UU Community Church of Washington County's Podcast

When things fall apart, it can be tempting to protect yourself and never again show vulnerability. This is especially true when you have known people to judge mistakes harshly or unfairly. So how do we live our lives in a messy world?  

In liberal religion, there is a sense in which you are your own person, deciding for yourself what to believe and how to live a meaningful life. But there is also a sense that you are not merely your own, that you are devoting yourself to a larger mission or a higher value. We will explore the benefits and risks of giving your life over to something beyond yourself.  

  Growing up in a secular Jewish household with a funny mother!

Many in our congregation are actively protecting and expanding voting rights and participation in the democratic process. We will weave together personal stories with UU principles to highlight priorities in this election year.  

Come and hear members of the church women's group talk about women in history whose significant discoveries and accomplishments have been ignored, dismissed, or attributed to someone else. We will learn how these remarkable women have embodied our UU 1st, 2nd, and 4th principles.  

The movie Prince of Tides describes what happens when a family buries their feelings about a traumatic event. I'll describe the impact of that movie on me, and ask what support we can offer each other so that we are more likely to open up about our own stories. Heads up that some tender topics will come up, such as sexual abuse.  

I became Unitarian Universalist 37 years ago; before that I was a Reform Jew. Now, at the end of my working career as a UU minister, I find myself having to revisit that age-old question: “Why Am I UU?” I explored this same topic when I served this congregation many years ago. I will explore theology, spirituality and how to approach the problematic culture in which we live.  

The safest place for a boat is in the harbor, but that's not what boats are for. We will explore what happens to our hearts when we open up to the world.  

In February each year, congregations celebrate the hard work of their youth who are involved in Scouting programs. Come sit at our “campfire” to hear about parallels between Scouting and our UU values, the relationship between the Boy Scouts of America and the UUA, and our families’ personal Scouting experiences. We’ll hear about the struggles that pushed the BSA to become an inclusive and safe pl...

Amidst the complications of life, there is often a simple message that you want to say to yourself, or to each other.  What is your message?  We launch our pledge drive by going to the heart of spiritual living.  

Come meet Ms. Tify, our dour neighbor who will learn how to celebrate a sense of awe.  Practicing wonder calls on us to be open to the surprises in the interdependent web.  Bring some wonder with you.  And we’ll celebrate National KazUU Day!  

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?  Or welcomed back with open arms, even the prodigal son?  With the help of our fire ceremony, we explore the decisions we make, as we choose what to keep in our lives and what to move on from.  

For some, this is a time of year for groundedness, patience, peace. Not denying the troubles of the world, but putting them down for a moment to experience a hope shared by all who believe that a better world is possible. We'll consider what was going on for Barbie when she sang the Indigo Girls song Closer to Fine.  

If we know that creative work is so beneficial, why is it so difficult? What counts as creativity, anyway?  Why should UUs make time for creativity when there is so much other work to do?  Emily Bostian has some answers, and some questions.  

Three members of the church community will each speak about their current spiritual journey. You might come out of it feeling more connected to your own, and each other's. What is a spiritual practice you value (perhaps how you find peace, openness, connection, meaning)? What is a question you are pondering? How are you changing or want to change? How is it to be the age that you are? Or what...

In the year 1838, in a time of great change, Theodore Parker delivered a sermon called The Transient and the Permanent. He asked, what are the enduring aspects of a liberal church, and what might change from year to year or generation to generation. We will hear an abbreviated version of the sermon, and wonder, what might Parker have to say today.

On International Men's Day, we celebrate men, and explore pressures and expectations around being a man.  Whether it's you or someone you know, being a man can be quite a ride. During Joys & Concerns, we mark International Transgender Day of Remembrance by saying the names of those killed in the last year.  

You are perfect the way you are … and you could use a little improvement,” writes Japanese Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. This week’s sermon will be an exploration of the interior sense of being both judged and accepted.  

Pamela Midyett, Brian Lightcap and Priscilla Bradley In a number of traditions, this time of year lifts the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead.  Three speakers will each tell the story of an ancestor they love, with the hope that it will inspire you to open to an ancestor of your own (whether of your birth or chosen family).  On this day, we open up a connection with th...

Come and hear updates from Elaine Nelson on UN Sunday.  UU advocacy work at the UN previously held by the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations (UU@UN) as of this year has been incorporated into the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC).  Elaine will share about UU Climate Justice work with UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s Conference of the Parties (COP),...

Judy Blume's most loved coming-of-age book is called Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret . Eleven-year-old Margaret keeps god up-to-date as she seeks a religion that works for her, amidst the trials and tribulations of trying to fit in with her friends as they approach puberty. In this service, we explore how god might defend, explain or apologize for the way life rolls.  

Transgender parent Trystan Reese will share his experiences as a pregnant man navigating a world that assumes pregnancy is uniquely linked to femininity. While he experienced hardships, he ultimately came to cherish his time as a pregnant man, learning a lot about himself and others along the way.  A gifted storyteller who has been featured on The Moth radio hour, Trystan is delighted to bring his...

Were you taught to take up space in the room, to make your voice heard within an assertive culture? Or perhaps your spidey sense tingles when someone else is behaving like that. What happens when democratic values bump up against the will to command attention? Rev. Ben will share lessons learned from improv theatre about how to take space and how to make space for others.  

Like leaves taking a plunge from a tree in fall, our freedom to explore spiritual paths can be unsettling.  But our congregation can make for a safe landing.  Come meet our neighbor Ms. Apprehend, who will learn important lessons from our youth about leaves, science, and our nurturing church community.  

On this Bring a Friend Sunday, with a church celebration after the service, we explore what makes for a meaningful life. What do you need, for yourself, your neighbour, your loved ones, to open the heart, open the mind, and share in the journey?