09/04/2024 by Rev. Carter Smith

Blessing It All

This year seems to mark the threshold in my life where everyone around me seems to be getting married, and I could not be more thrilled. While I’m (thankfully) not being asked to officiate them all, I am getting to have so many conversations with loved ones about ritual. For many people in our increasingly secular world, marriage ceremonies are a central and primary form of ritual in their lives. More and more, I see couples aware that their wedding is a place to honor their transformation from individuals into a family, and they are putting care into crafting rituals

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09/03/2024 by Rev. Carter Smith

Introducing Confluence

Confluence, as defined by Merriam-Webster: 1: a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point 2: the place of meeting of two or more streams Inspired by the UU water communion tradition of bringing water together at our Ingathering service, our worship theme for the the 24-25 church year is Confluence. I believe this is a beautiful metaphor for our community, which is a place where we come together out of our disparate life experiences, where we choose to meet and flow together. If we aspire to be like water, we should always be moving and changing from

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08/28/2024 by Rev. Carter Smith

Ingathering Invitation

In just over a week, we Westsiders will be gathering for our annual Ingathering service and social hour. As this marks the start of my second full year as minister in this community, this is a special occasion that I am really looking forward to. Whether or not we took time away for the summer, we will get to greet one another anew. Those of us in leadership roles and on volunteer teams will get to check in with one another after some well-deserved rest. And, there will inevitably be new faces to welcome in: folks who met us at

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03/06/2024 by Rev. Carter Smith

Happy Anniversary, Westside!

In march of 2023, one year ago you all welcomed me into your community. And what a year it’s been! It’s tempting to use this kind of platform to hype up the community and name all the hard work folks have put in to make this past year go well. I could talk about the strong worship team who is dedicated and thoughtful in crafting meaningful services that ground us on Sunday mornings. Or all the ways people in this community have shown up for and let themselves be changed by learning Nonviolent Communication and engaging in Right Relations work.

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12/26/2023 by Rev. Carter Smith

Advent Week 4: Love

Okay, the timing of these blog posts doesn’t neatly align with the Sundays of Advent, so you’re reading this a few days after Christmas. Christmas has come and gone, and in this last week, we reflect on the theme of Love. Those of us lucky to experience deep love in our lives also know that it comes with equal parts pain and loss. And yet, our inner knowing pushes us to love anyway. Unitarian minister, Forrest Church, writes: “Whenever we give our hearts in love, the burden of our vulnerability grows. We risk being rebuffed or embarrassed or inadequate. Beyond

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12/19/2023 by Rev. Carter Smith

Advent Week 3: Joy

Week three is the week of the pink candle! From what I’ve gleaned from searching on the internet, the other candles on the advent wreath are used to symbolize the contemplative nature of this season, and pink is for the irresistible breaking through, bubbling up of joy. Joy is one of those feelings that is easier to stumble into than it is to cultivate. There are times when it takes us by surprise and takes us over. All we have to do is be open to it. There is a moment in my life that I remember as being the

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12/13/2023 by Rev. Carter Smith

Advent Week 2: Peace

While violence of many kinds can feel like a normal part of this human existence, these days of war we live in serve as a tragic reminder of the extreme violence humans are capable of. The second advent candle represents Peace, which feels especially needed this year. Advent is a practice that helps us mark this season of waiting, helps us to understand that all we are waiting for is already being cultivated within us. Are we living in a way that cultivates peace? What would it mean to do that? The great prophets of our world say that peace

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12/06/2023 by Rev. Carter Smith

Advent Week 1: Hope

As we enter December and approach the darkest nights of the year, let us turn towards each other. In anticipation of my first holiday season with Westside, I look forward to the many opportunities we’ll have to be present with each other in both celebration and the complexity that comes with these days. In conversations with staff, worship leaders, and other community members, I am beginning to understand that this congregation has a lot of diversity in our relationship to this season and what practices are most meaningful for us. As we move through this time, I invite you to

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11/16/2023 by Rev. Carter Smith

Where We Are Being Called – Rev. Carter Smith

It has been more than a month now that we citizens of the world have been witness to the unprecedented unfolding of violence in Israel and Gaza. I am sure that each of us has stories to tell about the way these events have impacted us personally. For my part, a friend shared the news of the October 7th attacks she was getting live via text messages from her sister and Israeli brother-in-law who were visiting family in Tel Aviv. We didn’t know much that morning,  but we experienced the fear of not knowing how her family was going to

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10/25/2023 by Rev. Carter Smith

October Recap & Introducing the Committee on Ministry

Thanks, everyone for another great month at Westside. In worship, we focused on the theme of “Relationship,” which led to such beautiful and gratifying programs. Many thanks to all who kicked off October at the Community Connections Retreat, both organizers and attendees. I was so impressed by the number of people who dedicated so many hours on a beautiful fall weekend to be together and learn about how to navigate conflict with more care and intention. With Lisa Reitzes’ leadership, Deb Dahrling of PFLAG and Scott Farrell helped us to honor National Coming Out Day with their stories. It is

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