LOUCC Podcast

We continue “Weaving Spirit and story to discern our way forward.” This week, we hear from the prophet Amos, who challenges us to consider how our worship connects to justice and generosity in our lives.

We continue our theme "Weaving Spirit and story to discern our way forward." This week we hear the story of King Solomon building a temple for God. We'll explore what it means to be the church--both in our building and beyond our building--as we reflect on this past year and a half and look to the year ahead.

We continue our theme "Weaving Spirit and story to discern our way forward." This week we hear the story of the call of David and read a psalm attributed to David. We listen for how God looks at humans hearts and calls us to live into our true, authentic selves.

We continue to explore our theme for 2021-2022 "Weaving Spirit and story to discern our way forward." This week we'll listen to the story of the call of Samuel. We'll explore how sometimes God calls us to both speak and to hear a word of truth, even if that truth is hard and even if that truth is directed to people or institutions we love.

We hear the story of God providing manna to God's people in the wilderness. We listen for how this story resonates for us today--both as people who are living in liminal times, but also as people called to participate in an economy of enough-ness, where we can help provide daily bread to others. We hear stories from our own LOUCC history and a sister congregation, as we consider how God is calling us to meet tangible needs today.

We continue in Year 4 of the narrative lectionary. This week we hear the story of the call of Moses. Hearing the cries of God's people, God responds by calling Moses into the work of liberation. Using Spirit and story, God invites Moses into a new way forward where he must live out his faith in his own generation. How can we open ourselves to Spirit and story as we listen for God's call in our lives?

We continue in Year 4 of the Narrative Lectionary. This week we wrestle with the difficult story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. Often interpreted as a story of faithfulness, could it be that it's a story of what not to do? Come join us as we try to listen for how this story speaks to our lives today.

This Sunday we kick off our program year and begin Year 4 of the Narrative Lectionary. We hear the first story of creation from Genesis and listen for how we are invited to be co-creators with God of a just and flourishing world.

We continue our summer worship series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." Each week we hear from a different member of the congregation about how the Spirit is working in their lives. This week our Moderator-Elect Rev. John Aney shares about how the Spirit is moving through liminality and pilgrimage.

We continue our summer worship series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." Each week we hear from a different member of the congregation about how the Spirit is moving in their lives. This week Cheryll Simmerman shares about her journey of faith--from Methodism to the Bahá'í faith--and how the Spirit has shaped her understandings of unity and justice.

We continue our summer series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." This week we hear from LOUCC member Pam Brown, who shares how the Spirit has moved in her life through community and creativity. She'll share samples of textile art she has made through the pandemic and how her art has opened up deeper conversations and connections.

We continue on in our summer series “Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith.” This week Connie Irwin connects her joy at creating quilts to God's creativity in Genesis. Hear how Connie finds beauty and inspiration all around her in nature, and see slides of some of her work.

We continue our summer series “Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith.” This week Sue Zukas shares some of her experiences companioning her husband Don through health care crises, and how God and her community helped provide for them, giving what they needed each time.

We continue our summer series “Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith.” This week Quent Neufeld shares how God has been at work in his life from his days as a midwestern Mennonite farmboy through his career as an international broadcast journalist to courage in facing a difficult disease today.

This service was originally held on Zoom. We continue our summer series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." Each week we hear from a different member of the congregation about how the Spirit is moving in their life. This week our Director of Faith Development Katie Diaz will share her perspective about the importance of the church being a community that is bound together by the guidance of the Spirit. This was Katie's last Sunday with us at LOUCC.

We continue our summer series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." Each week a different member of the community shares about how the Spirit is moving in their lives. This week we hear from our Moderator-Elect, Kathi Rise, as she speaks about her growing prayer life.

We continue our summer series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." Each week, we'll hear from a different church member about how the Spirit has moved in their lives. This week we hear from LOUCC member Jan Standlea, who shares how the Spirit is speaking to her through Pride, communion, and gender-neutral bathrooms.

Director of Faith Development Katie Diaz preaches on the story of creation from Genesis--how we are created in the image of God and called to engage with each other as God's beloved. S

We kick off our summer worship series "Listening to the Spirit: Sharing our Stories of Faith." Each week during the summer, we'll hear a reflection from a member of our congregation about when they have been guided by the Spirit, led in a new way forward, or what they have learned about themselves and their faith during this time of pandemic. By hearing each other's stories, we will listen for the Spirit in our own lives, glean the wisdom of our community, and continue to discern how God is calling us forward as individuals and a church. This Sunday, Rev. Jennie Ott kicked off our series by sharing how the Spirit has worked in her life through contemplative spirituality. We also share in the sacrament of communion.

