PAST SERVICES AND EVENTS

RECORDINGS AVAILABLE IN THE SERVICE RECORDINGS LIBRARY

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OCTOBER 2024

October 13, 2024 -Excerpts by Kate Bowler with Bill Thomas

On Sunday, October 13th, Bill Thomas shared some experts from author Kate Bowler, whose books include No Cure for
Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) and Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I’ve Loved).

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October 6, 2024 - My Little Voice with John Strand

On Sunday, October 6th, we will be joined by Fargo City Commissioner, John Strand.
From Strand:

A native of Crystal, North Dakota and graduate of North Dakota State University, the whole journey of growing up on a farm in a small town and in a conservative rural state has been an interesting journey to say the least. I would call my guiding compass, ultimately, My Little Voice. Actually I think all of us have our own internal compass. Much of my journey is affected or directed at times by My Little Voice, assuredly taking me down paths otherwise not likely predicted or expected.

SEPTEMBER 2024

September 29, 2024 - Ask Your Local State Legislator!
with Senator Tim Mathern

What questions might you have for a North Dakota State Senator? On Sunday, September 29th, Senator Tim Mathern will join us for a special Q&A session centered around his work as a public official.  Submit questions in advance to Bill Thomas.  You can also ask spontaneously, but advance questions may get a more thorough response.

Tim Mathern (Democrat) is a member of the North Dakota State Senate, representing District 11. Mathern earned his B.A. in sociology from North Dakota State University in 1971, his M.S.W. from the University of Nebraska in 1980, and his M.P.A. from Harvard University in 2000. His professional experience includes working as a child welfare caseworker, as the supervisor of social services with Catholic Family Service and as the director of public policy for Prairie Saint John's.

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September 22, 2024 - Water Communion with Reverend Karen Van Fossan

Join UU minister, Rev. Karen Van Fossan for a water communion ceremony on Sunday, September 22nd.

In this ceremony, which is typically held in the fall, participants bring to the service a small amount of water from a place that is special to them. The water is then poured into a common bowl, symbolizing the shared faith and community of the UU congregation.

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September 15, 2024 - Awetheism Part 1 with JD Stillwater

New research into the experience of awe reveals that awe makes us feel small but deeply connected, and how this in turn makes us better people. With help from some well-timed lightning strikes (and no help from Siri or Alexa), we’ll explore what’s known about awe’s effects on us, and how it can benefit humanity. We’ll also learn how science can help us experience awe, plugging us into a grander vision of our larger selves within our communities, world, and universe. 

A graduate of Cornell University, JD Stillwater is a science ambassador and author who writes and speaks about profound insights from natural reality, insights that drive paradigm shifts and cultural awakening. This work springs from JD’s love of science and his gift for making difficult concepts graspable for non-scientists.

This will be a hybrid in-person and online service with JD joining us remotely over Zoom.

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September 8, 2024 - What the Chalice Means to Me with Carolyn Monzingo

Laurie and Carol grew up in small towns on the North Dakota prairie and enjoy reflecting on how this unique sense of place, space, family and nature have intersected in our lives. This program is an invitation to relax and let the elements flow around you like a breeze in the tall grass prairie.

Carol Kapaun Ratchenski is a writer, poet and therapist who grew up Casselton and attended UND and NDSU. Laurie Baker is a multipotentialite who grew up in Cando and attended MSU (Minot) and NDSU.

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AUGUST 2024

August 25, 2024 - How Did I Get Here?

Do you have a story that you'd like to share with your church friends about what brought you to our church? The theme for this storytelling service is "How Did I Get Here?"

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August 18, 2024 - Nature, Read in Truth and Awe - with Bill Thomas

The British poet said "Nature, red in tooth and claw". In UU tradition (and others), nature is a source of transcendence, inspiration, truth and awe. We are always in nature, and part of nature -- but it makes a difference what we pay attention to. Poems, readings, and other sounds, presented by various humans.

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August 11, 2024 - One Song - The Science of Unity with JD Stillwater

For millennia mystics and poets have told us that “All is one” and yet we feel ourselves surrounded by separation, antagonism, and isolation! With help from some intrepid dung beetles, science ambassador JD Stillwater takes us on a tour of findings from mainstream science that reveal an underlying wholism in everything from human bodies to ecosystems to the very fabric of space-time. In short, science agrees: “All is one.”

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August 4, 2024 - What the Chalice Means to Me with Carolyn Monzingo

Join longtime FMUU member Carolyn Monzingo as she explores the symbolism of the flaming chalice in the Unitarian Universalist tradition and what it means to her.

