Sermon Archive
Celebration of Light
Our children will once again be presenting the Winter Pageant, which features them in adorable costumes acting out the solstice stories of eight different religious traditions. This Wy’east creation celebrates how we all find meaning in the darkness of winter, no matter which stories are told and which holidays we observe. This pageant coordinated by Anders Liljeholm and other religious educators.
In Tambourines and Dances…
“Shibboleths” are catch-words we use to help us determine who is "one of us" and who is not. How are shibboleths used today, and what do they really mean? This sermon will pay special attention to the religious challenge of the Other—perhaps the definitive problem of our times. Let's see what the story of Jephthah’s Daughter teaches us about how to meet this challenge. (We may also see an extraordinary dance by an extraordinary dancer!) Service by Rev. Craig Moro.
Annual Bread Service
Each autumn, we pause to give thanks for the food we gather from the earth. In this service, we’ll hear stories from four of our members about a loaf of bread, how the bread connects to their personal history, and the meaning it holds for them. This is an intergenerational service and our children and youth have a contribution to this service as well. During our abbreviated social hour we will share the bread.
Sing a Silly Song with Me
Surprise! According to the Bible the first hymn was not sung in praise of God. Rather, it was in praise of human connection, body to body, like so many songs that we sing today. Was it just a silly little song—popular now but soon to be forgotten—or something more profound, a real “keeper”? Come and decide for yourself! Service led by Rev. Craig Moro.
Practicing Radical Welcome: A Renewal of our Welcoming Congregation Status
The second week of November is Transgender Awareness Week. In this service led by Wy'east Members and Friends we will work to develop our literacy of transgenderness and explore what it means to practice radical welcome and renew our commitment to be a Welcoming Congregation.
A Tale of Two Bridges
/files/20191104MOROBRIDGES.mp3An angry delegation of UU’s once told me that I had better throw certain other members out of the church I was serving, or risk getting tossed myself. They weren't kidding. But what could I do? And what were those "certain other members" doing that made some folks so angry? Find out this Sunday. Service led by Rev. Craig Moro.
Re-Envisioning Youth Power and the Youth Vote
We know that young people are resilient, dedicated and passionate. Let’s dive into the power of youth, the value of their vote, and how they are shaping our world. Isabela Villarreal serves as the Youth Leadership Coordinator at Next Up, a local nonprofit that amplifies the diverse voices of young people for a more accessible and equitable Oregon.
This service is the second in our Social Justice Speaker Series this church year and will feature a Special Collection for Next Up. Learn more about this organization at www.nextuporegon.org
A Marriage of Old and New
A few years back, four Connecticut police officers were arrested by the FBI for repeatedly violating the civil rights of members of a local immigrant community. Most of us are descendants of immigrants from other lands. So how can some of us decide that newcomers today are no longer welcome? Service led by Rev. Craig Moro.
Acknowledging Native Lands at Wy'east UU
Many public gatherings open with a reminder about the traditional Native inhabitants of the land where it is taking place, honoring them and their descendants. Occasionally our Sunday services have made explicit reference to our chosen name, Wy’east, as “the term the Multnomah native tribe, on whose land we sit, have historically used for the mountain we call Mt. Hood.” In this lay-led service falling the day before Indigenous People's Day, we will explore the practice of land acknowledgment and the history of this place and its peoples. We'll also consider how the church came to adopt this name, and what it means to us now and going forward. How might we approach being Wy'east UU with the respect and seriousness that is called for? This service is led by Wy’east members.
Screws, Nails, and Balanced Scales
When someone “screws us over” it seems only normal that we’d like to see them get “nailed” for it. But is that really the right way to go? In these days of reflection between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, let’s give some thought to the alternative possibilities of atonement and forgiveness. Service led by Rev. Craig Moro.