East Shore Unitarian Sermons (Bellevue, WA): Recent Episodes
East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue WA
Please join us in welcoming guest speaker Carolyn DeFord, Puyallup Tribal Member and community activist educating and raising awareness about MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women). Carolyn will address the topic: "Generosity and Gratitude: How are These Practices part of our Resistance to Oppression in these Times?" We invite the East Shore community to support the work of the Community Domestic Violence and Anti-Trafficking Program by donating to the share-the-plate during the service or by mailing a check to ESUC.
To worship means to consider that which has worth—today we consider, with gratitude, the many gifts of this community—The opportunity to be affirmed in who we are and to offer that affirmation to others.The space to expand one’s own spirit, to reconnect, and be reminded that we must see our world through the lens of love.The questions of our children as they understand the world anew and offer their understanding to us as a fresh lens.The laughter and joy of those giddy with the embrace of communityThe dollars and cents of those who gave what they could—and then stretched a little more.The infinite small acts of service that make the parts greater than the whole, done by those who knew themselves in sympathy with our purposes.Let’s welcome all of these gifts with gratitude—for they have been paid for with many currencies by those who persisted in justice’s name against hostility and adversity. Let us consider with gratitude and humility what it means to pay forward what has been paid forward for us. (Adapted from Rev. Leslie Takahashi)
Based on the UUA common read Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer, Unitarian Universalists are invited to explore Iyer’s work through the lens of our UU faith and shared values. Participants explore Iyer’s Ecosystem model, the roles that comprise it, and how these can support the congregational community and, in turn, our role in wider communities where we work with others for social change.
Join us as we hear from Vivian Hao, the documentarian who produced Invisible No More: Asian Pacific Islanders in Unitarian Universalism. Filmed and edited in six U.S. cities, including East Shore, over the last two years. This project is the result of a long-held dream that Unitarian Universalist congregations would have a tool to reach unchurched people of color, especially Asian Pacific Islanders in major metro areas. Through the generous support of the UU Funding Program, the Pacific Western Region, key congregations and individuals, Vivien Hao interviewed API UUs about their experiences in our faith and their dreams for the future. What they say may surprise you! After, stay for a screening of the film and a Q&A and a potluck lunch. Childcare provided.
Join us in celebrating the women in our lives who inspire and challenge us to continue forging new paths for ourselves, each other, and the generations to come. Who are the powerful and wise women in your life? Come celebrate them! This service is a collaboration of Rev. Maria Cristina and our Women's Perspective Team. Please come prepared to donate to the Share the Plate benefitting The Sophia's Way: A place of hope and change for women on their journey from homelessness to safe and stable living. Women who come to the shelters find a warm, safe space to shower, rest, and sleep and are served nourishing food. Following the guiding principles of trauma-informed care, case managers partner with the women to support their physical, mental, and financial well-being.
We recognize that there are many paths to the sacred. We hold fast to the notion that one religion does not hold all the truth for all time, not even Unitarian Universalism. We maintain that a free, open, and respectful dialogue is one of the primary ways our theological perspectives evolve and grow. We affirm the power of Love to heal what is broken and to hold us together across pluralities of diverse religious practices and beliefs.
Myth is something that everyone can touch, something that one hears and says “Yes, I have lived that, I know what that feels like.” It explains a common experience of life that is universal to everyone that has ever lived. The story of Eve is one of spiritual searching and awakening, passed down to us all. Ed Borroff will be speaking.
Come celebrate the profound impact of love as a binding force that transcends boundaries and divisions! A new statement of shared UU values placing love at the center was adopted at the largest annual gathering of UUs worldwide, known as General Assembly, this past June. The new stated values of the faith are: Justice, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence, Generosity, centered around Love. Hear more about the evolutionary new values and other conversations that took place on Gender-Expansive Rights and the Middle East from those who attended.
Few things are as connecting and freeing as singing together. Join Director of Music Eric Lane Barnes for a sing-along service on July 14! We will sing hymns from our hymnals as well as several UU-friendly songs projected on the screen. If you would like to have a non-hymnal song considered for inclusion please contact Eric before July 7 at music@esuc.org.
Caroline Haessly will lead the congregation in laughter exercises and present ways to bring more joy, love and gratitude into your life. Laughter is a universal language and need not be solely based on humor. Scientific research has shown that laughter has physiological and emotional benefits. It also eases stress and builds rapport. Like mindfulness meditation, laughter practice is a way of being in the moment.
Just like flower communion but with books! Bring a book, take a book.We’re inviting a couple of people to participate in the service by reading a passage from their favorite book.
Join us this Sunday, June 9th, for East Shore’s annual UU Children and Youth Bridging worship. It is an amazing ritual and worship for everyone in your family to join in on. It’s also a special Sunday to thank the adults leaders who guide and mentor children and youth each and every Sunday. We’ll be featuring voices from our community and counting the blessings and gratitude to one another among us. All are welcome!
Happy Pride! Welcome to this joyful celebration! Bring your whole LGBTQIA+ selves and if you are an ally/co-conspirator, bring your joy to celebrate our fabulous Queer community. Because Joy and activism are part of our resistance against injustice and anti-trans legislation. We will also share our offering plate with Lambert House.
Please join us in welcoming Rev. Karen Van Fossan. UU Minister and author of “The Fire at the Center: Solidarity, Whiteness, and Becoming a Water Protector” Rev. Van Fossan takes readers behind the scenes of the Dakota Access Pipeline conflict, to penitentiaries where prisoners of war have carried the movement onward, to the jail cell where she was held for protesting Line 3, to a reimagining of decolonized family constellations, and to moments of collective hope and strength.
