The Rev. Lori Whittemore will provide the reflection "Seeking Asylum" at this Sunday's service at Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Porter Meeting Hall at Skidompha Library, Damariscotta. Everyone is always welcome to attend service every Sunday.

The Abbey of HOPE is an interfaith cooperation circle that gathers people of diverse faiths, beliefs and spirituality to promote dialog, encourage cooperation, and facilitate compassionate action.

Rev. Whittemore, M.Div., BCCC, BCPC, received her call to ministry after retiring from the federal government, working for 15 years of service as a contracting officer for the General Services Administration. While attending Bangor Theological Seminary, she understood her call to be non-conventional in that her call was to ordained ministry in alternative settings. She explored this by participating in a number of external programs such as a Missional Ministry Institute through Disciples of Christ National Headquarters, a program that helps ministers and seminary students connect with and/or create mission ministries in needed areas.

She went on to study Chaplaincy and was ordained by Chaplaincy Institute of Maine in 2014. Rev. Lori completed her Clinical Pastoral Training and was certified as a Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor in 2015. She is the founder and director of Abbey of HOPE (hands of peace extended), an interfaith cooperation circle which is the home of CPTCSM-Clinical Pastoral Training Center of Southern Maine, where she offers clinical pastoral training in the CPSP (college of pastoral supervision and psychotherapy) modality. She has a passionate call to form, nurture an grow inclusive, interfaith community.