January 2005 Worship Services

Ministerial Cognitions

*Another year, another year,--
Alas, and must it be
That time's most dark and weary wheel
Must turn again for me?*
---L.E. Landon, New Year's Eve

As we begin this New Year, I suppose we could look at it as something negative. Some people do, you know. They see life moving along too fast; maybe they feel that life is passing them by. Perhaps, they have regrets, unfinished business, or concerns about what is yet to come.

I suppose we could do the same at our church. I could preach on how difficult it is to grow a church. We could look around us at all the things that are not getting done around the church. We might focus our attention on the limited resources that we have. But what good is that; how will that help us become what we want to be. I believe that we must focus on the hope for the future of Spindletop Unitarian Church.

Starting Jan 3, 2005, the churches in the Houston Area are starting a massive ad campaign focused on educating the general public on what Unitarian Universalism is. This program was done in the Kansas City area and had some positive results for the UU churches in that area. Now this Uncommon Denomination project is coming to Houston, and it is the biggest advertising project the Unitarian Universalist Association has ever done.

While we are not directly involved in this project, the Houston Chronicle is the primary means by which people will become educated on what Unitarian Universalism is. And many people in the greater Beaumont area take the Houston Chronicle. There is a strong possibility we may see people coming to our church asking questions about our faith, our church, and how we do things at Spindletop Unitarian Church.

During this time, we need to be doing as much as we can to meet and greet and talk to these people who are in need of what we have to offer?the Unitarian Universalist faith. We need to be practicing our Elevator Speeches--how do you explain Unitarian Universalism in 5 minutes or less. We might attend a workshop on Articulating Our UU Faith to be better able to talk with these UU newbies--this is a blatant plug for my RE class, which is meeting Wednesday nights Jan. 5, 12, and 19 from 6:30 PM to 8 PM.

Let's also remember to wear our name tags, invite people to talk about what we like about our church, show people where adult and children's RE meets, introduce them to your minister, and most of all invite them back--let them know we really want them to come back and share Unitarian Universalism with us.

This New Year may hold many opportunities for us, as well as many challenges, let's keep our eyes, our minds and our hearts open, or we just might miss them. Happy New Year Everyone!

Rev. Tom

Worship Services:

January 2

Walking Backwards into the New Year by Rev. Tom Capo

We will participate in our annual Burning of Regrets service. The Roman God Janus, who had two faces could look backward and forward at the same time, so we are going to try and do the same. We will consider what experiences from last year have affected us spiritual beings. Some of these events may be personal, some may be global, but we will consider what has changed in each of our spirituality over the past year, and how that might influence how we move into 2005.

January 9

Our Unitarian Universalist Theology, Part 1 by Rev. Tom Capo

I am going to explain the various aspects of a comprehensive theology, and encourage each of us to consider how we answer the various questions theology poses. Also I will begin to look at how Unitarians and Universalists have answered these questions.

January 16

Our Unitarian Universalist Theology, Part 2 by Rev. Tom Capo

Now that we have the basics of theology down, I will explore what I believe to be our UU theology. Do we, UUs have a theology we can point to and say 'yes, that is what I believe?---I think we do have some universal answers to some of these questions of meaning, purpose, connectedness, and even divinity.

January 23

Threats to the Worth and Dignity of Every Person by TJ Geiger, member

January 30

Lifeboats: Art in a Time of Science & Religion by Donna Birdwell, member