The origins of the Labor Day holiday have been all but lost in the 127 years since it was created to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the contributions of laborers to our society. This day we explore both the role of faith as the glue that binds together the notion of the common good and the meaning of the word itself.

He had bumped up against it his whole life: condemnation, derision, contempt, exclusion… But he could never wrap his head around it. He couldn’t understand it. ‘How can they hate me, if they don’t even know me?’ he asked. This simple question propelled him. It transformed his anger to energy, his fear to curiosity, his despondency to courage to confront his oppressors. This service is about one man’s story of learning how to challenge ‘haters’ without ingesting hate. It is about taking the prejudice that builds walls and using it as energy to build reconciliation.

The road to reconciliation has a great advocate and nemesis all in one: religion. On the one hand we hear religion’s testimony of peace, harmony and compassionate co-existence. Yet, that’s often countered by its absolutes, extremism and division. In this service, we look not at what ‘they’ (religious organizations) get wrong, but where ‘we’ (human beings) struggle in our instincts between connection and protection.

Faced with a difficult decision, such as whether to undergo a medical procedure with serious potential side effects, we may go through layers of thoughts and emotions. But if there’s still no simple answer, we may need to take a “leap of faith”. What does that mean and how do we use it so we are most satisfied with whatever comes?

How many universes has it taken to bring us here, exactly where we are on the life path? Here is what we have, and “each voice sings its note of eternity” (John Tarrant, The Light Inside the Dark).

Have you ever been worried, frightened, full of anxiety? Did it fully embrace you and swallow up all other emotions? Did it take away all feeling of choice? Calista Ames was faced with just such a situation and found her path through it in an inspiring space full of hope and love.

Democracy is sacred to Unitarian Universalists. This is concretely expressed as one of our values: “The right of the conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and society at large”. But democracy is not a simple word, it is a complex process, a process which includes much more than simply voting, though voting is of extreme importance. Full democracy must both protect the majority from an oppressive minority and protect minorities from an oppressive majority – no easy task. And democracy is not just something to be established, it must be effectively maintained. Our July 4th service will explore the processes of democracy, their historical roots, and our present needs.

There is a tradition that, within the religious world, is rather unique to Unitarian Universalism. It came at a time of tremendous political turmoil and tension when a defiant idealist encouraged everyone to surrender to the spirit of beauty, wonder and generosity. This service is the story of that ritual and its power to change struggle into strength.

Guest speaker Rev. Michael Dowd is an American Progressive Christian minister, author, and eco-theologian known as an advocate of Big History, religious naturalism, sustainability, climate activism, and the epic of evolution. He speaks on Sustainability 101.