We hear from Paul's letter to the Galatians, a community facing conflicts related to diversity. Paul reminds them that, even in their uniqueness, through Christ they are all beloved and they all belong. We listen for how we embody and share that message today.

We continue to hear about the growth of the early church. Drawing from a passage in Acts, we explore how the early church wrestles with change, seeks to listen to the Spirit, and discerns a new way forward. We listen for the parallels in our time, as we discern our way forward in this pandemic time of upheaval and change.

A special Earth Day celebration. Rev. Dr. Janet Parker is our guest preacher, invites us to consider how our faith invites us to work for climate justice.

We continue in the gospel of Luke and hear about Jesus' post-resurrection encounter with two disciples on the Emmaus Road. We'll listen for how, even after death, Jesus invites his disciples to deeper practices of faith, and how it is in living like Jesus that we recognize Jesus in our midst.

We celebrate the good news of the resurrection! Drawing from Luke's account of Easter morning, we'll listen for how God is calling us into new life and a new way forward!

We begin our worship celebrating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. We'll then shift into a portion of passion story as we hear how Jesus prepares to confront the powers that be. Together we'll listen for courage and resolve as we seek to find a new way forward, particularly in the face of violence and suffering in our lives and world.

We continue our Lenten theme "A New Way Forward" and our journey through the Gospel of Luke. This week we hear three stories about seeing--and how Jesus calls us into deeper ways of seeing God, ourselves, and our neighbors.

We continue our Lenten theme “A New Way Forward.” This week we hear a vision of Isaiah about healing for the world and a challenging parable from Jesus about wealth and the barriers that wealth often creates. We’ll hear a sermon from one of our UCC national officers, Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive for Global Ministries Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, as she offers a global perspective on how we are called—as the larger church—to help alleviate global poverty and suffering.

We begin our Lenten journey with our Lenten theme "A New Way Forward." Together, we'll be listening for how God is calling us to live into this season of our lives and world. We'll start this Sunday with Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan. How is God calling us into action as we seek to care for the most vulnerable in our society? Who needs our love? And from whom do we receive compassion?

We welcome our Conference Minister, Rev. Tyler Connoley, as our guest preacher. Tyler will be preaching on the Gospel of Matthew and Jesus' command to travel light, as a reminder that we need one another on the journey of faith.

This week, members Jim Crane, Lauren Dole, Jennie Ott, and Katie Diaz reflect together about two healing stories from the Gospel of Luke. Sharing their unique insights and perspectives, they model how we can read scripture from our own lenses and each find meaning for our lives today.

We continue in the gospel of Luke and hear about Jesus' call to healing and wholeness. We'll listen in on a debate he has with the religious leaders over Sabbath, and explore how we are called to seek healing and wholeness for ourselves and others, even when it may challenge our traditions, rules, or practices.

We continue in the Gospel of Luke and hear about the calling of the first disciples. We'll listen for how Jesus invites us to join him in ministry, repurposing our skills for the work of justice and peace in our world today. Notes: The scripture is a reading of Luke 5:1-11 .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeVQj.... The audio of Amanda Gorman is of her reading of the poem “The Hill We Climb” at the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULuO....

We hear about the start of Jesus’ public ministry. He preaches his inaugural sermon about “bringing good news to the poor,” which offers both comfort and challenge to his hearers. Director of Faith Development Katie Diaz preaches about accepting good news that challenges our lives and asks us to reorient ourselves towards service. We’ll also hear a Moment for Mission about Our Church’s Wider Mission and hear special music from youth of the Ba’hai community, Beit Haverim, and LOUCC.

We celebrate Epiphany, the day when we remember the Magi's journey of following the star to the Christ Child. This Sunday we'll hear Epiphany star stories from LOUCC members Pam Rossio, Maddy Lovett, Brenda Fulle, and Kathi Rise, as they share how their star words guided them through 2020.

We celebrate Epiphany, the day when we remember the Magi's journey of following the star to the Christ Child. This Sunday we'll hear Epiphany star stories from LOUCC members Pam Rossio, Maddy Lovett, Brenda Fulle, and Kathi Rise, as they share how their star words guided them through 2020.

We continue the story of Jesus’ infancy. We’ll hear how two elder prophets, Simeon and Anna, recognize Jesus as the Messiah when he is 8 days old. Jennie will share a sermon from one of her spiritual elders and prophets, Barbara Brown Taylor, who helps us see God in the infant Jesus and in the world around us.