JULY 2024

July 28, 2024 - Social Justice Sunday

How May I/We Help You?  The FMUU Social Justice Committee oversees the many projects that we at FMUU are involved in: The Food Pantry, Churches United, Community Gardening, Meals on Wheels, Pride in the Park (and sometimes, the parade), Rock Painting, Plants for Patients, LBGQT+ rights, etc.  There is always room for more that can be done to help our neighbors.  What would you like to be involved in?​

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July 21, 2024 - Love is Abolition with Rev. Karen Van Fossan

Prison abolition has become a popular topic of conversation and contention. Still, it’s a well-kept secret that the Water Protector movement at Standing Rock has been a living example of what it means to live with genuine abolitionist values. It’s also a well-kept secret that abolition is deeply rooted in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, particularly the Universalist value of love. You are warmly invited to join us for an engaging reflection on the practical and spiritual relevance of abolition in our time. Rev. Karen Van Fossan is an abolitionist minister, licensed professional counselor, and author of Fire at the Center: Solidarity, Whiteness, and Becoming a Water Protector (Skinner House Books, 2023), which has just received the Nautilus Award. Many of us remember Rev. Karen with fondness, as she served as our minister during the height of Covid. She remains as devoted to collective liberation and spiritual renewal as ever. Beloved matriarch to a rambunctious chosen family, she lives in Fargo, North Dakota, on the traditional lands of Anishinaabe, Dakota, and many Indigenous peoples.

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July 14, 2024 - Principles of Life and Death: How Spiritual Ecosystems Flourish with Laurie Baker

Long-time FMUU member Laurie Baker will talk about how we can use our knowledge of how ecosystems flourish, stagnant or fail as a practical tool and guide for helping human communities to evolve and thrive. 

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July 7, 2024 - Forgiving Our Enemies with Stephanie Manesis

Stephanie Manesis is a filmmaker and founder of ZenLily Films. She is producing and directing a WWII documentary titled, Marked by Grace: Compassion Prevails on the WWII Battlefield. Stephanie is also a professional speaker and mentor on the topic of forgiveness and peace helping people live more authentic, peaceful lives by walking a path of forgiveness.

In this talk for Unitarian Universalist Church of Fargo-Moorhead, Stephanie Manesis will discuss forgiveness and compassion issues between enemies at war and then will dive in to ideas on how to we can live more forgiving lives with our own “enemies.” For the path of forgiveness is ultimately what will allow us the most freedom and harmony in our lives.

 

JUNE 2024

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June 30, 2024 - FMUU Songs and Stories

For the fifth Sunday in June, we are trying something a bit different! Do you have a story you'd like to tell OR a song you'd like to perform for the congregation? Please join us for FMUU Songs and Stories! The theme for the storytelling portion will be "Sink or Swim". 

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June 23, 2024 - A Journey Blessed by Sunlight with Jennifer Moldenhauer

Come together and celebrate the sun! The summer solstice marks the day with most light-filled hours.  Though we are only beginning summer, the  days will begin to grow shorter. The light slowly fades, yet the richness of life flourishes and pours forth.  So it is with our lives. Let’s explore the sun’s essential role in sustaining life on Earth, and how we can emulate this nurturing energy in our relationships and communities.  By honoring the sun, we feed our own inner flame. Inspired by the sun, we carry the light of love, kindness and positivity into the world.   Jennifer Moldenhauer will help us channel a bit sunlight with a mix of facts, lore, poetry and maybe even a little dancing!

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June 16, 2024 - Driving Compassion through Generosity with Colby Montigue

Sometimes as Parents, Guardians, or Trusted Adults we can feel tired from the constant need that children possess deep within their being…the need to know, the need to be, the need to do, the need to love sometimes becoming too much to bear. But, what would happen if we leaned into our feelings of forbearance…might we find a bit of generosity to share with all?

 

Colby Montigue is an aspirant of the Unitarian Universalist Association and former member of FMUU. Currently attending Starr King School for a Joint Degree to pursue both a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and a Master of Arts in Social Change (MASC). They are also a board member of the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, and are very vocal about Disability, LGBTQIA2+, BIPOC, and Environmental issues. They and their partner both live in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

 

June 9, 2024 - My Spiritual Journey with Carolyn Monzingo

We all are having, or have had, our own personal spiritual journey.  My story of no official faith, to an independent thought process which led to atheism and humanism is not much different from other’s journeys.  I believe that everyone is entitled to their own understanding of religion, spirituality, and morality.  

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June 2, 2024 - A Conversation with Great-Grandma Wisdom:
Hope in the Face of Trauma and Loss

In this presentation, award-winning author Dr. Jacqueline Bussie will share the story of the tragic and sudden death of her beloved husband Matt, at age 52, as well as how and where she has found hope and healing amid the loss.

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Dr. Jacqueline Bussie is an award-winning author, professor, public theologian, and student of life in all its messy beauty, as well as a much sought after speaker and workshop facilitator. Her first book, The Laughter of the Oppressed won the national Trinity Prize. Her 2ndbook, Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the Rules won the 2017 Gold Medal Illumination Award for Christian Living and received a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly. Her 3rd and latest book, Love Without Limits: Jesus’ Radical Vision for a Love with No Exceptions won the Reader’s Favorite Bronze Medal International Book Award for Christian Living, the 2020 IAN Outstanding Religion Book of the Year Award, and 3rdPlace IAN Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award. Also, Publisher’s Weekly named Love Without Limits “a must-read for all Christians interested in inclusivity for their communities.” 

