Index to Monthly Videos
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May 2, 2021
Speaker – Dr. Jeffrey Nall
Biography:
Jeffrey Nall, Ph.D,. is a father, professor, and civically engaged scholar. He teaches philosophy and humanities courses for Indian River State College and the University of Central Florida. Nall also teaches courses in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of Feminism and the Mastery of Childbirth: An Ecofeminist Examination of the Cultural Maiming and Reclaiming of Maternal Agency During Childbirth. To learn more about his work go to www.JeffreyNall.com
Topic: “God is a Mother: The Difference between Having and Making Babies, and What It Means for Reproductive Rights”
Women do not “have” babies; they create them. In this talk, Jeffrey Nall, Ph.D., argues that ordinary attitudes, communication, and cultural expression concerning pregnancy and childbirth contribute to the repression of women’s reproductive rights and foster a lack of reverence for the creativity and agency of our mothers. Nall contends that we often speak in a manner that envisions women’s creation of new life as a passive and predetermined act. This thinking is rooted in patriarchal consciousness that can unintentionally give credence to misguided anti-abortion arguments. By more mindfully thinking and speaking of childbirth, argues Nall, we can foster a more honest and respectful way of thinking about women’s reproductive rights, abortion, and childbirth.
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Speaker – Betty Jean Steinshouer
Biography:
Betty Jean Steinshouer has served the people of Florida since 1989 as part of the Speakers Bureau of the Florida Humanities Council, doing costumed portrayals of various authors who came South to help “bind up the wounds of the nation” after the Civil War, and continuing through the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights and environmental movements. In 2004, she was named a Fellow in Florida Studies at the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg.
She has toured 44 states and Canada, in addition to Florida, and is particularly well known for her popular “Willa Cather Speaks,” for which she did decades of research, leading to her book, Long Road from Red Cloud: Life Lessons from Willa Cather, published In 2019. It won Book Fest’s International Book Award for Biography in 2020. Her next book, Florida Journeys, about 12 “scribbling women” who were in Florida from Reconstruction to Apollo 8, will be published in December 2021.
Topic: “A Mother’s Love: Willa Cather ‘Tomboy’ Childhood”
This Pulitzer Prize-winning author has been as famous for what we don’t know about her – “the thing not named” — as for what we know. Many of her short stories and classic novels such as “My Antonia” and “A Lost Lady” take on a whole new meaning in light of a new book revealing her gender dysphoria and life-long medical issues. She was initially given a boy’s name, which was changed to a girl’s name, with great difficulty, during puberty and her difficult path to a successful adulthood. Her mother’s understanding and support, especially during a five-year period of cross-dressing, made a huge difference in “Willie” being safe and accepted in her family and community.
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Speakers – Rev. Brock Leach
Biography:
Rev. Brock Leach lives in Sarasota and works for the Unitarian Universalist Association as executive consultant for emerging ministries, helping develop and lead denominational efforts to support religious innovators.
In Sarasota, Brock volunteers on the boards of Children First, Sarasota County’s Head Start agency, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, and the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. He chairs the Professional Advisory Group for Pastoral Care at Tampa General Hospital. He also serves on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the denomination’s international human rights agency, where he formerly was on staff.
Prior to ministry, Brock had a 24-year career as an executive for PepsiCo. He holds a BA degree in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder, an MBA in finance and marketing from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Boston University’s School of Theology.
Topic: “Building a Multicultural Movement”
In this moment of overwhelming divisiveness, it’s hard to imagine how we might cross cultural boundaries to tackle our common human challenges. As part of my UUA work supporting religious innovators, I’ve been interviewing ministers of culturally diverse congregations to learn what they know about building and sustaining multicultural communities. Their answers are hopeful and inspire me to imagine how Unitarian Universalism can show the way forward.
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Speaker – Russell Buddy Helm
Biography:
Classically trained musician, he has recorded and performed with many greats: Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Allman Brothers, Bethlehem Asylum, Sting, Big Joe Turner, Baba Olatunji, Frank Zappa, Kanye West, Wolfman Jack, and many others. Russell worked with Aretha Franklin’s producer, Jerry Wexler, lived and performed in Coconut Grove, Fla., and toured around the world, playing drums with Tim Buckley. A prolific writer, he wrote the Star Wars comic strips for George Lucas, and psychic novels and drumming books for spiritual growth and healing. His “Helmtone Healing Drum Protocols” is used by many therapists and recovery centers around the U.S., Australia, Japan, and Europe. He streams a healing drum workshop on Zoom three times a week that’s posted on Facebook and teaches online private drum therapy sessions. He was a drum therapist at Bridges to Recovery in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for six years and for 35 years has maintained a healing center and ethnic gift store: Seasons, 1021-A Montana Ave., in Santa Monica, CA 90403, with his partner Cathy Javier. He offers a certification program for Helmtone Healing Drum Protocols to therapists, energy workers, healers, counselors, and teachers to augment their own modalities. All inquiries are welcome.
Topic: “Healing Drum Prayers With Russell Buddy Helm”
This will be a healing meditation using African Djembe drums with vocal accompaniment. There will be gentle, nurturing rhythms that soothe the soul, putting our good intentions into relaxed, manifesting grooves that create a personal connection with the Universe. Drumming prayers connect us to the creative forces around us and within us. This helps release anxiety, fear, and tension to embrace Universal blessings and wisdom. It also creates a future for evolution of our personal and cultural higher consciousness. Rhythm is used as a tool for expanded awareness and sense of belonging to the greater elements of consciousness.
Video will be posted once available.
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Speaker – Sylvie Rokab
Biography:
Sylvie is a Nature-Therapy Guide and an award-winning filmmaker with 25 years working as a director, producer, cinematographer, editor, and writer – for digital platforms, conscious cinema, and television — including HBO, PBS, Discovery, and Travel Channel.