We begin our journey through the Gospel of Luke. We'll hear the story of Mary's call to bear the Christ Child, her visit with her cousin Elizabeth, and her song the Magnificat. We'll explore how God invites ordinary people, like Mary and like you and me, to help bear God's light, love, and justice to the world.

We continue our Advent theme "Standing Up in Faith." This week we hear a beautiful promise of restoration and healing from the prophet Isaiah, a promise that Jesus quotes when he begins his own ministry. We'll listen for how we are called to bring good news, bind up the brokenhearted, and work for God's vision of justice and flourishing in our world today.

We hear from the prophet Joel, who speaks to the people of Jerusalem in a time of great trouble and promises them that the Spirit will give them visions and dreams for the future. As we face troubling times in our world today, we listen to young people within our congregation--Genevieve Guertin, Maddy Lovett, and Charlie Grimm--as they share some of their dreams for the future.

We begin our Advent season "Standing Up in Faith." This Sunday we welcome LOUCC member Rev. Elizabeth Durant as our guest preacher. Liz will draw from the story of the prophet Daniel and Psalm 130 to examine "Standing Up for Religious Freedom." On this first Sunday after Thanksgiving, Liz will explore the limits on the religious freedoms of indigenous/First Nations peoples and how that still echoes today in the ordinances of the city of Lake Oswego. Together, we'll listen for a way forward through God's forgiveness and hope.

We hear of God's grace and abiding love as the prophet Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant that God will write on our hearts. In the midst of difficult circumstances, God promises the people of Israel--and us--transformation through love and relationship. How does this transformation shape our lives and our practices of gratitude and generosity?

We continue in the narrative lectionary with the call of the Prophet Isaiah. Like many prophets in scripture, Isaiah initially resists the call; yet, God equips and empowers Isaiah for the call he is given. How is God inviting us to step into this present moment in our time? What are the gifts that God has given us, and how is God calling and equipping us to share our gifts—time, talent, passions, and treasure—for what the world needs now?

We continue in the narrative lectionary and our theme "Standing up as People of Faith." We hear the story of Jonah, a reluctant prophet sent to preach God's word among Israel's enemies in Nineveh. Confounded and bitter at God's compassion to the Ninevites, this story invites us to consider how we perceive enemies in our lives today. On this post-election Sunday, how do we hang on to God' grace and compassion even as we face very real divisions in our nation?

We celebrate All Saints Day and remember God's invitation to care for others in an intergenerational service. As part of our service, we'll hear from some of the living saints in our church --Cami and Luke Oh, Antjuanece Brown, Clayton Crowhurst, Kurt Munson, and Wana Maurer. They'll share about people in their lives who have taught them about caring for others and share stories about how they care for others in their own lives

We hear a story about King David and God's faithful covenant. Whereas David is ready to build God a temple, God shows David that God has other plans for how to make God's presence known--namely through the people. We'll listen for how God meets us when our plans go awry, and how we can trust in God's faithfulness in these tumultuous times.

We continue our journey through the Narrative Lectionary and our theme "Standing Up as People of Faith." This week we hear the poignant and powerful story of Hannah, who demonstrates courage and commitment in standing up for the future she longs for. We'll listen to the voices of modern day Hannahs, those in our community and nation crying out for a new future.

We pick up with the Narrative lectionary and hear the story of the Israelites worshipping the Golden Calf. We'll hear how anxiety drives them to make some hasty decisions and talk about how anxiety is functioning in our lives today. We'll also listen for how God may be inviting us to tear down some of the golden calves that our society has built over time.

We continue our journey into Year 3 of the Narrative Lectionary. This week we move into the stories of Abraham and wrestle with a difficult story about power, privilege and exclusion. When God's promise of decendents doesn't come as quickly as Abraham and Sarah hope, they force Sarah's servant Hagar into surrogacy and then exclude her when she conceives. Yet God seeks out Hagar and blesses her. We listen for what this story can teach us about inclusion, courage, antiracism, and working for justice in our world.

Join us Sunday, September 13, as we begin our new program year with the theme "Standing Up as People of Faith." We start year 3 of the Narrative Lectionary, this week focusing on Genesis 2 and 3 with the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. We'll listen for what these ancient stories tell us about our sense of connection, disconnection, and longing for re-connection, and how that relates to "Standing Up as People of Faith." We'll also have a special Back to School blessing for our students, families, and teachers. See you on Sunday!

Our confirmands lead our worship service and share their expressions of faith. This culminates their year of faith exploration and will be a joyful celebration