8 June 2014 Worship and Summer Religious Education

JimVanderWeelePlease join us at 10:30 AM on Sunday (8 June 2014) for “I’m Feeling Vulnerable” by Rev. Jim VanderWeele (Community Church Unitarian Universalist of New Orleans).

In his sermon, Jim will step into the feeling of vulnerability that lives within many if not all of us.

He will use the first chapter of Jonah — the story of a prophet who lost his respect for being a prophet — to point out the difference between feelings and the facts of the matter.

Our children and youth will join the community for the first 15-20 minutes of the worship before leaving for their exciting activity:

Tie-DyeTie-Dye for Dads and Other Special Grown-up!
Each June (on the Sunday before Father’s Day), our children and youth have the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind wearable art for their Dads and others to wear to church on Father’s Day.

Children and youth are encouraged to wear their grubbies (clothing that can handle stains … and that applies to shoes, too) and to bring a 100% cotton t-shirt or other fabric item to dye (Prewashed is better for holding the dye but we do soak them ahead of time).

We will have bandanas and a few shirts on hand for donation, but bringing your own insures the right size and fit.

1 June 2014 Worship for All Ages

Please join us at 10:30 AM for “Love Is Our Doctrine, Service Is Our Prayer ” —  our 2014 Affirmation Sunday worship service.

Increasingly, Unitarian Universalists are realizing that the best question is not “What do you believe?” but rather “How does your faith inform and transform your life, and how do you walk that transformation out into the world?”

If you’ve wondered how it all works, with so many beliefs under this tent, come and learn something about that from some of the children, youth and adults of our congregation.

We’ll honor the transitions of our children and youth, thank our teachers, sing and celebrate, with a few fun surprises for all ages.

Please join us!

25 May 2014 Worship Service

LadyCarlsonPlease join us on 25 May 2014 at 10:30 AM for our Sunday worship for all — “American Jesus” by Lady Carlson (Organizer — Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith).

Always inspiring and motivational, Lady is back to challenge us to answer the call of scripture to work for justice for “the least of these, my brothers and sisters.”

Before the service, Lady will be speaking at the 9:00 AM Adult Religious Education class where she will present “Crime and Punishment in Louisiana” (the tragedy of mass incarceration in Louisiana).  Claudia Harris will be this morning’s Worship Associate and Bob Jordan will provide music.

18 May 2014 Worship Service

FrancesKelleyPlease join us on Sunday (18 May 2014) at 10:30 AM for guest speaker Frances Kelley.  Frances will also be this year’s recipient of our annual Ralph Waldo Emerson Award.

Every year, All Souls presents the Emerson Award to an individual or organization out in the wider community who best exemplifies the principles of liberal religion.

This year’s recipient is Frances Kelley, Director for Organizing for Louisiana ProgressLouisiana Progress Action, and field coordinator for Equality Louisiana.

Frances is a graduate of Caddo Magnet High School and Yale University (where she received her undergraduate degree in Religious Studies with an emphasis on Christian ethics, theology and social justice).

She also spent time in Nicaragua, studying liberation theology and social justice movements.

She has worked locally, across the state and regionally on such issues as healthcare reform and Medicaid Expansion, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, abolition of the death penalty, prison reform, education and climate change.

She was recently arrested in Texas while protesting the Keystone XL pipeline.  Her activism springs from her deep Baptist faith.

We are proud and blessed to honor her with the Emerson Award and to hear her speak this Sunday.

11 May 2014 Worship Service

ChildDedicationPlease join us on Sunday (11 May 2014) at 10:30 AM for our Worship for All Ages — Mother’s Day Service and Child Dedication Ceremony.

Rev. Barbara Jarrell is in the pulpit this morning and we will join in community once again to dedicate two of our precious children — Aiden and Louden Baird, sons of Gary and Karen Baird.  Come and celebrate with us!

27 April 2014 “Blessing of the Animals” Worship Service

Cat-Lying-on-DogPlease join us on Sunday (27 April 2014) at 10:30 AM for our Sunday Worship for all ages.  We will be having our annual “Blessing of the Animals” — an Earth Day celebration of our partners in the web of existence.

Susan Bettinger and many other friends will bring back one of our congregation’s most beloved traditions.

Members and friends are welcome to bring the entire family including the furry, four-legged, feathered, or even the creepy-crawly ones.

Although we have had great success with this service for years, please do bring your pet on a leash or in a carrier. Even the most docile animals can be unpredictable in new situations.

No 27 April 2014 Religious Education Classes

For this Sunday (27 April 2014), there will be no 9:00 AM Religious Education Classes for children, youth, or adults.

Please bring your pets and join us for our annual “Blessing of the Animals” worship service.

Classes will resume next Sunday (4 May 2014) at 9:00 AM.

20 April 2014 Easter Sunday Worship Service

EasterLilyPlease join us at 10:30 AM on Easter Sunday (20 April 2014) for our Sunday Worship for all ages — “Does It Hurt to Bloom?  A Celebration of Easter” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell.

The service will include special music from the All Souls Choir and ends with a very open and inclusive communion ritual focused on the theme of community.

EasterEggsBring the children for the annual Easter Egg Hunt immediately following the service.

13 April 2014 Worship for All Ages

SpiderWebPlease join us on Sunday at 10:30 AM for “Hitched to the Universe” — we will be celebrating our place in the interdependent web of all existence.  This is a multi-generational exploration of our 7th Unitarian Universalist Principle.

John Muir said “When we try to pick anything out by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”

We’ll explore more deeply what that means with the children, youth, and adults of All Souls.

You can find our Unitarian Universalist principles and sources here.