Narrated by Liam Neeson, her film, Love Thy Nature, received 27 awards and had over 300 screenings worldwide – with “view-and-do” events in which audiences engage in nature-connecting and restoring activities, such as tree-planting, wildlife-gazing, and forest-bathing.
A certified Nature-Therapy guide, Sylvie leads retreats and expeditions to guide participants to deepen connection – with nature, others, and self. Sylvie’s vision is to shift our paradigm to a nature-inspired civilization and restore our spellbinding world.
Topic: “Love Thy Nature – Virtual Forest Bathing”
This webinar will invite participants to discover Forest Bathing (aka Nature Therapy) and learn ways to bring the practice into their daily lives as a way to heal stress, promote well-being, and experience wonder in the simplicity of a nature-guided life. Sylvie will highlight how this practice is an essential tool in times of Covid.
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June 6, 2021
Speaker – The Reverend Dr. Steve J. Crump
Biography:
The Reverend Dr. Steve J. Crump is Minister Emeritus of the congregation of the Unitarian Church, having recently completed forty years in the ministry, 36 of those years in Baton Rouge. He holds religion and ministry degrees from the University of Chicago Divinity School and Meadville-Lombard Theological School, Chicago.
In Baton Rouge, he is known for leadership and activism around interfaith, anti-racism, and community organization and empowerment issues. He was one of several leaders locally who helped found what the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge is today.
The Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, founded in 1951, is today the largest Unitarian Universalist congregation in Louisiana, having grown its campus in recent decades to accommodate two Sunday morning worship services with adult, youth, and children’s programming.
Topic: Ask Yourself this Question
Place a flower near your computer monitor or smart phone for this service as we honor the first Flower Communion 98 years ago, created by Unitarian Norbert Capek. Are you troubled by the autocratic and undemocratic tendencies in our society? Are children, youth, and young adults perplexed as the few steps forward we make as a society seem to be accompanied with steps in reverse? Youth are not alone in their consternations.
Our guest minister this morning poses a simple question to ask as we survey the state of our culture and tend to a very Unitarian Universalist answer. But remember to place a flower nearby as we participate in our zoomed Sunday broadcast.
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Speaker – Judi Siegal
Biography:
Just say Today’s speaker is Judi Siegal, familiar to most of you since she has addressed this group many times. She is a retired Jewish educator and former columnist for the south Marion Citizen. She comes via zoom to you from beautiful Marion County.
Topic: Oy! My Papa: Famous Jewish Fathers from the Bible and Today
From early Biblical history, the patriarchal Jewish society has reigned supreme. In honor of Father’s Day, I will discuss the role of the Jewish father from Biblical times to today.
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Speakers – Dr. Jeffrey Nall
Biography:
Jeffrey Nall, Ph.D. is a father, professor, and civically engaged scholar. He teaches philosophy and humanities courses for Indian River State College and the University of Central Florida. Nall also teaches courses in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of Feminism and the Mastery of Childbirth: An Ecofeminist Examination of the Cultural Maiming and Reclaiming of Maternal Agency During Childbirth. To learn more about his work go to www.JeffreyNall.com.
Topic: The Price of Patriarchal Privilege: How Men Perpetuate Male Supremacy and the Painful Price they Pay for it
Feminists are well-aware of the harm patriarchy has and continues to do to women around in the United States and around the world. We are also well aware of the privileges that patriarchy issues to men. What is less appreciated is the price men pay for patriarchal privilege and the harm that comes with it. In this talk Jeffrey Nall, Ph.D. draws on his research and experience teaching courses such as “Men and Masculinities” to show why he believes that the price men pay for male privilege almost invariably outweighs what they gain. Just as there is no singular way of being a woman, so, too, is there no singular way of being a man. Yet patriarch culture insists that men conform to a singular idealized model of masculinity, one that benefits very few and hurts all too many. Drawing on student testimony—from class discussions and papers—Nall argues that the “man box” is a prison of fear, pain, and denial; one that not only denigrates women and girls but also constricts and inhibits the full humanity of boys and men.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Speaker – UUA General Assembly
Recognizing the importance of shared ministry and the many innovative approaches to worship created by congregations during the pandemic, UUA President, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick Gray, selected the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis to serve as worship leaders for this year’s GA Sunday Morning Service. Music will be offered through collaboration with 2021 GA Choir Director Susan Mashiyama, the GA virtual choir, and musicians from First Universalist.
First Universalist has been a model of shared ministry and what it means to put the work of dismantling white supremacy and building anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices at the center of their ministry. They have been on the front lines in support of the Movement for Black Lives in Minneapolis, bringing spiritual care and moral leadership in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police and the important uprisings for justice that followed. Children and families are a vital part of their ministry, and they have been using creative approaches to engage all ages in worship during the pandemic. Their leadership exemplifies some of the best practices for the creativity, spiritual depth, and moral leadership that is possible when we embrace the work of shared ministry rooted in love and justice.
Last year more than 10,000 screens tuned in to the watch the Sunday Morning Worship at GA! Please join us again this year on Sunday, June 27, 2021 at noon Eastern for the largest annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists in worship. We encourage all congregations to gather as is possible and practical to participate in this wonderful, communal event. The service will be streamed on uua.org and on the UUA’s YouTube channel; members of the public are welcome.
Video not available.