During the month of May, East Shore will celebrate our partnership with the Khasi people, who live in the rain-blessed hills of Meghalaya, India. On May 5th we will dedicate our worship service to the bond that East Shore has with these Unitarian friends.
What would it look like if we opened the doors to East Shore with love? How can that change the way people feel welcomed and help us all move in our journey of becoming a beloved community. We will also be welcoming new members into our community!
Join our Climate Action Ministry Team in collaboration with our Religious Education participants in celebrating Mother Earth with interactive art making, joyful music, and inspirational messages.
Images hold power. They shape and inform how we perceive the world. They also influence how we treat people around equity, accessibility and inclusion. Join us as we learn to break down societal barriers in order to break through, break open and break free into a more expansive, liberated world for people of all abilities.
Join us in celebrating Easter, Ostara, and the amazing Trans siblings in our lives! Easter and Ostara celebrate new life, the Resurrection, and Spring. TDOV celebrates the joy and resilience of trans and non-binary people everywhere by elevating voices and experiences from these communities.
Join Rev. Maria Cristina and members of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) as we explore the rituals of making home altars as a healing spiritual practice.
Join us in celebrating International Women's Day by imagining and helping to create a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Together we can celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity. Also during the service, join us for a very special Blessing of the Children ceremony followed by an ice cream social!
Social Justice as a Spiritual Practice. We often make a distinction between social justice actions and spiritual practices. Can social justice activism be sacred? Are we making artificial distinctions that separate us from the spiritual nature of social justice activism? Join us as we explore mindfulness-enriched approaches to antiracism and social justice in an environment that promotes self-reflection, deep listening and community engagement.
This month our theme is Love, and we UUs believe in expressing love through service. Our partner for Share the Plate on February 25th is PorchLight, formerly Congregations for the Homeless (CFH). East Shore has partnered with them for many years through hosting their Rotating Shelter each October.
Unitarian Universalism centers love in the shape of social justice. We nourish community, value relationships, care for the suffering, and practice love by breaking through labels and divisions. What are the challenges and lessons of being a welcoming congregation? How do we find our way back when we miss the mark? How do we widen the circle of care and concern? “He drew a circle that shut me out- Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.But love and I had the wit to win:We drew a circle and took him In!”― Edwin Markham
There is so much causing us to stress these days. Sometimes one of the greatest gifts we can give each other is the gift of laughter and fun. Join us in sharing the wonderful gifts of laughter, love, and togetherness. It’s not always appropriate to get silly, but when we can, it’s a wonderful thing!
Universalist Clara Barton is best known for her work in organizing nursing services during the Civil War and, later, founding the American Red Cross. She did not start this work until she was over 40. The Clara Barton Sisterhood was created in her name as a way for local women’s groups, congregations, and individuals to honor women aged 80 and over for their contributions to their congregations and communities.
“We need a new theology of darkness—a new way to relate to the darkness, blackness, and brownness that surrounds us.” Inspired by Minister and Poet Kristen L. Harper, we are invited to explore and transform our perceptions of blackness. Join us as we lift up the strength and beauty of the Darkness Divine.
"We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers" This Sunday we honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King by lifting up the collective power of community. We recognize that every great leader needs people to support them, often anonymously and behind the scenes. We'll shine the light on the architect of the March on Washington: Bayard Rustin, a key organizer and significant leader whom the majority of people have never heard of. We honor not just the drum-majors of the civil rights movement but the foot-soldiers as well.
The Feast of the Epiphany reminds us to honor all of our life’s journeys, particularly the unexpected detours. We’ll reflect on the meaning of the Epiphany and those unexpected “Aha!” moments that might change the course of our spiritual journeys. With impending change, come both fear and child-like wonder. Let us ponder the magical experience of following your star! Rev. Dr. María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa will be preaching.
Join us for a lovely candlelight service with carols and readings that convey the spirit of Christmas.
In many Latin American countries we celebrate Las Posadas, a pre-Christmas tradition recreating the arduous journey of Mary and Joseph fleeing from violence and seeking refuge. In the United States, many churches incorporate this tradition as an expression of solidarity with all immigrants and refugees. We are reminded that we are a living sanctuary and a welcoming congregation.
The wheel of the year has turned again. Once more the Thanksgiving season has arrived. Let us sing our song of gratitude together. Let us gather in community to give thanks for all the blessings we have received. Please join us for a Thanksgiving potluck immediately following the service. All are welcome!
In such a small world it can mean so much to welcome the stranger. Now, and perhaps more than ever, our generous responses may be the key to building the community we yearn to grow.Reverend Eric Kaminetzky grew up in Unitarian Universalism and serves our Congregation in Edmonds, WA. His first career was in the law as a licensed and practicing Attorney.
Join us to honor the memory of our dearly departed. We will begin to build our community altars in the sanctuary on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 from 12:00-4:00 pm. You can also bring your photographs, flowers, and mementos on Sunday morning. “At the rising sun and at its going down; We remember them. For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as we remember them.”
We celebrate the many ways that our East Shore community nourishes our spiritual journeys and keeps us connected. Join us as we pledge our love and support to our Beloved Community and plant seeds for the future.
Join us as we celebrate Indigenous People's Day and reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our connections with our indigenous neighbors. We recognize the impact of settler colonialism. We lift up indigenous ways of knowing to guide us in building the Beloved Community and practice being in right relationship with Mother Earth and all our relatives.