 

An active servant-leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Jacqueline spent the last twenty years teaching religion to undergraduates at ELCA colleges and serving as the founding Director of the Forum on Faith and Life at Concordia College. Now, writing and public speaking is her full-time vocation. Jacqueline's favorite things to do are dance, walk on the beach, read good books, ride in the front car of roller coasters, spend time with friends, and travel to any place she's never been before. Every day she is amazed and grateful that gets to: 1) write and tell her story; 2) empower other people to write and tell theirs; and 3) accompany marvelous people like you on your journey of faith, hope, and healing.

 

MAY 2024

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May 26, 2024 - A Jew and a Muslim Walk Into a UU Church with Heidi Soliman and David Myers

Heidi Soliman and David Myers are both converts to their faiths—Islam and Judaism respectively. They will interview each other about what attracted them to their chosen religious tradition and the special challenges of being a convert. They will also discuss what in their adopted faiths motivates them to engage interfaith dialogue and to promote interfaith cooperation. Heidi and David will share how they worked together in response to the Israel-Hamas war—including their work to get the city governments of Fargo and Moorhead to pass a permanent ceasefire resolution, a resolution that failed in Fargo but passed in Moorhead.

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Heidi has a degree in art and a background in teaching and Real Estate. She started traveling at 14 with service trips to Mexico which lead to her love of traveling and cultures and later lived abroad in Egypt and Italy.  Heidi is involved in her Muslim community with activities such as hosting tours, youth group activities, and civic engagement. Recently, Heidi collaborated with a team for the Palestinian Voices event at Concordia College. 

David Myers is the President of the Fargo Moorhead Interfaith Center, a member of Temple Beth El (Reform synagogue) and a professor emeritus of philosophy at Minnesota State University, Moorhead. He is the author of the 2024 novel Losing My Home/Losing My Mind: a Work of Philosophical Fiction.

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May 19, 2024 - From Grief to Light: Song and Poetry with Elicia Faul
Acupuncturist and musician Elicia Faul shares, in song and poetry, the path of honoring their journey home to their unique creative heart. How do we as a community support one another through shadow work and the universal grieving process?

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May 12, 2024 - Rooted Solidarity with Palestine Towards Collective Liberation with Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg

As Israel continues to wage genocidal violence in Gaza and the West Bank, we ask ourselves: How can we organize effectively for peace and justice in Palestine, from our various identities, experiences and locations? Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg will share her story in the Palestine solidarity movement and organizing anti-Zionist Jewish community, and offer reflections on how we can, in this essential time, deepen and grow collective liberation.
Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg is a teacher, writer, organizer and calendar-maker based on Dakota land in Minneapolis. She was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2018. She is co-author, alongside Rabbi Ariana Katz, of For Times Such As These: A Radical’s Guide to the Jewish Year, authored an Introduction to Trauma, Healing and Resilience for Rabbis, Jewish Educators and Organizers. She organizes for justice in Palestine as a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities, and the JVP Rabbinical Council.

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May 5, 2024 - Darshan of Mother Divine with Jessica Zdenek

On Sunday, May 5th, Creative Healer Jessica Zdenek will speak to us about her spiritual pilgrimages to India. Here is a description from Jessica:

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"My topic is Darshan of Mother Divine, snapshots of a spiritual pilgrimage to India. I have made two pilgrimages so far to visit an ashram located in Penukonda, a mystery fort with many layers of spiritual history, as well as several other sacred power spots around India. I will share a little about my adventures, and writings on my quest to worship Mother Divine and prepare to receive her darshan. 

I’m a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, and Saint Olaf College. I’ve been teaching yoga for the past ten years (a student for 23 years), and enjoying the bhakti path of singing mantras, and studying the Holy Womb purification practice with a modern day Saint, Swami Sri Kaleshwar. I support people through my spiritual business Taraloma Earth Temple where I offer private yoga instruction, oracle card readings, hand-drawn natal astrology charts, energy healings, and intuitive readings. I also speak and sing around town on occasion. I have birthed three kids, bonus mom, mom of cats and guinea pigs, and wife to a computer whiz.    
 
I’ve authored three books through Taraloma Earth Temple Publications: Detoxing God is a memoir where I work through being raised in a conservative Christian military family, and how rediscovering the Goddess helped me through childhood trauma. My most recent book, The Circle of the Fall, Scenes from a Cosmic Tale, is a Greek styled imaginary adventure through time. And Paper Cranes is my first book of poetry."

 

APRIL 2024

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April 28, 2024 - The Many Faces of Resistance with Mary Struck

When you hear the term “resistance,” what to you first think of? If you’re intimate with a 2-year-old, you might see a defiant, red-faced little person shouting, “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!” If you came of age in the 60s and 70s, Gandhi, MLK, Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Tom Hayden, or Daniel Ellsberg might pop into your mind.

The difference between these two types of resistance is obvious, but how can we use the examples at either end of the spectrum to illuminate the resistances that most of us routinely experience in ourselves as we live our lives in an imperfect world? 
Can thinking about the ways in which we manifest resistance help us to live with greater equanimity?

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April 21, 2024 - Deconstructing Rhetoric about a Gaza of Siege and Genocide: How to Build a better alternative? with Abdallah Salha

Gaza faces harmful narratives that depict it as tragic and hopeless. Abdallah shares about growing up in Gaza and his experience with conflict resolution programs to explain why we must critically examine these narratives to create a better future for all. He believes in opposing pushing conditions where Palestinians and Israelis equate their fears and narratives while living unequal realities under apartheid. While processing emotions, Abdallah advocates for practicing intellectual humility to imagine an end to the cycle of violence.