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July 4, 2021
Speaker – UU Rev Gabrielle Parks
Speaker – Roddy Biggs
Sunday, July 17, 2021
Speakers – Dr. Joe Jenks
Building Bridges Through Cultural Diplomacy
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Speaker – Linnea Guerin/Life Story Club
Everyone Has a Story
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Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021
Speaker – Salvatore Vieira
Biography:
Salvatore Vieira (he/him/his) is the Central Florida Field Organizer at Equality Florida. He is responsible for volunteer engagement through the field electoral programs, legislative session, and pride programs, as well as developing and maintaining our volunteer leadership program – the Equality Captains. Salvatore is very passionate about grassroots organizing, and believes whole-heartedly in amplifying and uplifting marginalized voices.
Salvatore got his break into political activism as a volunteer turned Field Organizer for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s campaign for President during the primary. He went on to work with Organizing Together 2020 before making his move into the nonprofit world with Equality Florida.
Prior to finding his voice as an advocate, he received his B.F.A in Musical Theatre at the University of Central Florida, and performed in theatres along the east coast!
Topic: Gender-Neutral Pronouns: Why Do We Use Them? / Florida’s Current Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights
Salvatore will be discussing the importance of utilizing gender-neutral pronouns. Learning and opening our minds to LGBTQ+ education is like learning a new language. With just a little time and effort to learn this language – one can provide a safe environment for LGBTQ+ individuals. He will delve into gender-neutral pronouns – what are they, why do they matter, and best practices around pronouns. He will also spend some times discussing the issues Equality Florida is currently working on – highlighting the first anti-LGBTQ+ law in FL in 24 years, as well as the work they have been doing federally to advance rights for LGBTQ+ folks across the nation.
Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021
Speaker – Rev. Carole Yorke
Biography:
I am surviving as best as I can with this pandemic, along with my three Pomeranians in Port St. Lucie. I love the opportunities for a Zoom service here and there. I’ve been in Florida since 1998 and I look forward to the day when we can get together again.
Topic: Love: Imagine that!
A whole sermon on something that is NOT: a Hallmark card fit for Valentine’s Day; a song like the Beatles: Love, Love, Love. Where will we find something on love that is not those things…well, there’s the Hebrew Bible; Jesus; the Buddha, MLK Jr; Karen Armstrong. And we look at the question: Can You Love Your Enemies? Can you?
Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021
Speakers – Elaine Silver
Biography:
“Rev. Faerie” Elaine Silver is a seasoned performer, songwriter, touring musician and recording artist (23 CDs) with the voice of an Angel. It has been described as stunningly clear, supple, rich and like fine crystal.
She is a trans-denominational minister, licensed Science of Mind Practitioner and Ordained Divinity Priestess. For many years she has combined her beautiful voice and lively Spirit with Truth teachings to present healing concerts, music-inspired Sunday church lessons, workshops, and celebrations.
Elaine has had the honor of working in conjunction with many world- renowned spiritual leaders, teachers and authors including Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsh, don Miguel Ruiz, Barbara G. Walker, Marianne Williamson, Alan Cohen and Wayne Dyer.
Topic: The High Watch
Holding on to the High Watch – a term used in New Thought philosophy means to stand in the possibility of the highest and the best. Elaine will be lecturing and demonstrating this spiritual principle through singing. She’s looking forward to returning to her NCUU family again.
Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021
Speaker – Pam Reader
Biographical summary: Pamela Two Spirits Reader’s dream vision is a big part of her spiritual teachings. She is a former USAF RN, certified hypnotherapist, former radio host, and has produced numerous hypnotherapy programs designed to promote healing on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Pamela has a MS in Family Sociology and a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology with many years of hospice nursing experience.
Topic: Synchronicity: The interconnectedness of all things
Synchronicity: Remembering our greatest original lesson … that we are all interconnected.
Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021
Speaker – Rev. Bruce Seaman
Bruce Seaman retired as a Presbyterian Church, USA minister last August. He has been married to Nancy for 40 years. Both are originally from Long Island, New York. Nancy is the Benefits Supervisor for the 6500+ employees of the Marion County School District. They have lived in Ocala-Marion County since 1997.
Bruce has been a community activist for much of his time in this area. He was Chair of the Marion County Democratic Party from 2007 until 2010, Coordinator for Awake Marion, a collaboration of progressive activists for a few years, Outreach Coordinator for son Ray’s successful 2014 campaign for a school funding referendum, President of Bridges Project, a coalition of activists addressing race relations, from its beginning in 2015 until 2019, and is presently working with some longtime area activists in developing a progressive advocacy training and support organization to be called We Rise Marion.
Topic: The Path of Prophets: Advocating from Faith for Justice
Brazilian liberation theologian Helder Camara, Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, has been quoted: When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist. There is a world of difference between providing services and advocating justice. Bishop Camara captured that difference brilliantly.
Faith communities are adept at providing services to those in need, but often the controversial task of advocacy is avoided. Service entails little risk usually; advocacy risks offending some faith community members as well as the broader community and its leaders. Should the faith community fully embrace its prophetic calling, or is there a different, more sustainable path to be pursued?
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Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021
Speaker – James Shaw
Biography:
James Michael Shaw, Jr., is a practicing attorney and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, where he formerly served on the Board of Trustees. Mr. Shaw has chaired the Legal Panel for the Greater Tampa Chapter of the ACLU of Florida since 2007 and is the current chair of the ACLU of Florida’s State Legal Panel. Mr. Shaw is a partner with a national law firm and also served as local counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the case that desegregated the Pinellas County Schools. He graduated magna cum laude from Oakland University with a Bachelor’s degree in music composition and magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law. Mr. Shaw has also been an adjunct professor at St. Petersburg College and is a frequent speaker in the Tampa Bay area on subjects relating to constitutional law, insurance law, and aviation law. He is originally from the Detroit area but currently lives with his wife and two children in Tampa, where he is blessed to have made countless friends and enemies.
