People's Church Of Kalamazoo

In this intergenerational service, we will celebrate the rhythms of the agricultural year, from tilling the soil to planting to harvest. We will also joyfully and gratefully celebrate the end of our stewardship campaign.

Michael Servetus was a physician, lawyer, and Unitarian theologian in 17th century Spain. He devoted his life to promoting the truth that God is one. It ultimately led to his martyrdom. On this Palm Sunday, Rev. Rachel will tell Servetus’s story—and the story of the prophet Jesus who also gave his life for the truth as he understood it.

In February, People’s people submitted questions for Rev. Rachel to answer during a service. One of the questions submitted was ‘I have noticed that when groups meet for particular purposes they often begin by creating a covenant. Are there more comprehensive, enduring covenants? Covenants specific to this congregation?… Who creates them and how are they enforced?’ In this service, Rev. Rachel will attempt to answer this question and sketch a brief historical overview of religious communities creating covenants.

We find ourselves at so many crossroads and turning points, politically, environmentally, and socially. What does this mean for us spiritually, or as persons committed to religious and ethical values? At the very least, we must find ways to build and sustain courage and commitment. Jill McAllister is the minister emerita of People’s Church. She currently serves as the senior minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, OR.

At this time in our nation, when we are witnessing an alarming resurgence of white supremacy, it is imperative that white people do the deep work required to claim an anti-racist identity, understanding the privilege they carry, and interrupt racism where they live, study, work, and worship. Sadly, too many white people stop short of that deep work, assuming that good intentions are enough. Dr. Morrison’s sermon will address how white people can and must move through places where they often get stuck, so they can step up with courage, humility, and compassion to participate in movements led by people of color and help move other white people to greater anti-racist awareness and action.

We’ll kick off our stewardship season by reflecting on how our church has ‘advanced the cause of pure and practical religion in the community’ and cast visions of what we might do together in the years ahead. Members and friends of People’s Church will be invited to consider their gifts to our annual operating budget and our last (at least for a long time) capital campaign.

The Book of Esther in the Hebrew Scriptures is a strange book. It features a beauty contest and never mentions God. It also tells the story of a courageous queen who defeats a plot to destroy her people. How might ancient story inspire us to act with courage today?

Pride is a rallying cry and call to action in LGBTQ communities. This Sunday, Rev. Rachel will share the story of how the modern Gay Pride movement began and how it transformed the idea of pride from “the queen of all sins” to a rallying cry and the name for parades and festivals that happen every June.

You are welcome to bring your questions to church every Sunday—but you are especially welcome to bring them this Sunday. Instead of preaching a prepared sermon, Rev. Rachel will answer questions you submit. If you’d like to submit your answers before the service, call or email Rev. Rachel. You will also have a chance to submit questions during the service.

Many religious traditions include practices that mark certain times as special and set apart, requiring different behaviors and different ways of paying reverence. One of these is keeping Sabbath in many Jewish and Christian traditions. Rev. Rachel will reflect on Sabbath practices, how holy rest is different than sloth, and what she has learned from her own Sabbath practice.

Radio host Krista Tippett calls virtues ‘tools for the art of living’ and ‘spiritual technologies.’ Prudence is one of the seven heavenly virtues, praised by the ancient Greeks and incorporated into the Christian tradition by early church leaders. What wisdom does this virtue, defined as ‘the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason’ hold for us today? How might we make use of this ‘spiritual technology’ in our lives?

What is about the wondering and wandering through life that is best navigated with poetry? The 2017 People’s Poetry Service will explore the cause and effect relationship between life and its varied, mysterious, healing and poetic expression. Featuring poets among us along with the great wordsmiths of the world.

Unitarian Universalist minister Forrest Church often shared this mantra: ‘Want what you have. Do what you can. Be who you are.’ Rev. Rachel will explore the topic of envy and how we might incorporate these words of wisdom into our lives.

In "The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes" Irish poet Seamus Heaney writes, ‘History says, Don’t hope / On this side of the grave, / But then, once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / of justice can rise up / And hope and history rhyme.’ On this Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend we will look back at the tidal wave of justice of the Civil Rights Movement and let it bring us inspiration and hope today.

“What is life calling People’s Church to be?” This is the question that will guide us as we develop a new mission and vision. That mission and vision will shape the ministries and programs of People’s Church for the next 5-10 years. What does life call us to be now? What are the strengths from the past that we will carry into the future? We will be answering these questions together beginning during the service and continuing in workshops.

People of all ages are invited to join us in The Commons to ring in the new year. There will be dancing, music, and ritual to rid ourselves of what we don’t want to carry with us into 2017.

Rev. Rachel and Catherine Niessink will lead a simple, intergenerational service where we will celebrate and share the joys of the holidays in story and music. Nursery care will be available for the youngest children. Everyone else is invited to join us in The Commons for the service.

This Sunday’s sermon will be delivered in the form of a one act play. “Mrs. Jaye” is a story about how we might honor someone who has made a profound difference in our life. It’s a play about death and dying, and about teachers. It is a unique play and not to be missed. It features Chris Measzros, and is directed by Matthew McCormick. We will also be honoring Religious Education director, Diane Melvin as she embarks on her sabbatical.

In this intergenerational service, members and friends of our community will be acting out the fictional story of Duke Dwayne’s attempts to outlaw jellybeans (and other things) and some courageous children’s efforts to stand up for justice and inclusion. (And yes, there will be jellybeans to eat.)

At the First Council of Nicaea, an important gathering of early Christians in 325CE, Bishop Nikolaos of Myra (the man who later became known as Saint Nicholas and whose myth evolved into our modern Santa Claus) slapped a Unitarian Christian priest across the face. Rev. Rachel will tell this dramatic story and draw out what it might teach us today.