Here we are (finally!!) a few days short of the midterm elections! I’ve heard a mixture of feelings about this: dread, excitement, fear, anxiety, hope; sometimes all of the above in a single moment. How do we hold all this intense confusion? What helps for me is to know that no matter the outcome, the … Continue reading Friday News – October 30, 2026
This Sunday, I will be joined by First UU member Kristin Hehrer as we discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act. Parts of this pivotal, vital act are being dismantled, leading to Americans losing access to accessibility resources that they need to get through their daily lives. We invite you to view Crip Camp, a powerful … Continue reading Friday News – Oct. 23, 2026
Board Welcome Betsy Smalley Opening Hymn #1010 “We Give Thanks” Centering Words Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley Congregational Greeting Bringing in the Light “Search For Peace” Nathan Hamm by McCoy Tyner Chalice Lighting by Elizabeth Nguyen Cassandra Montenegro Time for All Ages Amber Scott After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) written and … Continue reading Sunday, October 18, 2026 “At the Beginning of the World” Rev. Byron Tyler Coles
Happy Friday First UU! I recently read a blogpost from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg reflecting on wisdom gained from participating in an organizer’s collective. She boils down the lessons learned to: We don’t need a handful of perfect leaders – we need many more people willing to take responsibility for the work. Strong movements are built through relationships, … Continue reading Friday News – Oct 16, 2026
The future is much on my mind! I’ll be preaching this Sunday about what we might be able to predict about the future and next Sunday our pulpit guest, Rev. Byron Tyler Jones will be preaching about leaning into the unknown. This is all in service of the congregational strategic planning session to be held … Continue reading Friday News – October 9, 2026
Happy Friday First UU! We have a lot of big things happening in October! Thanks to a generous donor, October is pledge matching month! Any new pledges or pledge increases will be matched up to $10,000. Join us this Sunday after the second service for a Soup Luncheon to celebrate the start of this month … Continue reading Friday News – October 2, 2026
New Ways of Being Together In Congregations by Lenore Bajare-Dukes What does a wall of nametags, a declining leadership roster, and a UU board meeting have in common? This is not the beginning of a joke about religious professionals walking into a bar. It’s a few of the stories that were shared during the third … Continue reading CER News Update – October 2026
It’s been wonderful to see so many new and returning faces for our first few weeks of the church year! So much going on and such great energy! At times like this I have to remind myself that church is not always perfect, however much we might want to make it so. Because we bring … Continue reading Friday News – September 25, 2026
This Sunday I’ll be preaching about how to hold ourselves in the midst of change – sometimes a challenging thing to do. What helps is to know why we are making the change. We’ll be making a change to our Order of Service and we want to explain our reasoning: We will no longer be … Continue reading Friday News – September 18, 2026
Board Welcome Dr. Jennifer Nichols Opening Hymn #1000 “Morning Has Come” Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley Centering Words by Monica Jacobson-Tennessen, Rev. Kelli McNeal Congregational Greeting Bringing in the Light “Barcarolle” by R. Nathaniel Dett, Nathan Hamm Chalice Lighting by Rebekah Savage Time for All Ages A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, Amber Scott written … Continue reading Sunday, September 13, 2026 “Ingathering – Water Ceremony”