Topic: “Cash Bail: Why It’s Awful and What You Can Do About It”
Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021
Speaker – Cliff Jackson
Biography:
Cliff has been married to his dear wife Cathy for 46 years. They have two children, Lisa and Sandra, who are both married and living out of the nest. Cliff got his Organic Chemistry degree from Florida Technological University (now called University of Central Florida) He started a chemical manufacturing business in 1980 that grew rapidly. (Be careful what you wish for.) Over the last four years of his business, which seemed like 20, his business was running 24/7. He sold the business in 1996 and entered “slow time.” It was time to join UU and be of service in so many ways, time to travel with family, time to grow personally and spiritually, time to join Toastmasters, and time to share timeless moments on an occasional Sunday morning like today.
Topic: “Thriving Through the Pandemic and Beyond”
I will share my thoughts and observations about what has been helpful dealing with COVID, for the past 18 months, for this current wave, and for whatever we find on the other end of this long tunnel.
Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021
Speakers – Don Wright
Biography:
Don Wright and his wife, Jeanne, live in Dunnellon and have been members of NCUU since 2010.
Don retired in 2007 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, where he was a professor specializing in physical and geological oceanography. Prior to moving to Virginia in 1982, Don was on the faculty of the University of Sydney, Australia. Don received his PhD from LSU in 1970. He continues to work part time as Director of Coastal and Environmental Research for the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA), a nonprofit Washington-based consortium of 60 universities. Most recently, he researched, edited, and contributed chapters to the book,
Tomorrow’s Coasts: Complex and Impermanent, which was published in 2019 by Springer International Publishers. He also has published climate-change-related articles in scientific journals and presented at international conferences. Don currently serves as chair of the NCUU Social Justice Committee and is a member of the NCUU Board of Directors.
Topic: “Water in the Anthropocene: Too Little or Too Much?”
Water is an extremely undervalued commodity that is essential for life. But in many parts of the world, water is so scarce that many do not have enough to drink and often little or none for hygiene. However, in many wealthy countries, much water is wasted on watering lawns, filling pools, or simply misusing it. Animal agriculture consumes huge amounts of water. Worldwide, there are 48,000 large dams on major rivers and many smaller ones on small streams. These dams cut off water supply to those downstream, often causing losses to agriculture or severing the supply of sediment to maintain coasts. And now, global warming is causing dry regions to become drier and wet regions to become wetter, with more frequent and severe flooding by torrential rains and increased river discharges. These problems are caused by humans in the Anthropocene.
Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021
Speaker – John Spivey
Biography:
John Spivey is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where he earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. His Juris Doctor degree is from the University of Arkansas. He is a partner in Graves and Spivey, PA. They have been appointed public defenders for the 5th Circuit, which includes Citrus. He recently won a local death penalty case involving a juvenile, sentenced years ago. He will speak to us about issues faced by public defenders, including bail justice/no cash bail and the death penalty.
Topic: “Public Defenders’ Experience With Bail Justice and the Death Penalty”
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Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021
Speaker – Dennis Wooldridge
Biography:
The fragility of democracy: Social justice depends on our government’s adherence to Constitutional law.
Topic: “We the People: It’s Up to Us”
Video will appear when available.
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Speaker – Lowell Smith
Biography:
Lowell was born in Huntington, WV and spent his early life in Anderson, IN. He earned an AB degree at Anderson University and his MD at Indiana University. He spent eight years as a GP in a small town in Southern Michigan, including two years in the Air Force, delivering Air Force babies. He spent three years at West Virginia University, attaining certification in Internal Medicine and doing a fellowship in Oncology, becoming the first oncologist in Muskegon, MI. While there, he established an affiliation with an ECOG investigational group, in cooperation with Chicago Presbyterian St Lukes. After 44 years in medicine, he retired in 2007. He also developed an avocation in music, which has greatly added to his quality of life.
Topic: “Oncology: A Practice of Lux et Veritas”
In this day of widespread distrust of scientific information, oncology gives a model for obtaining important medical information through systematic and unbiased investigation. It has offered medical remedies for previously untreatable conditions and rational information for conditions for which there are limited helpful treatments.
Video will appear when available.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021
Speakers – Rev. Carole Yorke
Biography:
Rev Carole Yorke has been a Unitarian Universalist minister in Florida since 1998. She has served the Spirit of Life UUs, the UU Church in Stuart, and First UU Congregation of the Palm Beaches, but is now retired in Port St Lucie, where she lives with her five beautiful Pomeranians.
Video will appear when available.
Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021
Speaker – Savanna Mapelli
Biography:
Savanna Mapelli is a founding member of the Human Rights Special Interest Group (HR-SIG). Its mission is “to inspire local community efforts to educate, advocate, and implement international human rights policies and goals.” She served as one of 20 delegates for the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) to the UN Commission on the Status of Women from 2017-2019. She is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and teaches international humanitarian law for the American Red Cross. She is certified by the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York, to teach dance to Parkinson’s patients. (Photo by J. Follows: “Friend of Peace.” Copied with permission from https://www.hrsig.org/about)
Topic: “Inspirational Works of Art at the United Nations”
This 30-minute slide presentation showcases the beautiful sculptures and wall art on the United Nations property in New York City. The presentation features photographs and descriptions of over two dozen works of art, selected to highlight the theme of universal human rights and peace. All photos were taken by members of the Human Rights Special Interest Group (HR-SIG) https://www.hrsig.org/.
Click here for Presentation Material.
Video will appear when available.
Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021
Speaker – Linda Myers
Biography:
Linda Myers (she, her) has been a member of NCUU for 15 years, since she moved to Florida. She has a long professional and volunteer history in women’s issues and social justice. For New York City, she was an assistant to a commissioner, and later ran an experimental housing program. For the state and a local development corporation, she focused on providing subsidized housing. Linda was often the first, only, and highest-ranking women at the International Paper Co., at Rockefeller Development Corp., and was a mentor to many women. In Citrus County, Linda was one of the founders of our advocacy program on sex education and of the local League of Women Voters. She chaired the Centennial Celebration for Citrus County and is also a past president of NCUU.
Topic: “Halloween or the Day of the Dead?”
Based on a short story by Maria Semple, NCUU members will read a teacher’s attempt to provide diversity on Oct 31.
Video will appear when available.
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Currently, we are having our Sunday Services via Zoom. We plan on having in-house services starting December 12th. Please send an email to [email protected] if you would like us to send you the Zoom link. Thanks!
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021
Speaker – UU Rev Dr. Steve Crump
Biography:
The Reverend Dr. Steve J. Crump is Minister Emeritus of the congregation of the Unitarian Church, having recently completed forty years in the ministry, 36 of those years in Baton Rouge. He holds religion and ministry degrees from the University of Chicago Divinity School and Meadville-Lombard Theological School, Chicago.
In Baton Rouge, he is known for leadership and activism around interfaith, anti-racism, and community organization and empowerment issues. He was one of several leaders locally who helped found what the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge is today.
The Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, founded in 1951, is today the largest Unitarian Universalist congregation in Louisiana, having grown its campus in recent decades to accommodate two Sunday morning worship services with adult, youth, and children’s programming.
Topic: “A True Pouring Out”
Living a happy life amounts to having a charmed life. But an authentic life, one that is rich in meaning may also be touched, even inundated, in trouble and woe. The question for the morning in this water ingathering ceremony for the congregation is: “For what are we pouring out our lives?”
Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021
Speakers – Sean Norman
Biography:
Sean Norman received a B.A. in History from Columbus State University before receiving a M.A. in Applied Anthropology and a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems from the University of South Florida. He specializes in the geoarchaeology of prehistoric coastal landscapes examining sites such as the Crystal River mounds and the Tomoka Mound Complex. He currently serves as the Acting Executive Director of the Gulf Archaeology Research Institute (GARI) in Crystal River, Florida. In addition to coastal prehistory, he collaborates with associates at GARI on the archaeology of the Seminole Wars and serves on the Board of Directors for the Seminole Wars Foundation.
Topic: “Native American Landscapes of Central Florida”
Over thousands of years of occupation, Native Americans have left an undeniable impact on the landscape. The earthen and shell mounds of southeastern North America are among the most apparent examples. However, archaeology reveals a broader array of modified environments that impact us to this day. This presentation will highlight different examples of ways Native American settlements in Central Florida have influenced everything from where modern towns and roads are located to how we deal with sea level rise and climate change.
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Speaker – Linda Starkweather
Biography:
Linda has been an activist, theatre artist and teacher for over 40 years working as a director, designer, actor and producer first in her hometown of Kalamazoo, MI, then in Rochester, NY since moving to the Finger Lakes area in 1994, and is now a snowbird, living in Dunnellon, FL for the past 7 winters. Linda and her partner Lynne Westmoreland have delivered several sermons here at NCUU and she is honored to be speaking again today thanks to our new ‘virtual virtuosity’
Topic: “Spirituality of Breath”
Breathing is the link between body and mind, between spirit and matter, between the conscious and the subconscious mind. The breath is a force, a bridge, a tool. It connects us to each other, and to our own nature, our source. It is also an amazing source for healing and good health. A wise Buddhist saying suggests that “We can resolve our lives in the next breath”.
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021
Speaker – Lynne Westmoreland
Biography:
After a 30 year career in music, Lynne Westmoreland returned to graduate work in Humane Education. Humane education considers the intersectionality of human rights, animal protection, environmental concerns and how our media and culture, beyond our conscious awareness, indoctrinate us to live in ways that are in direct conflict with our most deeply held values. Lynne’s work as a humane educator has been in UU faith communities, through teaching meditation and mindful communication, and with end of life work. Lynne has been a Unitarian for about 40 years and finds deep commonality between our seven principles and Humane Education.
Topic: “Talk Is Cheap”
Unitarian Universalists have a long history of acting on behalf of our deeply held belief that everyone should be accorded dignity, respect, equal rights, and inclusion and we discuss that belief often in our services, our outreach, and our daily lived lives. Simultaneously, we are stymied by the fact that more people of color are not drawn to our communities. What more can we do to make everyone feel welcome, respected, and valued as members of our communities?
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Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021
Speaker – Adele Jacobson
Biography:
As a child, Adele loved music, but never got serious about it until she retired. A musician she played with introduced her to therapeutic music, and the training she needed to become a certified music practitioner. When she started playing locally, she recognized the need for more musicians, as she could not satisfy the need for the music by herself. She started Music in Medicine, as a nonprofit three years ago to expand therapeutic music within Citrus County. They play in hospitals, a hospice facility, and a skilled nursing facility/memory care unit.
Topic: “Music in Medicine”
Adele spoke to our congregation in 2019. Today, she will give a brief refresher about what Music in Medicine is, what they do, and the progress they have made in meeting their mission. She and her team will demonstrate the various styles of music used for different patient conditions. The balance of time will be music presented by a student intern Sue Silber and the vice president of Music in Medicine, Jim Davis.
Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021 – Grand Opening at the Fellowship
Speakers – Gaia and Kurland Davies
Biography:
Gaia and Kurland Davies spent most of their adult years studying psychology and learning to be counselors. They are spending their senior years studying being human and learning to be of service to our fellow humans and Earth. They are also exploring many different spiritual beliefs and practices. They try not to take themselves too seriously.