Join us in person or via Zoom for our annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony. You are invited to bring your pets so they can receive a blessing (please ensure they are on a leash or in a carrier). If your animal companions have crossed over the rainbow bridge, please bring their photo so we can honor their memory.
Inspired by the book written by Danya Ruttenberg, we gather to continue exploring paths towards healing from painful and unresolved issues. Rooted in traditional Jewish concepts, the book guides us through the five steps towards healing: Naming and owning harm; starting to change/transformation; restitution and accepting consequences; apology; and making different choices. Join us immediately following the service to continue the conversation with Rev. Maria Cristina. Refreshments will be provided.
The month of September will be dedicated to reflecting upon the many. meanings of “Home.” How has your understanding of “home” changed over the years? How do we contribute to building and nourishing East Shore Unitarian Church, our spiritual home?
We gather to give thanks for having access to drinking water and for the bodies of water near us that allow us to refresh our bodies and souls. We recommit ourselves to defend, care for, and honor this sacred element on which our very lives depend. Join us as we bring together the waters that we have collected (from rivers, beaches, streams, or kitchen sinks) to pour into a common bowl, symbol of our Beloved Community. Rev. Dr. Maria Cristina preaches.
A celebration of live music and poetry readings – Don’t miss this Labor Day Sunday service centered on social justice and HOPE. Come and be inspired! Rev. Maria Cristina preaches
Join the East Shore Indigenous Connections Team as we share what we have learned while building relationships with our indigenous neighbors. We will also honor two UU women who have worked tirelessly to connect and inspire us and other UUs to engage with indigenous communities and the issues that impact them. Please join us for a potluck after the service. Everyone is welcome!
We all want so badly to make a difference, to fight for liberation and transformation. We are all so very tired and life is complicated! How do we find joy and satisfaction? How do we fit our commitment to justice among the many other things that need doing? Let’s explore the possibility of sustainable and joyful liberation and transformation, in our lives and our communities. Join us to engage the intersection of Joy and Justice.
Join the Salish Sea CUUPs (Covenant of UU Pagans) as we celebrate Lammas and Lughnasadh, or the first harvest. This is a family-friendly celebration. We will celebrate with ritual, music and dancing. Bring with you what you have harvested from your garden, from your relationships, and in your life. Join us as we turn the wheel of the year.
In a world filled with busyness and distractions, it is all too easy to overlook the importance of intentional celebration and the nourishment it brings to our spirits. Let us gather to explore the power of creating rituals of joy in our lives. Led by JeKaren Olaoya.
In just days, delegates at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations will vote on whether or not to continue the bylaw revision process that has been underway since 2020. The proposed changes to Article II of the bylaws, which contains the seven principles, are an attempt to articulate the values that Unitarian Universalists hold today. With love at its center, this new proposal offers up the opportunity for us to have a deeper conversation about what Unitarian Universalism looks like today. Returning guest preacher Karishma Gottfried will join us virtually from Pittsburgh as they prepare for General Assembly to lead us into a conversation about what a Unitarian Universalism with love at its center might look like.
Join us for East Shore's annual UU Children and Youth Bridging worship. It is an amazing ritual and worship for everyone in your family to join in on. It's also a special Sunday to thank the amazing adults who help to mentor and provide ministry to our children and youth each and every Sunday. We'll be featuring voices from our community and saying our blessings and gratitude to one another. All are welcome!
World-famous drag chanteuse Arnaldo will be performing and sharing on this exuberant, uplifting and informative service. We will be addressing the conservative backlash against drag performers and trans people, with action plans of what we can do to combat these dangerous and deadly bills. But above all, this service will be a joyful celebration of who we are!
This Music Sunday service will be a playful, joyful approach to incorporating music and singing in our daily lives. The East Shore Mighty Choir will sing a few songs, there will be several special musical guests, and the congregation will join voices to express exquisite musical joy. Please submit your favorite hymn (or sing-along song that might not be in either hymnal) and chances are good we will include it in the service! Email music@esuc.org to suggest your favorites.
Celebrate Mother’s Day with us in the name of Miriam, the first prophetess of the Old Testament. Miriam, whose name means star of the sea, fierce sea, beloved, who was dancer, singer, water bearer, worshiper, and wife and mother to no one, will remind us all the unique and infinite ways that we can embody joy! How do we experience joy in our bodies and let it bring forth new life? Together, we call upon joy, for us and for the next generations.
Universalist Clara Barton is best known for her work in organizing nursing services during the Civil War and, later, founding the American Red Cross. She did not start this work until she was over 40. Two members from East Shore will also be inducted into the Clara Barton Sisterhood, which was created in her name as a way for local women’s groups, congregations, and individuals to honor women aged 80 and over for their contributions to their congregations and communities.
Please join us on Sunday for a very special worship service. This Installation Ceremony is our congregation formally entering into shared ministry with Rev. Maria Cristina. The service will include special guests, music and more. We will celebrate after with food.
Language holds both power and possibility for liberation, healing and wholeness. Yet such liberation depends on who wields the power and how this power is used. Come join us as we seek to redefine and expand our understanding of language in leading to greater equity and inclusion within the disability justice movement.
As Unitarian Universalists, we recognize that our liberal faith is historically and spiritually rooted in Christianity. Therefore, we celebrate Easter, as well as the rebirth of nature and the resurrection of dreams and hopes. The Flower Ceremony, sometimes referred to as Flower Communion or Flower Festival, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community.
