Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Carolina Foothills

Transcending Mystery and Wonder  Rev. Ernie Mills

10:30AM Whimsical World Gallery, Landrum, SC

Our theme for the next six services will be our UU Sources. They are listed in the front of our Hymnal under the title, “The Living Traditions We Share Draw From Many Sources.” We will explore each source and hopefully identify those that resonate with our own faith journey. We may even want to add a source. The first source is: “Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and openness to the forces that create and uphold life.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Unitarian Rebellion.  Derek Harrison

10:30AM Whimsical World Gallery, Landrum SC

Member Derek Harrison is not only the banjo player in “The Whimsical Trio,” but a retired college professor who has taught
writing, literature, and philosophy. Derek is also the author of several books and has traveled to over 60 countries, mostly to do volunteer work. He takes the podium on July 7 to discuss Emerson’s role in the development of the Unitarian religion and the ways his personal philosophy affected his later connection to it.

Why are You a Unitarian Universalist?   With several UUFCF members

10:30AM

June’s Fifth Sunday Service will feature members of our fellowship, whom Ernie has invited to share their personal spiritual journeys and how they landed in our liberal faith tradition. Some are predicable; some will surprise you. Such stories explain why we have such a rich and varied denomination, one that doesn’t rely on strict adherence to religious dogma or allegiance to a supreme leader. Of course, on June 30 we’ll be back in the WWGallery.
See you there!

My Numinous Encounter with a Timber Rattlesnake  Rev. Ernie Mills

Service will be at the screened shelter near the Harmon Field cabin and children’s play area at 10:30AM.  Pot luck lunch and annual meeting will follow.

10:30AM

 

Serpents, especially snakes, and specifically of the venomous kind, were worshiped by our ancestors. Snakes evoked what Rudolf Otto called the ―numinous (mysterious) or what we today refer to as the ―holy or ―sacred.
The word, sacred in its original meaning, referred to both the ―awesome‖ and the ―awful and had nothing to do with morality or ethics. Venomous serpents had the power to give life and deal death. One example is the bronze serpent. In Numbers 21, a serpent made of bronze was mounted on a cross as a healing symbol.
My encounter with a rattlesnake was both awesome and awful, but the experience was truly holy.

Justice and Wholeness      Rev Ernie Mills

10:30AM

I learned from Martin Luther King, Jr. that justice is wholeness; it encompasses both the outer and inner life. In King’s letter from the Birmingham jail, written in 1963, he wrote, ―Any law that uplifts
human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust…segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.
In essence racism is a form of fragmentation, not only of society but of the racist. Social justice and wholeness go hand in hand. We will explore this deep connection.

The Power of Music.      Rev Ernie Mills

10:30AM

Modern neurological research into the art of music has revealed the extent of its power, way beyond what was known in the past. One thing we have learned is that music is much more than just entertainment; it has medicinal qualities that we have just begun to understand. Music has healing powers and it is the highest expression of the human spirit. In this reflection we will sing as much, if not more, than I talk

The Dignity of Human Life  Rev Ernie Mills

10:30AM

“Why?” asked Ling Yutang, “If there was no God, people would not do good and the world would go topsy-turvy.” “Why?” answered his Confucian friend. “We should lead a decent human life simply because we are decent human beings.”

 

This quote from Ling Yutang’s book, “The Importance of Living” highlights the importance of living with a sense of dignity and self-respect. Our first UU principle invites us to affirm and promote this very ideal. We will explore this principle and how it contrasts with the doctrine of original sin.

Fred Flintstone as a Role Model?

Rev Pat Jobe

Rev. Pat Jobe, who serves the Unitarians of Lake Norman, has had  many Fred Flintstone moments. After two divorces, going broke in business three times, and being fired from four jobs, one of his congregants around Lake Norman said, “You must be difficult!”

Rev. Jobe will walk us through some of his personal disasters and then evoke the forgiving spirit of Wilma Flintstone who could always be heard to say, “Oh, Fred,” as she forgave Fred, embraced him and they recovered together from his latest scheme, battle, bump or rattle. Unitarian Universalists know what it is like to fall flat on our faces and get back up and start all over again.