Upcoming Sermons

Join us at 10:30 am in our Sanctuary followed by coffee hour in our Social Hall.  Our children’s religious education program also begins in the Sanctuary at 10:30 am and will move down to the Religious Education Classrooms from 10:45 – 11:45.   
You can also join us for worship on ZOOM. or “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID 550 751 6685
 

 

 

Our November Theme is Nurturing Gratitude
 
As the leaves turn and the light softens, November invites us into the quiet rhythm of gratitude—not the kind that demands cheerfulness or perfection, but the kind that listens deeply to what is already here. Gratitude is not about ignoring what hurts or pretending everything is okay. It’s about pausing long enough to notice the small miracles that persist in the midst of it all: the warmth of a mug between our hands, the laughter of a friend, the beauty of a community that keeps showing up for one another.
 
This month, our worship invites us to practice gratitude as a form of resistance—against scarcity, against despair, against the myth that we are never enough. Together, we will explore how gratitude can soften us, ground us, and remind us that even in complicated times, there is grace to be found in simply being alive, together.
 
May this be a season of noticing and belonging
 
May we give thanks for what has been, for what is, and for what is still unfolding.
 
In gratitude and love,
Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs
 
(All services begin at 10:30 AM unless otherwise noted.)
 
November 2 – Blessed Be Cheryl Parsons
What can the movie White Christmas, the Christian holy day All Souls Day, and Jesus’s words found in the Beatitudes teach us about living a life rich in blessings? With a fresh look at these familiar words based on Jesus’s original Aramaic, the Beatitudes provide multiple layers of depth worth considering.
 
 
November 9 – The Practice of Enough Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs
In a world that constantly urges us to strive for more—more success, more productivity, more perfection—what does it mean to say, enough? This service invites us into the spiritual practice of sufficiency: of noticing what is already here, already whole, already worthy. Together, we’ll explore the grace in setting down scarcity, the courage in embracing limits, and the freedom that comes when we realize we are already enough—and so is this moment.
 
 
November 16 – Seeds of Gratitude Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs
Every act of gratitude is a seed—planted in our hearts, our community, and the world. Sometimes the soil is rich, sometimes it is rocky, but still the seeds take root. This service explores how gratitude grows in unexpected places, teaching us resilience, humility, and hope.
 
 
November 20 – Trans Day of Remembrance @ 6:00 pm @ Dickerson College
Community LeadersJoin us for a sacred gathering to honor the lives of transgender and gender-expansive people lost to anti-trans violence. Through ritual, prayer, and community witness, we will remember, grieve, and recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of justice and liberation.
 
November 23 – “The Gratitude Jar: Holding It All” Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs
Sometimes saying “thank you” is easy — like when someone bakes your favorite pie or gives you a big hug. But other times, it’s harder. The world can feel messy, our hearts can feel heavy, and gratitude doesn’t always come naturally.
In this all-ages service, we’ll explore how we can give thanks even when life is complicated. Together, we’ll share stories, songs, and reflections that remind us we can hold both joy and sadness, hope and honesty — and still find love shining through it all.
 
November 30 – Cultural Gratitude Rick Sollman
Religious syncretism—the blending of faiths when cultures meet—is often overlooked when it is close to home, yet it can be embraced with gratitude for the diverse traditions that have shaped our own. This service celebrates the ways spiritual and cultural exchange have enriched our collective understanding of the sacred and invites us to honor the faiths that helped form our shared story.
 
Join us for in-person worship in our Sanctuary every Sunday at 10:30 am or on ZOOM. or “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID 550 751 6685

 

This October, our theme calls us into the practice of  Cultivating Compassion. Compassion is not only a feeling but a way of living—a daily choice to see one another with gentleness, to respond to suffering with courage, and to create space where all can belong. Each Sunday we will explore how compassion can take root in surprising ways: in stories once silenced, in the courage to live out loud, in the unconditional love of our animal companions, and in the transformative power of education across the globe. Together, we nurture a spirit of compassion that grounds us in love and calls us to justice.

October 5 – Rev. Phoenix
Banned for Love: Stories They Tried to Silence
What makes a book dangerous? Too often, it’s love. Love that breaks binaries. Love that questions power. Love that names the truth of racism, queerness, disability, trauma, or survival. During Banned Books Week, we confront not only the censorship of books—but the erasure of whole communities whose stories disrupt dominant narratives.

October 12 – Rev. Phoenix
Addiction, Grace, and the Long Road Home
Addiction is often misunderstood. It is not only about substances, but about seeking relief from pain—pain that too often festers in isolation and shame. In this sermon, Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs weaves together personal story, pastoral encounters, and the Parable of the Prodigal Child to explore the long road of addiction and recovery. At the heart of the story is not condemnation but grace: a God who runs to meet us with open arms, a community called to welcome before judgment, and the truth that every step toward healing is a miracle. Together, we will reflect on what it means to be a church that embodies this radical love—where the lost are found, the wounded are embraced, and no one is left to walk the road alone.

October 19 – Rev. Phoenix
Grace for Wild Paws & Sacred Claws: A Blessing of the Animals
Come one, come all—furred, feathered, scaled, and beloved—for a joyful service celebrating the sacred bond between humans and our animal kin. In  Grace for Wild Paws & Sacred Claws, we honor the love, companionship, and wisdom our non-human companions bring into our lives. Through story, song, and ritual blessing, we will reflect on what animals teach us about unconditional love, presence, and our place in the interdependent web of all existence.

