Sunday Mornings at Cedars

Rev. Margo Rinehart, Cedars Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate This sermon is a kick-off for all the learning and visioning we will be doing together in the months to come. Let us work together in building a co-ministry of support, beauty, and restoration.  John O'Donohue says, "We each possess an imagination. Everyone, whether they like it or not, is involved in the construction of the wo...

Rev. Barbara Cornell, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Hope is tricky, especially when things are going wrong. Does it mean hoping for a cure, or turning this disaster around, or what exactly? In this sermon, we'll consider the changing nature of hope and explore our options for getting through these uncertain times. Rev. Barbara Cornell was in an About Your Sexuality class when she...

Rev. Bruce Bode, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate An exploration of why “everyday depression” comes to us, what it intends, and what meaning it may hold for us. Bruce A. Bode is Minister Emeritus at the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (QUUF) in Port Townsend, from which he retired in 2018 as the Senior Minister after serving the congregation for fourteen years (2004-2018).

Rev. Rose Edington & Rev. Mel Hoover, Guest Ministers Jenny Weaver, Worship Associate Springtime and gardening go together and have us imagining Beloved Community as a garden. Imagine the soil of Beloved Community as the ground of being that nurtures Unitarian Universalism. What do we want to cultivate? How do we handle the weeds? Will everyone be welcome? Camille Dungy's book "Soil:...

Rev. April Frazier, Guest Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate Moral injury is a human condition, suffered as a part of living in a world where we, others, and the earth are harmed by actions or the failure to act. How do we integrate these experiences to be able to continue to live when everywhere we look there are more reasons to cry in agony, scream in anger, or perhaps become numb? Let&#...

Rev. Kate Lore, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate We ALL face challenging changes and losses in our lives—whether it be a change in our health, the loss of a loved one, or the evaporation of a dream. And every time we face such changes, we are offered a powerful spiritual choice. Rev. Kate Lore is a Unitarian Universalist minister known for her work in social justice and community min...

Speaker: Jennifer J. Wilhoit, Ph. D. Worship Associate: Mike Cox This talk will focus on the potent inner/outer landscape: the intersection between who we feel we are internally and how we behave in the world. As areas of confluence in the natural world, ecotones are especially rich in biodiversity. Viewing ecotones as a concept, we can begin to apply their value in human contexts – in particular,...

Rev. Carol McKinley - Guest Minister Gregory Cook - Worship Associate The architect, philosopher and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller wrote, “We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.” In our changing world, that call has become increasingly urgent: when we hear it, how can we respond in ways that help create the future we hope to see? The Reverend Carol McKinley, now retired, l...

Aman Fatima, Guest Speaker Nancy Philip, Worship Associate What is it like being a teenage Pakistani Muslim in America? Hear from exchange student, Aman Fatima, as she shares her Muslim faith and the differences between life in Karachi and Poulsbo, Washington. Aman Fatima is a 15-year-old exchange student from Karachi, Pakistan. She attends West Sound Academy in Poulsbo.

Guest Minister - Rev. Kate Lore Worship Associate - Jenny Weaver Life doesn't always pause when our hearts are heavy, our minds are fractured, or our spirits feel like they're unraveling. This truth is both raw and universal. And yet, we endure. That's the miracle of being human--we endure. Somewhere in the depths of our pain, we find reserves of strength we didn't know we possesse...

Guest Minister - Rev. Barbara Gilday Worship Associate - Johanna Munson Visiting an elderly uncle in Toronto recently, I was shocked to discover that he was actively dying and none of his 5 children or other family members was present. I realized that in our culture, we have very little information or encouragement to be present in this difficult but transformational and often deeply spiritual tim...

Madeline Ostrander, Guest Speaker Gregory Cook, Worship Associate Reflecting on the power of community and the potential for small actions to have larger impacts and ripple effects, and about mindfulness and the importance of paying attention to details. Madeline Ostrander is a science journalist and writer whose work has appeared in  NewYorker.com , The Nation, Sierra magazine, PBS's NOVA Nex...

