I Think I've Found My Home (ritual, beliefs, Jehovah, attend)

[powder21]

I finally attended service at a local UU congregation. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't impressed. However, I did feel at home after "coffee-hour". The sermon was interesting and I wish I had started going earlier in the summer because apparently all summer they're bringing in people from a different faith each week to give a sermon on what they're about. This week was Hinduism. I even took part in a 10 minute Hindu meditation which was kinda weird, but cool. I wasn't impressed by the service itself for two reasons...

1. Technical Difficulties!!! They were constantly having problems with the mics and I couldn't hear most of the entire sermon.

2. The woman that led the service seemed a little "bland". Rather monotone speaking and constantly looking down at what I assume to be notes. Definitely not a natural public speaker. (Please forgive me if you are reading this! I'm used to Harvest-like ministers) However, this was not the regular minister as he is on vacation.

All of this made the service seem very forced as opposed to naturally flowing, yet none of this is anywhere close to enough to turn me away from UU. It was the people there that made me feel so welcome and seemed to share the same views that will keep me coming back. It was also how "eclectic" the body of members is. I met atheists, ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, even a rather interesting pagan with a nervous pencil habit. I was sort of "held up" by a couple of rather talkative fellas and did not get to meet as many people as I would have liked, but maybe that's a strategy to make me come back I am hoping that in the fall, when attendance picks up and things get back to "normal", that I will enjoy the service more.

P.S. I'm thinking about taking a Tai-Chi class that is offered on Mondays.

[Random]

Congratulations, Powder.

[applewuud]

UUs in many areas of the country tend to "take the summer off". My church doesn't have any services at all from mid-June to Labor Day. Churches that continue during the summer often give the minister a two-month break. So, thanks for being so open to a service that had some glitches.

Too bad about the microphones...it's a pet peeve of mine in many churches.

Let us know what you think after a few Sundays in September!

[michel]

And good luck to you, powder; I have a great respect for UU's. My only concern is that it causes such dissention when anyone has to make any decision on anything at all(such as how many atendees to allow for at a "service"), that everyone involved apparently suffers form RSI of the brain..............

[powder21]

Let us know what you think after a few Sundays in September!

Will do!

My only concern is that it causes such dissention when anyone has to make any decision on anything at all(such as how many atendees to allow for at a "service"), that everyone involved apparently suffers form RSI of the brain..............

I was gonna laugh at that but I don't know what RSI is (seriously, I don't)

[lilithu]

Namaste Powder.

Glad to hear that you could see past the technical difficulties and are willing to stick with us. Welcome.

If you liked a UU service well enough in the summer to come back, then I'm sure you'll be happier come mid-September when we are back in full-swing. I'll bet money that it will get more "professional" then. (Altho some people actually like the summer months because they are less polished and more lay people get to lead them.)

So you describe yourself as a UU Christian but you said that one of the things that you liked about UU is our religious diversity - the fact that you met atheists and Pagans, etc. Why about it appeals to you? Don't get me wrong - I think it's wonderful and feel the same way - and it's a very "UU" thing to say. I just like hearing people's stories.

I haven't been to church in months. Guess I'll go this Sunday. Our senior minister is back from sabbatical. And Sunday afternoon I begin intensive training to be an interfaith dialogue facilitator.

[Runt]

One of the things I cherish about UUism is the opportunity given to the average congregant to stand up at the podium and lead a service. It is a wonderful support of free speech and it allows people to share their own thoughts and spirituality, rather than having a trained minister with their own personal thoughts and beliefs always be the one to speak. However, one of the downsides is that, occassionally, individuals who are not accustomed to public speaking (or who are not very good at putting their thoughts into words) end up at the podium. I welcome their contributions and try to take as much as I can out of their services, but I'll admit that it can, at times, be trying.

[ayani]

cool, powder! i attend some UU meetings here at school, and it's a great community. i'm glad for you!

[lilithu]

Runt, namaste. Good to see you around. And I agree with you about the lay services. I like the non-hierarchical nature of them.

Gracie, namaste. Hey, tomorrow I will have a new housemate from hoosier-landia! He's a Friend who recently graduated from Earlham.