WEST PARIS — The First Universalist Church of West Paris will hold Sunday worship services at 9 a.m. throughout May.

The Rev. Fayre Stephenson will speak on “The Emerson Legacy” on Sunday, May 3. The Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century is often cited as the origin of contemporary Unitarian Universalism. Beginning with the legacy of Ralph Waldo Emerson, this will be the first of three services in May to celebrate the insights and lives of our great Transcendentalist forbearers.

The Rev. Sue Gabrielson, who is minister at the Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church, will lead “Why We Need Julia Ward Howe, and the True Meaning of Mother’s Day” on Sunday, May 10. Julia Ward Howe, born in 1819, was known for her work on “women’s rights, peace, prison and education reform as a preacher, lecturer and dignitary.”

The Rev. Fayre Stephenson will lead “Ahead of Her Time” on Sunday, May 17. The talk will discuss Margaret Fuller, 19th century literary critic, journalist, and women’s rights advocate, is less famous than her male Transcendentalist counterparts but was no less an influence on American culture and Unitarian Universalism.

The Rev. Fayre Stephenson will speak on “Simple Living” on Sunday, May 31. The talk will explore Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau’s still timely wisdom regarding the environment, politics, and the life of the spirit.

FMI: 207-674-2143, [email protected], 207-665-2967, [email protected], http://www.uua.org/.