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At All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Greenfield, Massachusetts, our mission is to welcome and reach out to all who seek fellowship in our liberal religious tradition; to nurture the spiritual well-being of our children and ourselves; to show that people can transcend differences; to nourish and enrich each other in a common spiritual quest; and to provide information and opportunities for members of All Souls and others to act upon the issues of injustice and inequity.
We are a lay-led congregation which enjoys a diversity of speakers and viewpoints. We believe that there is an element of truth in everyone’s voice and faith practices - Humanist, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, religious naturalism, and others. What holds us together are our Unitarian Universalist principles of justice, tolerance, and freedom, lived with love, compassion and respect for one another. We covenant to listen and care for one another, even when we may disagree with one another. |
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Why I Choose To Live
Worship Leader: Janice Sorensen
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
How does one go from cycling in and out of the depths of despair and feelings of suicide to that of choosing life? Janice Sorensen speaks about her relationship to her mother’s relationship to suicide, which illustrates the starting point of her life and relationship to depression and suicidal thoughts, and follows the trajectory that has led to the support group she facilitates.
Shortly after the service, Janice will present My Mom’s Favorite in the Sanctuary, which portrays the journey of a childhood fraught with a mother’s multiple suicide attempts. Though the content of this short work is difficult in places the narrative is laced with humor, giving the listener a place to rest and breathe. Please self select your attendance for this challenging, yet rich, piece. A 10 minute Q&A will follow.
Janice Sorensen is an artist, mental health advocate and a facilitator of the Alternatives to Suicide Peer Support Group in Franklin County for the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community. She understands the despondency that precedes a suicide attempt as well as what it is like to be the child of someone feeling that level of despair. She is grateful to be able to bring this knowledge to her work and to All Souls. |
Music Sunday
Worship Leader: Jim Scott
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Join with Jim Scott for a Sunday of musical worship! Jim Scott leaps from the pages of our hymnal as the contemporary composer of UU hymns including “Gather the Spirit”. An acoustic guitarist, singer and composer, he performed on guitar as a member of the Paul Winter Consort for seven years and has led choirs across the country with his choral compositions. |
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