2026 Services
“Empathy”
by
Rev. Ben Bortin
July 12th at 10:30
Walking in another's shoes can be difficult,
even, at times, impossible.
But it can also be a great human blessing.
Video archive of this service here:
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“Independence for Survivors”
by
Pamela Greinke
June 28th at 10:30
On Sunday, June 28th, Pamela Greinke,
Founder and Executive Director of Hope and Resilience Long Island (HARLI),
will join us to share the work her organization does for survivors of domestic violence,
sexual assault, and human trafficking on the East End of Long Island.
With 17 years of experience in the field and roots in the Unitarian Universalist tradition,
Pamela's presentation will explore what independence and freedom truly mean for survivors,
and how HARLI's trauma-informed services help individuals reclaim their safety, dignity, and future.
Join us for this meaningful service about independence, just days before the Fourth of July.
Video archive of this service here:
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“My Country Tis of Thee”
by
Rev. Ben Bortin
June 14th at 10:30
The United States is not as old as the
Jamesport Meeting House.
But two and a half centuries is still quite a milestone
for our bold experiment known as
democratic governance.
As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday,
for what are we rightfully grateful,
and where have we fallen short,
sometimes woefully short?
Video Archive of this service here:
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“A Memorial Day Service”
by
The Worship Committee
May 24th at 10:30
"Remember Us"
A Memorial Day Service offered by the
NFUUF Worship Committee
With excerpts from sermons
by Rev Dr Daniel Kantor &
NFUUF minister Rev Ben Bortin
"They say: We leave you our deaths.
Give them their meaning"
(from The Young Dead Soldiers
by Archibald MacLeish)
Video archive of this service here:
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“Parenting - and the Parent Within”
(a Mother's Day service)
Rev. Ben Bortin
May 10th at 10:30
There is little in this life more endearing than a parent,
male or female, offering love for a child.
We rightfully celebrate that,
at the same time that we must admit,
to paraphrase the Steve Martin movie
“Parenthood,” that life can be messy.
Is there a parent within each of us?
I’d suggest that there is.
Video archive of this service here:
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“We Have the Whole World in our Hands”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Apr 26th at 10:30
We just saw extraordinary photographs of our world,
thanks to Artemis II. But this irreplaceable
world is as fragile as it is precious.
We should savor it, and at the same time, save it,
for all its inhabitants, and for generations to come.
Video archive of this service here:
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“Islam and Islamophobia”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Apr 12th at 10:30
A large and important religious tradition,
Islam has frequently been misunderstood, particularly in the west .
It has also been a common target of hostility in this country,
including recently from people in high places.
Attempting to be fair-minded, a brief look at the enormous religious
and cultural contribution of Islam.
Video archive of this service here:
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“The Promise of Passover, Easter, and Spring”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Mar 22nd at 10:30
Each of these events offer a message to humanity
that transcends religious and cultural boundaries -
namely the triumph of hope in the face of adversity.
(Yes, winter, this year, for some, represented adversity!)
A celebration of each version of hope.
Video archive of this service here:
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“Attention as a Spiritual Practice”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Mar 8th at 10:30
The great psychologist and philosopher,
William James,
wrote that we are what we experience,
and we experience what we attend to...",
in other words, that to which we pay attention.
What goes into the spiritual practice of attention?
Video archive of this service here:
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“An American Moses - Harriet Tubman”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Feb 22 at 10:30
A woman who could not read or write,
someone who suffered from serious physical injuries,
Harriet Tubman successfully escaped enslavement,
then came back to rescue seventy others.
As we celebrate Black History month,
a look at an exceptional profile in courage.
Archive of this service here:
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“What is this Thing called Love?”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Feb 8 at 10:30
That’s what Ella Fitzgerald asked in her famous song.
My answer, as I say in wedding ceremonies,
is that it’s humanity’s greatest achievement,
and life’s most precious gift.
It is also central to our values as Unitarian Universalists.
Video archive of this service here:
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“One Unitarian Universalist’s View of the Bible”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Jan 25 at 10:30
Millions of Americans believe that every line of the
Bible is infallibly correct and written by God.
Others dismiss the Bible as a collection of
superstitions and useless pieties.
My perspective is decidedly different from both of those outlooks.
Video archive of this service here:
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“The Lasting Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Rev. Ben Bortin
Jan 11 at 10:30
Apostle of nonviolence, eloquent orator, deep thinker,
and leader of one of the greatest movements for justice in history,
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to be, more than fifty
years after his death, an inspiration to the country and the world.
Looking at racial justice in particular, what would be his
reaction to the present state of things in America?
Video archive of this service here:
https://youtu.be/WOImTuXr8hs
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