Rev. Julia Corbett-Hemeyer is an ordained interfaith minister and a lay member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie, Indiana. She describes herself as a Buddhist/Unitarian Universalist/Humanist religious mutt. She is an author, retired world religions professor, part-time hospital chaplain, workshop presenter, meditation teacher, poet, and served as member of sabbatical interim ministry team for the Muncie congregation. She has a current vita available for those who are interested.
Sunday morning services: Various topics, psychologically informed and informed by both Buddhist and interfaith sensibilities; prefer to develop entire service but willing to do sermon only, enjoy working with a worship associate. Recent topics have included
- dealing with death--finding comfort and hope in the face of loss
- the making of poetry—why we’re all poets and what that means
- reflections on T.S. Eliot’s poetry—selected passages from the “Four Quartets”
- radical acceptance—based on Tara Brach’s work
- meditation—what, why, how—a basic introduction to the practice
- metta [loving kindness] meditation—the Buddhist classic, adaptable to any tradition, includes a short practice session
- Tikkun—to repair the world—each of our unique gifts is equally important
- showing up for our lives—the art of being truly present for what’s happening
- life’s defining moments—change, transition, and becoming who we are by working consciously with the changes that will happen anyway
- the gifts of aging—as with fine wine and good cheese, human aging has its benefits
- these are a few of my favorite things—reflections on some of my favorite quotations
- I’m quite open to other possibilities
Rites of Passage and Other Ceremonies: weddings, holy union/commitment ceremonies, funerals/memorial services, pet memorials, baby dedications and naming, rituals for other personal occasions such as divorces, house blessings, other significant life transitions
Other Presentations:
- Basic informational presentation on childhood sexual abuse and healing
- The Poetry of Pain and Healing, a performance piece using original poetry to help people grasp what childhood sexual abuse means and how healing happens
- Presentation of my own story as it weaves together the themes of childhood sexual abuse and Unitarian Universalism by way of an abortive attempt at being Christian with what I learned along the way (can do as sermon, “Sexual Abuse, God the Father, and Me”)
- Presentation for laypeople on caring for adults healing from childhood sexual abuse
- Sunday morning service plus afternoon meditation workshop combo
- “Pastoral Care with Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors: Practices for Reclaiming Our Souls, A Workshop for Pastoral Counselors, Chaplains, and Others,” a daylong workshop initially presented for the Association of Professional Chaplains national conference, 2006
- One day (morning and afternoon) introduction to meditation workshop
- Basic presentation on Buddhism, distinctive beliefs and practices
Availability: Prefers to travel in spring, summer and fall, within 60 miles of Columbus. This is negotiable, especially for longer programs.
Fee arrangements: According to UUMA guidelines (see the introduction page for this rate scale). Home hospitality will be needed on Saturday night when the location is a long distance from Columbus, OH.
Contact: Email Rev. Julia Corbett-Hemeyer at juliahemeyer at comcast.net
