All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church is celebrating 200 years in Greenfield with some special events for our larger community. Some folks may wonder what is a Unitarian Universalist? Our non-creedal faith is progressive and inclusive. We are Christian, Jewish, pagan, atheist, agnostic, humanist, none or all of these. What unites us is our common search for spiritual guidance and stories from personal journeys that yield wisdom for these times. Sandra Boston is fond of opening our Sunday worship with Rumi’s call “Come, come … wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, though you have broken your vow a thousand times, come yet again, come, come!”

We are a community of folks who share a covenant to love and respect all living beings, including our earth. We believe our values and our actions need to align. We UUs seek the truth of our experience and the courage and humility to share that, as we also seek resonance with sacred texts from the collective journey of millennia as well as our current local or national issues. Our Sunday services are varied with lay-speakers from our own community as well as ordained spiritual leaders, both UU and guests. As an exciting example of the rich texture of our services, here are our November offerings.

On Nov. 3 Artemis Joukowsky, third generation UU, will be in the pulpit to speak about the “Liberation of the Human Spirit,” his grandfather’s view of spirituality as the pursuit of liberation of one’s own human spirit while also belonging in community. He is the grandson of our former member Reverend Waitstill Sharp. Waitstill and his first wife Martha were active in Europe during the years leading up to World War 11. Artemis Joukowsky and Ken Burns co-produced the PBS film “Defying the Nazis: Sharps’ War” honoring his grandparents’ legacy of courage. This dramatic documentary, narrated by Tom Hanks, will be shown at 1 p.m. at Garden Cinemas as part of their Faith Based Film Series. All Souls will serve a hot luncheon at noon after the service.

About collaborating with Artemis, Ken Burns is quoted in a TIME magazine article, as saying “Every film that we make is a wonderful detective story and one of the things that drew me was how much legwork [had already been done]. I mean, Artemis adopted this project when he was 14 years old. He was in the ninth grade and a teacher said, please write a report on somebody with moral courage, and he asked his mom, and his mom, still smarting and hurting from the abandonment [of when her parents left for Europe], for the first time in his life said, well, go talk to your grandmother, she did some cool things in World War II. This has been a lifelong project for him.”

On Sunday Nov. 10 David Ragland of the local Kibileo collective will speak on one of his passions, “The Spirit of Reparations.” All Souls Social Justice Committee is working on a collaborative Film Series by that same name and will be showing “The Cost of Inheritance” on Dec. 8. We will offer a hot supper and have a panel discussion for a rich inquiry. Free and open.

Christine Bates, a longtime All Souls member and board member will ask “Where are the Children?” Who will steer this vessel of community forward? Where will the next generation come from? She has many questions and a few reflections on a conversation with a 27-year-old. Join us on Nov. 17.

On Nov. 24, Reverend Heather Janules will bring her message of “Whose Are You?” As the All Souls community celebrates its 200th year, it is natural to consider the identity of this enduring progressive congregation over time. But anniversaries also invite questions of belonging. This service will explore what it means to be a people of “all souls” in an interdependent world.

The Rev. Heather Janules (she/her/hers) serving Unitarian Universalism as a half-time member of Congregational Life staff for the UUA’s New England Region.

Keep your eyes open for an invitation to the Annual Day of Mourning and Giving Thanks feast in collaboration with Stone Soup Cafe on Nov. 28.

All Souls looks forward to keeping our light burning for another 100 years. Every Sunday, to start our service, we light a chalice accompanied by a reading. Last Sunday‘s reading was: “We light this flame to remind us: love is the center. As we grow and connect, mature and deepen: love remains the center. When the light of truth burns all else away: love remains. – Eric Hepburn

We are a welcoming and accessible congregation, and would love your presence at our Bicentennial Celebration this year.

Kate Mason is a lay-leader at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Greenfield and chairs the Worship Committee. Our services are held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 399 Main Street. We welcome all who aspire to a spiritual journey rooted in kindness, respect, love and inclusion. Child care can be provided. Our current church building was built in 1895 from local quarried stone from Highland Park.