The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winona (UUFW)

Services Sunday 10 am  For audios of previous services, click HERE
Guild Hall of Wesley United Methodist Church
114 W. Broadway, Winona, Minnesota

Theme Two: What is Spirituality? / Expressing our Hearts through the Arts.

03/30/2025  Title/topic: Humor Sunday: : Life Lessons Learned from Improv

Presenter: Emily Ruff; Coordinator: Emilie Falc

Like robbing a bank or living a meaningful life, improv comedy requires you to be present, make active choices, and accept and build on what is given to you. In this talk, I will explain how to rob a bank. Just kidding! This talk is about improv. The lessons I’ve learned doing improv shape how I live my life and how I react to gifts and setbacks. I hope you enjoy this talk and learn to rob a bank of your very own.

BIO: Emily Ruff is an associate professor of Biochemistry at Winona State University. She’s had a lot of hobbies, including doing improv comedy for four years in college, two years with Atlas Improv Company in Madison, WI, and another year with a group called Gary in Minneapolis.

04/06/2025 Title: The Natural World/ Renewal 

Presenter: Nicky Buck:  Coordinator: Ruth Charles

Learning and understanding about the natural world through a Dakota perspective rooted in spirituality and driven by our connection to the land and water, plants and trees, four legged, two legged (human being are a part of this category), flyers, swimmers, pollinators, ALL living thing and in right relationship with the ones that have walked on before us, our ancestors.

Born and raised on Prairie Island Indian Community, I learned about traditional ecological knowledge from my Deksi/ Uncle Art Owen.  As an accomplished and energetic community engagement coordinator with recognized achievements in bridging communities in a manner that honors and respects all living and non-living beings through land-based practices centered in a Dakota way of life.

04/13/2025  Title: The Spirituality of Shared Values

Presenter: Phil Lund:  Coordinator: Dwayne Voegeli

Description:   Values are an important part of an individual’s spirituality.  They guide our actions and give meaning to our lives.  The same is true for our communal spirituality.  The values we share as a religious community help us answer such important questions as: “Who are we?” “Who are our neighbors?” and “What are we called to do?”  This morning we’ll explore how resources like the traditional Seven Principles and the more recent Shared Values can help deepen our individual and communal spirituality. 

Bio: Phillip Lund has over twenty years’ experience serving congregations in the areas of faith formation and spiritual grown, first as a religious education in Bloomington, Indiana, New York City, Chicago, Illinois, and most recently as a congregational life consultant working for the MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association.  He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago and a certificate in InterSpiritual Counseling from One Spirit Learning Alliance in New York.  Phil is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

04/20/2025  Title: One Gardener’s Journey

Presenter: Kathy Seifert: Coordinator: Emilie Falc

The very first Earth Day was April 20, 1970–something that was a big event for Kathy and her fellow 3rd graders. Even though she was influenced by wonderful teachers and had countless experiences in the natural world to develop a deep appreciation for plants and flowers, for years she had very little luck growing anything on her own until–she did.

Originally from SE Wisconsin, Kathy has been living in Winona since 1985. She is newly retired from a career as a Clinical Social Worker and has been a daughter, a wife, and a mother. She’s been a member of UUFW for 25+ years. In addition to gardening in the warmer months, she enjoys quilt making and other fiber crafts in the colder months. She is also an avid camper and hiker and she and husband, Bob, are on a mission to visit as many National Parks as possible before their bodies wear out!

04/27/2025  Title: Interfaith Commitment to Immigrant Justice

Presenter: Phil Wheeler:  Coordinator: Debi Niebuhr

Southeastern Minnesota Interfaith Immigrant Legal Defense (smiild.org) is one among several faith-based responses to ongoing threats to immigrant justice. We’ll discuss these responses, what’s been happening recently, the value of multiple ways of responding, and why our faith compels us to respond.

Phil Wheeler and his wife Sue have lived in Rochester since 1976, where they reared their two sons, both of whom are progressive. They have a granddaughter who just turned 9 and is also progressive. Phil helped found and is current Chair of SMIILD.

                    The Sources of Our Living Tradition

                    life.

Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and
structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love.
Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.
Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our
neighbors as ourselves.
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of
science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and
instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

LAKOTA PRAYER
TEACH ME how to trust my heart,
My mind, my intuition, my inner knowing,
The sense of my body and
The blessings of my spirit.
TEACH ME to trust these things
So that I may enter my sacred space
And LOVE beyond my fear
And thus WALK IN BALANCE
With the passing of each glorious sun.