Sunday Services
To submit a Joy or Concern to be shared in worship, click here.
Worship begins at 10:30am and typically runs 60-75 minutes.
Link to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3uthKVVYfWS55zpRTv8LA
Worried about virus exposure? Masking provides effective protection to the wearer and masking is always welcomed at church. (It is not required.) Complimentary surgical masks are available. For the highest protection, bring your own N95 or KN95 mask. Another option is to join in worship via YouTube. The church's COVID Task Force encourages everyone to keep up with vaccines and boosters. (Need a ride? Email rides@firstuuomaha.org.)
Visitors are invited to fill out a Visitor Form to get on our e-list and learn more.
Learn how to use YouTube to attend Sunday services with Oliver Coffman, our AV Technology Coordinator. He's recorded an easy to follow how-to video. Click here.
This Week:
Sunday, October 8th at 10:30, in person or online via Youtube
“An Invitation to Tune the Mind and the Body”
by Guest Speakers Ellie and Matthew Shrader
This special service will have the delightful aspect of an invitation to relax into Sound Bathing, offered by Ellie and Matthew Shrader of Shrader Healing. The service will begin in its usual manner, but the last half hour will be an opportunity to drop into the body, the breath, and hopefully, meditation. Sound bathing is a meditative experience where attendees are “bathed” in sound waves produced by a variety healing instruments including gongs, Himalayan singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, percussion, flutes, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, shruti boxes, and at times, the human voice. Ellie Shrader is a classically trained vocalist and earned a liberal arts degree with a focus in music and liturgy. After years working with children and families, Ellie earned a graduate degree in Human Services and runs a private practice mental healthcare clinic, focusing on mind-body treatment for anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Matthew Shrader began playing percussion instruments around age 14; he could be described as an audiophile and can turn almost any item into a musical instrument. Matthew is currently the head gaffer at Crystal Forge, the glass blowing shop inside the Hot Shops Art Center, where he makes the glass bells heard during sound baths.
Sound meditation doesn’t always have a catchy melody or rhythm one would associate with going to a concert, but instead is a carefully selected wash of instrumentation and voice with notable resonance and overtones. During the sound meditation, Ellie and Matthew will weave together sounds which bathe participants as they tune the mind and body towards healing.
Important note:
Thank you for not wearing any of the following during the Shrader's visit to our community: cologne, after shave lotion, fragranced deodorant, perfume, perfumed hand lotion, fragranced hair products, fragranced hand-sanitizer, essential oils, and/or similar products. Ellie is chemically-sensitive and may have a severe or life-threatening reaction to fragrances or chemicals. It will be more welcoming for her at our church if we keep this in mind and eliminate use of such items on Sunday October 8th. Many thanks to everyone for their cooperation.
YouTube page for livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3uthKVVYfWS55zpRTv8LA
(then click on the livestream for that day's date)
The Order of Service may be downloaded on Sunday morning.
Elementary and middle/high Sunday School classes begin after the Time for All Ages portion of our service. Children of all ages are always welcome to attend the full service with their families in our sanctuary. Childcare is offered during our Sunday services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Our Share the Plate recipient for October is our Sister Church Clair Cares Food Pantry. It’s almost Thanksgiving time, and our sister church, Clair Memorial U. M. C. is preparing to provide turkeys and other traditional Thanksgiving fare at November’s food pantry. Inflation is hitting us all, including the Clair pantry, and especially the people they serve. Please give what you can and help our sister church to serve members of our community that really need help. Thank you. Click here to donate.
Coming Up...
Sunday, October 15 at 10:30, in person or online via Youtube
“The Adventure of Life”
By Rev. Shari Woodbury
What is the purpose of life? Why do bad things happen? Where can we find hope? And do my choices really matter in the grand scheme of things? As Rev. Woodbury picks back on an exploration of process theology that we started a few weeks ago, we delve into some BIG questions. If that’s not enough to intrigue you, join us to hear about some of the errors of classical theism – and why birds sing. The Sanctuary Singers offer a gift of music.
Sunday, October 22 at 10:30, in person or online via Youtube
“Yes! A Soulful Songs Sunday”
with Rev. Shari Woodbury
Join us for a service of much participatory singing and readings, a Soulful Songs Sunday. This Sunday is an invitation to say Yes! Yes! to yourself. Yes! to Spirit or Cosmos. Yes! to life and its continued unfolding, in spite of – even because of – all that is hard and scary. Together we will sink into centering chants and sing Yes! to this wondrous life. With our contemporary music group, The Off Beats.
Sunday, October 29 at 10:30, in person or online via Youtube
“Honoring Our Ancestors”
with Rev. Shari Woodbury
As All Hallow’s Eve nears, we take time to honor ancestors from our families, faith(s) and cultures.
Land Acknowledgment
It is appropriate to acknowledge that the First Unitarian Church of Omaha occupies the traditional treaty lands of the Omaha and Otoe-Missouria Tribal Nations whose sovereignty existed long before the state of Nebraska. We would also like to express our respect to the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, and over 170 other tribes represented within the Omaha area