As we bring canned foods to this service to donate to Richard Brown, let’s talk about hunger. There are many different kinds of hunger. Besides physical hunger, one of the most debilitating and painful hungers is the inability to take in what life offers us. In the Buddhist tradition, they refer to those with this … Continue reading Nov 12, 2017 – Feeding the Hungry

As I was driving down Elm street, I saw a sign outside one of the homes. It read: “We don’t have copper wire.” I knew that copper wire could be sold for profit, and I understood the point of their message – don’t gut this house. It was a sign for those willing to gut … Continue reading Nov 5, 2017 – Do We Have Enough?

Rev. Joseph’s Ordination ceremony will take place at UUYO this Sunday, 10/29/2017 at 5pm in the evening.  We have it in the evening so area UU ministers can join us after their own services.  Please be sure to join us as it is a big event and an important part of the life of UUYO … Continue reading Oct 29, 2017 – Reverend Joseph Boyd’s Ordination

In the famous hymn “Wade in the Water,” there is a promise of trouble. There is an even greater challenge in that hymn – in the middle of that trouble is the source of our deepest longing. This is a time with an open invitation to wade into trouble. Some athletes are taking a knee … Continue reading Oct 22, 2017 – Wade In

The LGBTQ+ committee will coordinate a service in honor of coming out day. The service will include personal accounts of coming out, readings, and music. All are welcome.

The Rev. William Barber II, who ignited the Moral Mondays movement in North Carolina, divides America into 3 distinct chapters – Reconstruction after the Civil War, Reconstruction during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, and our present day described as the Third Reconstruction. When I thought about this perspective, I couldn’t help but think … Continue reading Oct 8, 2017 – Reconstruction

This will be our first full service back in our beautiful sanctuary – celebrating Homecoming Sunday. It will be a multi-generational service that will include water communion. You’re invited to bring a vial of water from a place that has meaning for you – your home, a favorite restaurant, a place from your travels. The … Continue reading Sept 24, 2017 – “Setting Our Hearts” – Celebrating Our 125th Anniversary

A congregation is always in a state of becoming. When someone new walks in the door, the community changes. When someone leaves, the community changes. But when a minister leaves, the community has an opportunity for reflection and perhaps a change in focus or direction. Rev. Renee Ruchotzke is UUYO’s Primary Contact with the Central … Continue reading Apr 2, 2017 – “A Change of Seasons”

The sixth of a multi-part series on putting our Principles in Practice. We will focus on the prophetic call embedded in our Principles. Our world seems to be coming apart, divided with walls, barriers, and isolationism. Yet not so many years ago, many of us dreamed of one world community with open borders, free trade, … Continue reading Mar 19, 2017 – “One World, Divided?”

We oftentimes think of risk as something that can be good, that can be managed to maximize reward. Change involves risk, and life involves change. But sometimes we’re forced into risky situations with little potential benefit, only danger of loss. How do we balance risk and reward? How do we deal with risk where we … Continue reading Mar 12, 2017 – “Risk, Change, and Risking Change”