Unitarian Universalist Presentations or Sermons

by Harold W. Wood, Jr.

All members of the lay-led Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia, are all called to be "ministers" in our congregation and to the world. I joined the UU Fellowship of Visalia on April 3, 2005.

Many of my presentations for our Fellowship have been on environmentally-related topics, flowing from my Pantheist approach to religion and the UU 7th Principle of "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part," and promoting the ideal of establishing a Green Sanctuary. These were all presentations made at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia.

• June 22. 2008 - "UU's Take on Global Warming" - updated version of previous presentation, adding beyond the Statement of Conscience information about the UU Ministry for Earth and the Low Carbon Diet Challenege. Presented at UU Fellowship of Portervillee.
  
  
• October 7, 2007 - "Blessing of the Animals" - Special service honoring companion animals and wildlife.
  
  
• August 19, 2007 - "Experience" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Deeply introspective essay of Emerson struggling for a perspective to reconcile faith and skepticism, acknowledging life's limitations as well as celebrating its possibilities. Discussion led by Harold Wood. (Part of summer Emerson as Spiritual Guide discussion series.)
  
  
• July 29, 2007 - Report on 2007 General Assembly - by Harold, Janet & April
  
  
• July 8, 2007 - Emerson Discussion Series Session 5: "Self-Reliance." Discussion led by Harold Wood on what is perhaps Emerson's most famous essay, which celebrates genius as a current of energy or power that can be tapped.
  
  
• April 22, 2007 - "Change a Light, Change the World"
  Earth Day presentation -Special slide show going beyond the basics of Compact Fluorescent Lights: Summary | Power Point
  
  
• December 10, 2006 - "UU's Take on Global Warming"
  A Visual Summary of the Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience on Global Warming and Climate Change.
  Download illustrated sermon: PDF | Power Point
  
  
• August 20, 2006 - “Spiritual Journeys” two members, Sandy Beals and Harold Wood, shared how their life experiences led them to Unitarian Universalism. Even though both have dropped many of their childhood beliefs about religion, they found that their fundamental values about respect for others and appreciation for the great Mystery remain intact and find full expression in Unitarian Universalism.
  
  
• April 23, 2006 – “Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with Carbon Offsets ”
  A special Earth Sunday presentation.
  Download illustrated sermon: PDF | Power
  Downoad handout: UU Ministry for Earth & Carbon Fund (PDF)
  Link: carbonfund.org
  
  
• March 19, 2006 - "Restore Hetch Hetchy - Yosemite's Buried Mountain Temple"
  Imagine the opportunity we have to allow Nature to re-create another Yosemite Valley. Imagine the opportunity we have to allow Nature to restore Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley, the place John Muir called "a grand landscape garden, one of Nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples." We viewed a video on restoring Hetch Hetchy, and I discussed the solutions which can replace the water and energy that would otherwise be lost if O?Shaughnessy Dam were removed and Yosemite?s Hetch Hetchy Valley were restored.
  www.hetchhetchy.org
  
  
• January 29, 2006: “Matthew Fox’s Creation Spirituality”
  Download:
  Presentation by Harold Wood (1 MB - PDF)
  96 Theses by Matthew Fox (224 kb - PDF)
  
  
• December 11, 2005: “Creating a Green Sanctuary: Environmentally Friendly Practices for Unitarian Universalist Churches”, by Harold Wood.
  Download:
  Power Point Presentation (3.1 MB)
  PDF (1.4 MB)
  
  
• November 6, 2005: "United Nations Sunday"
  Achieving Goals for Our World Community: Unitarian Universalism and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
  
  
• September 25, 2005: I presented a service and read Nature and the Universe as a Spiritual Path by Dr. Paul Harrison. Introducing the Pantheist approach to spirituality.
  
  
• July 10, 2005 - Led discussion on "Global Warming and Other Environmental Concerns" including the UU Ministry for Earth and the California Interfaith Power and Light.
  
• April 10th, 2005 - Special early viewing of "Oil on Ice". This hour-long DVD depicts the battle over oil development within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Regular service followed, with an excerpt and summary of the film, with me leading a discussion and a brief session on "What You Can Do."

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This page is maintained by Harold Wood.
E-mail: harold (at) planetpatriot.net