Scott writes: “The trauma of Being Alive” is a Phrase coined by American Psychiatrist and author Dr. Mark Epstein, in a thought piece he wrote in the New York Times. I want to explore his thinking, because I believe it contains a perspective that can help all of us more safely navigate this complicated adventure called life.
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
About his sermon, Tony says: "A miracle is usually supposed to be something that 'wows' you. If it's unobtrusive, it doesn't have that wow factor. And yet sometimes aren't the best miracles the ones we don't notice at first--the ones that come in under the radar?"
Tony Larsen was our minister here at Unitarian Church North for 4 years (2019-2023), having served before that at Olympia Brown UU in Racine for 40+ years. He was raised Catholic, and studied to be a Catholic priest for 10 years before being ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. He received his B.A. in philosophy from Maryknoll College in 1971, his M.A. in theology from Maryknoll School of Theology in 1973, and his D.Min from Meadville/Lombard Theological School in 1975.
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
We hear all the time people saying that Trump is a different kind of president, which is certainly true. But I don 't want to talk about him. I will talk about another president, who was quite different than Trump, and who had great meaning for UUs.
Sarah Oelberg has been a special education teacher, has written special ed. curriculum for our U.S. Office of Education, was a faculty member at Yeshiva University in New York and at NYU, and trained special ed. teachers in Iowa. She followed her heart as the first in her six-generation Unitarian family to become a UU minister. After serving churches in Nebraska and Minnesota, she retired in 2001 and now she frequently speaks at UCN. She and husband Gerald raised four children and have six grand- and four great-grandchildren.
9:50 – Join for informal conversation (optional)
10:00 – Service begins
11:00 – Coffee hour
The meaning of worship is
to be shaped by
what is of worth.
We gather together in spiritual community because we need constant reminders of what matters most in life. In a world of heartbreak and dehumanization, our congregations and communities call us to our better selves. We learn to live with more wisdom, more connection, and more compassion.
Our Worship Services are weekly reflections that weave together our own thoughts and experiences with music, beauty, poetry, and words that both comfort and challenge. Our programs for all ages inspire and awaken us to our capacities to make a difference in our own lives and in the world.
