Join us on Sunday, August 3rd at 10:30 am with beloved guest speaker Rev. Barbara Williams. Rev. Barbara's lesson this Sunday will be on "Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times." Christine Mariani will be bringing her angelic voice lifted up in song to accompany this service! Rev. Barbara will also be offering a spiritual enrichment book study class after service on this amazing book by Gregory Boyle.
How would our world expand in love, connection and commitment if we knew we knew we are cherished and that we belong? And wonder if we then extended that cherishing and belonging to family and friends. Over the past thirty years, Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest and author of the book Cherished Belonging, has transformed tens of thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention program in the world. The program runs on two unwavering principles:
- We are all inherently good (no exceptions), and
- we belong to each other (no exceptions).
Boyle believes that these two ideas allow all of us to cultivate a new way of seeing the world. Rather than the tribalism that excludes and punishes, this new narrative proposes a village that cherishes. On Sunday I will share Father Boyle's colorful and profound stories brimming with wisdom, humor, and inspiration.
About Rev. Barbara:
Rev. Barbara Williams has coordinated Unity’s summer program at Chautauqua Institution since 2018. She retired as the senior minister of Unity of Port Richey, Florida in 2016. She also served as Director of Adult Education and Director of Youth and Family Ministry for First Unity Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prior to her ministry career, Barbara spent twenty-one years in the corporate world where she held positions of leadership in the Information Technology department of Duke Power.
Barbara has presented classes and workshops on Bible history and interpretation, compassionate communication and conflict resolution skills, self-discovery, world religions and parenting skills. Her passion is to support and empower others as they uncover their divine essence. Barbara is a majorette in the Second Time Arounders adult marching band, performing locally as well as in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and St. Patrick's Day parade in Ireland. She lives in Clearwater with her husband Dusty and their rescue puppy Sandra Dee.