Abdallah is a student of Mathematical Finance. He grew up in Gaza and as a part of his education, he lived in Norway and Senegal. His experiences include civil society development, counterterrorism, interfaith work, conflict resolution and peace-building between Palestinians and Israelis and Greek- and Turkish-speaking Cypriots. He is the founder of Concordia Students for Justice in Palestine, and is in the FM leadership in organizing calls for ceasefire. He previously served on Student Government at Concordia college and UNRWA regional student government in Gaza. He represented UNRWA students upon invitation from US State Department in 2013. He supports the board of the Leonard Education Organization (LEO).

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April 14, 2024 - Fiddling While Rome Burns with JD Stillwater

When the entire planet is engulfed in flames (climate change, nuclear arms, fascism, extinction, mass migration), isn’t full-time activism the only reasonable activity? Isn’t everything else a kind of indulgence? What if activism just isn’t your thing? What if your talents and passions lie in something like fiddling? JD shares his own wrestlings with this quandary, and where they have led him. ​

JD Stillwater (he/him/his) is a Science Educator, presenter, and writer, on a mission to promote science as an interfaith source of profound inspiration and cultural shift. After teaching in the classroom for 24 years, JD now shares his awe and wonder with global audiences, and the spiritual depth available from a science-based worldview.  

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April 7, 2024 - Indigenous Meditation with Christy Goulet
Learn indigenous techniques to quiet the mind, control anxiety, and de-stress from everyday life. Christy Goulet will guide you through the experience while sharing wisdom and knowledge through her music that will allow participants to feel rejuvenated and refreshed after this session!
Christy Goulet is an Indigenous artist, musician, and teacher who is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. At the 2018 Native American Music Awards, Christy was nominated in four categories: Traditional Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Traditional Song of the Year. Christy will have CDS available for purchase for $15 at the service.

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MARCH 2024

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March 31, 2024 - Ukrainian Eggs with Mary Jo Cayley

For this special Easter Sunday service, Mary Jo Cayley will be giving a presentation about the Ukranian Folk Art tradition of decorating eggs.

The following is a description that Cayley provided about the service:

Decorating Eggs in the Spring was a time of celebration. Pre-Christians and Sun worshippers welcomed the return of the sun after a long dark hibernation season of Winter. Decorated Eggs were made to honor the living and the departed. The original myth says, “as long as eggs are painted, goodness prevails over evil.”

We’ll revisit the two-thousand-year-old Ukrainian Folk Art of decorating Eggs in the traditional method melting wax over a candle flame and submerging eggs into small bowls of natural dyes. We’ll explore their geometric shapes, their symbolic meanings and their relationship to vibrant color. Eggs are like good luck charms; they provide protection from the evil eye and bring good fortune. Like the hieroglyphs of prehistoric art, egg decoration was an act of expression and communication. And even more! Eggs were gathered and given as gifts for memorable occasions to be cherished by all.

As well as a “storyteller” in the oral tradition, I am a master crafter and practitioner of “writing stories” on Eggs. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, each egg has a story. A tall tale or art interpretation? Find out for yourself. Be ready for interaction; pick out your preferred Egg and I’ll share an Egg story with you. I call it giving “an egg reading” for art's sake. That’s the American twist - just enjoyable fun!

I have been working with Ukrainian Egg designs for many years. Now is a good time to remember the people and the culture of Ukraine. It’s time for Peace and Eggs are a symbol of Love! Giving the gift of an Egg is giving a gift of Love!

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March 24, 2024 - Awakening with Spring:  Opening to Nature’s Wisdom on Vulnerability, Growth, and Creating with Jennifer Moldenhauer

March balances on the cusp of transformation, marked by the vernal equinox. In the northern plains, it heralds the final pause before the rivers run free of ice, the great migratory return of birds, and the greening of grass. Similar to nature’s delicate shoots, pushing through decaying grasses, our inner landscapes experience cycles of slumber and bloom. We, as part of the earth, are bound by the innate, impulse of creation, growth, and rebirth, yet we struggle to honor and allow the cycles as part of our lives.  We forget to take the time to reconnect with our source and miss opportunities to change, grow and enjoy the richness of our living world.  Jennifer Moldenhauer joins us with a service composed of stories from the prairie, with a sprinkle of ritual and a dash of folklore to celebrate this time of awakening.

Jennifer Moldenhauer is a vocational rehabilitation counselor, story teller, animist, sound healer and hopeless hoarder of plants.  

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March 17, 2024 - Active Love and Anthropocene Angst with JD Stillwater

That humans are having major impacts on the planet is now quite clear, and some of those impacts may be evident millions of years from now. Are we a cancer on the biosphere, a plague? Would it be better if we had remained blissfully in the stone age? Our angst about such matters may be no more helpful to building sustainable systems than is white guilt in forging racial justice. Guilt about environmental destruction won't help build a sustainable society, but active love might, the kind of love we have for our teenagers when they're especially annoying. JD Stillwater somehow relates all of this to romantic relationships, beautiful sunsets, and Joni Mitchell. 