Topic: “’Tis the Season! ”
Yes, we know — The Christmas decorations have been up for months! And we are sick of them and holiday music! But from late November to early January, there are a dozen or so holy days, festivals, or commemorations of different religions, spiritual practices, and philosophies. As Unitarian Universalists, we respect the essence of all these sources of wisdom. Some of us participate in these celebrations. Gaia and Kurtland will take you on a brief and occasionally humorous exploration of some of these special days and look at the questions of how these days are related to each other and to our UU principles and sources. They will explain how we can honor them in these times.
Sunday, Dec. 21, 2021
Speaker – Greg Greenway
Biography:
Greg Greenway was born in Richmond, Va., and after graduating from the College of William & Mary, he moved to Boston, Mass., for its rich singer/songwriter tradition. Since then, Greg has played Carnegie Hall, been heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and “Folk Stage,” and had his song, “Driving in Massachusetts,” played on “Car Talk.” He was a founding member of the highly successful folk trio, Brother Sun, and is now, when not touring solo, one half of “Deeper Than the Skin: A Musical Presentation on Race in America,” with his friend of over 30 years, Reggie Harris.
Topic: “Spirituality of Breath”
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Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021
Speaker – The Rev. Ben Bortin
Biography:
The Rev. Ben Bortin graduated from the University of California with a major in history, specializing in Asian history. He is also a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. He has served as minister for UU congregations in Duluth, Minn., and Staten Island, N.Y., and as Membership Coordinator for the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, N.Y. Currently, he is a chaplain at Zucker Hillside Psychiatric Hospital in Queens, N.Y.
His denominational and community involvements have included serving as President of the UU United Nations Office and on the board of Project Hospitality, an organization serving homeless and other limited people in Staten Island, N.Y.
Topic: “New Year, New Resolves, New Hope”
Judaism tells us the new year begins in September, the start of the year for many public schools and UU congregations. The Chinese say the year begins in February, and the Persians say it starts in March. But the global consensus tends to hold that the curtain rises on the new year on Jan. 1.
We need new beginnings in life. A new year gives us an opportunity for emotional and spiritual renewal, for a new dawn, however dark the hours leading up to it have been. We joke about breaking resolutions as soon as we make them – but some are kept, which enhance and even save lives. With the new year comes new possibilities, and indeed, new hope.
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Services start at 10:30 a.m.
We are open for in person services with masks and social distancing. In addition, the services are also available live via Zoom. Please send a request to [email protected] for the link.
Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022
Speaker – Vanessa Fuller Brown
Biography:
Vanessa Fuller-Brown is a lifelong student, educator, and practitioner of the Sacred Arts and Sciences within humanity’s Wisdom Traditions. Both professional fine artist and social artist, she is a certified drum facilitator and sound healing practitioner, pioneering Rhythm Arts Programs as powerful tools for self-expression, transformation, and community building for all ages. As a Minister of The Divine Arts, Vanessa imparts wisdom through ceremonial arts and earth practices, educational workshops, and creative mentorship. “Falling into Rhythm is a Natural Path to Wellness and Vitality, and the Way of The Heart,” according to Vanessa.
Topic: Community Drum Circle
As drum circles grow increasingly popular, science is realizing the ever increasing health benefits of drumming and the advantage of drumming in a group. The presentation will introduce sound and rhythm as an instrument for healing, personal growth, and community building, inviting mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Included in the presentation will be an introduction to drum circles and their heritage, the djembe and percussion instruments. This will be followed with guided drumming instruction and a facilitated rhythm circle.
Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022
Speakers – Judi Siegal
Biography:
Judi is a native of Connecticut and frequent speaker to the UUs. She is a graduate of Adelphi University and is a retired Jewish educator. Many remember her column on Judaism which ran for several years in the Citrus County Chronicle and the Marion Citizen. She is active in her community and enjoys reading and RVing. She has three grandchildren who are the joy of her life.
Topic: Jewish Magic
Magic is all around us in our daily lives. Join me as we explore the magical side of the Jewish faith from hamsas to golems, mezuzahs to chai necklaces and others in between.
Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022
Speaker – Bishop Al L. Hopkins
Topic: Political Action as a Spiritual Endeavor
Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022
Speaker – UU Rev Brock Leach
Biography:
Rev. Brock Leach lives in Sarasota and works for the Unitarian Universalist Association as executive consultant for emerging ministries, helping develop and lead denominational efforts to support religious innovators.
In Sarasota, Brock volunteers on the boards of Children First, Sarasota County’s Head Start agency, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, and the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. He chairs the Professional Advisory Group for Pastoral Care at Tampa General Hospital. He also serves on the board of Protect Our Defenders, a national organization that supports victims of sexual assault in the military and spearheaded the successful effort to reform the military justice system recently passed by Congress.
Brock is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Boston University’s School of Theology.
Topic: Living Abundantly
The last year has made it clear that humanity is at an inflection point, with disease, climate, and resource pressures stressing the very systems that sustain life. Yet, we also know that after a point, more people and more consumption don’t add to our wellbeing anyway. Can we redirect our evolutionary drive to create abundant human life toward a shared practice of living more abundantly?
Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
Speaker – Sally Smith-Adams
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Services start at 10:30 a.m.
We are open for in person services with masks and social distancing. In addition, the services are also available live via Zoom. Please send a request to [email protected] for the link.
