January 4, 1998. "You're Not Lost - You're Right Here!" Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.

January 25, 1998. "Pray without Ceasing." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.

February 1, 1998. "Healing: How It Happens." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
What is the difference between being cured and being healed? In this sermon, I will treat emotinoal as well as physical healing from a spiritual perspective.

February 22, 1998. "Turning Points." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
What characterizes those times that wake us up and turn us around? How do we respond to crises so that we mature and deepen instead of getting thrown off track?

March 1, 1998. "The Illusiveness of Integrity." Rev. Thomas Disrud. Integrity is a word we hear a lot, especially from politicians. But what does it mean in our current context of scandals and political posturing? Is it an antiquated concept of something we are to strive for in our lives?

March 22, 1998. "What Can We Learn from Fundamentalists?" Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
The largest, best financed, and arguably most influential political group today is the religious right. Their churches are growing rapidly. Who are they? What are their goals? What can we learn from their successes?

March 29, 1998. "The Conspiracy Against Feeling." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
In a highly technological and competitive society such as ours, we are encouraged all too often to repress our feelings. We may deaden ourselves to our deepest desires. How do we avoid this deadening of body and spirit, and live more fully out of our depths?

April 5, 1998. "Fear and the Power of Love." Rev. Thomas Disrud.
Fear of doing what we want to do or need to do is something we all face. It can hold us back or propel us toward the new and unknown. Perfect love, say the scriptures, casts out fear. Where does this love come from, and what does it mean for our lives?

April 12, 1998. "Threatened with Resurrection." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
On this Easter Sunday, I'll explore resurrection -- not a literal, physical resurrection, but a transformation to new life. Why is such change so scary, and where do we find the courage to do it anyway?

April 19, 1998. "What's Happening to Our Black Men?" Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
I have a deep concern that such a large proportion of our African American men feel there is no hope for them, no future. What is happening to cause such devastation, and how can we turn this around?

May 3, 1998. "The Free Church in the 21st Century." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
The world is changing rapidly, and the church needs to change accordingly -- not to adopt secular values, but simply to be relevant. What will the church of the next century be like? I will share my vision of our church as we move into a new era.

May 10, 1998. "Silences." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
Many voices have been silenced, many works of art unfinished, because of circumstance or want or pressing obligation. This sermon is a reminder of what can be forever lost and how we must hold precious those gifts and talents we have been given.

May 17, 1998. "Spiritual Maturity." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
What are the qualities of the spiritually mature personality? Reverend Sewell will share her thoughts about getting on the path, staying there, and deepening one's faith. 

May 31, 1998. "Filled with the Spirit." Rev. Thomas Disrud.
Pentecost marks the coming of the spirit in the world. How is it we are filled, and what is it the spirit brings to us?

June 14, 1998. "The Life of Earl Morse Wilbur." Rev. Thomas Disrud.
In 1898, Earl Morse Wilbur left Portland after serving as the first associate minister of this church and then its minister for a short time. He would go on to be the first president of what would become Starr King School for the Ministry and the preeminent historian of Unitarianism. What lessons can we take from his life and times, and what is the role of history as we look to our future?

June 21, 1998. "Romero: A Life." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Guest Speaker.
Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador gave his life to bring justice to his people. His martyrdom is a call to liberty, to transformation, to a true and authentic life. What does this mean for us today as Unitarian Universalists and late 20th Century Americans? (Cecilia Kingman Miller is an active member of this church and will be leaving us in the fall to attend Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley.)

July 12, 1998. "Where We Fit in the Scheme of Things." Rev. Thomas Disrud.
I often find myself asking how Unitarian Universalism fits into the grand scheme of things. Someone has said that if we didn't exist, someone would have to invent us, because someone has to be asking the questions we ask.

July 19, 1998. "Find a Stillness." Rev. Thomas Disrud.
Quiet time is essential in life. These days it can also be hard to come by, with all the interruptions that come up. How do we find it and honor the stillness in our lives?

October 4, 1998. "A Life of Learning." James Kubal-Komoto, Intern Minister.
We say we are always happy to learn, but we are sometimes not as happy about being taught, by one another or by life. What is required for each of us to be teachers and learners to one another? What is required for us to be open to the lessons of life? What could we covenant as a religious community?

October 11, 1998. "Giving Ourselves Away." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
It is natural, perhaps even a deeply rooted biological urge, to think of ourselves and our needs first. But spiritually speaking, we gain only as we give ourselves away. How do we learn to develop a true generosity of spirit?

October 25, 1998. "Not Somewhere Else, But Here." Rev. Thomas Disrud.
Seeing the splinter in our neighbor's eye is usually easier than seeing the log in our own eye. How do we, when we touch into the pain of a social problem, allow ourselves to be with that pain and not want to be more focused on those around us? The pain will show us the way.

November 29, 1998.  "The Gospel of Work."  James Kubal-Komoto, Intern Minister

December 13, 1998. "God Turned Flesh: The Meaning of Incarnation." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
The essential theme of the Jesus story is that God loved us so much that God visited us in human form to show us the nature of the Divine. But what about the rest of us? In what way are we incarnated beings?

December 20, 1998. "Surprised by Joy." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.
In the dark, cold months of winter we are surprised by joy, in the coming of the Child, a symbol of hope. How do we open ourselves to the possibilities of joy, especially amidst the dark days of our lives?

December 27, 1998. "Millennial Fever." James Kubal-Komoto, Intern Minister.
The New Year begins the countdown to 2000, and millennial fever is already spreading. How should we as religious liberals spend 1999? What meaning does the last year of the 20th Century have for us?