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Unitarian Universalism affirms that inspiration and meaning may be found in many sources, including experience, history, and religious tradition.

The Unitarian Universalist faith draws from six sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold 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.

- from the UUA

Introducing:
The Reverend Kathryn L. Ellis

Hi, I'm Kathy and I'm Consulting Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration. It’s great to be serving this historic, multi-cultural congregation. I lead worship with this community, listen to its people and help facilitate spiritual growth. I believe that religious communities exist to help people to grow spiritually, to transform lives and to work to transform the world. I love to see people become more themselves, know themselves more fully and joyfully use their gifts to serve the wider community. Helping people to connect more deeply with each other and to create authentic community are great joys.

THE BASICS: My husband, Rick, and I live in Carlisle, PA where he is the Director of Financial Aid at Dickinson College. We have lived most of our lives in Pennsylvania except for an 8 year visit to West Virginia where our one daughter, Jessica, was born. She and her husband, Scott, live a few miles down the road. I love that they have independent lives and that we can still see them often. Rick and I met while we worked the night shift at a mental health facility. We spent a lot of time talking before we ever went out! We started playing Scrabble together on some quiet shifts and we still play together. It can still amaze me that we’ve been married since 1977. Our current pets are mother and daughter cats, Annie and Harry. I was raised mostly unchurched, but I think I always responded to spirit and the mystery. Before joining a Unitarian Universalist congregation, Rick and I attended an unprogrammed Quaker meeting for about 10 years.

I am thrilled to be ministering at Restoration. Before the ministry, my career was as a psychologist. While preparing for the ordained ministry, I worked for WellSprings Congregation in Exton, PA as the Director of Leadership and Spiritual Development. It was a great experience in a new and growing Unitarian Universalist community. I also served as intern minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York, PA.

EDUCATION:

M.Div from Meadville-Lombard Theological School Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology from West Virginia University M.S. in Community Counseling from Shippensburg State College B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh

INTERESTS AND FAVORITES

PLACES: I love lots of places! Some of them: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Mt. Rainer, Washington, the Oregon Coast, the Maine Coast. Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania. I love both the ocean and the mountains. When they are together in one place, Wow!

WHAT'S ON YOUR iPod: Richard Thompson, Emmy Lou Harris, k.d. lang, Moxy Fruvous, Lyle Lovett, Paul Simon, and The Old 97s. Oh, and Bela Fleck and Lucinda Williams. Also Bill Evans piano jazz. Yoyo Ma’s Silk Road Journeys. I like lots of kinds of music.

BOOKS: I love reading lots of things. Books on congregational growth and leadership. Spirituality and theology, recently Rebecca Parker and John Buehrens A House for Hope. Rebecca Parker and Rita Nakashima Brock Saving Paradise. Recent escapist fiction: the satirical fantasy of Terry Pratchett.

WHAT DO YOU TiVo: Ok, I don’t TiVo. But I’m really not a Luddite. If I did: Big Love, Doctor Who, Caprica and The Daily Show.

HOBBIES: Traveling, camping, and weaving. Art. Folk Festivals. Visiting museums, gardens, and good ethnic restaurants. Playing board games with family and friends. Hanging out and talking. I love yoga, bicycling, canoeing, and hiking.

DISLIKES: The misuse of the words "less" and "fewer". Hey, I don’t know why, it just bothers me. Folks screaming and cursing at others especially children.

ODD FACT: I have spilled coffee on the ceiling. Twice.

FAVORITE SPIRITUAL SOURCE: The poetry of Hafiz, a 14th century Sufi lover of God. Poetry of the mystics of various traditions.

Feel free to Kathy with any questions you may have.

 

The Ordination Ceremony for Rev. Ellis

Below are photos from the Ceremony of Ordination at the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg.

Left to right: The Rev. Libby Smith tells a story for all ages, The Rev. Renjilian presents the Charge to Kathryn Ellis, The Rev. Nathan Walker leads the prayer concluding the Ordination Ritual.