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022
Speaker – Sonya Mallard, Coordinator Harry Moore Museum
Biography:
Sonya Mallard is the executive director of S&T Health Consulting Group, Inc. (Brevard Aids Services), a nonprofit 501C (3). She serves her community as an HIV educator, tester, and advocate. Every other Friday morning at 5 a.m., she goes to the methadone clinic to teach HIV awareness and test clients for HIV. She runs a teen talk program that provides informational dialogue with youth to help them make better choices in a real, raw, and responsible way. She is the cultural center cordinator of the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park and Museum in Mims, Fla., and shares the legacy of the Moores. She also finds time to write for the only African American Newspaper, “Ebony News Today,” in Brevard County, and is a blogger with the Wells Project. She believes in community engagement and is the first vice president of the North Brevard Chapter of the NAACP, a board member of North Brevard Democratic Club, and a member of the National Congress of Black Women.
Topic: The Legacy of the Moores
Dec. 25, 2021, marked the 70th anniversary of the death of the civil rights martyrs, Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. They were educators, civil rights activists, orange grove owners, community organizers, church trustees, college graduates, NAACP members, president of the Brevard County Chapter of the NAACP, president of the Florida State Teacher’s Association for Colored Teachers, and co-founder of the Progressive Voters League. Their place in history is forever synonymous with the day we celebrate, as a nation, the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas.
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022
Speakers – Sunshine Arnold, LCSW CASA
Biography:
Sunshine Arnold, LCSW, is currently the CEO at the Citrus County Abuse Shelter Association, Inc. (CASA). Additionally, Arnold is a licensed clinical social worker and operates SALT Therapy, a private psychotherapy practice. She is the former program director for the University of Florida Child Protection Team (CPT), and successfully managed and administered the team for seven years across over 10 counties. Arnold is a trained forensic interviewer and has been conducting forensic interviews of child victims of sexual and physical abuse since 2006. Arnold was instrumental in establishing Jessie’s Place — the first child advocacy center in Citrus County. Arnold graduated from Florida State University with a BSW and received her MSW from FSU as well. Arnold is a graduate of the 2013 Leadership Citrus program and is involved in Citrus County through volunteerism. She has served on several nonprofit boards. She is a member of the Citrus County Chronicle Editorial Board, and is a regular guest columnist and frequently submits pieces with a focus on intimate partner violence and women’s rights. Arnold is a published author and contributor to works on child abuse and most recently, the book, “What Doesn’t Kill Her.”
Topic: Domestic Violence and the American Public
I will speak about domestic violence in general, and also address the media attention of the recent Gabby Petito case, as well as why women of color do not seem to have the same attention. Additionally, the discussion includes the intersection of domestic violence and race, as well as how to improve our society’s response to domestic violence.
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022
Speaker – The Rev. Bruce Seaman
The Rev. Bruce Seaman is a retired Presbyterian Church, USA minister who has lately been obsessed with today’s story, trying to answer a bunch of “why” questions for which he believes he now has some solid answers. Eventually he plans to return to writing a book about how the church is not what Jesus wanted. He has been married for 40 years to Nancy, the benefits supervisor for the Marion County School Board. They have two adult children: newlywed Ray, who is a political activist in his own business, building websites and producing digital services while also doing land sales, and Rachel, who is a science education designer for online programs for the University of Florida.
Topic: A Lesson in Local Black History
An odd slice of Marion County history is the Marshall Plantation raid by black Union soldiers in March 1865, just a month before the war’s end on April 9, 1865. The last organized Union military action in Florida, this was the only engagement in Marion County. The exceptional nature of the raid has been clouded by historical revisionism by apologists of the Confederacy. The raid was planned, led, and carried out by black Union soldiers, a rarity (if not unique) since white officers planned and led all operations. These raiders also sought to do what the white leaders had been unable to do — to win (for once) over their Confederate nemesis, Captain J.J. Dickison, who used knowledge of the terrain and informants across the countryside to foil Union endeavors in Florida repeatedly. The raiders’ plan was crazy-dangerous, but they had points to make to their white commanding officers before the war was over. Could they succeed where others failed?
Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022
Speaker – Joe Jencks
Biography:
Joe Jencks is a 22-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter and a celebrated vocalist based in the Chicago area. He is known for his performances of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Joe delivers engaged musical narratives, filled with heart, soul, groove, and grit. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. Co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun, Jencks has penned several No.1 folk songs, including the ever-relevant “Lady of the Harbor.” He has become a fan favorite throughout North America and beyond. Joe has performed and preached in over 200 Unitarian Universalist congregations in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland, and is also a dual U.S.-Irish citizen. Jencks also has been a cultural ambassador with the U.S. State Department.
For more information, please visit: www.joejencks.com.
Topic: Immigration Issues and Deportee Issues
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Services start at 10:30 a.m.
We are open for in person services with masks and social distancing. In addition, the services are also available live via Zoom. Please send a request to [email protected] for the link.
Sunday, Mar. 6, 2022
Speaker – Dee Collier
Biography:
Whether she’s referred to as “Annie Oakley,” “Little Miss Sure Shot,” or “Watanya Cicilla,” you would recognize her as an American sharp-shooter, who became a much-loved international performer. But what was she really like? How was her incredible talent discovered? What events in her early years led to her character qualities? And what connection does she have with Central Florida? You’re about to find out the answers to all of these questions and more as Dee Collier, a former elementary school teacher, history and drama enthusiast, brings to life the one and only “Annie Oakley.”
Topic: Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley learned shooting skills as a child. Eventually, she became the best-known sharp-shooter in the world. But there was so much more to her than that. Her character qualities helped her survive a difficult childhood and eventually support young women who had a great deal of potential without the means to achieve it.