Guest Speaker - Kathryn LaFond Worship Associate - Johanna Munson In the Celtic world this is a time called Imbolc, known to bring the gift of insight and inspiration. A time to bring our curiosity, our questioner forward, to act as midwives for what brings justice and truth to a world badly in need. How might we discern between how we live currently and what the world is asking of us? And, how ca...

Tyler Weaver, Member and Guest Speaker Mike Cox, Worship Associate We are living in a time of great division within our country. Tyler and Mike will discuss why we believe finding common ground is important for the health of our families, communities and country. We will be breaking up into small groups to explore what we can do as individuals and as a congregation to address these divisions and t...

Rev. Jennifer Alvair, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate How can we cultivate spiritual strength and resilience during times of global crises? How might we learn to build trust across differences in today’s polarized nation? Come join us as we explore these interdisciplinary questions through the lens of peacebuilding and ecological renewal.

Rev. Bruce Bode, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate This service near the beginning of the new year will, Janus-like, look both ways. Following a sermon message engaging Denise Levertov’s poem “Once Only” as its text, it will include a “Composting Communion,” then, in community, greet the New Year!

Guest Minister - Rev. Kate Lore Worship Associate - Nancy Philip Together, Rev. Kate Lore and Nancy Philip will contemplate the darkest night of the year, the return of the light and the magic of the season."

Rev. Emily Melcher, Guest Minister Johanna Munson, Worship Associate In this season of ding-a-ling-a-ling, what would it mean for us to find ourselves in what poet Billy Collins calls “the generous pocket of silence”? How might we be truly present in this season of anticipation?

Rev. Kate Lore, Guest Minister Nancy Philip, Worship Associate We are entering what is for many of us a magical time of year. For others, though, these days come with sorrow and stress. How do we navigate the complexities of the holiday season? Rev. Kate Lore  is a Unitarian Universalist minister known for her work in social justice and community ministry. She has served in various roles, includin...

Rev. Barbara Cornell, Guest Minister Gregory Cook, Worship Associate In the early 60’s Directors of Religious Education were responding to parent and youth requests for help navigating the changing world of sexuality, when they joined forces with the UUA to create a new sexuality curriculum for middle schoolers, called About Your Sexuality (AYS). Today, we have the lifespan sexuality curriculum, O...

Rev. April Frazier, Guest Minister   Johanna Munson, Worship Associate   Aikido is a martial art, as well as a philosophy and a spiritual practice. There are lessons we can take from our training on the mat out into the world. Aikido teaches us to practice centering, while providing a real avenue for choosing peace and impacting both ourselves and the world we live in for the better.

Rev. Jessica Star Rockers, Guest Minister   Nancy Philip, Worship Associate Amidst a season of change—and in an era that often feels overwhelming and chaotic—let’s take a moment to remember those who came before us. We’ll gather inspiration from their creativity, express gratitude for their sacrifices, and imagine a future of joyful community care.

Rev. Bruce Bode, Guest Minister  Jenny Weaver, Worship Associate This sermon will offer a range of thoughts, feelings, reflections, and perspectives as we draw near to this consequential national election.

Rev. Barbara Gilday, Guest Minister  Nancy Philip, Worship Associate From time to time in our lives, we find ourselves questioning who we are – graduating from school, becoming a parent, losing a job or a special relationship, retiring, or experiencing a serious health crisis. etc. At these times, it’s helpful to have a template to sort out the new evolving you, and a way to remember those questio...

David Korten, Guest Speaker  Johanna Munson, Worship Associate Fran Korten’s service on October 6 reminds us that according to Genesis, God gave us dominion over the Earth, presumably to exploit for whatever we choose. Recently, in obedience to that dictum, we crafted an economics that tracks human progress by growth in human consumption. If that story is in error, what is our intended human purpo...