Presenter: Guy Hopkins

The fields are bare, the leaves have fallen from the trees, and the skies are going gray and cold. The wind’s bite turns cold, and spirits long gone roam the lands once more. The autumn season brings in a time of introspection and reflection on our lives.
We are no longer distracted by the summer with its outdoor activities, parties, and bright sun. It is the end of the harvest, the end of the light half of the year and it marks a rest for the earth after the fertility and productivity of the summer months. For this is the night of Samhain.

At its roots it’s a Gaelic holiday that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year. Samhain was and is a time for reflection on the previous year and what you have done with your life. It is a time of great magic and mystery and reverence for the supernatural and the “other side.”

It is a time for discerning what negativity lies in our hearts and for planning steps to take in the coming year to make our lives better. Just as the farmer in days of old may have changed his crop plans for the coming year, we too can decide to sow different seeds to bring happiness in the seasons and harvests ahead.

Today Samhain is a time to remember what has gone before us. Our feared based society today has taken away the joy of Samhain, it is up to each and every one of us to relight and rekindle our beautiful ceremonies, by celebrating and rejoicing our ancient traditions of our ancestors without fear.

Unitarian-Universalism honors the differing paths we each travel. Our congregations are places where we celebrate, support, and challenge one another as we continue on our spiritual journeys. As Unitarian-Universalists, we covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. We are working on becoming handicapped-accessible but are not fully there yet. To avoid steps into the sanctuary please enter through the rear entrance to access a sloping hallway to the sanctuary. Please park in the rear of the building or on the street, in front or the side of the building. Child care is available during the adult portion of the service.