Nov. 2 “Gritty Gratitude” – Heidi Metro – Gratitude is not about ignoring the hard stuff or pretending everything is a blessing. It is a practice that lets us hold beauty and heartbreak at the same time, noticing what is good without denying what is real. Heidi Metro, the founder and CEO of When You Lead Coaching & Consulting, will share how this deeper, more honest approach to gratitude can become a powerful doorway to spiritual growth, resilience, and inner connection. Poetry Group meets after the service.
Nov. 9 “Living Sustainably Out of Love and Gratitude” – Robin Boles – Sustainability isn’t just a technical challenge or a policy discussion, it’s a moral practice grounded in gratitude. When we pause to give thanks for clean water, breathable air, vibrant forests, and the intricate web of life that surrounds us, we begin to feel a deeper sense of connection and responsibility. Every sustainable choice we make, whether it’s drying clothes in the sun, choosing local foods, or reducing waste, can become a way of saying thank you. These are not acts of sacrifice but acts of reverence. They are offerings back to the Earth, grounded in our values of respect, stewardship, and interdependence. Join Robin in a discussion about living sustainably not out of obligation, but out of love and gratitude, for the planet, for each other, and for the generations to come. Robin is the former manager of the Whole Earth Coop, a member of the Earthfest planning team, longtime advocate for the earth and mother of three. Book Club meets after the service. Administration Committee meets after the service. Daylight Savings Time has ended. Fall Back!
Nov. 16 “Absolutism” – Eileen Korenic – The art movement of Cubism, rising during the 1910’s, and the topics of Special and General Relativity in physics all attempt to answer the same question: Is there anything absolutely true for all observers? Questions to ponder: Is there absolute truth? Does truth depend on context, personality, specific situations? Is there any such thing as objective facts? Eileen, a retired physics and astronomy professor from UWRF, is back to educate and entertain us. Poetry Club meets after the service.
Nov. 23 “The Music of Resistance” – Richard Terrill and Larry McDonough – The sixth UU principal sets “the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.” In this “mostly music” service, Pianist/Composer Larry McDonough and Saxophonist/Poet Richard Terrill return to offer contemporary poems and songs from the folk and jazz traditions that instruct and inspire in the pursuit of resistance to power. Book Club meets after the service.
Nov. 30 Pancake Breakfast and a Poem of Gratitude, Preparation for the holiday season -Don and Ann Leake – Welcome back our post-Thanksgiving tradition of meeting at 10:00 for a pancake breakfast. Participants can also help write a community gratitude poem for the newsletter following a template from Mary Oliver. Then stay on for another hour if you are able and help decorate the sanctuary for the holidays.
Dec. 7 “Hope in Pieces” – Chad Snyder – Hope is never constant. It is shaped from the pieces of our lives and of our shared interdependent existence. And sometimes it is shattered, and we reshape those pieces into something new. Chad is a member and the Commissioned Lay Minister at Michael Servetus Unitarian Society in Fridley.