Join us as we welcome Sul ka dub Freddie Lane, member of the Lummi Nation. The Lummi House of Tears Carvers are back on the move, transporting a hand-carved totem pole more than 6,500 miles to help protect Oak Flat. This land is sacred to tribes like the Hopi, Zuni, Yavapai and O’odham and is at risk of being destroyed during mining operations on one of the largest untapped copper deposits in North America. We welcome Freddie in the spirit of solidarity, healing, honor, hospitality, and respect.
Join us as we honor Dolores Huerta and César Chávez, labor leaders and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers. Their efforts resulted in farm workers in California having the right to collectively organize and bargain for better wages and working conditions. A tireless advocate for workers,’ immigrants,’ and women’s rights, Dolores Huerta was presented with The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
We gather to express our gratitude for all the blessings we receive from our ESUC community, to honor all the people in this congregation whose legacy inspires us to build the Beloved Community. Join us as we honor our church leaders, Ministry Team members, volunteers, and staff.
From “Don’t Say Gay” bills to the swath of laws criminalizing gender affirming and abortion-related care, attacks on bodily autonomy in the US are escalating at an alarming pace. And this nation has always targeted certain kinds of bodies as less worthy of protection and freedom than others. What does our UU tradition offer us as an antidote to toxic theologies of coercion and control that are fueling the current culture wars? Join us for a conversation about intersectionality, radical spiritual imagination, and the liberation of all our sacred bodies.
Pastoral care is a ministry of presence. People have stories of grief, trauma, loss, confusion, loneliness and depression. There is healing value in speaking these stories out loud when there is a compassionate person to listen with attention, and with the intention to bear witness. Our lay pastoral ministers will listen without judging, offering advice, or trying to fix anything. Having someone tuned in and able to be with you while you sort through your feelings allows you to tap into your own deep wisdom and capacity to heal.
Join us as we celebrate Mardi Gras and Purim. Together, we'll reflect upon the power of reversals. Nothing has the power to change us, confront us with reality, open our ears to a new truth, or turn our life in a different direction like a reversal can; a time when our world is turned upside down.
We yearn to love and be loved. When we act with lovingkindness, we align ourselves with the loving power of the universe and each other. When we embrace our neighbors and all creation with love and compassion, we unlock the power of covenant and unconditional love. All ages service & Uluhan family Child Dedication.
We often think about meditation, religious rituals, or pilgrimages as spiritual practices. Yet the journey of parenting also offers us opportunities to grow spiritually as we embrace change every day.
In Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we will explore teachings from the book “Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm” by Kazu Haga. Reclaiming the energy and assertiveness of nonviolent practice, we can transform not only unjust systems but broken relationships.
The Feast of the Epiphany reminds us to honor all of our life’s journeys, particularly the unexpected detours. We’ll reflect on the meaning of the Epiphany and those unexpected “Aha!” moments that might change the course of our spiritual journeys. With impending change, come both fear and child-like wonder. Let us ponder the magical experience of following your star!
Join us this morning for an all ages service celebrating the start of a new year. We will celebrate with stories, songs, and learn how to prepare for the coming year like mother earth does. We will sit quietly and rest and dream.
Join us for a lovely candlelight service with carols and readings that convey the spirit of Christmas.
Enjoy the unique, rousing peace of Christmas Eve in this service crafted for children of all ages.
Join the East Shore Mighty Choir under the direction of Director of Music Eric Lane Barnes for a wintry mix of traditional carols, classical pieces and brand-new holiday songs. Special musical guests will add flair and spice to this engaging, meaningful and very merry program.
In many Latin American countries we celebrate Las Posadas, a pre-Christmas tradition recreating the arduous journey of Mary and Joseph fleeing from violence and seeking refuge. In the United States, many churches incorporate this tradition as an expression of solidarity with all immigrants and refugees. We are reminded that we are a living sanctuary and a welcoming congregation.
Change is in the air. It is a time to be mindful and intentional about our deepest desires and concerns for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet. It is also a time to gather strength and nourishment for the journeys ahead.
Let us gather to express our gratitude for all the blessings received this year and to share the story of the first Thanksgiving from the perspective of the Mashpee Wampanoag people. Join us after for a potluck!
"Cambia, todo cambia, pero no cambia mi amor." What happens when congregations embrace change as an opportunity for transformation? Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin are co-authors of this year's UU Common Read, Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism. They found that while the path to multicultural, anti-racist Beloved Community can be long and winding, it is also dotted with moments of joy and wonder. Nancy and Karin invite us to consider how we can open our hearts to possibility as we commit ourselves to creating a world that reflects the best of who we are.
We draw inspiration from the Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur, a ritual of atonement that allows us to bring to mind and heart those whom we have wronged, and to ask for forgiveness. Yom Kippur is the moment in Jewish time when we dedicate our mind, body, and soul to reconciliation with our fellow human beings, ourselves, and God. As the New Year begins, we commit to self-reflection and inner change.
Join us on October 30 to honor the memory of our dearly departed. During the service, we will build a community altar. You are invited to bring pictures, flowers, and other mementos to honor your beloveds’ memory. “At the rising sun and at its going down; We remember them...For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as, We remember them.”
Welcoming a new minister is like turning a page in an impressive, weighty volume to a new, fresh chapter. We get to decide who we will be together in the years to come and what this new chapter will hold. Building on the congregation-wide retreat that will take place Saturday, October 15, this worship service, led by guest preacher Alex Kapitan, will be a time for deep reflection on what it takes to practice welcome together across lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, age, belief, and more. What transformation are we being called toward in this new chapter?
Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to fully understand the legacy of colonialism, just as it calls us to respect and learn from indigenous peoples and support their struggles for social justice and religious freedom. Join UUs across the United States in honoring Indigenous Peoples Day and celebrating indigenous resistance.
Join us in person or via Zoom for our annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony. You are invited to bring your pets so they can receive a blessing (please ensure they are on a leash or in a carrier). If your animal companions have crossed over the rainbow bridge, please bring their photo so we can honor their memory.
A sermon based on the book by Valarie Kaur: "When you choose to see people as your cousin, as your other self, as the friend you have not met yet, you are being courageous and compassionate. When we are curious about the people in our lives, their thoughts, their pain and joys, their wants and needs, we get a glimpse into their humanity, into their hearts, as vast and complex as our own. That wonder, is the wellspring for love."
How can we create a brave and safe space to bring our best selves, share stories, and build a relationship of mutual respect and trust? How do we build a strong foundation to continue growing and building the Beloved Community? As we begin our shared ministry journey together, we give thanks for this amazing opportunity and reflect on our mutual aspirations, hopes, and expectations.
On September 11 we'll gather as a community to welcome our new Minister, Rev. María Cristina, and to express our gratitude for our spiritual home, East Shore. We'll also give thanks for having access to clean drinking water and for those bodies of water that refresh our bodies and souls. Join us in person or via zoom, as we bring together the waters we have collected (from the ocean, rivers, or our garden hose) to pour into a communal vessel, symbol of our Beloved Community.
What does it mean to age gracefully? What choices do we make along the path of life to help us flourish as we reach our elder years? Members and guests of East Shore share their individual stories and perspectives on how their lives have shaped who and where they are today.
Explore our commitment to reproductive and sexual justice and the Unitarian Universalist’s “Our Whole Lives” lifespan program values of Self-Worth, Responsibility, Sexual Health, Justice and Inclusivity. A lifelong UU, Dr. Melanie Davis brings a deep understanding of and commitment to our religious movement, plus 17 years of lay speaker experience.
Our guest speaker, indigenous activist Julian Matthews, will share what it means for the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce Tribe) to be protectors of sacred lands and waters. The focus of his talk will be the current issue of how Nez Perce Treaty rights are impacted by the Lower Four Snake River dams. Salmon have been a critical part of Nimiipuu culture and identity and are one of the main First Foods for their people. Asserting Treaty rights to safeguard these relationships propels their current activism to restore the wild salmon runs on the Snake River by removing the Lower Snake River dams. In so doing, the tribe aims to ensure that their Treaty rights are secured for future generations.
How does our faith lead our discussion of reproductive rights? We will hear from UUA President Susan Frederick Gray and other UU leaders, plus music and more.
We will be celebrating the first harvest and discussing how we harvest and what we will harvest,not just from our gardens but in all of our life. We will celebrate with song and dance. Please join us for this celebration of Lughnasadh (LOO-nah-sah) and the turning of the wheel of the year.
What is happening in the UUA? What was shared at General Assembly? The members and staff who traveled to Portland and some who logged in virtually will share their takeaways.
Join King County Council Member Sarah Perry in an exploration of Behavioral Health challenges and what state, county and local government can and is doing to address those challenges.
"One day we were driving across town, and my partner Mary Jane wanted me to pull over, so she could give some $ to a man down on his luck. I refused; MJ rebutted; and I drove by like a heartless brute. We both felt bad for different reasons." Help is a big part of what makes us a social animal, so much so that we feel good when we help, and bad when we don't. ANSWER is how I discovered that helping children in need, helps us in our need to help. This is my journey over the potholes to giving.
In the midst of our divided nation, how do we move from the paralysis of fear toward a greater sense of freedom, hope and healing? Please join us as we explore this question within the theological context of a welcome table of hospitality, bridge-building and social justice.
TED talks have become famous as a way of giving people a chance to share their ideas across a wide platform. In this service, members share their ideas in just 5 minutes each. In addition, Eric Lane Barnes will lead a pop-up choir. If you’ve always wanted to try being in the choir, this is your chance to give it a go. Arrive in the Sanctuary by 9am and we will learn some easy pieces, and then perform them in the service.
June 12 is East Shore's annual Pride Day service. We will be featuring several musical guests as well as the East Shore Mighty Choir, who will be presenting a world premiere! This service is fun, informative, moving, and family friendly. Come celebrate with us, dressed in whatever rainbow suits you best!
And annual celebration from the earliest days of ESUC Sunday Services. Bring a flower to contribute to our thrown-together floral centerpiece—and take another contribution home. This will be Rev. Furrer’s last service leading services after forty-eight months as guardian and shepherd of the worship practices here at ESUC. Notes of appreciation and hope for our congregation’s future as a Beloved Community.
Rev Steve contemplates Memorial Day by way of considering the nature and reliability of our memories.
Rev Dr. Furrer shares the particulars of his personal meditation practice, walking the length and contours of his watershed, in this case Madsen Creek. As water rolls off Steve and Carol's roof, it follows a gravity-drawn course from their yard to the Cedar River and thence to the Sound. Notes on Henry David Thoreau, Wendell Barry, Annie Dillard, and the spirituality of place: this place.
How do we understand and experience hope? Is it just wishful thinking? Environmental Justice activist Joanna Macy teaches us that Active Hope is something we do rather than have. It involves being clear about what we hope for and then playing our role in the process of moving in that direction. She calls this time The Great Turning and encourages us to make our contribution to it. In the process, we might discover new strengths, a wider network of allies, and experience a renewed sense of hope.
