Sermon Archive

Collective and Personal Grief: Imperative Self-care and Supporting One Another

Suddenly grief is everywhere, every day and it is both personal and collective. What are some of the impacts of all this grief? How do we carry on through it?  How can we continue to show up for ourselves and others?

Nani Waddoups is a licensed professional therapist specializing in grief and transitions. She has worked with The Dougy Center for Children and Families who are grieving, and has a private practice in Portland, Oregon.

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Date: 
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200809nadigrief.mp3

Soul Circle: The Whirlwind Moment of 2020

Service led by Wy'east Members & Friends

In this time of physical distancing, we continue seeking new ways to foster community and learn with one another. For our second participatory "Soul Circle" service, based on the small group ministry concept of Chalice Circles, we will all have the opportunity to reflect and share deeply in small groups. We'll explore our experience of being in this "whirlwind moment." 

There are a lot of changes happening right now in our lives: all around us, and inside us. What have you been thinking and feeling about these changes? What actions are you taking or do you want to take in your life as a result? What practices are helping or could help keep you grounded in the midst of the whirlwind?

We will begin with an introduction to the topic and some guidelines, followed by a time of meditation. We'll then break into circles of 4 to 5 people, each with a volunteer leader who will facilitate our sharing on the topic.  We'll come back together again for Joys and Sorrows to conclude the service.

This is a participatory service so a recording will not be available.

Join Our Zoom Virtual Service

https://zoom.us/j/275194110

Meeting ID: 275 194 110

By phone: 669-900-6833

 

Date: 
Sunday, August 2, 2020

Heartmind Training - The Four Immeasurables

Your most precious resource is your attention. How you direct your attention determines the quality of your life and how you contribute to others. In these times, we have an opportunity to contribute to a global shift in the way we do things and the consciousness we bring to it. The helpfulness of contribution you make depends on the heart and mind with which you engage.

LaShelle Lowe-Charde (wiseheartpdx.org) invites us to talk about how learning to direct your attention helps you to bring a particular quality of heartmind. Specifically let’s touch on the teaching of the four immeasurables: Sympathetic Joy (mudita), Loving-kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna), and Equanimity (upekkha).

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Date: 
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200726loweheart.mp3

Doing Our Best to Be Human

In this time of "Great Unraveling", as author T. Thorn Coyle calls it, when our burdens feel too great to overcome, how can we come together as a faith community? How can we affirm our UU values and our shared humanity?  Kari Gottfried was raised in the UU Fellowship of Corvallis, Oregon, and is now a rising sophomore at Wellesley College outside of Boston. She is currently an undergraduate summer intern at the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor.

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See the readings

 

Date: 
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200719Gottfriedhuman.mp3

Holding on and Letting Go

During this time of global pandemic, our lives have changed dramatically. We are experiencing collective trauma and grief over the loss of loved ones and suffering around the world. What are you holding on to for inspiration and hope? Are there things you need to let go of to welcome positive change?

Rev. Amy Freedman is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who has served congregations in Newport, RI, Martha’s Vineyard, and Boston, MA. Amy currently serves as the Minister of Religious Education of First Parish in Concord, MA. Amy is Mark Alter’s cousin and looks forward to joining us.

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Date: 
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200723freedmanholding.mp3

Connect Local. Connect National

Join us this Sunday to connect deeply but briefly with one another before we join the Sunday Worship of the annual Unitarian Universalist General Assembly to connect virtually with UU’s from across the country.  Service led by Wy'east Members & Friends and the UUA General Assembly.

Join our Virtual Service Sunday at 10:30

Click Here to link to the Zoom Service

Meeting ID: 275 194 110

Phone In: (669) 900-6833 (audio only)

 

 

Date: 
Sunday, June 28, 2020

A Bit of Your Best

What’s been called “ancestor worship” is really a way of thinking that asks us to consider our individual lives in the context of past, present, and future generations.  How does it change the way we live when we try to give a bit of our best to each of these, every day?  This is the last sermon in our four-part series on Confucian thought and spirituality.

By Rev. Moro

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Date: 
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200621morobest (1).mp3

Black Lives Matter: Taking Action

Black Lives Matter.  We hear these words and are listening, but how are we called to take action?  We will hear this Sunday from Cameron Whitten, co-founder of the Black Resilience Fund, an emergency fund dedicated to healing and resilience by providing immediate resources to Black Portlanders.  

The message of the Black Resilience Fund is:  “We need healing.  We need justice.  And that requires action.”  How are you taking action?

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Date: 
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200614whittenblack.mp3

The Barbarian Option

Join us for a morning of kung fu practice. Wait—please don’t worry about finding the right loose black pants to wear! In the Confucian tradition, kung fu means “moral efforts,” although I do promise you martial arts fans that Bruce Lee will also pay us a visit today! We’ll consider who’s civilized and who’s a barbarian, and also hear about the only time that Confucius is known to have hit another person.

By Rev. Moro

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Date: 
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Recording: 
Audio icon 20200607morobarbarian.mp3

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