The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will meet at the Tryon Youth Center on Rt. 176 N on May 12 at 10:30 a.m.

The speaker will be Reverend Jean Rowe who will speak on the topic, “Thank God I’m a Unitarian Universalist.”

“The other day, while on a mountain hike, observing trillium and wild geraniums, foam flower and breathtaking mountain views, I had an epiphany – an appearance of God. It was as if the divine breathed through the beauty of the world, touching it with holiness.

In the midst of this holiness came a religious teacher, not confirming the blessedness of the day, but telling his students that all this will be wiped out in the coming end of the world, and they would be damned to eternal hell if they didn’t believe as he taught them,” Rowe said.

It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t true. But these shining teens listened politely to their teacher’s gruesome description of the end times, and acted as if it was old news to them. I, however, was appalled at this blatant perversion of the gift of the world’s great beauty. Such is the religious difference between Universalism with its message of mercy and hope, and some darker version of religious ‘truth.’”

Come early for fellowship, refreshments and preparation for the service. For information, call 828-894-5776 or visit uutryonnc.org.

– article submitted by Dan Dworkin