Reverend Holly Baylies’ past sermons are available for you to read below.

The Faith of the Atheist
May 19
How can an atheist consider him or herself a spiritual person, attend any church, reconcile the wonders of creation, the universe, the miracle of all life without a believe in something greater than ourselves? Holly will tackle this age old controversy in her sermon “The Faith of an Atheist”.

Hidden Identities
May 5
There are so many ways we find to claim our own identities and separate ourselves from others as unique individuals. Clubs, organizations and churches name a few but there is another way, highly personal that I will discuss, that just may surprise you!

Easter Sunday Order of Service and Sermon
March 31

Life Lessons from Palm Sunday
March 24
Although Palm Sunday is not considered a ‘High Holy Day” among UU circles, there emerges a full range of life experiences and emotions in that one week from Jesus entry into Jerusalem to his demise on Easter Sunday. The sermon will explore that range as it applies in modern times.

Suffering, Humor and Grey Poupon
March 3
None of us are strangers to suffering, some more than others however, there are ways to deal with the aftermath of a tragedy that some have found very enlightening, ways to cope with the unexpected that soften the edges.

The Seven Deadly Blessings
March 10
Most Western Religious Traditions have adopted the Ten Commandments as a guideline for moral and ethical behaviors. They were very pertinent for the times, considered revolutionary and even shocking for some. Our mainline faith communities have adopted them, used them openly and never considered how they would read were they be revised if they were to be viewed from a 21st century point of view.

The Inner Reaches of Outer Space
February 24
Based upon the astute observations made by Joseph Campbell in his book by the same title, Campbell carries his observations on the myths in our spiritual and daily lives into the 21st century. This sermon will explore how we form our images of the divine in our lives and what the religiously taught and the atheist have in common.

Preachers. Props, and Prophets
February 3
My days at the gathering of “The Fraters of the Wayside Inn,” yielded some interesting observations about ministry and congregations as we shared our concerns and solutions in an age where a minister sermonizing from a pulpit is not enough to entice newcomers or to grow a congregation. This Sunday I will present some thoughts and concerns about how we express our faith in the realm of a fast moving and impatient world.

Standing on the Side of Love – The Whole Story
January 13
We have always equated the UUA slogan for social action as the property of the GLBT movement, which has done so much to bring equal rights to our GLBT community. There are other components to this landmark signature of UU values, that are equally as important, which I will bring to light in my sermon, ”Standing on the Side of Love – The Whole Story”.

Epiphanies and Kangaroos
January 6
The word, epiphany, equated with the alleged arrival of the Wise men to Bethlehem, the term also has another definition; “ a sudden striking understanding of something.” (Oxford Dictionary, hard copy not internet!)  One never knows where, when or what will produce an epiphany. Mine came while visiting family over the holidays and it had to do with the actions of a single kangaroo…as I said one never knows from whence it comes!

When The Light Fades
December 9
This is the season of light for our Jewish Neighbors, celebrating Hanukkah which begins at sundown on Saturday, and for Christians lighting their Advent candles. It is also a time when the meaning of our holidays takes on a different, more current reality as our own experiences enhances our understanding of how we manage to go on when our light fades…

To Whom It May Concern
November 18
UU’s can be pretty gun shy when it comes to prayer. Our ambivalence in defining how we pray or to whom, if it all, raised some interesting issues and possibilities for addressing our deepest wishes, concerns and events in our life, both the explained and the unexplainable.

Remembrance Sunday
November 11 
As our holiday season approaches on this Veteran’s Day it is also a time to remember those we have loved and lost, and to give thanks for the meaning the living of their lives gave our own.

Music and Readings from the Susquehanna String Band service
October 14

Passion Politics and the Pulpit
October 7
We have always granted our ministers freedom of the pulpit. However, this Sunday the “Alliance Defending Freedom” is sponsoring a different version of Freedom of the Pulpit than we understand it to be and I quote:

“The future of religious freedom depends on a free pulpit to communicate fundamental, biblical principles to congregations across America. Join a growing movement of bold pastors preaching biblical Truth about candidates and elections from their pulpits on October 7, 2012.”

As Unitarian Universalists we need address this growing movement and to consider our own position as this election year comes to a close.

Forgiveness- A UU Perspective
September 23
In these Days of Awe when our Jewish neighbors are celebrating their high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it behooves us to take a look at our own teachings about Forgiveness, as Unitarian Universalists, and how it works in our lives.

The Ten Days of Awe
September 16
Encompasses the span from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days in which their new year is heralded in with the blowing of the Shofar. We will examine the meaning of Rosh Hashanah which is a far cry from our own tradition of creating resolutions on January 1st!