UUs at Christmastime

The Rev. Wendy von Zirpolo, of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead, Mass., and the UU Wolinski family are interviewed in a Boston Globe article about families celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah. (Boston.com – 12.25.11)

The Rev. Dr. Julia Corbett-Hemeyer, community minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie, Ind., writes about the “December dilemma” she faces as a UU Buddhist. (Muncie Star Press – 12.21.11)

The 300-year-old First Unitarian Church of Norton, Mass., held its first Christmas service in more than fifty years. The congregation had dwindled to just two members, but new leadership in the form of the Rev. Christana Wille McKnight, has brought new life to the church over the past year. (Boston.com – 12.24.11, The Sun Chronicle – 12.23.11)

The words and music to the song now know as “Jingle Bells” were written by James Lord Pierpont, music director of his brother’s Unitarian church in Savannah. (Boston.com – 12.28.11)

The “Angry Bear Blog” on Business Insider picked up a sermon by the Rev. Nathan Detering, of the First Parish UU Area Church in Sherborn, Mass., on “How Unitarians Saved Christmas.” (Business Insider – 12.24.11)

After 14 months of renovations, the 177-year-old Unitarian Universalist First Parish in Brewster, Mass., reopened in time for four Christmas Eve services. (Wicked Local – 12.23.11)

UU on 102 years of life lessons, and more

Maine UU Beatrice Robbins, who turned 102 on January 2nd, says that in life, “the important thing is to do it.” (Kennebec Journal – 1.2.12)

Melissa Harris-Perry, a UU scholar who gave the Ware Lecture in Salt Lake City in 2009, was named the host of a two-hour weekend show on MSNBC. (MediaBistro – 1.5.12)

The Rev. Scott Alexander, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, Fla., is planning a 3,300-mile bicycle ride across the United States to raise $50,000 for hunger causes. (TCPalm – 12.26.11)

Randy Bradley, a short book published by the Rev. Jake Morrill, minister of the Oak Ridge, Tenn., Unitarian Universalist Church, is “a story of family entanglement, fury and grief.” (Knoxville News Sentinel – 12.27.11)

As 2011 came to a close, the Rev. Rhett Baird, minister of High Street Unitarian Universalist Church in Macon, Ga., wrote about new beginnings. (Macon Telegraph – 12.31.11)

The Gloucester Times profiles the Rev. Susan Moran, interim minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport, Mass. (Gloucester Daily Times – 12.23.11)

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka, Minn., and the City of Wayzata reached a settlement, ending a four-year dispute over zoning restrictions. (KSTP.com – 12.23.11)

See also: Wayzata congregation wins dispute with city (Minneapolis Star Tribune – 12.28.11)