Last Fall, several members of UUFC went to visit our Partner Church in Transylvania. Today they will share information, illumination, and inspiration: history of partner churches at UUFC; how they observed resilience in action; how Unitarianism there reflects Christian roots; and rituals that were transformative.
Janet Throop, Linda Bruslind, Scott Bruslind, and Patricia Parcells will speak.
Romance and partnerships are what immediately come to mind when hearing “love” in February, but this compact little word is so much more complex and holds a multitude of meanings. You can love your significant other, your family of origin, your family of creation, your chosen family, your friends, and your dog. You can also love your neighborhood, your community, and those you teach or help. And, you can feel love for a little boy in a blue bunny hat who you’ve only seen on television, or for two strangers who are grieving the murder of their child, a healer whose last words to were to ask if someone was okay. Love can be romantic, platonic, hopeful or painful; it can be joyfully exuberant, or quietly steadfast. Today’s piano selections offered a glimpse of some of the ways love can appear in our lives: a promise, ardor, care, compassion, the sacred, healing, and affirming.
Make You Feel My Love is surprisingly simple in its presentation. There is no flowery language, dramatic imagery, or big musical/emotional climax; instead, the song is a quiet vow of steady, enduring love. Bob Dylan wrote this contemporary standard, but rather than hoarding the recording rights, he shared advance copies of the music with other artists, and the world was first introduced to Make You Feel My Love by Billy Joel. Bob Dylan eventually released his own performance, and as the song became a hit, countless other musicians covered this song, drawn to its tenderness and statement of unconditional love.
To Love You More sharply contrasts Dylan’s song about peaceful and plainspoken love with its sweeping, romantic intensity. Originally written as the theme song for a Japanese TV drama, it skyrocketed to the top of the charts around the world and is now one of the signature power ballads that Celine Dion is known for. With its theatrical dynamics, virtuosic vocal writing, and impassioned lyrics, To Love You More is a declamation of passion being shouted from the rooftops. Its energy and momentum are perpetual, and the fervor of both the text and music propel the song to its end, never relaxing.
Burt Bacharach’s What the World Needs Now Is Love asks us to think of love as a necessity; not just a personal emotion but a universally shared good that the world cannot function without. Its easy-going melody, conversational feel and repetition throughout the song send the message home that yes, “what the world needs now is love, sweet love. No, not just for some but for everyone.”
Elaine Hagenberg’s stunning O Love is probably the least known of all the music offered today but in the choral world it is considered a contemporary masterpiece and has been sung by choirs around the world. Its reverent text and luminous setting invite reflection and even played as a piano solo without lyrics, the harmonic dissonances and their resolutions evoke sighs that always transform into hope. The lyrics are based upon text by 19th-century Scottish minister George Matheson. Matheson’s words were originally sacred in nature, but can hold meaning for anyone whose heartache has been healed by love.
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thy ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.
O Joy that seeks me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
The smooth groove of the Bee Gees’ How Deep Is Your Love reframes the age-old query: I love you…do you love me? This question really is many questions wrap into one, as it is also asking: Do I matter to you as much as you matter to me? Can I trust you? Am I safe with you? Will you leave me? Does my happiness – or sorrow – mean anything to you? Feeling loved isn’t just something that gives people a warm fuzzy feeling; it provides security, strength, and hope. Feeling loved is more important than ever in the world we live in today. In addition to make sure that the people we care about know that we love them, performing acts of love – to those in our lives, to strangers, to whole communities – is a way to deal with our frustration, our fear, our insecurity. We may not be able to solve homelessness, erase racism, or provide justice for all who have been wronged…but any difference we can make, no matter how small, is putting love into action. Whether in personal relationships, in community, or in the pursuit of social justice, let’s answer the question “How deep is your love?” with both words and deeds.
For several decades, Corvallis has grappled with challenges of what it means to have safe housing for all and shelter accessible to those in need. This UU Fellowship has played a role in many ways. Come reflect on the history of the congregation’s collaboration with Unity Shelter, current local issues, and what might be possible in the future.
Shawn Collins, Executive Director of Unity Shelter, will be our guest speaker. Shawn got his first look at the realities of homelessness and poverty in the Willamette Valley through his volunteer experiences at the South Corvallis Food Bank. After leaving HP in 2016, Shawn worked at United Way of Benton & Lincoln Counties, as the Program Manager for the Housing Opportunities Action Council (HOAC) through 2019. He was instrumental in securing the site that would become the Corvallis Men’s Shelter in 2017.
Join us for Kirtan with Rob & Melissa on Friday, February 20 at 7 PM at the Fellowship. Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased at https://robandmelissa.com/event/6424169/750671773/corvallis-kirtan.
Rob & Melissa have a mission: to bring more love into the world. They are devoted to serving through music, mantra, and connection—to soften the barriers that keep us feeling separate, and to remind us all of our innate Love, Joy, Childlike Spirit, and Belonging. Through mantra, story, music, and presence, they hope to offer a reminder that the Divine is already here, alive in each of us, and always ready to be sung.
