, celebrant. Susie Hardy, service
coordinator.
October 19, 9:30 & 11:15am
"The Church as Guest House," Rev. Dana Worsnop
How do you invite the shyest parts of your self to come out and play?
What sorts of people and experience do you invite into your life? Who is
invited into the church and by whom? How might we all make a practice of
inviting the holy, the mysterious and each other into our lives? BUUF
Choir, music. Debra Smith, celebrant. Mary Stell, service
coordinator.
October 26, 9:30 & 11:15am
"Good Fences," Rev. Dana Worsnop
As the saying goes, Good fences make good neighbors. Sometimes fences
can be unnecessary obstacles and yet they also set good, clear, healthy
boundaries. How do we discern when to say yes and when to say no? An
age-old human conundrum. Patricia Heeb, celebrant. Nancy Harms, service
coordinator.
November 2014
Nov. 2, 9:30 & 11:15am
"Achieving Immortality," Rev. Dana Worsnop
We will celebrate All Souls Day with a ritual of remembrance. It is
said that the veil between the living and dead grows thinner at this
time of year. Though perhaps our connection to those who have passed
simply feels closer when we create such rituals of remembrance. Nancy
Harms, Celebrant. Michael Stevenson & Janelle Brown, Music.
Nov. 9, 9:30 & 11:15 am
"Ode to Joy," Rev. Dana Worsnop
Neither happiness nor joy last, nor are they supposed to. Joy is
perhaps more intense and more ephemeral. When have you felt the ecstatic
uplift of sheer joy? How does it inform your spiritual Life? Gail
Haldeman, Celebrant. BUUF Choir, Music. Joining Sunday.
Nov. 16, 9:30 & 11:15 am
"Pilgrims in a Strange Land," Rev. Dana Worsnop
There are so many stories we tell about the Pilgrims and the
Wampanoag and Thanksgiving. The story is complicated, with so many
layers and so many perspectives on the truth. The Pilgrims at the heart
of it are our direct religious forbears. is far more complicated.
Sharene Watsen, Celebrant.
Nov. 23, 9:30 & 11:15 am
"To Have and Have Not," Rev. Dana Worsnop and Emmie Schlobohm.
We will once again celebrate a Bread Communion in an All Generations
Thanksgiving Service. So often we speak of gratitude for all that we
have. Sometimes it is also useful to consider that which we do not have,
and how both can enrich our lives.
Nov. 30, 9:30 & 11:15 am
"Take the Lead," Robyn Broyles, Matthew Sabin, Tony Zornik
During the week of the 10th of August, three pilgrims, Robyn Broyles,
Matthew Sabin and Tony Zornik attended the Russell Lockwood Leadership
School training. Dana told us that it would be transforming, but that
turned out to have been an understatement. Robyn will be out of town, so
hopefully we can record her experience on video, but Matthew and I will
be sharing our experience in person. Mary Hester, Celebrant.
December 2014
Dec. 7, 9:30 & 11:15am
Saving Christmas, Rev. Dana Worsnop
Our Christmas traditions as we celebrate them now are not even 200
hundred years old. In many parts of Colonial America, celebrating
Christmas was banned. Find out how Unitarians helped save Christmas from
itself. Debra Smith, Celebrant. Mike Lemieux, Music. David Scott,
Service Coordinator.
Dec. 14, 9:30 & 11:15am
Peace on Earth, Rev. Dana Worsnop & Musicians
One of the central messages of the winter holidays is "peace on
earth, goodwill to all." In celebration of the season, the choir and
our BUUF musicians will take us on a musical journey to places across
the globe where music has helped bring peace to a world in conflict, and
peace to the soul. Carrie, Celebrant. Choir, and BUUF Musicians, Music.
Patricia Heeb, Service Coordinator.
Dec. 21, 9:30 & 11:15am
Believing in Christmas
Come join us for a lively All Generations Holiday service. There will
be carols and reflections and we invite everyone - children, youth and
adults - to come aboard the Polar Express in their pajamas. And we'll
top it all off with BUUF's traditional rendition of the Twelve Days of
Christmas. Rev. Dana Worsnop and Emmie Schlobohm, Director of Religious
Exploration. Susie Hardy, Service Coordinator.
December 21, 7pm
Winter Solstice Celebration
Come celebrate an earth-centered service as we welcome the dark and
the return of the light. We will celebrate the Solstice on Sunday, Dec.
21. The service will start right at 7 pm. The doors will open at 6:30,
and we invite all to arrive early to be smudged. Once the service starts
the doors will be closed and no one will be allowed to enter. Come in
through either the north or south entryways. Bring goodies to share
after the service along with our mulled cider.
December 24, 7pm
Finding Christmas Mystery, Rev. Dana Worsnop
We will celebrate Christmas Eve with stories of Christmas that renew
our sense of mystery and wonder at this time of the year. We will sing
carols, light candles and welcome magic and mystery once more into our
lives at this darkest time of the year. Emmie Schlobohm, Director of
Religious Exploration, Celebrant. Nancy Harms, Service Coordinator.
December 28, 9:30 & 11:15am
Quaker Service
The early Quakers considered silence to be a direct path to God. Join
Nancy Harms for this simple service. We will have our traditional silent
Quaker service in the sanctuary for adults and older children and youth.
Young children will be welcome in our all-ages classroom that morning
for either service. We'll be reading stories, sharing winter magic, hot
chocolate, and goodies. Please see the article "Quaker Service" in the
newsletter for more information.