Karen Brown & W.A. Sue Ellen Stringer What do you and I risk/gain if we stay where it’s “safe?” What do we risk/gain if we move beyond our fear into what makes us uncomfortable? Some people say that Whites are too fragile to speak up and to hear about racism – and to really “promote” … Continue reading “Stretching Our Comfort Zone and Our Beloved Community”

Susan Panttaja & Celia Barberena & W.A. Natalie Fryberger Sometimes we have to take risks to continue to grow or to achieve a dream. We may risk our security, our privacy, our tranquility. Yet we know that continuing with what is known and comfortable is not an option. Today we will consider the joys of … Continue reading “Living Authentically, Pursuing Our Dreams”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann & W.A. Ray Krise This Sunday marks the kickoff of our annual Stewardship campaign. (Please see page 10 for more information.) Appropriately, it falls on Valentine’s Day – a holiday devoted to love. But what is love? Is love something found at first sight? Is it unconditional? Or do we fall into … Continue reading “Of Love, Loaves, and Fishes”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and Worship Associate Bjorn Nilson Representative John Lewis said, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” He called this “making good trouble.” We can see many aspects of our current society that seem not right, … Continue reading “Make Good Trouble”

Bob Sadler & W.A. Natalie Fryberger Different traditions speak of an inner battle between two forces that are present in man: one being practical and more material, and the other raising our awareness to higher realms, “like fire that gives light and rises towards the divine.” This constant battle exemplifies the Human Being, the only … Continue reading “Striking a Balance . . . Human Beings or Human Doings?”

Susan Panttaja & W.A. Ann Jacobson Sometimes it feels like a dichotomy: with our limited discretionary time, we can either attend to our own needs OR address the needs of others. But is it really an either/or? In this service we will explore the balancing act we can experience as we attempt to care for … Continue reading “Me and We: Caring for Self While Caring for Others ”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann & W.A. Karen Brown In an ideal world, the scales of justice are perfectly balanced and unmoving. Alas, our world today is not ideal. The law of inertia maintains a status quo with a different kind of immobility. As religious progressives, we long to build a better world. This means moving beyond … Continue reading “Leaning, Tilting, and Falling Forward”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann & W.A. Ken Cuneo We often think of balance as a point between two opposites: work and play, happy and sad, pain and pleasure. This morning we will address the concept of balance not as a binary, but multidimensionally, and consider the many tentacles of our inner octopuses.

Rev. Axel Gehrmann & W.A. Sue Ellen Stringer We are at the beginning of a brand-new year, full ofboundless possibilities and unimagined potential. Andyet, the problems of the past year have not all beenmiraculously resolved. We will continue to bechallenged on many levels: personal and political,spiritual and physical, emotional and intellectual.Weighing the diverse demands of … Continue reading Our Balancing Act

Bob Sadler, Susan Panttaja, & Karen Brown Bob Sadler, Susan Panttaja, and Karen Brown will reflect on the wisdom of taking a break from our noisy world, and the ways stillness in communication, and in support for others, can enhance our lives. Could there be a New Year’s Resolution here? There will be quiet moments … Continue reading “The Strength in Silence”