Sunday Services October-December 2019
Sunday, October 27, 2019 11:00 am
Rev. Michael J. S. Carter
Halloween, All Saints and All Souls
I thought it would be interesting to explore Halloween, and the Catholic Holy Days of All Saints and All Souls. We as UUs may not canonize or commemorate "saints" but we all have individuals who have touched our lives in some way, who have inspired us to create happiness and joy our own lives as we bear witness to theirs, for there is much truth to the adage that nothing is as motivating as a life well lived. With the help of a recovering Catholic friend of mine whose conversations prompted my exploration of this topic, I want to discuss the significance of Halloween, The Roman Catholic Holidays of All Saints and All Souls Day--- and if you will bear with me this Sunday, our Unitarian Universalist Faith. It promises to be quite the journey!
Sunday, October 20, 2019 11:00 am
Rev. Michael J.S. Carter
"Langston Hughes
This Sunday I would like to present another biographical sermon. The person presented will be poet Langston Hughes. I loved his poetry growing up and was even fortunate enough to have met some individuals that had known him. In his younger days, his nomadic spirit led him to travel to Mexico, Africa, Japan, the Soviet Union, and other stops around the globe. Associating with political activists, patrons, and fellow artists, and drawing inspiration from both Walt Whitman and the vibrant African American culture which he loved so much, Hughes soon became the most original and revered of African American poets. Yet his life was not an easy one. He never amassed great sums of money, and he was called to testify before The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and senator Joe McCarthy, (as did W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Robeson before him.)
In 1989 a resurgence of interest began for Langston Hughes and his works and at that time many young and gay African American men claimed him as their mentor and role model, although Hughes had died in 1967. Hughes' sexuality continues to this day for many to be the source of much controversy. It appears that like most human beings, Langston Hughes was many things to many people. Yet for sure he was a man, and we shall not look upon his like again. Join us as we explore the life and genius of Langston Hughes.