WEST PARIS — It may be bleak outside this time of year, but optimism can certainly lift our spirits. Please join us on Sundays at 9 a.m. when our guest speakers fill our hearts and minds with hopefulness, growth, community, and a little fun. Also note a special concert in Feb., described below. Music will be performed by guitarist, Davy Sturtevant. Refreshments following the service. All are welcome.

Feb. 2, “The Mysterious Working of Grace in Our Lives” led by The Rev. Scott Campbell. Rev. Campbell will recount a little-known story about the French existentialist Albert Camus and his quiet exploration of the Christian faith towards the end of his life. Like the biblical character, Nicodemus, who came to Jesus under the cover of darkness, Camus struggled with a deep inner longing away from the eyes of the public.

Feb. 4, Cabin Fever Fun from 1 to 3 p.m. Come join us for games, puzzles, knitting, etc. Games and puzzles will be available, but feel free to bring your own. It’s free, and there will be light refreshments. The snow date is Feb. 5.

Feb. 9, “A Most Ethereal Song,” led by Jennifer Wixson. Jennifer shares uplifting stories of the kindness and goodness of regular Mainers, including “Uncle Stephen” Crosby of Winslow, a gristmill owner who, in 1816 (“the year without a summer”) refused to sell his corn to wealthy speculators so that his friends and neighbors would not starve to death. Maine farmer and writer, Jennifer Wixson is also a former Quaker minister and a member of the First Universalist Church of West Paris.

Feb. 15, 2 p.m., Davy Sturtevant In Concert–Retrospective of a Musical Life. Celebrating his first year as Music Director of the First Universalist Church of West Paris, Davy Sturtevant will present an afternoon concert in the church sanctuary. You will hear some of Davy’s favorite songs as well as some songs of Davy’s that are fan favorites. Davy performs on a collection of instruments including acoustic guitar, cornet, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and dobro – there’s no telling what he might show up with for this concert.

Davy relocated from Pennsylvania to Western Maine 15 years ago and has toured much of the country. A suggested donation of $20 would be appreciated. Refreshments and a raffle drawing will follow the concert. Tickets can be purchased right up until the concert begins; they are $1 each or 6 for $5. The snow date is Feb. 16 at 2:00 p.m.

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Feb. 16, “Cupidity’s Errors,” finding a sense of enough. Darrell Dyke will lead the service. He is returning to speak at our church, which he says is a homecoming since he grew up in Bryant Pond and Bethel. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. Having spent years homesteading, he followed his wife to Western New York (near Buffalo), where she completed her residencies in medicine.

Darrell attended seminaries in Rochester and in Chicago at Meadville Lombard Theological School, while preaching and volunteering at Pullman Memorial Universalist. They have since returned home to Maine, to an overgrown farm in Starks. He is affiliated with the UU Society for Community Ministries.

Feb. 23, “Winter, Black Flies, and Population,” after the bleak mid-winter, led by Bob Neal, who is a frequent speaker at our church.

For more information about the church and services, please contact Marta Clements, 674-2143, mclements96894@roadrunner.com, or Suzanne Dunham, 665-2967, dunhamfarm@msn.com. To learn more about the Unitarian-Universalist Association, visit http://www.uua.org/. The First Universalist Church of West Paris is located at 208 Main St., W. Paris

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