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As a little girl growing up outside Philadelphia, the Rev. Meg Barnhouse loved coming to Lancaster County with her father.
What she remembers most, Barnhouse said, was seeing Amish clotheslines during those country drives with her dad — and, of course, eating shoofly pie.
Years later, Barnhouse is returning to the area, this time as a nationally known Unitarian Universalist minister. Barnhouse will preach at a 10 a.m. service Sunday, Oct. 4, at the McCaskey East High School auditorium as part of the denomination's observance of Central Pennsylvania "Association Sunday."
Interwoven with songs and story-telling, her sermon will focus on the importance of coming together as a community and appreciating each other's differences.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster is hosting Barnhouse's visit, and welcoming seven other Unitarian congregations at the service.
Association Sunday is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, and the Lancaster gathering is the only instance in the country of multiple Unitarian churches worshiping together, said Becky Bittle, co-chair of the event and member of the Lancaster Unitarian church.
The seven congregations are from State College, Boiling Springs, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Northumberland, Reading and York, Bittle said.
Last year, the inaugural Central Pennsylvania Association Sunday observance, held in Harrisburg, drew more than 600 people.
The local theme for this year's Association Sunday is "Standing on the Side of Love," which is a public advocacy campaign of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Bittle said.
The goal is to promote the inherent dignity and worth of every human being, she said.
Barnhouse was recruited to preach on Association Sunday because, Bittle said, "she can really touch people with her message.
"She's sort of a rock-star minister," Bittle said.
The service at McCaskey East is free and open to the public.
Barnhouse is an author, musician, humorist, and former commentator on the North Carolina public radio program "Radio Free Bubba." She's currently interim pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, N.J.
In a phone interview last week, Barnhouse said she will talk about how everyone has a piece of wisdom to share.
And together, those pieces form a mosaic, she said.
Barnhouse said she'll also tell stories from her books and sing songs she's written, including "Mango Thoughts in a Meatloaf Town."
"We'll all have a little fun," she said.
Unitarian Universalism doesn't have an official creed, Barnhouse explained, so the church "is a place where people are encouraged and supported in finding their own spiritual path.
"That's why I like the mosaic image," Barnhouse said.
Jo-Ann Copp, a member of the Lancaster congregation, said she's a big fan of Barnhouse and has turned people on to her books.
When she found out Barnhouse was coming to Lancaster, Copp said, "I practically jumped out of my chair."
"She's a great entertainer, and she's very down to earth," Copp said.
"She's very cool."
Barnhouse also will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Chestnut Street Coffeehouse at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, 538 W. Chestnut St. Tickets are $10 and can be picked up at the church. For more information on the Association Sunday service and Barnhouse's coffehouse appearance, call the church at 393-1733.
Paula Wolf is a staff writer for the Sunday News. She can be reached by e-mail at pwolf@lnpnews.com.
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