People's Church Of Kalamazoo

This primary season has brought to wide attention to white working class despair, the appeal of authoritarianism, and the persistence of xenophobia, white supremacy, and misogyny in our culture. Rev. Rachel will reflect on these realities and explore how we, as people of love and people of hope, are called to respond.

We’re going to worship like it’s 1955. This Sunday we are going to (mostly) recreate the Sunday service held at People’s Church on April 3, 1955. The sermon will be a conversation between Rev. Rachel and Mr. Palmer, the minister of People’s Church 61 years ago, on the nature of truth.

On Easter, we celebrate that stories don’t always end when we think they do. Sometimes, the tomb is empty. Sometimes, resurrections happen. In this service we will explore how we might practice resurrection and we will celebrate the unlikely resurrections as we tell and re-tell stories of Jesus, spring, and a woman named Gussie who always dressed up for church.

We’ll launch the church’s annual stewardship campaign by looking back on all this congregation has accomplished and dreaming of what might be waiting for us in the year ahead.

Some say that Unitarian Universalists can believe anything they want. Rev. Rachel disagrees. Come hear her preach about how, though we are a tradition that welcomes and celebrates the spiritual diversity in our midst, we are not an “anything goes” religion.

Rev. Amy will explore why so many current stories in movies and TV feature superheroes, exploring the history and theologies of why we need them so.

Grief can be a hard, difficult, lifelong journey—and a means of transformation. In this service, Rev. Rachel will offer wisdom for living with grief, and stories of those whose experiences of grief led them to a new, unexpected wholeness.

During the question box sermon in October, someone submitted the question “how do you heal a broken heart?” After ruminating on this important question for several months, Rev. Rachel will do her best to answer it.

The books The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman and The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm both present love as a skill that can be taught. On this Valentine’s Day, how might we learn to love better and bring more love to our relationships and our world?

How is a leader of a 18th century religious revival like a defensive lineman? In the 1730s and 1740s, a religious revival known as The Great Awakening swept through the American colonies. This first mass cultural experience in the American colonies left an enduring impact on American religion and culture. Rev. Rachel Lonberg will explore the Great Awakening and Unitarians’ role in it —and what that mass cultural experience has to teach us about the Super Bowl.

In the short, cold days of winter, we are invited to explore how far we are willing to venture out into the world. Our faith calls us, particularly amidst the harsh elements of life, to be with one another and to nurture a wider vision of Beloved Community. As Spring rests just beyond our vision, Nic Cable will explore a vision of our shared covenant today, a vision that faces the risk, the fear, the uncertainty of life, and offers a path for all of us to return home.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. attended Unitarian congregations while he was in seminary. He returned to the Black Church because he knew he could not build a mass movement of black people as a Unitarian. Our racial demographics present both challenges and opportunities when it comes to racial justice work. As a majority white denomination and congregation, how can we best show up for racial justice? On Martin Luther King Junior weekend, Rev. Rachel will explore how Unitarian Universalists have been allies for racial justice in the Civil Rights era of the 1960s and the #BlackLivesMatter movement of today.

Nearly every Unitarian Universalist congregation begins their Sunday services by lighting a chalice, but it was not always so. This Sunday, Rev. Rachel will trace the history of the flaming chalice, from its origins in the radical reformation, through efforts to resettle refugees during the Second World War, and now, as the official logo of our faith.

One hundred and one years ago, on Christmas Eve 1914, British and German troops called a Christmas truce in the midst of the First World War. We will host our co-religionists from the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Southwest Michigan, to remember the stories of that truce and the stories of the first Christmas. We will celebrate our continued hope for a more peaceful world with music, prose, poetry, and candlelight.

In the midst of a season that is so busy for so many of us, come to church for a more contemplative service marking the longest night of the year. While this is a season of joy for many, this service will also hold space for those who feel grief, loss or heartache at this time.

Once upon a time, Hershel, a holy fool from the Eastern European Jewish tradition, happened upon a village that couldn’t celebrate Hanukkah because of some Hanukkah-hating goblins. He offers to help them. What happens next? You’ll have to come to church to find out. People’s people of all ages will be worshiping together in The Commons.

Come, enjoy the fine music of People’s musicians, including the People’s Singers, Dottie Goodwin on the organ, and more. Come, raise your voice in song as we sing seasonal songs and old favorites. This Sunday is a special service full of music.

Between Thanksgiving and all of the celebrations for the season of light, family—whatever that looks like—is on our minds. This Sunday, we will gather to ponder charity. Rev. Amy DeBeck has served the congregation of Elkhart IN since 2008 and is on sabbatical while spending quality time with her sons, 12 and 15. Originally from the Washington DC area, she is finally feeling like a Midwesterner these last couple of years but still roots for the New England Patriots with her Mainer husband.

After we’ve asked ‘why me?’ the question turns to ‘now what?’ Rev. Rachel will share stories of resilience and grace from Sarajevo and Watts and explore how we might be receivers and creators of grace in this world.