WEST PARIS — Back from summer break with a schedule of uplifting and thought-provoking worship services, beginning on September 11. All are welcome! Worship services are held every Sunday at 9 a.m., with music by Tom Coolidge, followed by coffee hour.

September 11: Water Communion, led by The Rev. Fayre Stephenson. Our summer sabbatical will end and the new church year will begin at our traditional Water Communion, a joyous service of ingathering. Those attending will bring a small amount of water from a place that is special to them. At the appointed time during the service, one by one, we’ll pour our water into a large bowl. As we add the water, we’ll tell those gathered why the water is special to us.

September 18: Ethan Whitaker, author of a delightful book on one man’s journey to see Every Bird in Maine. Our speaker on this Sunday will describe his great adventure. Other parts of the service will be led by the worship service committee. Ethan is a 1980 graduate of Bates College. Soon after graduation, he purchased an early personal computer, taught himself to program, and launched a 40-year career in software development. In 2021, Ethan undertook a Maine Big Year, an unofficial contest to identify as many species of birds as possible within the geographical borders of the state. Ethan eclipsed the old State record by seven birds, with a count of 324. The Big Year took Ethan to Aroostook County multiple times, he climbed mountains, took dozens of boat trips, and he drove over 60,000 miles.  His Big Year adventure is documented in his book Every Bird in Maine. Ethan and his wife Ingrid divide their time between homes in Wiscasset and Cape Elizabeth, where she is an award-winning 4th-grade teacher. There will be a book signing during coffee hour for those interested in purchasing Every Bird in Maine.

September 25: ‘Forgiveness: Where Truth and Love Meet’, Rev. Fayre Stephenson. During the ten days between Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 25) and Yom Kippur (Oct. 4) our Jewish brothers and sisters will make peace with those they have wronged and those who have wronged them. The task is about truth and wholeness, not about the comfort of forgiveness. How would it be for us if we sought such holy restoration?

For more information about the church and services, please contact Marta Clements, 207-674-2143, [email protected], or Bob Clifford at 674-3442, [email protected]. To learn more about the Unitarian-Universalist Association, visit http://www.uua.org/.