What brings us together as Unitarian Universalists? There are as many reasons as the individual people who make up our church communities. Most of us believe that together, we can transform ourselves and make this world a better place through the practice of love. In community, we are offered an opportunity to practice this love by embodying radical hospitality and theological diversity.
Join us as we celebrate Easter. What does it mean to celebrate Easter as a Unitarian Universalist?
In the face of ecological heartache, how do we hold both grief and love together in a way that connects us to nature’s wisdom? Join us for our Earth Day service as we explore this question through nature’s rhythms, seasons and cycles of life.
Join us as we celebrate our trans siblings in spirit! Stephanie Dykes will be speaking on the subject of Trans Visibility in advance of International Trans Day of Visibility on March 31. Join Stephanie and the Welcoming Congregations team after the service for a fun and informative Q&A. Stephanie Dykes is a teacher, singer and trans educator/activist.
Reverend Furrer preaching on the need for radical measures in each of our personal lives if we are to faithfully succeed in arresting and healing global warming.
Mardi Gras precedes Lent as a splurging overindulgence in preparation for repentance and purgation. We all enjoy both, often unconsciously. How to reconcile our natural inclination to extravagant display and indulgence with our ESUC covenant to “become the best people we can be?”
Join us for a family-friendly, all ages worship service featuring accomplished Seattle actor and storyteller, Eva Abram, who brings folktales and myths of American history alive with masterful performance skills. This morning, our worship will focus on the stories of animals and will show us how powerful animal characters can convey so many things. Eva Abram writes that she grew up collecting rainwater for household use and that experience taught her that water is essential for life and so is the same is true of stories. Stories nourish human beings, as rainwater nourishes the earth’s plants and animals.
Lessons from our Coast Salish neighbors on how to think of our upcoming Annual Mission Fund Drive—and how to make it both successful and remarkably FUN! Reverend D. Furrer preaching on the soulful appreciation of money.
A sermon and pean to the power and beauty of romantic love. The day before St. Valentine’s Day is a fitting moment to the consideration of the values and virtues exemplified by amour.
Just as there are many varieties of religious experience, there are many varieties atheism—from the Buddha to Robert Ingersol to Madalyn Murray O’Hair.
This morning we hoped for RITUAL RE/OPENING of our on-site worship services, but thanks to the Omicron Variant scare, it has led to a total redesign. Instead of the choir heralding our warm collective re-embracing of one another, we are once again, 100% virtual, i.e., in a holding pattern, until our newly adopted Guidelines for Safe Gatherings call for a return. Join us as we share a variety of experiences of both their frustration AND of unexpected riches bubbled forth out of a change in plans.
The Beloved Conversations Among team leads a worship service about the current program many ESUC lay leaders and staff have been participating in and finding very energizing. Hands on transformation!
January sixth is celebrated among orthodox Christians as Epiphany. Lower case “e”piphany is kind of an ah-ha experience or moment. How to cultivate such moments and celebrate them when they come.
Reverend Furrer preaching on living in and through apocalyptic times. Are they End Times? Prophets have long predicted a coming day when our shared temporal experience is interrupted and radically changed. First here was nuclear Armageddon and now: accelerating climate change. Are the prophets correct? Let’s kick off 2022 right!
Good King Wenceslas has long been my favorite Christmas Carol, partly because it includes a verse with my name in it, but far more because of its poignant social outreach message in a medieval context, its crisp, clear images, and its lovely melody.
Rev Furrer, preaching on the evolution of the mythic figure we all know as Santa Claus.
Many congregations are adopting an 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism, which calls us to anti-racism, the beloved community, and accountability. What if there was a 9th Principle? What still needs to be said? What is missing from who we say we are, and how can we make that real? The Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson is the Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL, where he has served since 2008. He spent his teenage years at East Shore (you know his mom, Wenda Collins), before attending Whitman College, Meadville Lombard Theological School and Iliff School of Theology. He is the author of Newborn Bards: A Theology of Preaching for Unitarian Universalists.
Les McCann and Roberta Fleck’s hit protest song/single “Compared to What” was subsequently recorded by more than 270 artists, including Ray Charles and Brian Auger. Rev Furrer will use that platform to consider what we can and should be thankful for.
In 1925 Mohandas Gandhi published his Social Sins of the Modern World, the last of which was Religion Without Sacrifice. The celebration Veterans Day reminds us of our fallen veterans' sacrifices, but what can we say of their religion?
Rev. Furrer, preaching on the perilous state of democratic society in the current age, how we can defend it, and what are our prospects of success?
Rev Furrer. on resisting the temptation to cut corners, fake results, or fudge data. And what one gains in the process.
“A Thousand Names for Joy” is a book commended to me by church member Lassie Jordan. Lassie also made the top bid at last year’s auction, gave me a copy, and asked me to preach on author Byron Katie’s guidebook for healthy, wholesome living. Come for a synopsis and invitation to everyday spiritual practice.
Let me begin this year by reminding everyone that it will be my last among you and that Carol and I will be leaving come June. Which is a good thing. New wine is not to be poured into old wineskins, else the new wine will burst them and ruin the whole project. New wine must be put into new receptacles. Citations from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Stephen Levine, Forrest Church, and more.
Bias is an inescapable part of the human experience, but what we do with, and how we react to our biases is very much in our control. While our natural instinct may be to put things into categories and boxes , there is a space that can enrich our interactions with everyone around us, the space beyond boxes. This Sunday, please join us as our BCT facilitator, Amanda Schuber, talks about the ways that identity and bias impact our relationships with each other and the wider world.
