Sunday, April 6, 2025

Tamar: an Unlikely Biblical Hero with David Myers

Tamar is an unlikely biblical hero (Genesis 38). She gets what is rightfully hers by using what would seem to be unethical (sinful) means but the biblical text never condemns her for these acts. This tale makes it clear that biblical morality is not always black and white and that we should even admire certain women for breaking the rules—for being outlaws!
David B. Myers. Professor emeritus of philosophy (MSUM); president of the FM Interfaith Center; member of Temple Beth El (Reform synagogue). Author of two novels: Did God Die on the Way to Houston? A Queer Tale and Losing My Mind/Losing My Home. He is currently working on a book about God, an unorthodox theology.

Sunday, April 13, 2025

How to Love a Church with Amy G.S.A. Brooks

In this service, guest speaker, Amy G. S. A. Brooks, will reflect on the question of “why we do what we do” in our congregations and communities.

Amy G. S. A. Brooks is a fat, cisgender, queer, Australian-born immigrant to the United States who loves a good cup of hot tea and hates mornings. She is a minister, and the author of Another Scroll: Defiant Readings for Lectionary Year C. Currently she is the contract minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth, in Minnesota.
Amy is deeply familiar with grief and trauma. She finds truth and meaning in the liminal spaces where humanity encounters the Divine. She claims kinship with her wife, Laurie; as well as their adult children, assorted members of their chosen family, and numerous pets.

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Staying Awake for the Long Labor with Rev. Terri Burnor

The crisis many of us feel has persisted in various forms for millennia. Rev. Terri will explore the “darkness of the tomb and the darkness of the womb” (from Valarie Kaur) through the teachings of Jesus and the wisdom of contemporary activists. We need generational solidarity and organizing to forge a future of genuine kinship and mutual dependence with one another, the earth, and all of life. 

Rev. Terri Burnor (she/her) is Acting Executive Director of MUUSJA, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance. She also serves the St. Croix Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Wisconsin as their minister. Terri inspires people to reflect, act, and lead grounded by their faith, spiritual practices, conscience, and values. She is a life-long Minnesotan (grew up outside of Duluth) and lives in St. Paul with her spouse and two dogs. 

Sunday, April 27, 2025

The Healing Sound of Nature with Jennifer Moldenhauer

Explore the ancient roots, cultural significance, and the profound ways sound and music promote well-being. Learn how different traditions have used sound as a tool for healing and how nature’s rhythms contribute to relaxation and balance. Experience a live demonstration featuring crystal singing bowls, tuning forks, and meditative storytelling.
Jennifer Moldenhauer is a sound energy practitioner.  Raised in rural North Dakota, she grew up surrounded by the natural symphony of wind, coyote howls, and thunderstorms. Music was often spontaneous at family gatherings and home grown plays for special events and holidays are a favorite childhood memory. For her, using sound for relaxation, healing, and connection has always been second nature.