JD Stillwater (he/him/his) is a Science Educator, presenter, and writer, on a mission to promote science as an interfaith source of profound inspiration and cultural shift. After teaching in the classroom for 24 years, JD now shares his awe and wonder with global audiences, and the spiritual depth available from a science-based worldview.

This will be a hybrid in-person/virtual service with JD presenting remotely over Zoom.

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March 10, 2024 - Neurodiversity with Melissa Niemi and John David Berdahl

Neurodiversity is diverse. Melissa Niemi teaches a course on it, John David Berdahl produces media about it. Both are diagnosed autistic. Joined by a member or two of FMUU, they will talk about better understanding and action on this issue.     

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March 3, 2024 - Fire Communion with Colby Montigue

On Sunday, March 3rd, we will have a Fire Communion ceremony led by Colby Montigue. This service was originally scheduled for January, but has been rescheduled to March.

What would you like to leave behind in 2024? In a Fire Communion ceremony, congregants are invited to write down words or phrases on slips of paper and then burn them as a way to ceremoniously release something for the new year.

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​FEBRUARY 2024

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February 25, 2024 - Ashes to Ashes with Claudette Peterson

Join us on Sunday, February 25th to discuss how some in modern society wish to plan green burials rather than follow the burial traditions begun in the United States at the time of the Civil War. How did the funeral industry become such big business? How can we reclaim the care of our own and our loved ones' bodies and treat them in ways that respect our Earth? Claudette Peterson, certified end-of-life doula and educator for the International End of Life Doula Association will discuss reclaiming our power.

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February 18, 2024 - Telling Our Stories - Love

Do you have a story that you'd like to share with the congregation?Join us on Sunday, February 18th for a Storytelling service led by Cassi Coghill. The theme for this service will be love in all of its forms. Everyone is welcome to share!

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February 11, 2024 - Seeking Wisdom - Tim Peterson

Join us on Sunday, February 11th for an exploration of wisdom with Board member, Tim Peterson.From Tim:Normally when I go on vacation, I take articles from the Harvard Business Review or a management book with me for light reading. However, this year, I took a book by Andy Andrews titled The Traveler’s Gift which I would describe as fiction with a purpose. This book includes seven decisions that determine personal success, one of which is seeking wisdom. I started thinking about from whom I seek wisdom. Join me in this exploration on wisdom, including who we might choose to seek wisdom from.

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February 4, 2024 - North Dakota Post Roe: Where Are We Now? - Katie Christensen Mineer

As Unitarian Universalists, we commit to building a world in which all people are able to make choices about their bodies, their health, and their families. In 2023, North Dakota lawmakers pushed forward an unscientific and dangerous agenda which essentially banned abortion. Katie Christesen Mineer, North Dakota State Director for Planned Parenthood North Central States and longtime FMUU member, will provide updates on the current abortion laws and explore the misuse of state funds for crisis pregnancy centers.

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JANUARY 2024

 

January 28, 2024 - Fire Communion

Join us on Sunday, January 28th for a Fire Communion Ceremony led by Colby Montigue.

 

January 21, 2024 - Habits of Generosity
On this Sunday, we will welcome new members -- and then, what happens when we're known for our extravagant generosity, rather than the things we buy and have? Through our generosity, we can share in community, serve the needy, and heal the world. Our time, our energy, our contributions of money and more make our community work.

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January 14, 2024 - Drag Us to Worship with Rev. Grace Morton

People's United Church of Christ began having Drag Gospel Festivals in 2019. People's UCC gathered as an intentionally Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation after a split from another church. We embrace the beautiful diversity of all God's people. Drag worship is an absolute in your face way of announcing the church is a place to be your authentic and fabulous self.
 
Rev. Grace Morton is pastor of People's United Church of Christ. She has served United Methodist churches in NC, and UCC churches in VA, MA, and Fargo-Moorhead. She lives with her adult offspring and grandchild in Fargo. She is a graduate of Duke Divinity School. Creating safe places for people to explore their spiritual lives is her passion. Her me time includes acting and directing in community theater.

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January 7, 2024 - We Almost Got It Right with Dr. Mark Reimers

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Join us on Sunday, January 7th for an exploration of well-organized societies with Dr. Mark Reimers.

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From Dr. Reimers:

As we hear distressing news from around the world, we may benefit from reminding ourselves of times and places when human beings did come close to building a workable and just society for everyone. These were not idealistic communes or religious movements, but well-organized societies that managed to achieve a social justice far beyond what was typical of their ages. These episodes have largely been forgotten or erased from history by conquering empires which have defined history; many of them are known only through detailed archaeological studies.

In this talk I will discuss some of these times and places: from the world's first cities in 4000 BCE, to  the Indus Valley civilization, widely revered as the most advanced society of 2000 BC, to the small democratic city states in Central America, which held off the encroachments of the Aztec empire for centuries, to the peaceful coexistence among Christians, Jews and Muslims in 12th-century Andalusia which lit the spark for the European Renaissance a century later. I will discuss what principles and strategies they used to organize their societies, how they ended, and how their experience may inform our ideas of justice today.

