Sunday Mornings at Cedars

Rev. Margo Rinehart Gregory Cook, Worship Associate This evening we will be celebrating the winter solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It is a time of both mystery and expectancy, as the longest dark leads to the return of the sun. Join us in this ancient celebration that still brings restoration and hope into our lives today.

Rev. Bill Comfort, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate In the book "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak, Max lets his primal nature loose upon the jungle of his imagination. We will explore the wild nature within each of us. How does your wild nature work for the benefit or detriment of your life?   Rev. Bill Comfort is a sort of retired UCC Pastor. He works part-tim...

Kathryn LaFond, Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Featuring music by cellist Gretchen Yanover Find more of her music at https://gretchenyanover.com In order to create the vision of a more fair and equitable world we must first renew our sacred relationship with what has been invisible for far too long. Releasing the ideology of human supremacy is a critical starting point. But can we e...

Rev. Barbara Gilday, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate It feels like the world, our world, is going to hell in a handbasket, as my grandmother would say. And it is, but the pendulum is starting to swing. In our lives, in our country, in our world, we can still lift up our heads and hearts, and reach out to be a clear light for others and Be Thankful – and mean it!  Rev. Barbara Gilda...

Reverend Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate David Thomas, Worship Associate At this time of year All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead provide ritual and ceremony that help us reflect on the gifts given to us by our loved ones who have passed on. Join us for this service of memory that includes building a communal altar to honor those whose inspirations and influence w...

Nancy Reid-McKee, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate After 50 years of throwing clay on a pottery wheel I have learned how art can be a practice of meditation and grounding, and I have learned to let go of perfection. One of the most important lessons has been the beauty found in our flawed and broken pieces. Rev. Nancy Reid-McKee was the minister at Northlake UU Congregation in Kirkla...

Reverend Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Liz Motter, Worship Associate Historically, Unitarian Universalists and Cedars UU Church have been passionate about issues of Social Justice. Join the members of the Social Action Committee to hear each individual share their passion for their "branch" of Social Action focus for this church year. We will break into...

Rev. Michael Walker, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate Intentions speak of our values and where we wish to put our energy and efforts. A Buddhist teaching about namasté is that we recognize the worthiness in others, very much in alignment with our UU principles, such as when we say we respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person. That is sometimes a challenge -- not every pe...

Mary Lou Sanelli, Guest Speaker Johanna Munson, Worship Associate Sanelli discusses her life and work as a writer. "Sanelli's writing is a fine mixture of literary nonfiction and memoir that often, and honestly, examines the act of writing itself." -The Stranger, Seattle. Mary Lou Sanelli is the author of fourteen titles of nonfiction, fiction, memoir, poetry, and a children's ti...

Rev. Barbara Cornell, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate The common understanding of mistakes is we'd rather not make them or that we are wrong or bad when we make them. How we respond after making a mistake is the story of our lives. Let's think about this together. Rev. Barbara Cornell has been a hospital chaplain for 15 years. She and her husband Dane are proud parents of tw...

Rev. Jennifer Alviar, Guest Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate In our global society of multiple faith traditions and diverse spiritual practices, what does the word “faith” really mean? Does one have to accept a particular belief system in order to belong to a community of faith? Or could we revision faith as a vibrant way of life that keeps us morally grounded, yet also open and adaptabl...

Rev. Barry Andrews, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate As another Labor Day approaches, America’s workers are anxious about their future. Government firings, robots and A.I. replacing humans, paychecks not keeping up with the cost of food and rents, these leave workers feeling unappreciated as well as pessimistic. Let’s reflect on the virtues of work and the role it plays in the cultiv...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Come and discern what it means for us to protest and otherwise speak out during these politically challenging times. Learn to increase your inner strength by practicing freedom, together. Reverend Margo Rinehart  is our minister at Cedars UU Congregation. She has been a Kitsap County resident for over 20 years before recently fin...

Rev. Kate Lore, Guest Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate We are living in the pause between stories. The familiar expectations no longer hold. The new ones are not yet formed. This is the threshold: not a place of clarity, but of courage. Kate Lore is a recently retired UU minister who currently lives in Battle Ground, WA. Prior to that, she served as the Senior Minister at the Port Townse...

Kathryn LaFond, Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Given what we are facing on a collective level in the USA, I find it helpful to explore what sustained the religious freedom fighters of our past. Dorothy Day said, “The greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart…” Frederick Douglas reminded us, “Power concedes nothing without demand." What are ou...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Tyler Weaver, Worship Associate We often hear the expression, "It's on my bucket list!" referring to the rush to see and do the things of our deepest desires before our life runs out. What if we created these pilgrimages and life experiences now rather than putting them off for our last years? Come and explore how to build your list for the here a...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate This service explores the religious and spiritual beliefs of Albert Einstein and his beliefs about the relationship between science and religion. In Einstein's own words, "I am not an atheist...I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself wi...

Rev. Barbara Gilday, Guest Minister Mike Cox, Worship Associate When life catches us off guard, how do we respond - in families, in communities, in our country? What can we learn from deaths in two families, from a city devastated by earthquakes, and from our current political environment? How can communication, planning, and community action make a difference in our states of mind and long-term o...

Rev. Dr. Barbara Wells ten Hove & Rev. Jaco B. ten Hove, Guest Ministers Jenny Weaver, Worship Associate These last few years have been tough on everyone. Is it possible that kindness might bring healing and hope to our world? And does the universe even care? Barbara Wells ten Hove and Jaco ten Hove, Emeritus Ministers of Cedars, are back among us for the first time since they retired in 2017...

Grace Bonow, Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Come and celebrate the Bridging of Grace, our graduating high school senior. Grace will describe how Unitarian Universalism shaped her journey from childhood to adult thinking and being. Grace Bonow is a graduating senior and a young member of Cedars UU Church who will be speaking about her spiritual journey. She has a deep passion for the...

Rev. Jennifer Alvair, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate Sometimes beauty has the power to shake up the status quo, re-examine our assumptions, and invite curiosity. Come join us as we learn to embrace the paradox of beauty, wonder and courage as wise companions on our spiritual journey. Rev. Jennifer Alviar is a Unitarian Universalist minister, spiritual innovator and avid community b...

Kathryn LaFond, Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate When fear tries to drive the bus of our lives, how do we remain loving? We live in a world increasingly hostile to those fighting for liberation, fighting for freedom from harm. The gifts in this moment may be that we are forced to learn how to center, ground, nourish, and focus. Kathryn LaFond, Intuitive Energy Healer/Health Coach, Aut...

Gregory Cook. Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said “The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." While this is certainly true, we (collectively, all of humanity) have learned how to describe and predict many things. From Johannes Kepler's observation that celestial bodies travel in elliptical orbits to the complex differential...

Rev. Kari Kopnic. Guest Minister Jenny Weaver, Worship Associate When you care deeply, whether for others, your community, or the world, it’s easy to overlook your own well-being. Come and explore how self-compassion is not a luxury, but a vital practice for those engaged in caregiving and justice work. Drawing on the insights of Kristin Neff, Tricia Hersey, and Israa Nasir, we’ll reflect on how t...

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate Come and explore the interrelationships of generosity, joy and service as we try to live lives of integrity and purpose. This sermon will also make mention of the Cedars pledge drive! Rabindranath Tagore inspires us with his poem: "I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and, beho...