Sunday, Mar. 13, 2022
Speakers – Amy Weintraub, Progress Florida
Biography:
Amy Weintraub is the Reproductive Rights Program Director at Progress Florida and chairs the Florida NOW Reproductive Rights Task Force. She is a seasoned, award-winning organizer, who has worked most of her adult life identifying, educating, and activating citizens toward social justice. She is heavily involved with the League of Women Voters St. Petersburg, Pinellas NOW, and the statewide Floridians for Reproductive Freedom coalition. Amy was a key leader of Women’s March St. Pete 2017, which saw more than 20,000 people gather to advance women’s issues — the largest public protest in St. Pete history. Prior to moving to Florida in 2015, Amy lived in her home state of West Virginia, where she led efforts within organizations such as WV FREE (West Virginia Focus: Reproductive Education and Equality), Covenant House of West Virginia, and Planned Parenthood. She is a UU and was a leader in her congregation in Charleston, W.V., for many years, including serving for years as board president, vice president, treasurer, and worship associate. Amy lives in South St. Petersburg with her spouse. They have two children in college.
Topic: Beyond Roe: Reproductive Rights in Florida
Amy Weintraub, Reproductive Rights Program Director for Progress Florida, will offer reflections on the state of reproductive freedom in our state. She will discuss the relevance of the second principle and how UUs can position themselves to be resources for those in need of abortion care, even in the face of abortion bans and the potential end of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Sunday, Mar. 20, 2022
Speaker – Jim Davis
Jim Davis was born and raised in central Ohio and attended Capital University, The Ohio State University, The New School in New York City, Central Missouri State University, and Florida State University. During his junior year in college, he began writing poems and won several awards. His scribblings continued through a stint with Vista (Volunteers in Service to America) in New York City and in graduate studies. Life intruded. Music and poems were set aside. Near retirement, music wandered back. Poetry, as an adjunct to the search inward and outward for meaning, flew in through a hole in the screen. Jim has published one book of poems called “Inner Voices” and the second, tentatively called “Nostos,” is in the wings.
Topic: Nostos: Poems Attempting a Return to Home
The word “Nostos,” from Greek, means a yearning to return home. Poetry, like meditation, leads us to self-discovery.
Here’s a sample: “Like a mosquito that surreptitiously buzzes into your bedroom while you are asleep and bites in an inappropriate place, certain wisdom finds a hole in the screen and fills its appetite on your blood. You slowly waken with an itch. Follow your curiosity and don’t fix the screen.”
“Nostos,” my second collection of poems, examines personal influences as we travel through our lives – persons, locations, thoughts, and musical moments, which remind me of home. Yet, we gradually learn that home is a convenient fiction for the sense of security, comfort, and safety that abides within or that we seek in our lives.
These words, my poems, are the products of seeking.
Sunday, Mar. 27, 2022
Speaker – Annie Bumgarner
Biography:
Annie has a special interest in exploring wellness in others and supporting their inner healer.
She is a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and has led numerous workshops on the value of PLAY and wellness. She is on the certification path of NVC, Nonviolent Communication, to help teach a language of love and oneness. She is the Licensed Unity Teacher at Unity of Citrus, Lecanto, where she teaches classes, does spiritual counseling, and is on numerous teams to support Unity. She loves attending workshops on NVC, silent retreats, and enjoys any topic that takes her out of her comfort zone.
In addition, she is an owner of an import company with her husband, Arbuth.
She thrives on learning and believes that wellness and spiritual growth are a lifelong process of choices and renewal that create quality of living.
Topic: Be Present
Our minds can continually distract us from the “present” moment. We begin to focus on the past, future, or a belief system that keeps us stuck in our thoughts.
Can we become curious with our minds and remain “present?” What can we ‘see” when we set our intentions to breathe into the present moment?
How would we “see” our Unitarian Universalist principles in the present moment?
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Services start at 10:30 a.m.
We are open for in person services with masks and social distancing. In addition, the services are also available live via Zoom. Please send a request to [email protected] for the link.
Sunday, Apr. 3, 2022
Speaker – Lynne Westmoreland
Biography:
After a 30-year career in music, Lynne Westmoreland returned to graduate work in Humane Education. Humane education considers the intersectionality of human rights, animal protection, environmental concerns, and how our media and culture, beyond our conscious awareness, indoctrinate us to live in ways that are in direct conflict with our most deeply held values. Lynne’s work as a humane educator has been in UU faith communities, through teaching meditation and mindful communication, and with end-of-life work. Lynne has been a Unitarian for about 40 years and finds deep commonality between our seven principles and Humane Education.
Topic: Talk Is Cheap
Unitarian Universalists have a long history of acting on behalf of our deeply held belief that everyone should be accorded dignity, respect, equal rights, and inclusion and we discuss that belief often in our services, our outreach, and our daily lived lives. Simultaneously, we are stymied by the fact that more people of color are not drawn to our communities. What more can we do to make everyone feel welcome, respected, and valued as members of our communities?
Sunday, Apr. 10, 2022
Annual Meeting
Sunday, Apr. 17, 2022
Speaker – Carole Yorke
Rev. Carole has been visiting us at NCUU since about 2000, and is delighted that you continue to invite her to guest preach. Now retired in Port St. Lucie with her three Pomeranians, she has served three churches in Florida. She was ordained in Plainfield, NJ, almost 25 years ago and continues to preach occasionally, do memorial services, and lead bereavement groups at the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach.
Topic: We Can Roll Our Own Rocks
Celebrating the earth’s resurrection rhythms at this time of year is fine, as far as it goes. But this Easter morning, I am looking for something spiritually deeper and more theologically sustaining to affirm in my heart. This Easter (when war, violence, hatred, and suffering are so prevalent — and hope, peace and gentleness so elusive), I am personally seeking a meaning for Easter that will make a deep-down and sustaining difference in my spiritual life — and last longer in my heart than a daffodil. So, what Easter meaning can arrive at our Unitarian Universalist hearts, making a real and transforming difference?
Sunday, Apr. 24, 2022
Speaker – James Schear, Ph.D
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