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Dr. Mark Reimers is a quantitative neuroscientist at Michigan State University. His broader aim is to ground our understanding of feeling and thought in the facts of biology. Dr. Reimers was the leader of the Richmond Humanists in Virginia for five years, and now leads the UU Forum in Lansing, and speaks frequently at humanist and science outreach events in Michigan.

This will be a hybrid in-person and Zoom service with Dr. Reimers joining us remotely over Zoom.

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DECEMBER 2023

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December 31, 2023 - 5th Sunday Sing-a-Long

Do you have a favorite hymn that you'd like to sing with the congregation? Bring your hymn suggestions on Sunday, December 31st for a 5th Sunday Sing-a-long!

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December 24, 2023 - Christmas Eve Plus with Bill Thomas

We had a hardcore atheist member (moved away but remembered) who always insisted that we sing Christmas carols, so we will. But being UUs, some other traditions will be honored as well. Also, good stories. Mid-winter warmth for your spirit (and we won't forget cookies).

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December 17, 2023 - Shaking, A Spiritual Journey with Laurie Baker

Every life holds experiences and events that are difficult and painful, and if we are fortunate they teach us valuable skills. We learn to know ourselves and our values through our grief, as well as our joy. Laurie will share a formative life event and its lessons as they relate to the Unitarian Universalist tradition of transcending mystery and awe. Laurie Baker is a long-time FMUU member, and former board chair and worship coordinator. She is a professional writer, editor, officiant and healer: www.lauriejbaker.com

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December 12, 2023 - Knowing without Recourse to Inference
with David Hartson

The cognitive ability of intuition is the only way to know the truth of the sacred and the beauty of the Universe.
However, there are psychological barriers to this ability, primarily Rumination.
We will discuss how to eliminate this berserker from your intellectual and emotional life and give you the quiet metaphorical Intuitive Mind.

David Hartson, PhD has toiled as a psychologist, educator, seminar leader, and consultant. He was also designated an Authorized Minister in the UCC even though he never attended a Seminary nor was ordained. He is now an Antitheist. He is married to Kandy and has two adult daughters and a granddaughter in junior high school. He is 100% retired.

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December 3, 2023 - Spiritual Fanny Pack with Colby Montigue

Join us on Sunday, December 3rd for a journey of self-reflection around the topic of implicit and unconscious bias, fusion statements, and the utility of change. Sometimes, change might be ugly, but not for the reasons you think!

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NOVEMBER 2023

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November 26, 2023 - Healing for These Times with Rev. Mira Kepler

Psychedelic medicines are experiencing a dramatic boom in interest, research, and use, showing promise for treating addiction and mental health issues, and supporting with personal growth and spirituality. As people of faith, what do these medicines stand to offer, and what does appropriate caution look like? Join Rev. Mira Kepler, a UU minister, chaplain, and soon-to-be licensed Psilocybin Facilitator under the State of Oregon's new program, as we explore this rich and complex topic.

Rev. Mira Kepler is the minister of the Pacific Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Astoria, OR. She recently completed a yearlong training through UC Berkeley to become a licensed facilitator for the State of Oregon Psilocybin Services program. Her background includes hospital chaplaincy, nonprofit administration, and many years of work at both UU and secular summer camps and outdoor schools. She keeps her ministry to young people alive through her current side gig as a school bus driver. Rev. Mira and her husband live in the woods in northwestern Oregon and are expecting their first child in January.

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November 19, 2023 - Inherent Mirth and Dignity with Liz James

What do you do when the life you’d imagined for yourself is stuck in committee? Join us for the story of the UU Hysterical Society—a 200,000-person group on Facebook. It’s a story of feeling lost, finding yourself, and a practical joke gone right with UUHS founder Liz James.

Liz James is the founder of a 200,000-person online UU community called the Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society (UUHS); half of The Cracked Cup podcast; and working on a book with Skinner House Press. Liz is based out of Saskatchewan, where she is building a tiny house with her own two hands. She believes in a Unitarian Universalism that is filled with meaning and joy, and that sees change as an adventure.

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November 12, 2023 - Building a New Way with JD Stillwater

JD describes lessons learned from his do-it-yourselfer father and grandfathers, and how those lessons might be applied to building a new way for our increasingly precarious global society. What kind of world do we want for our grandchildren, and for their grandchildren? Are we behaving accordingly? Building is not easy or comfortable—are we willing to do what it takes? 

A graduate of Cornell University, JD Stillwater is a science ambassador and author who writes and speaks about profound insights from natural reality, insights that drive paradigm shifts and cultural awakening. This work springs from JD’s love of science and his gift for making difficult concepts graspable for non-scientists.

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November 5, 2023 - Living Through Interesting Times with Barry Nelson

As the Chinese proverb goes: may you live in interesting times. We are no doubt living through interesting times at this moment. Unquestionably we are witnessing a relentless assault on the part of governing bodies on the rights of the public: whether that is LGBTQ, women, persons of color, religious minorities. We have elected officials proposing gutting the U.S. Constitution in favor of a theocracy. 
I will be bringing a context of experiencing two significant events in our area: the ND LBTQIA2S+ Summit held in Bismarck on October 20-22 and the ND Human Rights Summit on November 4. There is no doubt in my mind that we are also seeing a positive upsurge in interest and activism in part a reaction to these assaults but also a reflection of our moment in time when these rights matter more. 

