Giving Thanks in a Liminal Season
How do we give thanks around the meal table or church that can be inclusive and not exclusive.
Continue readingMonuments to War and Peace: A Century after The War to End all Wars
Today is the centennial of Armistice Day, the end of World War I. How do we of the early 21st century consider what peace might look like today? This is a service with participation, some music, and even some monuments.
Continue readingMoving Beyond Passive Faith
A sermon on a practical application of faith in an unjust world.
Continue reading“The Tao te Ching: Chapter 67”
This is a service purchased by a member of Westside. They wanted us to explore the beauty and wisdom of the ancient Chinese classic “The Tao te Ching” from the 3rd century before common era. What is special about Chapter 67 that may be meaningful today, 2300 years later?
Continue readingWhat Will You Risk for This Grace? A Praise Service
“We are on a journey toward redemption. We have lived a year filled with lamentation… with the strength of generations, the failures of the every day, and the deep down gritty messiness that is the promise of our salvation. There is inherent goodness that exist between and among us. I want to honor the weary, ragged miracle that is our living tradition.” ~Rev. Sofia Betancourt Our Service Theme this year is inspired by the words of the Reverend Sofia Betancourt in her Address to the Faithful during the Service of the Living Tradition at 2018 GA. WSUU’s Praise Service Team will be exploring themes of Fortitude,
Continue readingFilling Your Own Cup of Love: The Hard Work of Self-Love and Self-Care
We often find ourselves conditioned to seek outside validation for our self-worth. Other people’s opinions and praise of us is cherished more than our own. We become emotional pan-handlers, asking others to fill our cups because we can’t seem to fill our own. What if, instead, we lived lives of radical self-acceptance, making self-love a spiritual practice and daily exercise?
Continue readingFinding Joy Among the Sorrows: The Value of Small Group Ministry
Isolation is one of the subtle dangers in our lives as we stare at computer screens and call that life. Why and how is it a beneficial spiritual practice to be in a small group that can be the congregation on days other than Sundays?
Continue readingThree Labor Stories
Labor Day has come to be celebrated mostly as a 3-day weekend. What does this holiday truly mean for us about the power of people in history and now?
Continue readingThe ‘S’ Words: An Occasional Series. Recreating Sabbath Time in our Lives
We UU folks have some words that may make us uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. Some of those words begin with “S.” Given how intense our lives can be, we will explore ways to recreate Sabbath time without guilt.
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