October 26 – Mozambique Bursary Team
From Carlisle to Zambezia: A Legacy of Learning
This Sunday, we honor Priscilla Laws (1940–2023) and the Bursary Project she founded after traveling in Mozambique with UUCV’s Bechtel family. In rural Zambezia province, most families live without electricity or running water, and secondary education is out of reach for nearly 90% of girls. The Bursary Project changes lives—supporting girls to stay in school, delay marriage, strengthen their families, and become community leaders. Together we celebrate Priscilla’s vision and the hope it continues to bring.

Join us for in-person worship in our Sanctuary every Sunday at 10:30 am or on ZOOM. or “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID 550 751 6685
Our September Worship
Theme is: Building Belonging

Belonging Starts with Being Who You Are.

Do you know who you are? 

Are you young, full of wonder, full of energy?  

Are you older, full of wonder, full of energy?

Are you young, low on wonder, depleted of energy?     

Are you older, low on wonder, depleted of energy? 

Are you a sister, sibling, or brother?  Are you a mother, father, or guardian?  

Are you someone who worries? Are you someone who loves?

 Are you a teacher, Doctor, nurse, or lawyer? Are you Christian, pagan, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, or something else entirely?  

Belonging Starts with Being Who You Are: Do you know who you are?

The truth is beloved; we are many things at once. Belonging Starts with Belonging 

Belonging Starts with Being Who You Are.  – Rev. Phoenix 

This Month, at the start of the 2025-2026 Church, we will explore what it means to belong in a way that is all of us scared, all of us loved, and all of us is wanted.  And how we ensure that we are creating a space of belonging for ourselves and others.  

September 7 – Where the Waters Return ( Water Communion & Ingathering Service) Led by Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs with Worship Associates   Lynn Sodora  & Dianne Dusman  

Each of us carries stories—of joy and sorrow, change and stillness, wandering and homecoming. As we gather for our annual Ingathering and Water Communion, we honor the beauty of these stories and the waters that hold them. Whether you’ve been away or nearby, weary or well, this is a time to return: to yourself, to your community, to what matters most.

In this multigenerational service of ritual, song, and reflection, we celebrate the sacred act of showing up again—with our full hearts, our honest selves, and a willingness to be transformed by love and connection.

Please bring a small amount of water to symbolize your summer, your journey, or what you hope to release or receive this season.

 September 14 – Sacred Questions, Shared Journey
Led byRev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs Worship Associate Dianne Dusman

As we begin this new chapter together, join us for a special interactive worship experience where curiosity becomes a spiritual practice and questions are welcomed as holy companions on the path. This service invites you to bring the questions that stir your heart—about theology, ministry, identity, vision, and more—and engage in a collective spiritual exploration. Live during worship Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton will be answering your questions; as many as they can get to that is. 

 September 21 – From Questions to Covenant
Led by Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs with Worship Associate Tara Sollman 

 Following our service of sacred questions, we now reflect on what it means to move from curiosity into commitment. As minister and congregation, how do we shape a shared life rooted in trust, care, and collective purpose?

We will begin naming the values we hold, the hopes we carry, and the sacred work of becoming a community—together.

September 28 – When The Venn Diagram Explodes

Led by Melissa Mattson and Max Donnelly

Intersectionality isn’t division, it’s our power. When we honor the whole person, our similarities unite us and our differences forge unbreakable bonds.
 
The Worship theme for
August is Rest, Play, and the Healing of Souls

As the sun stretches long and the pace of life begins to slow, August invites us into a sacred rhythm of rest and renewal. At UUCV, our worship theme for the month centers on Rest—not just as a personal need, but as a communal, ecological, and spiritual calling. We also carry forward the joyful energy of play, remembering that healing often begins where delight and release meet.

Here’s what’s coming up in worship this August:

August 3 – “UUCV CAMP-IN Service”
Led by Lynn Sodora, Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs & UUCV Camp Counselors Ben and Brent.

The tents are up, the campfire stories are flowing, and the songs of joy are echoing through our halls! After a special Saturday night Camp-In sleepover at UUCV—complete with games, music, and a spirit of adventure—we gather on Sunday morning for an all-ages worship service grounded in the sacred gift of play.


August 10 –  “Letting Go to Grow”
Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs

What are we being called to release in this season of ripening and return? This service weaves together late summer laments, the wisdom of harvest, and the power of spiritual release. 

August 17 – “Let the Earth Rest, Too”
Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs

 What if rest could be a form of resistance? A spiritual discipline? A gift to the Earth? This service explores sabbath as an ecological and communal practice, rooted in the ancient wisdom of Land Sabbaths and our interdependence with creation.

August 24 – “Backpack Blessing Sunday” (All Ages)
Led by Lynn Sodora 

This joyful, intergenerational service blesses backpacks and hearts as children, youth, and adults prepare for the school year. Come celebrate the sacredness of learning, curiosity, and the journey ahead. Bring your backpack or bag for a special blessing!

August 31 –   “Make Us Vessels of Belonging” 
Led  Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs
Labor Day Weekend & RE Open House

This service serves as a soft launch into September’s theme of Building Belonging and our upcoming Water Communion. We’ll reflect on what it means to be a vessel for belonging in our communities and our world. Includes a covenant renewal moment and an invitation to begin collecting water for Water Communion.

Whether you’re joining us for play, reflection, or renewal, we hope you’ll find space to reconnect with your spirit and your community this August. All are welcome.

Come rest with us.
Come play with us.
Come belong with us.