In her poem, entitled “Otherwise,” the poet Jane Kenyon reflects on her blessings: “I got out of bed on two strong legs. It might have been otherwise. I ate cereal, sweet milk, ripe, flawless peach. It might have been otherwise. I took the dog uphill to the birch wood. All morning I did the work … Continue reading Otherwise: A Sermon Towards Gratitude
Watch the service HERE. Listening is complex, requiring keeping our mouths shut, feeding back what we hear, and asking deepening questions. It also requires stillness. What is this stillness, and how do we use it in the service of being more present to others? Rev. Barbara Stevens preaching, with Worship Leader Jan Apland-Curtis. Music from … Continue reading Listening Out of Stillness
Watch the service HERE. As Easter and Ramadan converge (and with Passover on the horizon), 2024 offers us a valuable opportunity to practice a “free and responsible search for Holy Week.” What is the common thread in the Abrahamic faiths (and in our own tradition) that lifts up universal love and “salvation” in ways that … Continue reading The Paradoxical Commandments – Love Them Anyway
Watch the service HERE. You’ve seen them everywhere – at peace rallies and Pride marches, in our pulpit and on members of the choir, on our children and our elders, at General Assembly – those vivid gold T-shirts radiating the phrase: “Side With Love.” For Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, we’ll explore the origins and … Continue reading Here Come the Love People
Watch the service HERE. Come unwrap the gifts of words, music and community on Christmas Eve! We’ll gather for one family-friendly service at 4:00pm. Readings, reflections, carols, candlelight, and our Eastrose choir singing a marvelous selection of pieces, under the direction of Mary Reese. Led by Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, with Worship Associates and Tara Toler.
Watch the service HERE. At the UUA General Assembly the 1986 Ware Lecturer Kurt Vonnegut drew a distinction between love and respect. He said that one day his wife told him she did not love him. That is normal, Vonnegut noted. Then he said, “If she had wanted to terminate the marriage, to carry it … Continue reading Respecting Love and Loving Respect
Watch the service HERE. Finding our humanity in our personal, familial and societal history… this is our charge that we may learn from the past about what we are made of, how our struggles shape us, and how we can learn to love each other. Ryan and Deanna Hall live in Sandy, Oregon with their … Continue reading Finding Humanity in Our History
View the service HERE. Family caregiving can feel all encompassing, as it often meets the extremes of challenge and meaning simultaneously. Priya is the biggest fan of caregivers. She’ll speak from a personal and professional lens. She’ll share about care and giving as concepts, the top three lessons she’s learned, and a couple of different … Continue reading Caregiving: Braving The Bold And Treasuring The Risk
Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita, Paulann Petersen, will talk about how poetry can help us grapple with the crises and catastrophes that seem to be daily occurrences now.