What does it mean to make promises to ourselves and others? Join us to reflect upon the challenges and rewards experienced when we make promises to one another in our faith community. Presented by the Right Relations Team.
Reverend Furrer will lead this traditional service... virtually! Bring some water so you can visualize pouring it into the communal bowl.
How do we think about work? How is it different from play? What is the nature of our (mostly) volunteer labor at East Shore. Board President Mike Radow and Rev. Furrer will explore these matters with the awesome participation of Eric Lane Barnes.
In sermons and newsletters we often see references to our Unitarian Universalist "faith tradition” and some UU’s end their letters and emails with the words “In faith.” But faith in what? This sermon will be a summation of Bill’s reflections on that question and along the way he will introduce Roy G. Biv, whom he first encountered as a teacher in East Shore's RE program.
As Unitarian Universalists, we see our justice work as living out our values into the world. We covenant that "service is our prayer." What might it look like to create a justice spiritual practice?
I started out in Unitarian Universalist Ministry believing that the groundwork for justice had been done. I believed that Dr King and the civil rights legislation of the 1960’s had secured the future for the American people. Well, it is time to take the rose colored glasses off. Join us as we take a look at the progress our nation has made and a closer look at where we have missed the opportunities to change ourselves, our congregations and maybe this nation of ours.
Molleen Dominguez is a writer, teacher, and minister living in California. She holds a Master’s of Divinity and Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University. Her spiritual practice is heavily informed by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
What do we do when a win feels like a loss? - Finding the strength to build power after winning the race.
Together with our Khasi Unitarians partners in NE India, we at East Shore strive to achieve a strong partnership based on mutual understanding -- one that is grounded in love and thoughtful listening. Still at times it can be challenging to put aside our own American experiences to truly listen. The members of East Shore’s partnership ministry team will share our pathway toward better understanding.
Swapnesh Dubey is a gay activist, content curator, performer and television show host living in Mumbai. He was one of the youngest news anchors in India for three years. When he was asked to read a new story with an heavy anti-gay bias he refused, and walked away from his job. Swapnesh will be talking with us on July 18 about India's relationship with Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which classified homosexuality as 'against the order of nature' and therefore illegal. Swapnesh, who delivered an illuminating and engaging talk on Diwali in November of 2020, will bring his sharp observational skills, wit and charm to East Shore on July 18 (via Zoom) to talk about what it is like in India being an LGBTQ person today.
The ESUC delegates and others who attended this years General Assembly will report on what they found most exciting and creative there.
Reverend Furrer will draw a connection between the religious centering process and political revolution. Fasten your seatbelts!
The celebration of Fathers Day, with one woman’s memories and a tribute to her famous father.
As the Congregation pauses to elect a Search Committee, Rev. Furrer asks, by what authority do ministers make their truth claims? What gives them the right to speak authoritatively?
Celebrate our children and youth and the programs that support and nourish them at the congregation. We’ll hold our annual high school senior bridging, volunteer recognition, and the Flower Communion together on this special Sunday. The Flower Ceremony is one of our beloved Unitarian Universalist annual rituals that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Čapek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Maya Čapek, Norbert's widow. Please bring a flower to have with you in the worship service and have it with you online. We will bless the flowers, offer gratitude to the beauty and diversity of nature in human, animal, and plant forms.
Vocal activist Melanie DeMore has traveled the world, was a founding member of the Grammy -nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, and is constantly amazed by her life. But nothing is closer to her heart than bringing people together wherever she is to experience the healing power of music. Her mission is to make sure you unlock the key to experiencing yourself in all your glory and return home with the very same excitement and passion for living that she herself has. Her energy will charge the very air you breathe like a meteor shower, so get ready to rise up!
How do we reckon with a history of racial injustice in a way that invites us to imagine a more hopeful, just and equitable future? This question sparked a personal journey for Khari Wendell McClelland as he traced his great, great, great grandmother Kizzy’s escape from slavery from Detroit, Michigan to Vancouver, Canada in the 1800s. Music served as his soulful guide for courage and resilience as Khari researched the fugitive slave songs that Kizzy and others carried with them following the Underground Railroad.
Rev. Furrer preaching on the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone to illustrate some of the attributes good motherhood calls for, and calls out of all parents. With a few memories of his late mom.
Mohammad was born in 570 AD in Mecca and began having visions at age 40. Eventually, he wrote them down: the Koran. Today we consider the month-long holiday of Ramadan, an integral part of Islam.
UUs don’t typically get much out of Easter, but the promise of finding common ground on some higher level (reconciliation) is alluring to everyone who has ever felt bereft, or broken, or estranged. Can it be?
The story of Passover is one of having the chutzpa to allow for grace. Rev. Furrer on Moses, courage, and the path to liberation, then and now.
Unitarian Universalism’s Third Source reads “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.” Reverend Furrer will consider what the simplicity and directness of Zen Buddhism has to offer us in the way of insight and deep meaning.
As ESUC begins its nearly two years of search for your next Minister, It will be good to consider styles of leadership and what style you think will fit most comfortably and serve most ably among you. Notes on George Patton, Abraham Lincoln, Rev Violet Kochendoerfer, and servant leadership as conceived by Robert Greenleaf and others.
The modern Western worldview has forgotten how to read the calendar of the wild Earth as both sacred text and a guide for our own soul formation. Yet, this inherent rhythm is our heritage as we are forged and fashioned out of the fiery elements of creation’s womb. Join with us as Mary guides a seasonal threshold crossing of deep remembering: remembering we carry wildness within; remembering we are related to other plants and animals who inhabit Earth with us; remembering we are on a common journey upon our common home with the whole of creation.
