On Sunday morning, January 3, at 10:30, Robin Slaw, Director of Lifespan Faith Development, and Susan Gempler, Worship Associate, lead the all-ages First Sunday service and introduce the monthly theme resistance. Robin’s sermon topic is “How Gender Defines Our Lives (or Doesn’t!).”

The first words out of a birth attendant’s mouth as we enter this world are, “It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” That gender identity follows us throughout life, defining who we are and who we must become. In our lifetimes, we have witnessed great resistance to the idea of society’s expectations for gender, from men in nursing roles and women in combat roles, to men acknowledged as emotional beings and women acknowledged as capable strong leaders. How have you resisted society’s gender-based assumptions and expectations? How do our Unitarian Universalist values guide us in gender definitions? Music provided by the House Band. We introduce our Hymn of the Month for January, Hush, an African American spiritual.

The grade 8/9 Coming of Age students, teachers, and parents host the soup and sandwich lunch supporting the Center for Food Action Weekend Snack Pack program. Purchase lunch or just enjoy Coffee Hour. Everyone young and old are invited to participate in table conversations guided by the January “Essential Questions” relating to the resistance theme.

Remember to bring nonperishable food donations for our monthly collection for the Center for Food Action.