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OCTOBER 2023

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October 29, 2023 - MUSIC SUNDAY with the FMUU Congregation

Join us on Sunday, October 29th for a variety of live music performances from some of our musically-inclined members and friends! 

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October 22, 2023 - BREAD COMMUNION with Carolyn Monzingo and the FMUU Congregation

We will have a Bread Communion Ceremony on Sunday, October 22nd. Carolyn Monzingo will lead.

From Carolyn,

Downstairs, after the service, as you partake of the breads from around the world made by several of our bakers, think of the blending of our hearts and minds.  Our loving hands learn to knead the dough and in the warmth of fellowship we raise praise for the Staff of Life.  I invite you to eat your bread. As you chew and swallow, call to mind the interconnected elements of life that have come together in this loaf, in this moment.

 

October 15, 2023 - THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE - with JD Stillwater

One of our culture’s foundational myths is about ownership, security, and permanence. JD offers a bit of science, some personal experiences, and a Talking Heads song as puzzle pieces toward a new, more vulnerable humility.​

JD Stillwater is a science ambassador, presenter, and writer, on a mission to promote science as an interfaith source of profound inspiration and paradigm shift.

 

October 8, 2023 - RADICAL REFORM OF THE MASCULINE with Colby Montigue

We are all familiar with the Gender Inequality Movement and the Binary Pay Gap. However, in today's world, where the gender binary is becoming a spectrum, modern men are struggling to find their place. In my retelling of my journey from man to mixx, I will explore how we can lead the men of the next generation in the right direction for a more equal and loving world; and how we must leave behind toxic and traumatic behaviors to create a better future for everyone.

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October 1, 2023 - A METAPHYSICAL APPROACH TO THE UNIVERSE with David Hartson

Join us on Sunday, October 1st at 11 AM for A Metaphysical Approach to the Universe with David Hartson. This talk is the introduction and the conclusion of a 5-session seminar that answers the greatest metaphysical question ever asked.

David Hartson, PhD has toiled as a psychologist, educator, seminar leader, and consultant. He was also designated an Authorized Minister in the UCC even though he never attended a Seminary nor was ordained. He is now an Antitheist. He is married to Kandy and has two adult daughters and a granddaughter in junior high school. He is 100% retired.

 

SEPTEMBER 2023

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September 24, 2023 - THE CHURCH OF WHAT WE KNOW with Peter Mayer

Singer-Songwriter Peter Mayer will be providing the service for us on Sunday, September 24th! Join us at 11 AM for live music and a sermon about cosmology from Peter!

Minnesota's Peter Mayer has been singing and songwriting full-time for over 20 years, performing in venues across the United States and beyond. He writes songs for a small planet--songs about interconnectedness and the human journey--songs about life on earth and the mysterious and wondrous fact of our existence. He also writes songs about dress hats, pumpkins and pajamas, and other important stuff. His music has been performed by artists like Kathy Mattea, David Wilcox, Claudia Schmidt, Anne Hills, Priscilla Herdman, Darryl Purpose, Billy Jonas, and Ronny Cox, to name a few. His work has been included in song books, church hymnals, and folk radio playlists across the country. He is the recipient of fellowships from both the McKnight and the Bush foundations. Peter has eleven albums to his credit and has sold over 100,000 of them. He lives in Stillwater, Minnesota with his wife and two daughters.

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September 17, 2023 - WATER COMMUNION with Claudette Peterson and the FMUU Congregation

Join us on Sunday, September 17th for a Water Communion ceremony. Bring a container of water from a place that is special to you for this ceremony!

Here is a description of a Water Communion ceremony:
Members bring to the service a small amount of water from a place that is special to them. During the appointed time in the service, people one by one pour their water together into a large bowl. As the water is added, the person who brought it tells why this water is special to them. The combined water is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many different sources. It is often then blessed by the congregation, and sometimes is later boiled and used as the congregation's "holy water" in child dedication ceremonies and similar events.

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September 10, 2023 - BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT NEURODIVERSITY - WELCOMING EVERYONE AS THEY ARE with John David Berdahl

On Sunday, September 10th, we will be visited by artist and art educator John David Berdahl. John David will be talking to us about how we can learn to better support neurodivergent individuals.

From John David:
Hey there! Are you interested in learning how to better understand and better support neurodivergent individuals in your home and at church? Well this lecture focuses on the examples of Judas and of Peter from the Bible, and how we can learn from their failures and reconciliations to better accommodate those who do think and do process differently! It's a great opportunity to gain some valuable insights and practical tips! So why not take the first step towards creating a more inclusive and accepting community?

John David received a BA in fine arts and studio arts and drawing from MSUM in 2012! He is a practicing artist and teaches, and he instructs individuals privately and presents to provide art education, promote creative inclusion, and to foster acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder!

