Sunday, March 3rd A Saving Doubt Rev. Paul Dodenhoff
The freedom to doubt, to question, to be content to live in Mystery is central to the liberal religious tradition. Like the process of evolution itself, the path that we follow, our practice if you will, is not easy or simple. It isn’t without its dead ends or its disappointments. It doesn’t guarantee that all of our conclusions will be final or that we will ever find an answer to all of our questions. But also like the process of evolution, it is filled with great expressions of beauty and awe that are sometimes born of great struggle and at other times come as unexpected Grace.
Rev. Paul Dodenhoff was raised in The Salvation Army during the 1950’s and ‘60s, but became interested in other religious paths very early in his teens. His journey led him to study and work within a wide variety of religious and spiritual traditions that led him to make his spiritual home within Unitarian Universalism. He received his B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Religion from Drew University where he also wrote his honors thesis, “Perfected Earth, Worthy Men,” his study of the Brook Farm transcendentalist community led by Unitarian minister George Ripley. He also pursued a Master’s program at Drew in American Religious History specializing in the study of New Religious Movements in America. He received his ordination as an interspiritual / interfaith minister from One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City in June 2012. His special interests are in the areas of spirituality, social justice, and the intersection of science and faith. He follows a spiritual path based on the teachings of the Buddha and Jesus of Nazareth. In June 2022 after ten years he retired as minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades in Englewood, New Jersey. Paul lives with his wife Lisa in New Jersey. He is a self-confessed Tolkien geek and prides himself on his yearly practice of reading Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” each year in autumn since 1969 when he was first introduced to Tolkien’s work.
Sunday, March 10th Peace to All Passersby Rev. Tony Lorenzen
Rev. Tony reflects on what’s needed to transform high conflict and the church’s role in restoring community.
Sunday, March 17th The Current State of Gun Violence Locally and Nationwide Jeremy Stein
Jeremy Stein (former Executive Director of CT Against Gun Violence) will speak to us about current efforts to address gun violence in Connecticut and the nation.
Sunday, March 24th To Be Determined
Sunday, March 31st Easter Sunday, 42 A.D. Rev. Randy Becker
Picture yourself on Easter Sunday in 42 AD. You are somewhere in what we now call Palestine and Israel. Who would you be with? What would be happening? What would you have been eating? What would you have been celebrating?
The Rev. Dr. Randolph W.B. (“Randy”) Becker is an ordained Unitarian Universalist Minister, now retired. In his ministry he has served in religious education and parish positions to several congregations and an extended time leading the Long Island Area Council of Unitarian Universalist Societies. In 2022, in his retirement, he joined this congregation as a member.