Sunday Worship: February/March 2012
Sunday services are held each week at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 4:30 p.m. from September 18, 2011, through May 20, 2012, except where noted.
Each Sunday, through the work of the Generosity Ministry Team, seventy percent of the offering is placed in the hands of the chosen community non-profit recipient. The remaining thirty percent goes to support of the Community Outreach Ministry at Unity Church. Offering recipients for each Sunday are listed below the Sunday service description. If you woul like to nominate a non-profit to receive the Sunday offering, please fill out the nomination form (pdf). February 26: When the Bush is Not Burning — Rachel Lonberg The holy is easy to sense in burning bushes and epiphanies. Join Hallman Ministerial Intern Rachel Lonberg and worship associate Dutton Foster as we explore how we recognize divine presence in the other 99% of our lives. Offering recipient: Frogtown’s Tree Frogs Saint Paul's Frogtown neighborhood has fewer trees than any other neighborhood in the city, a deficit that a group of determined residents calling themselves the "Tree Frogs" are tackling. Over the winter, Tree Frogs will learn how to identify signs of Emerald Ash Borer, an insect that is threatening more of the city's trees. In April 2012, the Tree Frogs will install a "pop up" tree nursery on a vacant lot, bringing in dozens of fruit and shade trees in one day to build an instant park. Tree Frog Park will serve as an outdoor classroom for learning about trees and how to care for them. At the end of the summer, the trees will be distributed to homes throughout the neighborhood. This offering will support the purchase of trees, mulch and water to beautify Frogtown streets and homes. Unity member Patricia Ohmans is a Tree Frog. March 4: Brave Enough to Stay — Rob Eller-Isaacs Human beings suffer. It’s a fact. Some traditions teach that suffering is inherently redemptive. Ours does not. Jesus did not suffer and die to free us from our sin. That work is ours to do. The real question is; how do we remain present and compassionate in the face of suffering? Rob and worship associate Patricia Ohmans will offer the first in a series of services on suffering. Offering recipient: Amicus This week’s offering goes to support armed services veterans who need a new start in our community. Amicus, the community partner of the Unity Restorative Justice Ministry team, has been working with offenders, ex-offenders and juveniles in the criminal justice system for over 45 years and recently began the Amicus Veterans Justice Program. Through Amicus, veterans can connect with the resources they need to rebuild their lives after a prison sentence and to avoid further incarceration. With community support, we can help those who served our country find a second chance to make a real change in their lives. March 11: When Despair for the World Grows in Me — Janne Eller-Isaacs There are times when it all falls apart; times when a person can’t stand to suffer anymore. We need to recognize how despair can sometimes rend the fabric of community. Janne and worship associate Jeanne Barker-Nunn will explore what can happen when people succumb to despair. Offering recipient: Habitat Project, Johnson High School “Get ready to make a difference and be changed in the process.” These are the goals of Johnson High School’s Habitat for Humanity trip to Honduras in June 2012. This team made up of students and adult volunteers, will be working with Honduran volunteers, as well as the homeowners themselves to help these families achieve their dream of having a decent place to live. The first Johnson school trip was taken in 2008 to Guatemala and the second to El Salvador in 2010 and both had many layers of meaning for the students. Perhaps it can be best understood by reading the simple words of one of the applicants: “I’m interested in being a part of Johnson’s Habitat for Humanity team to El Salvador because I’ve known people who have done this and after it they are not the same. They seem to change somehow in a way that I want to become.” The biggest obstacle for students making the trip is financial so our partnering with them will help provide an opportunity to make a life-changing impact on another person's life but may also change the course of their own lives. March 18: The Good But Not the True — Rob Eller-Isaacs It’s told that Samuel Taylor Coleridge once accused Emerson of believing in “the good but not the true.” He was referring to liberalism's general discomfort with the existence of evil. So much of human suffering results from injustice and oppression. How can this be less evil hard at work? Rob and worship associate Carol LeBourveau will wrestle with this age-old dilemma. Offering recipient: Immigration Law Center of Minnesota The Immigration Law Center was founded in 1976 as part of the Southern Minnesota Regional Services (SMRLS) and in 1996 established itself as a separate organization. It provides quality immigration and legal services to meet the increasing need of Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee community. The center’s goals are to remedy and prevent immigration legal problems and raise public awareness of immigrant issues. Unity Church works in partnership with many local agencies serving the growing immigrant community in the Summit/University neighborhood. March 25: Transforming Suffering — Janne Eller-Isaacs One of the key attributes to spiritual maturity is the ability to transform suffering. Suffering is a fact there’s no denying. But we can learn to use it well. It can open our hearts in compassion. It can inspire effective advocacy. It can even help to build community. Janne and worship associate Marg Walker share what they know of this essential spiritual practice. Offering recipient: Dayton’s Bluff Early Childhood and Family Education Advisory Council Dayton’s Bluff Early Childhood Family Education Advisory Council builds connections between families and Early Childhood Family Education (E.C.F.E.) programs. E.C.F.E. programs are a way to break cycles of violence by providing alternative strategies for raising children. The Council supports learning experiences for pre-school children and their caregivers/parents. The Council serves about 80-90 pre-school children and parents/caregivers primarily from St. Paul’s East Side. Unity member Christi Saari serves on the board of Dayton’s Bluff Early Childhood and Family Education Council. |