Free childcare can usually be arranged for any Fellowship event by using this link 1-2 weeks prior to the event.
What do we need to talk about in our Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on the day after Valentine’s Day? Come find out!
Rev. Alex McGee will preach
Cheap forgiveness may be falsely labeled as reconciliation — but the risks are great. So, today, let us consider the many steps of accountability that are often necessary before true reconciliation is possible. Because around the world and in the home, true reconciliation allows fresh possibilities in life.
Rev. Alex McGee will preach
Forgiveness can sometimes feel elusive or confusing. But humans throughout the ages continue to grapple with forgiveness. Let us consider what is ready to be heard in our hearts and put into action now.
Rev. Alex McGee will preach
This Friday, January 23, please join us for Community Kirtan in Room 7, 7-8:30 pm. Community Kirtan happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month, and features talented kirtan singers from the community who lead us in sacred song. It’s a beautiful way to calm the mind after a busy week, a fun way to connect with the community, and … we have snacks!
Today’s MLK Jr. service reflects on how the spiritual autobiography of our nation will be written, emphasizing how we listen, how we care for the next generation, how we respond to organized and normalized evil, and the importance of being open so we may serve a greater good. The piano selections for today’s service reflect these themes, naming pain, modeling courage, and inviting both reflection and action.
I began the prelude with a piano rendition of B.E. Boykin’s Stardust. While the music alone is gripping and powerful, it is the text and intention behind the music that is the most meaningful. In Stardust, the singers call for the following:
Marcus J. Jauregui – conductor of the Pershing Middle School Treble Chorale Houston ISD and who commissioned this work – shared “When we sing, we pray twice [once with our voices, and again with our hearts], and it is my prayer that this piece stirs all who hear it to call for justice for people of color taken from this world before their time and without concern for their humanity.”
The prelude ended with the theme from To Kill a Mockingbird, a bittersweet piece that I’ve always felt conveys curiosity, lost innocence, and hope despite the ugliness in the world. The story of one good man, Atticus Finch, standing against the entrenched racism in his community, is so special to many of us, and is one of the rare instances of the film measuring up to the original book, as Gregory Peck and Mary Badham’s portrayal of the Atticus and Scout Finch pull at the heartstrings and are hard to forget. Though surrounded by fear and prejudice, Finch listens, teaches, and acts according to conscience, modeling moral courage in the face of hatred and injustice. This theme underscores the responsibility adults bear to model courage, empathy, and justice for those who come after us. By opening ourselves to see the world clearly and to respond to wrong, we honor those who have suffered and provide guidance for the next generation, showing how openness and moral action are inseparable.
Blowin’ in the Wind is a song that represents the sixties but has also been described as an anthem of the civil rights movement. R&B singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples recalled in Martin Scorsese’s documentary No Direction Home that she was couldn’t believe how a young white man could capture the frustration and aspirations of Black people so powerfully. Soul singer and songwriter Sam Cooke was similarly impressed, making it a regular part of his repertoire soon after its release, and also shared that it inspired him to write his own civil rights anthem, A Change Is Gonna Come. The song asks us to listen deeply, be open to what we are asked to hear, and take responsibility to serve a greater good by refusing to ignore racism, honoring both the movement and the individuals whose lives have been affected by racial violence.
While Precious Lord, Take My Hand is included in the UU hymnal Singing the Living Tradition, it hasn’t been sung in Sunday services often. However, this felt like the perfect postlude for today’s service, as it was Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite hymn. Its topics of exhaustion, grief, and fear – but also of courage! – was both comforting and inspiring for MLK, and he often asked Mahalia Jackson to sing the hymn at civil rights rallies. After his assassination, Jackson sang the song at his funeral, and in turn, Aretha Franklin sang it at Jackson’s own funeral. Originally composed after the death’s of composer Thomas Doersey’s* family, the song is a reflection on faith tested under pressure, reminding us that confronting entrenched inequality and hatred is difficult and wearying…but that we can still work toward a greater good and try to sustain justice, mercy, and care in the world. And because this was our postlude and meant to send folks off into the world, starting a new week, I made sure to play a more upbeat, blues-inspired arrangement of the song, because members of the UUFC love to dance their way out of the service!
*Not to be confused with bandleader Tommy Dorsey
“Why Church?” Community, exploration, redemption, forgiveness, exchange, justice – what the heck is church for? Let’s talk about why church matters.
Guest speaker Rev. Mitra Rahnema is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist and graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry. She has offered ministry to congregations in Missouri, Michigan, and California. Mitra is editor of the 2017 book and UUA Common Read, “Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry.” She is dedicated to building vibrant and engaged anti-oppressive communities. Mitra lives in Portland, OR.