First Church in Barre, Universalist

Church Year - Worship and Church School: Sundays at 10:00 am

Intelligent Design - with Kristin Ohman

Sunday Service - February 19th - 10:00 am

Our own congregation member Kristin Ohman will deliver the sermon on "Intelligent Design." This is not an argument against the people who believe that the world was created on March 21, 4092 B.C. (who knows, they may be right!) but a look at Plato and his followers, and what intelligent design meant for them. There is much Neo-Platonic thinking in the religion and science of our own day, and many of the problems the ancient Greeks were grappling with are still open-ended. Let's grapple with them together. This will not be a lecture, but the exploration of a source of inspiration from the mystical tradition in the West.

What’s the Gossip? - with Rev. Dr. M'ellen Kennedy

Sunday Service - February 26th - 10:am

“A State of the Union” address. Rev. Kennedy has been serving the congregation for about six months. She will give a reflection on her impressions. The After Church Discussion Group will be a time for responses and conversation. The service will include a Child Dedication Ceremony if there are parents and children who want to participate at this time. (More info below). Please join us.

Child Dedication Ceremony - with Rev. Dr. M'ellen Kennedy

February 26th - 10:am (during service)

On Sunday February 26, we will have a Child Dedication Ceremony during the worship service. This is an opportunity to celebrate the arrival of children into our lives and into the community. We take time to notice and appreciate who these children are, to bless them and to remember our responsibility for them. It is a UU tradition similar to a baptism. If You want to get a sense of what it’s like, You’re welcome to read the text of a ceremony I wrote a few years back. It is usually done for little children say two and younger, but it can be done for children of any age. It is customary for the parents to select godparents and include them in the ceremony. If You’re a parent and are considering participating with your child or children, please contact me at 802-453-5469 or mellenken@aol.com. It’s one of my favorite things to do because kids are so important. So, assuming we have families that choose to participate this year, come on that Sunday and enjoy this communal ritual together.