WEST PARIS — We are at the waning of autumn – when the world seems covered in a “cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” And it is a time for comfort, gathering in community, as we share the darker winter season. All are welcome! Worship services are held every Sunday at 9 a.m., with music by Tom Coolidge, followed with coffee hour.

November 6, “Of, By, and For All the People” led by The Rev. Fayre Stephenson. It was Unitarian Minister and Abolitionist Theodore Parker, not Abraham Lincoln, who first defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” The only difference was that Parker said, “all the people.” Lincoln left out that important word. Join us on this Sunday before our elections as we explore our fifth UU principle, “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.”

November 13, “Happiness in a Changing World” led by The Rev. Fred Jordan. Our current world is ever changing. We will look at some of the things that we can do to best assure we foster stable elements in our day-to-day life, supporting our daily happiness and joy. Some of these concepts will come from observations by Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

November 20, “Cultures of Reciprocity” led by The Rev. Fayre Stephenson. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer says, “Cultures of gratitude must also be cultures of reciprocity. Each person, human or no, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them.” – a perfect subject for our consideration on the Sunday before the Thanksgiving holiday.

November 27, “Being Thankful” led by the Worship Service Committee. What are we thankful for? There will be an opportunity during the service for the congregation to share what we’re thankful for.

For more information about the church and services, please contact Marta Clements, 674-2143, [email protected], or Bob Clifford at 674-3442, [email protected]. The First Universalist Church of West Paris is located at 208 Main St., W. Paris, ME 04289. To learn more about the Unitarian-Universalist Association, visit http://www.uua.org/.