February 15

The Minneapolis Services #3: “Love’s Radical Call”

We talk a lot about love these days—but what does it mean to practice love as a spiritual discipline that demands real change? Our Universalist heritage invites us to claim love not as sentiment, but as transformation—especially in times like these. Rev. Jason reflects on his experiences with clergy from multiple traditions and communities of faith doing on-the-ground work in Minneapolis. Join us for a participatory service in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Jason Cook

February 22

Centering Love: Immigrants, Black Faith, and the Soul of Unitarian Universalism

In a time of rising anti-Blackness, anti-Brown, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and growing pressure to conform, this service calls Unitarian Universalists back to the heart of our faith: love made visible through justice, courage, and community. Drawing on the legacy of Jamaican-born Unitarian minister Egbert Ethelred Brown, the prophetic ministry of Rev. Dr. Hope Johnson, and the enduring contributions of Black UUs across generations, this sermon lifts up the immigrant roots of our faith and our nation. Together, we will celebrate heroes and sheroes, honor the ancestors, and recommit ourselves to a Unitarian Universalism that centers love boldly, globally, and without apology. Bio: Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey is a Unitarian Universalist minister, chaplain, pastoral counselor, and life coach whose ministry spans more than three decades. Over the course of his vocation, he has served in thirteen Unitarian Universalist congregations and ministries, offering leadership in worship, pastoral care, justice work, and spiritual formation. His professional roles include Director of Pastoral Care, hospital and community chaplaincy, and more than twenty years as camp chaplain for a UU Religious Education camp, where generations of youth and adults experienced faith rooted in belonging, courage, and joy. Rev. Bailey's ministry is shaped by a deep commitment to love as a spiritual practice and justice as a moral imperative. Drawing from Black and immigrant UU history, interfaith wisdom, and lived experience, he invites communities to embody Unitarian Universalism in ways that are compassionate, accountable, and boldly inclusive. Beyond the pulpit, he is known as a devoted father and grandfather, a loving spouse, a sibling, cousin, neighbor, and a friend to all—bringing relational presence and pastoral depth into every space he serves.

Speaker: Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey