Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of McMinnville Oregon (UUFM)

Two stories from storyteller Will Hornyak: To be human is to sometimes forget the very nature of who we are and what we love. The demands of the world can separate us from the needs of our deepest selves. Storyteller Will Hornyak shares myths and poems honoring the soul's desire for authenticity, beauty and connection.

Join in the 97th anniversary of a ritual with flowers that binds us together. Czechoslovakian Unitarian Norbert Capek turned to the native beauty of the countryside for elements of a communion for those in his church who had been persecuted by other Christian faiths. Please bring a flower of your choice, wildflower from the field or from your garden, to the Zoom service. They will become the symbols that unit our church fellowship. Speaker Bio Rev. Margo Rinehart earned her Masters of Divinity from Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry in 2018. Since that time, she has served as a semi-permanent guest minister at the Olympic UU Fellowship in Carlsborg, WA, where she leads one service each month. She has been preaching a couple of times a month since January. She has also served as Chaplain at Camp Eliot in Seabeck, WA

Interfaith Muslim minister Jamal Rahman returns to UUFM to share time honored stories from different traditions, to help us restrain our ego and open our heart so that we can be of authentic service to others. Speaker Bio Jamal Rahman is a Muslim Sufi interfaith minister, originally from Bangladesh. He is a co-minister at the Interfaith Community Church in Seattle. He has been featured in the New York Times, CBS news, the BBC and various NPR programs. His website is: jamalrahman.com

How trees speak to us from Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of life, to the Unitarian Universalist Seventh Principle of the interconnected web. Hear voices throughout the ages calling us to service of the mystery of the trees. Native American scholar and activist, Vine Deloria, Jr. tell us “The lands of the planet call to humankind for redemption. But it is a redemption of sanity, not a supernatural reclamation project at the end of history…The lands wait for those who can discern their rhythms” Let us be the discerning force. And don’t forget, Earth Day is coming up April 22. Speaker Bio Rev. Margo Rinehart earned her Masters of Divinity from Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry in 2018. Since that time, she has served as a semi-permanent guest minister at the Olympic UU Fellowship in Carlsborg, WA, where she leads one service each month. She has been preaching a couple of times a month since January. She has also served as Chaplain at Camp Eliot in Seabeck, WA

Easter is a time of spring and for remembering promises. For Christians this is the covenant between them and God, that they are saved through grace. Unitarian Universalists hold covenants to one another. Come and hear our stories of pledges we make to one another from 2000 years ago until today. Speaker Bio Rev. Margo Rinehart earned her Masters of Divinity from Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry in 2018. Since that time, she has served as a semi-permanent guest minister at the Olympic UU Fellowship in Carlsborg, WA, where she leads one service each month. She has been preaching a couple of times a month since January. She has also served as Chaplain at Camp Eliot in Seabeck, WA.

The spring equinox is a time for finding balance in our lives as we emerge from the longest emotional winter. How can we embrace optimism, commitment and joy? Speaker Bio Rev. Margo Rinehart earned her Masters of Divinity from Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry in 2018. Since that time, she has served as a semi-permanent guest minister at the Olympic UU Fellowship in Carlsborg, WA, where she lead one service each month. She has been preaching a couple of times a month since January. She has also served as Chaplain at Camp Eliot in Seabeck, WA.

Join Rev. Margo as she discusses spiritual maturity, moving from debate and intellectualism to discernment, deep listening and a change in our everyday practices.

Jamal Rahman brings us a message of beauty, wisdom and meaning making. He also describes abiding faith in the power of heart-to-heart connections to encompass differences and dissolve prejudices. Speaker Bio Jamal Rahman is a Muslim Sufi interfaith minister, originally from Bangladesh. He is a co-minister at the Interfaith Community Church in Seattle. He has been featured in the New York Times, CBS news, the BBC and various NPR programs. His website is: jamalrahman.com

“Power without love is reckless and abusive and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Come join us and discover how to find and maintain your personal power as you act against everything that stands against love. Speaker Bio Rev. Margo Rinehart earned her Masters of Divinity from Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry in 2018. Since that time, she has served as a semi-permanent guest minister at the Olympic UU Fellowship in Carlsborg, WA, where she leads one service each month. She has been preaching a couple of times a month since January. She has also served as Chaplain at Camp Eliot in Seabeck, WA.

How are we as congregations and individuals living into our seven principles? Rather than a quiet creed, as Unitarian Universalists, we have committed to uphold our values and act in these specific ways with one another. An 8th principle could guide us to be accountable within all our principles as well as spotlight the dismantling of racism. Speaker Bio Jennifer Springsteen is a seminary student at Starr King School for the Ministry in California. She is the co-founder of PDX Writers and her writing has won several awards including Regional Arts and Culture Council grants, an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship, and two Pushcart Prize nominations. She is represented by Joanna MacKenzie of Nelson Literary Agency. She writes, teaches, and edits in Portland.  

Edie Jessup, new to UUFM, will help us consider homelessness, and what we might learn as we face this era of pandemic, and how our UU Principles might guide a response from us as a community. Edie has worked with the homeless in Maine at York County Shelter Programs; in Fresno, CA through Fresno Metro Ministry and as an advocate; and in Humboldt, CA with Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives. Speaker Bio Edie grew up in Porterville, Tulare County, California. Edie has worked eclectically over her career, primarily in advocacy and direct service work with neighbors who happen to be poor, and thereby hungry, homeless, and without health access. Her focus is on creating an arena where people can, in their own voice, advocate for themselves. Through her experiences in listening to people she is convinced that there is a story about basic needs and rights and how systems impact the poor, and, people want to hear about this. If people can hear, they will want to change themselves and the system. Edie is committed to restoring the food system and food justice, and ending homelessness. 

Reverend Rick (or “Rick”) of the nearby UU Congregation of Salem, a longtime friend of our fellowship will join us.   Every year in his own pulpit, he has a Sunday when he answers people’s written questions from the pulpit.  Questions may pertain to Unitarian Universalism, religion, spirituality, politics, Beethoven, the ministry, congregational life, social justice, or any other question that would enrich the communal discourse.  So be thinking of the question you’d like to ask. Speaker Bio Rev. Rick Davis has served as minister of the UU Congregation in Salem for the past 26 years and has often spoken here at UUFM and always looks forward to being with us.  

The things we own tell us a lot about ourselves. What does our stuff say about us? What can we learn from what we keep or discard? What spiritual and moral issues are connected to the boxes in our closets? Our UU principles can guide us as we collect, downsize, move, and manage our possessions. Speaker Bio Kathleen LaFlamme has been a Unitarian Universalist since 2014. Her lifelong Wiccan spiritual practice draws from many of the same sources as Unitarian Universalism, including mythology, Jungian archetypes, ancient and modern philosophy, and respect for the interdependent web of life. At the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County in Hillsboro, she volunteers on the Worship Team and helps to lead their UU Pagans group. When she’s not contemplating life’s mysteries, she works as a technical writer and moonlights as a costume designer and seamstress. In her spare time, she reads voraciously and swims as often as she can.

Love is often portrayed in romantic and idealized contexts that overlook the sacrifices, struggles and pain that is often a part of love. From God’s love to human love, love is a battlefield. Speaker Bio Dr. Miles K. Davis is the 20th president of Linfield College. Davis has a Ph.D. in human and organizational sciences from The George Washington University, an M.A. in human resource development from Bowie State University and a B.A. in communications from Duquesne University. He was the inaugural chair of the management science department at the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University and became the founding director of its Institute for Entrepreneurship. Dr. Davis went on to become the dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of business. organizations manage cultural and structural changes, strategic planning, leadership development and strategic growth initiatives.

Traumatic and stressful life events are a part of our existence. Through embracing what’s outside of our own control we unleash an inner peace during moments of extreme hardship. This spoken word poetry infused presentation is focused on finding the purpose in the pain and lessons in the madness. Speaker Bio Noah Schultz is a social innovator, public speaker and justice reform activist who is passionate about bringing services to underprivileged youth. He has a personal connection and motivation to help drive change in the current affairs of juvenile justice through coalition building, reform talks and mentorship of incarcerated youth leaders.

One of the central questions that haunts the human mind and heart is, “What sort of being are we?” It’s kind of obvious we’re mammals and part of the natural order. Yet it is also obvious we are distinctive in a way that seems profound. Today we reflect upon humanity’s evolutionary emergence from ‘just another primate’ to whatever it is we are now. Speaker Bio The Reverend Mark Gallagher served for twenty-one years as pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver (Washington), having previously served several other west coast congregations briefly. He still lives in Vancouver and has a private practice ministry of preaching, teaching, and leading workshops. He has spoken at UUFM several times over the years.

A short life story of my evolving religious and cultural identity from New York Jew to Unitarian with a few decades of liberal Catholicism in a world where being Jewish is dangerous. Speaker Bio Ronni Lacroute been producing and sponsoring music, theatre, and dance programs focused on themes of social and environmental justice for several decades in the Portland area and in Yamhill County.

The burning bowl ceremony makes space for new beginnings and in setting new intentions for the new year. It’s time to clear out unwanted conditions from our lives, this ceremony offers a sacred and powerful way to release negativity and welcome in the new year of possibilities. Speaker Bio Shanta Frisbee is an interfaith minister and intuitive spiritual counselor, who follows a Braided way Sangha, drawing on earth religions that have shaped her spiritual journey. Shanta continues to lead ceremonies and rituals, guiding others to find the Divine within themselves.

Ever wondered if there was a recipe somewhere for being the most effective social justice activist possible? Amazingly enough, the 3000 year old Hebrew Scriptures offers a profound and yet totally implementable path to becoming a master world healer. Together we will journey through the story of Yaacov/Jacob, seeing his life and choices as a blueprint for our own spiritual development as justice seekers. Speaker Bio Rabbi Debra Kolodny has been bringing her spiritual activist passion to worker rights, racial and economic justice, women’s, environmental, peace and LGBTQ causes since 1980. She has taught and spoken in hundreds of venues, organized retreats for as many as 750 and produced ground-breaking conferences. She is the founding rabbi of Portland’s UnShul, a Jewish community that shows up for racial, economic and immigrant justice, a leader in PUAH, Portland United Against Hate and the convener of the Portland Spirit Led Justice Alliance. She is multiply published and has interviewed on radio and television.

Unity is most commonly defined as the state of being united or joined as a whole. However, this simple definition is challenged by the inherent diversity of human beings. Even the seven (7) principles of UU can be challenged by deeply held beliefs that run counter to amalgamated beliefs and interactions. I look forward to exploring these challenges and offering a perspective I hope you find unifying. Speaker Bio Dr. Miles K. Davis is the 20th president of Linfield College. Davis has a Ph.D. in human and organizational sciences from The George Washington University, an M.A. in human resource development from Bowie State University and a B.A. in communications from Duquesne University. He was the inaugural chair of the management science department at the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University and became the founding director of its Institute for Entrepreneurship. Dr. Davis went on to become the dean of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of business. organizations manage cultural and structural changes, strategic planning, leadership development and strategic growth initiatives.

Perhaps best known as “the pregnant man” of 2017, Trystan Reese will be sharing his unique parenting journey to the UU community on October 6th. You’ll hear about how he and his partner became the “accidental gay parents” by adopting their niece and nephew, then how they went on to have their own biological child a few years later. He’ll share the story of deciding to have a baby as a transgender man, and how that decision ripples across the globe, creating change in more ways than he could have ever imagined. Speaker Bio Trystan Reese sprang into the public consciousness in 2017 when he and his partner, Biff, told their non-traditional pregnancy story in the mainstream media. He and Biff are also the adoptive parents of Biff’s biological niece and nephew. They are proud to have expanded the public conversation about trans reproductive justice, queer families, and what it means to be a father. He regularly tells the unique story of his family’s creation to audiences across the country. He is also the Director of Family Formation at Family Equality Council, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ families and those who wish to form them.

Come and hear how the tenets of Sikhism relate to why so many Sikhs helped with the release of asylum seekers at the Sheridan Federal Correction Center last summer. Navneet Kaur, one of the interpreters who helped with the men from India and Nepal, was given access to the prison on a daily basis. She will talk about her experience and how her faith is embedded in all she does. Speaker Bio Navneet an adjunct instructor at Chemeketa Community College in Salem. She started her teaching career in Lodi California as a high school teacher in 2002 and has taught both middle and high school before becoming a college instructor. She is also a member of Dasmesh Darbar Sikh temple in Salem since 2006. She was actively involved in organizing and hosting all the events organized by the Sikh Community , including the Sikh Day Parade from 2006-2013 and was the Community Outreach Director for the temple. In 2018, she got involved with Innovation Law Lab and was an integral part of their pro bono team that helped free over a hundred immigrant detainees from Federal Correctional Institute in Sheridan, Oregon.

Being the most kind, honorable, compassionate and ethical person we can be within our families, communities, business interactions, work and more is paramount to the observant Jew. Today we will explore the ancient and modern practice of Musar/ethical development, diving into inspiring teachings from Rabbi Kalman Kalonymous Shapira of the Warsaw Ghetto. We will also learn a timeless, universal and effective practice to support our own personal development and leave renewed, refreshed and reinvigorated. Speaker Bio Rabbi Debra Kolodny has been bringing her spiritual activist passion to worker rights, racial and economic justice, women’s, environmental, peace and LGBTQ causes since 1980. She has taught and spoken in hundreds of venues, organized retreats for as many as 750 and produced ground-breaking conferences. She is the founding rabbi of Portland’s UnShul, a Jewish community that shows up for racial, economic and immigrant justice, a leader in PUAH, Portland United Against Hate and the convener of the Portland Spirit Led Justice Alliance. She is multiply published and has interviewed on radio and television.

Time moves everything including ourselves, whether we like it or not. But change brings us hope, new energy, and opens new doors in our lives. Our spiritual journeys fly above our lives like birds. Some birds fly high, and some fly low. My spiritual journey is similar to that of a Falcon because he insists on fly high in the sky above many other varieties of birds; he enjoys freedom instead of being enslaved; he knows where to go and finds food without anybody’s help. Speaker Bio Imam Abdulah Polovina was born in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before the war In Bosnia and Herzegovina he attended the Gazi Husrevbegova madrasa to be Imam, Khatib and Muallim. He completed and graduated the madrasa in 1992. After the war he was appointed by the Islamic Community to work as an Imam in one mosque in Sarajevo. Here he stayed for the next five years, when he moved to the United States, to the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, where he worked as an Imam for 12 years at the local Islamic Community and the congregation of Bosniaks. Imam Abdulah got a BA in Islamic Studies at the Cloverdale College in Indiana, and BA in Comparative Religions at the University George Washington in Seattle, WA. He earned a masters degree at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry in transformational leadership. Imam Abdulah got a BA in Islamic Studies at the Cloverdale College in Indiana, and BA in Comparative Religions at the University George Washington in Seattle, WA. He earned a masters degree at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry in transformational leadership. Currently, Abdulah is the Imam of the Bosniak congregation and organization in Portland, Oregon.

Wicca is a life-affirming, earth- and nature-oriented religion which sees all of life as sacred and interconnected, honors the natural world as the embodiment of divinity, immanent as well as transcendent, and experiences the divine as feminine and often as masculine, as well. Speaker Bio Andrea Joy Kendall is a Wiccan clergy member and National Interfaith Representative for the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG). She has followed the Wiccan path for over 40 years while also studying many other faiths. At 33 she started a Wiccan group that she co-led for over 20 years. During this time, she worked at a Fortune 500 company where she was lucky enough to interact with people from all over the world. As she grew professionally she also grew spiritually by acting as clergy for her local community. When she moved to Oregon about eight years ago she become active in the local Neo-Pagan scene and participated regularly in Interfaith work. She also has attended several Parliaments of the World’s Religions adding to her knowledge. She currently lives in Oregon with her wonderful husband where she uses what she learned in big business in her spiritual work.

The Flower Ceremony, sometimes referred to as Flower Communion or Flower Festival, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. It was originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Capek of Prague, Czechoslovakia. It brings together the uniqueness and acceptance of all to create the bouquet of community. Speaker Bio Shanta is an ordained inter-faith minister through the Spiritual Healers & Earth Stewards Institute in Seattle. Shanta completed a Bodhisattva class in 2008 focusing on rituals and ceremonies using an earth based spirituality. Facilitating classes and workshops that bring awareness and intentions based on the wheel of seasons and pagan roots. Her graduate thesis was a focus on transforming communities through health and wholeness, with an emphasis on spirituality.

Why do many people and organizations crumble in the face of difficulty, while others use adversity to bounce back even stronger? The experience of bounce can range from an uncanny feeling of levitation to a supreme tranquil relaxation. It is precisely when all seems lost that the opportunity exists to rewire your brain. It’s often during life’s most difficult times that we discover our most critical hidden strengths and that we forge our most important capabilities. Speaker Bio Reverend Amy Beltaine is a traveling spiritual director providing Sunday services, retreats, and spiritual mentoring as a UU ministry: Supporting helpers who worry about making a difference to recharge their spiritual verve. When Hawthorne and Amy are not pulling their little home behind them they are in Portland, Oregon with beagle (Zim) and cat (Annie). A graduate of Meadville Lombard School for the Ministry, Amy is on the steering committee of the UU Spiritual Directors’ network. Amy is an accredited Spiritual Director, certified Transitions Specialist, nearly life-long earth-honoring Process-Panentheist, and recent President of the Covenant of UU Pagans. Amy aspires to become a Love-Ninja

Is using war as a means of resolving conflict an outdated premise? Is it time for us to move on from the battlefield? And if so, are there alternatives that actually work? Kathy Beckwith, local mediator, peer mediation trainer, and one of our UUFM community, will share with us her TEDx Talk titled: “It’s time to abandon war. There are alternatives.” She will note how hogs, frogs, mules, precious kids – and history – impact the topic — and how we can each be a part of bringing change. With National Security Advisor John Bolton hard at work fanning the flames of a futile war with Iran, Kathy's points are even more frightening than they might otherwise be.  Moral issue aside, such a unilateral act of aggression by the United States will cost the lives of countless American soldiers who will have died in vain as well as Iranian civilians who will have died in defense of their country, accomplish nothing, foster an increase in the incidents of terrorist attacks on American targets both overseas and domestic.  

Now more than ever, this Fellowship’s Vision, Mission, and Covenant along with the seven Principles of UU and the Proclamation of the Living Traditions we draw upon, need to be lived, celebrated and broadcast to the world. We live in challenging times where many are lead astray by what is on social media, the news and other programs on TV. Rock solid principles that can be called upon are most necessary for our own survival and for the survival of a moral national and global society. Together in this interactive service with Rev. Hartman, we will weave ideas on how to live our aspirations in these times. Speaker Bio Reverend Carol Hartman, a born and life-long Unitarian, grew up in New Hampshire and Vermont. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire and Yale University Divinity School. Her long career includes managing and directing several non-profit organizations, publishing a newspaper, driving a tractor trailer, ministering to vets at a VA hospital and 16 years as a Hospice Chaplain in Florida and here in the Northwest. Retired from full-time chaplaincy, she works part-time officiating at funerals and weddings and guest preaching. She is the mother of 4 and the grandmother to 11. The youngest are identical 2½ year old girls who spend 3 days a week with her.

On this Easter Sunday let us reasonably speculate as to what sort of person Jesus was and how Christianity and he have morphed from then to now. We’ll remember some early Unitarian and Universalist forms of Christianity and consider what this all might mean in us in our lives. Easter is an “inner archetype.” As his talk contained a lot of references to various scholarly publications, Byron was kind enough to provide a detailed bibliography now posted on the UUFM website. Speaker Bio Byron (Brad) Carrier attended Meadville/Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago 1969-1971 and 1985-1986. Beyond that, he attended the Humanist Institute in NY (’87-’90) and traveled to India (’72) where he encountered the Blind Saint of Vrindivan and Shri Rajneesh. Brad has served UU congregations in St. Joseph, Michigan, Urbana, Illinois, Clinton, North Carolina, and Ashland, Oregon (’86-’94). He helped found the UU fellowship in Grants Pass, Oregon, which now owns its own building and recently granted Reverend Carrier emeritus status. He still lives in Ashland and publishes via his website Earthlyreligion.com (please browse to see his liberal array of ideas and ideals) through which he may be contacted.

This is the second installment of a two part talk, the first part having been delivered on February 3, 2019 (Listen to Part One: Exploring the 23rd Psalm) . Although written over 1000 years ago, this popular psalm offers wisdom and guidance for the challenges of life we face today. Reverend Hartman will share further thoughts and present insights into this familiar passage from a different and hopefully, interesting perspective. Speaker Bio Reverend Carol Hartman, a born and life-long Unitarian, grew up in New Hampshire and Vermont. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire and Yale University Divinity School. Her long career includes managing and directing several non-profit organizations, publishing a newspaper, driving a tractor trailer, ministering to vets at a VA hospital and 16 years as a Hospice Chaplain in Florida and here in the Northwest. Retired from full-time chaplaincy, she works part-time officiating at funerals and weddings and guest preaching. She is the mother of 4 and the grandmother to 11. The youngest are identical 2 ½ year old girls who spend 3 days a week with her.

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But actually, a lot of times we are harsher to ourselves than to others. Perhaps we can turn it around and learn to apply the the love and mercy we feel for others (sometimes) to ourselves. Speaker Bio The Reverend Mark Gallagher served for twenty-one years as pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver (Washington), having previously served several other west coast congregations briefly. He still lives in Vancouver and has a private practice ministry of preaching, teaching, and leading workshops. He has spoken at UUFM several times over the years. He will be serving for Rev. Rick Davis in Salem while Rick is on Sabbatical.

Our culture teaches us from an early age that crying is an unacceptable behavior. It's a sign of immaturity in general and for men in particular, it's a sign of weakness.  “Grow up and be a man,” is what young boys hear. But crying is also cathartic, it can bring about recovery for the soul. Sorrow and sadness are part of the rhythm of life, both joy and sorrow.  And to give ourselves and others permission to express that sorrow, helps us to connect with each other and build authentic community. Speaker Bio Rev. Rick Davis has served as minister of the UU Congregation in Salem for the past 26 years and has often spoken here at UUFM and always looks forward to being with us.  

Looking at this familiar psalm from a UU perspective, it offers insights and reassurance we all need when facing challenging situations. It is often thought of as an end of life reading, but it has more than that to offer. Reverend Hartman will share her thoughts and present this familiar passage from a different and hopefully, interesting perspective. Speaker Bio Reverend Carol Hartman, a born and life-long Unitarian, grew up in New Hampshire and Vermont. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire and Yale University Divinity School. Her long career includes managing and directing several non-profit organizations, publishing a newspaper, ministering to vets at a VA hospital and 16 years as a Hospice Chaplain in Florida and in the Northwest. Retired from full-time chaplaincy, she works part-time officiating at funerals and weddings and guest preaching.

On Sunday, January 20, Kaki Marshall an enlightening, informative, and somewhat disheartening presentation on white privilege and the legal invention of whiteness from colonial times to the present day. For most of us in attendance, the information she was presenting was entirely new and therefore she included an extensive packet of reference materials, laws, et cetera.  A link to additional reference can be found on the UUFM Webite   Speaker Bio Kaki Marshall obtained her Associates Degree in Behavioral Science, Certification as an Alcohol and Drug Specialist, and HIV Pre and Post Test Counselor. Working with these populations she learned how to analyze power dynamics and systems in institutions that reproduce disparate results for folks identifying outside of white heteronormativity. Kaki obtained a Bachelors in Psychology, Portland State and a Masters in Public Policy at P.S.U. Since then she has been working in government to dismantle systems of oppression and create public policy for an equitable and just society. Most recently Kaki has worked for the City of Portland in the Office of Equity and Inclusion helping civic leaders address systemic issues related to institutional, and systemic racism.

The new year is a time to take stock of the past year that just passed and look forward to what is coming in the future. This service will include a burning bowl for the old year, and some ritual and reflection around bringing in the new. Speaker Bio Rev. Katie Larsell is a community minister at the Eastrose UU Fellowship in Gresham. She specializes in memorial services, and positive, science-based spirituality.

Our lives often feel distressingly small.  Religious experience is largely about feeling part of something larger, indeed, infinite.   Speaker Bio The Reverend Mark Gallagher grew up in Chicago. He attended the Starr King School for Ministry in Berkeley, California.  As minister, he has served Unitarian Universalist congregations in California, Nevada, and Washington, including twenty-one years at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver  in Vancouver, Washington. He retired from the Vancouver church in 2015, but still lives in Vancouver with his wife, Jennifer, and carries on a free-lance ministry of teaching and preaching.

Last March my wife Jane and I heard the Oregon Symphony perform Verdi’s Requiem for Manzoni. Several years ago while sharing some of my life story with ministerial colleagues I realized that each period of time had pieces of music important to me. This will be a sermon on listening to and respecting the music in our lives.   Speaker Bio David Maynard is Minister Emeritus of Eastrose UU Fellowship in Gresham, Oregon. He and Jane remain active in that congregation. David is also a retired therapist who specialized in helping couples and individuals affected by compulsive behaviors or addictions. They live with their dog, chickens, and gardens in Portland.

Inspired my Michele Obama’s advice – “When they go low, we go high” – we will together explore our reactions and responses to the behavior of what Hillary Clinton called “the deplorables.” How do we remain spiritual when we are at extreme odds with another person? Their thoughts, words and behaviors? If it’s true that “we are all one,” how can we rise above the current tides?  Rev. Kathleen will share her thoughts and ideas, sprinkled with stories to illustrate the points. Together we will craft a plan of action that is respectful of all concerned. Speaker Bio  Rev. Kathleen McKern Verigin is a licensed and ordained New Thought minister with deep roots in Unity and Science of Mind. She is founder and director of Anam Cara Connections. Anam Cara in Irish means soul friend. Through this ministry she offers Celtic ceremonies and classes, a mentoring program for women, and sacred site tours of Ireland and Scotland.  By degree, Kathleen is an educator and communicator. Through life experience she is an EMMY Award-winning television writer/producer, author, publicist, inspirational speaker, spiritual counselor and mentor, and wife, step-mom and cat lover.

Using Sally’s local work in immigration and Latinx [Latinx is a gender-neutral term sometimes used in lieu of Latino or Latina–Ed] advocacy, let’s reflect on the role of justice-making in rural communities and faith organizations. We’ll consider the foundations of building community and gathering courage to step outside one’s comfort zone to make a difference. In today’s political climate, how do we stay energized for the long-haul?  Sally will address current issues (including Measure 105) as context for her message. Speaker Bio: A native Oregonian, Sally is in her 33rd year of a career in psychiatry following education at Willamette University and OHSU.  Eight years ago, she completed a seminary degree at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. She is ordained in the United Church of Christ. From 2012-2018, Sally served as Director of Unidos Bridging Community, a grassroots Latinx advocacy organization in Yamhill County.

It’s October, and I can’t resist a harvest metaphor! —  Today we’ll take a walk through the fields and gardens of UU history, looking for the sweet fruits and sustaining vegetables of our tradition.  Can the answers, or the even process by which they were derived, be of help in our own challenging times? Rev. Kate McGraw is a native Oregonian who fell in love with Unitarian Universalism while attending a small fellowship in Alaska. A board certified chaplain, she works in a program that brings primary medical care to frail Elders in their homes.

Author A.W. Streane once said, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.  Do justly now.  Love mercy now.  Walk humbly now.  You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”  Every morning I wonder what new grief we will be presented with and how will we respond.  These words which echo the Prophet Micah, are my wake up call.

When a person or an organization goes through a major change, they have to be willing to let go of the old, live for a while in uncertainty while they create something new (“some assembly required”), then move into that new creation.  Although our culture does not recognize it, this process is as old as humanity, and understanding it can substantially reduce anxiety. To learn more, visit UUFM at macuuf.org.

Obstacles have a way of weighing us down but there are always opportunities for growth, and succeeding in the midst of them. LaNicia will help us identify some tools to help us see success in failure, the opportunity to see the good in a bad situation and how to overcome fear to live in freedom. To learn more, visit UUFM at macuuf.org.  

Your Spirit Matters.  Our days can be difficult and it’s hard to find hope sometimes.  How do we UUs claim our prophetic tradition to bring justice into our world?  Our spirits matter—it is in community where we find the sustenance to go back out into the world. Come and be reminded why our spirits matter and perhaps find a bit of hope and courage.  To learn more, visit UUFM at macuuf.org.

Thank you for your Service.  That frequently uttered phrase has always made me a little uncomfortable, for a number of reasons.  We’ll explore a bit together, looking at what it calls up in us to hear and say “thank you for your service” in response to the enormous sacrifices made by our veterans and their families.  To learn more, visit UUFM at macuuf.org.

Times of uncertainty, change, transition, anxiety, chaos, struggle, opportunity, loss, beginning, ending….  we might name these times in many ways. What are some strategies for living beautifully through transitions (which are really happening all the time)? What does it mean to “live beautifully” anyway?  To learn more, visit UUFM at macuuf.org.

Many gifts have sustained my religious journey.  I will share them with you as we say good-bye to each other.  To learn more, visit UUFM at  macuuf.org

Even though we make plans (and it does make a difference to plan), life is ultimately unpredictable. Dealing creatively with the unanticipated is the art of improvisation. Unlike other art forms, improvisation is mandatory for human beings. The only choice is whether we will do it well or poorly.  To learn more, visit UUFM at macuuf.org.