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September 3, 2023 - FRIENDSHIP with Carolyn Monzingo

Join us on Sunday, September 3rd for a service about friendship provided by longtime FMUU member, Carolyn Monzingo.

From Carolyn: 

Friendship may seem a bland subject. It doesn’t have the grit of the great themes like love, death, truth, salvation, or sacrifice. Friendship doesn’t inspire a lot of music nor is it controversial. I mean, who’s against friendship? Friendship may be considered a spiritual discipline. It’s a method of spiritual development and growth just as is meditation, journaling, painting, or participating in religious ritual. Friendship requires similar disciplines and offers similar rewards.

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AUGUST 2023

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August 27, 2023 - WHEN YOU ARE IN COVENANT: YOU HAVE TO WALK THE TALK with Tim Peterson

We tell newcomers that we are a church without a creed. Rather, we are a covenantal church. But what does that really mean? Join us on Sunday, August 27th as we explore what covenant is and what it means to our church.

This service will be led by our Board Chair, Dr. Tim Peterson. Tim is a Professor of Management in the College of Business at North Dakota State University. He currently serves as the Department Chair of Transportation, Logistics, and Finance.

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August 20, 2023 - BLACK HISTORY AND BIPOC RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY with Gabby Clavo

On Sunday, August 20th, we will be joined by public historian and community engager, Gabby Clavo. Gabby has worked with many nonprofits within the FM area which have reached outstanding goals within the communities, and she has seen firsthand how necessary they are. Her passion is to tell the whole of FM about these organizations in hopes of people finding the resources that they need. Gabby is also a part of the Felix Battles project and will give us a brief explanation about the history of Juneteenth as well as the process of making the first Black civil war statue in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Gabby Clavo is the communications manager at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. She wears many hats but enjoys long walks, travelling, and Chai lattes.

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August 13, 2023 - FLOWER COMMUNION - with Claudette and Tim Peterson and the FMUU Congregation

Bring a flower or a few flowers to share during the service on August 13th! We will be having a Flower Communion ceremony. Claudette Peterson will lead. Here is a description of a Flower Communion:

"In this ceremony, everyone in the congregation brings a flower. Each person places a flower on the altar or in a shared vase. Then the flowers are redistributed. Each person brings home a different flower than the one they brought."

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August 6, 2023 - A FIRE AT THE CENTER - SOLIDARITY, WHITNESS, AND BECOMING A WATER PROTECTOR - with Rev. Karen Van Fossan

What might genuine solidarity look like? How might we arrive at mutual liberation? How might the Standing Rock movement of 2016 shape a way forward today? Please join Rev. Karen Van Fossan for a sneak peek of her new book, A Fire at the Center: Solidarity, Whiteness, and Becoming a Water Protector, due for release this fall. Karen is an abolitionist, ordained UU minister, licensed professional counselor, and former defendant in the Line 3 pipeline resistance. As director of Authentic Ministry here in the FM area, she serves as a street chaplain committed to relational spirituality and restorative justice.

 

 

JULY 2023

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​July 30, 2023 - LIVE MUSIC AT FMUU! - with FMUU Congregation

Join us on Sunday, July 30th for a special live music service with some of our musically inclined members and friends!

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​July 23, 2023 - SPIRITUAL HEALING, SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY - with Laurie Baker

A calling, a quest, a new direction in life: This kind of life change can come upon us unexpectedly (though generally preceded by discontent with the status quo, restlessness or illness) and can be quite unsettling. Laurie Baker will talk about her dive into Damanhur’s School for Spiritual Healing and her experience of 20 days living in this eco-conscious spiritual community in Italy.​

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​July 16, 2023 - KIRTAN BLISS - MANTRA AND HEART SONG EXPERIENCE - with Gershone and Gina

Gershone & Gina bring energy and flow to the mantra music experience, with deep grooves, soaring melodies, and transcendent spaces that move and release, clear and open, transform and elevate. Lose yourself into the heartspace of the collective experience singing ancient mantras and modern heart songs. Dance it out or sit still and receive – all are welcome! Gershone & Gina will be joining us live for this service and have traveled all the way from Atlanta, Georgia!

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July 9, 2023 - WHAT'S THE BUZZ - with Claudette and Tim Peterson

​Claudette and Tim Peterson were FMUU’s two voting delegates at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly two weeks ago. They consider this sacred work for the congregation. The results of the voting rocked Claudette’s world in a way she hasn’t experienced since the U. S. Presidential election in 2016. Join us to plan how we will affirm and promote our 5th Principle.

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July 2, 2023 - MUSIC FOR THE UU IN YOU! - with The DeMasi Brothers

On Sunday, July 2, 2023, we will be joined by Joseph and John DeMasi for a special live music concert during the service! From The DeMasi Brothers website:
"Award-winning twin brothers Joseph and John DeMasi are contemporary folk singers, songwriters and recording artists whose songs are imbued with their Unitarian Universalist beliefs of love, inclusion, tolerance, understanding, and worth and dignity for all. With Joseph on guitar and John on guitar and fiddle, the DeMasi Brothers bring a unique musical experience full of wit, humor, intellect, and poignancy to every concert and show they perform."

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