WEST PARIS – The First Universalist Church of West Paris has announced its November worship services.

Worship services begin at 9 a.m. and are followed by refreshments.

Sunday, Nov. 1, “Turn, Turn, Turn: “To everything, there is a season,” the song goes. Guest speaker Pat Harris will consider the legacy and the gifts of a lifetime of seasons in Unitarian Universalist Churches of which she has been fortunate enough to be part. She will discuss, “Do the messages from our two faith traditions affect those we come into contact with, both in our personal and our working lives, even if we aren’t aware of it? Are we actually accidental missionaries whose deeds really can speak louder than creeds?” Harris is a lifelong Maine resident and a third generation UU who is now a member of the Brunswick UU Church. She is a member of the governing board, the Worship and Building and Grounds Committees and facilitates a UU writing group. In what time she has left over after all of her committee meetings, she is an aspiring artist, a passionate writer, quilter and lover of cats and German Shepherd dogs.

Nov. 8, “Be a Stream, Not a Swamp,” led by the Rev. Fayre Stephenson: Writer Victor M. Parachin wrote, “Be a stream, not a swamp. Remember, it is the mountain stream that carries fresh, life-giving water because it flows out. However, the swamp is stagnant. A swamp collects and retains water that comes its way. Don’t be the kind of person who seeks to accumulate much before allowing a little to flow through.” The service will explore the concepts of greed, gratitude and gracious giving.

Nov. 15, “What about this Aging?” led by guest speaker, Marilyn Hammond: The service will explore aging – the problems and the joys. Hammond is a longtime leader at the South Paris Universalist Church and graduate of the Renaissance Program, a UUA program that offers training for professional religious educators, seminarians and lay leaders on topics such as UU history and identity, administration, philosophy and worship. She is a retired teacher and active in many community efforts.

Nov. 22, “A Communion of Thanksgiving,” led by the Rev. Fayre Stephenson: This service will celebrate a cornbread communion as it reflect on the first Thanksgiving and gratitude and consider Epicurus’ assertion that “it is not what we have but what we enjoy that constitutes our abundance.”

Nov. 29, “Music Sunday!” led by music director, Jim Burke: “Music is the universal language of mankind,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is quoted as saying. The service will be a celebration of life using some new songs as well as some old favorites.

FMI: 207-674-2143, 207-674-3442, [email protected],[email protected], www.uua.org.