Let's honor the 250th anniversary of Universalism in the United States by remembering one of its most colorful characters! The Rev. Abner Kneeland's unusual ideas and bold writing landed him in hot water more than once. Just how far did a minister have to go to be too radical for Universalism? How would Abner's shocking notions fit into Unitarian Universalism today?
Enjoy a light-hearted morning celebrating the sentient creatures we hold dear and near to us. The traditional blessing of the animals this year also includes an animal altar and a mid-winter break slumber party. Favorite animal stuffies, and pictures of your beloved animal friends are invited to spend the week at East Shore.
Inauguration Day was a truly moving and spectacular expression of America working together! Yes, I got a little moist at points throughout the day. Now we enter into a critical time that will make or break all that we have done to date. This is also the moment we consistently get wrong which resets a cycle that will repeat until we lose it one last time or finally wake up and move into a new era for the US and the world. Be prepared to uncover a simple (not necessarily easy) missing link. NOW is the time to advance to a new era for humanity.
The title of this sermon is attributed to Polish-American scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski and became a premise in Korzybski's General Semantics and in neuro-linguistic programming. For me, it becomes a springboard for explaining my liberal worldview and theology. Notes on the phenomenon of projection, imagination, and poetry.
Did you know that Plato, Benjamin Franklin, Tolstoy, Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, George Patton, William Butler Yates, Jack London, and J.D. Salinger and countless other well known and highly respected people belied in reincarnation? Come to zoom church this morning and find out why.
The “heroic attitude is ingrained in our culture, and it shapes how most of us approach activism. But we are in the throes of a major cultural shift that is redefining how power is handled, and that calls for a new model of activism. Jody will contrast the heroic model of “defeating the bad guys” with a model drawn from her studies of heroines, one that focuses on sharing and empowering all people.
Hear from East Shore community member Rhonda Brown, who works extensively on the Beloved Conversations programs, will discuss the long arc of justice and the role we each play in weaving together a Beloved Community, opening up our apertures to see a wider view of the world within and around us all.
Faith, according to the Book of Hebrews, is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Reverend Furrer’s reflections on what faith can mean to contemporary Unitarian Universalists. Notes on Sharon Salzberg, Thomas Jefferson, John Milton, Paul Tillich, and Bernice Johnson Reagan.
Join us for a virtual gathering to reflect on the past year and to stand together to create positive energy to carry us into the new year with hope and love. This is a family friendly service. All are welcome.
Join us on Christmas Eve as we celebrate in a whole new way! This more traditional service will be held on Zoom with music from Eric Lane Barnes, stories for children of all ages from Amanda Uluhan, and a Christmas sermon from Rev. Stephen Furrer. Bring your own candles to join in a lighting. Come in your holiday best, or your PJs and celebrate this meaningful night together.
This year, the holidays are tougher than ever! Join us as we take a moment to stop and breathe together and take a break from the sometimes hard-to-handle holiday cheer.
The story behind Hanukkah, which runs from December 10-18, 2020, and some of its meanings.
Help ring in the Advent with Pastor Terry Kyllo, Executive Director of Paths to Understanding. We’ll deepen our own understanding of this Christian tradition while engaging more in a multi-faith peacemaking conversation.
Unitarian Universalists pride themselves in being activists, doers, makers and shakers. But on the cusp of Thanksgiving, Rev. Furrer is preaching on the value to be found in receiving. A focus on scientific discovery, artistic creativity, biofeedback and yoga.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
Diwali is the annual Festival of Lights celebrated in India, and follows a long tradition that some say predate Hinduism itself. This service will offer an opportunity to consider what insights can be gleaned from this ancient festival, and what meaning the story of Ram and Sita may hold for us today.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
Rev. Furrer invites everyone to consider the events of the past week and what we as individuals are now called upon to do individually, as families, and as a community of faith with a historic tradition that—sometimes—calls for a collective response.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
Traditions around the world remind us that the mortal veil separating life from death is delicate, and that at this time of year, we can journey deep within the inner worlds of prayer and dream. We will, individually and collectively, honor and grieve our ancestors and the blessings and truths of who they were; feel into our own power and greatness of being; and set intentions about ourselves, as future ancestors. We will imagine a future world, full of community and depth.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
October 24 marks the 75th anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the United Nations Charter: a fitting occasion for Rev. Furrer to complete his seven-part series on the UU Principles. Number Six: “The Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All.”
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
On October 18, 1968 Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Track and Field medal winners at the Mexico City Olympics held their arms aloft on the award stand in support of those compatriots who were being victimized by the civil unrest then sweeping the nation. They were vilified and condemned. Since the death of George Floyd civil unrest has returned to America’s streets. But has anything really changed?
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
Covenant Circles have been a meaningful part of East Shore for nearly 20 years. These small groups provide a context for support and friendship, personal and spiritual growth, connections and belonging. Those of us who are actively participating in Covenant Circles would like you to know how much our experiences have meant to us. We encourage you to consider making a Covenant Circle a part of your East Shore life. Come listen to our stories, hear how our lives have been enhanced by our participation, and learn how you can become a part of these dynamic, vital small group ministries. We do need one another.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
Grab your PJ’s or tune in in the background while you’re making dinner at home for some extra loving company. Somatic practices and guided meditation restore our nerves and a read aloud from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe cleanse the imagination.
This Sunday join in a Golden Anniversary Celebration of Earth Day. From 1970 to 2020 awareness of ecology and its concerns has grown exponentially—as have the crises it has helped to make clear.