January 2, 2005. “Reflections on the Tsunami.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

January 9, 2005. “Conscious Aging.” Rev. Thomas Disrud
How do we approach the process of aging? Do we let it happen or plan it out with great detail? Some thoughts on how we live in wisdom and bring that wisdom into all the chapters of our lives.

January 16, 2005. “Sin: We Need It.” Preston Moore, Intern Minister
Harsh religions have used “sin” to condemn and ostracize. This has made liberal religions leery of it. What are we losing by banishing this concept?

January 23, 2005. “Dark Nights of the Soul.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
What do we make of those times when hope seems gone, and despair closes in—when we can’t seem to find meaning in our lives and even the ability to love is called into question? Many of us—even the saints—go through these periods, and being there can burnish our souls.

February 6, 2005. “The Gifts of Melancholy.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
There come those times in all of our lives when a great sadness descends upon us. In what ways can these periods be healing and regenerative?

February 27, 2005. “The Beauty Industry.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
The consumer culture has made quite an industry of women’s appearance. In this sermon, I will explore the hidden costs of this cultural misstep.

March 6, 2005. “Annual Youth Service.”  First Unitarian Church Youth
Our youth look at the many meanings of justice, equity and compassion in our world today. 

March 13, 2005. “The Manly Art of Surrender.” Preston Moore, Intern Minister
In the masculine world, resistance is often equated with strength, and vulnerability is often equated with weakness. This sermon looks at the strength to be found in surrender, revealed in masculine tales of power, piety, and intimacy—important for men and women alike.

March 20, 2005. “Telling Your Story, Redeeming Your Life.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
When we tell our stories, we connect the disparate events of our lives and make meaning. We notice that our life has themes and direction and purpose, and that is a redemptive process.

March 27, 2005. “But I Don’t Believe in God—or the Easter Bunny!” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
We Unitarian Universalists can get caught up in the literal just as easily as our fundamentalist neighbors. Religious stories are not history or science—they are myths, taking us to a higher truth than the literal.

April 3, 2005. “Turning Toward Nineveh.” Cecilia Kingman Miller, Guest Preacher

April 10, 2005. “Some Things I’ve Learned About Ministry.” Rev. Thomas Disrud
I was called to this congregation ten years ago this month. Some thoughts on ministry, the passage of time and what it is we all do together. 
  
April 17, 2005.  “Clothing and the Revelation of Self.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
How does what we choose to wear reveal, or conceal, who we are? This service will feature a mini fashion show and some special music extolling the clothing we wear—blue suede shoes, anyone? 
 
April 24, 2005.  “Working at the Water’s Edge: Toward a Reunion of Religion and Science.” Preston Moore, Intern Minister

May 1, 2005. “Universalism: A Message of Hope.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
The Universalist side of our faith tradition emphasizes God’s love, and teaches that there is no hell. Historically, Universalists were known for their tolerance and compassion. What can we take from this tradition for today’s world?

May 8, 2005. “For the Love of Mother.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
A mother’s unconditional love teaches the infant that she or he can trust, that the world is a safe place, that crying for help brings a response. If that love is missing or distorted in some way, what can we do to make up for it? 
 
May 22, 2005. “Repression of the Sublime.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell Why is it that we humans all too often turn away from accepting and using our beauty and strength? How can we allow our lives to open fully, in love and in service and joy?

May 29, 2005. "Reuniting Our Working and Worshipping Selves." Preston Moore, Intern Minister
Is America's "church on Sunday, work on Monday" ethic a healthy separation of secular and religious spheres, or a part-time spirituality that leaves us leading unintegrated lives? How should we come to terms with the question of spirituality in the workplace?

June 5, 2005. “Dogs, Their Work in the New Millennium, and What That Means for Us Humans.” Rev. Thomas Disrud
What roles do we ask dogs to play in our lives and how is this different from times past? This sermon will talk about what they need from us, what we need from them, and what that means as we live in the interdependent web of life. 

June 12, 2005.  “Restoration of the Soul.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Sometimes we feel sick of soul, ravaged of spirit. What will renew our spirits and bring us strength of soul once again?

June 19, 2005. “Owning Who You Are, Giving What You’ve Got.”
Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Sometimes we look at others with envy, thinking that they are so much more talented and clever. But it’s not what we’ve got so much as owning fully who we are and using it to the good. When we do that, all envy drops away and becomes fulfillment. 
  
June 26, 2005.  “True Callings: Finding and Living an Authentic Life.” Kate Lore, Director of Social Justice
How do we know if we’re following our true callings? How do we sharpen our senses to cut through the distractions of everyday reality and hear the calls that are beckoning us?

July 3, 2005. “Who Do You Say I Am?” Jennifer Ryu, Summer Minister
What kind of stories do Americans of color hear about themselves in their neighborhood, workplace, church? We will explore the parts of ourselves that some of us gave up and other parts we adopted to belong to a community called America.

July 10, 2005. “Journey to the Center of the Faith.” Preston Moore, Summer Minister
Garrison Keillor calls us “The Church of, Well, Whatever.” Does this humor have a ring and sting of truth? Is it an inevitable cost of our beloved pluralism?

July 31, 2005. “The Tongues of Angels.” Jennifer Ryu, Summer Minister
We kick ourselves for keeping silent when we should speak and speaking when we should keep silent. Christian scripture and the Buddhist practice of “right speech” have much to teach us about the value of mindful speaking. How to connect voice with spirit?

August 7, 2005. "From Talking Together to Walking Together: Making Beloved Community Real." Preston Moore, Summer Minister
Racial diversity continues to vex Unitarian Universalists. How can we expect diversity in our churches if we do not diversify our lives? But, how to diversify our lives?

August 14, 2005. "Retrieving Revelation." Jennifer Ryu, Summer Minister
In this sermon, we explore the Book of Revelation to find a timely message about the concentration of power and a warning against empire.

August 28, 2005. "Class Warfare--The Real Kind, Waged Against the Poor." Preston Moore, Summer Minister
Even as we criticize them, what is our complicity in social structures that perpetuate economic injustice? And honestly now, can you really be poor and be a Unitarian Univeralist? On questions of class, maybe our theology is showing.

September 11, 2005. “And the Hidden Shall Be Revealed.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

September 18, 2005. “So You Want to Change Your Life?” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
It’s difficult to live in the values we espouse—how can we more nearly match our living with our ideals?

September 25, 2005. "The Need to Belong." Rev. Thomas Disrud
Where do we associate ourselves, and with whom? We have our work, our neighborhood, our city, our church. In a world where it is easy to be isolated, the need to belong is essential.

October 2, 2005. "Reflections on Guatemala." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
This summer I spent a week on a UUSC-sponsored human rights delegation to Guatemala. It was a transforming experience. In this sermon I share some of my most moving experiences and also explain how I have been changed by what happened there.

October 9, 2005. "The Long Hard Road to Forgiveness." Rev. Thomas Disrud
It's much easier to talk about forgiveness than to actually do it--to let go of the anger and resentment and desire for revenge that lodge in our heart when someone hurts us deeply. How do we meet this spiritual challenge?

October 16, 2005. "Star-Throwers All." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
We know that "we drink from wells we did not dig." In this sermon I remind us of the interconnectedness of all, and how that knowing brings us to both a deep sense of thankfulness and a desire to give to others, as we have been given to.

October 23, 2005. "Sabbath Time." Rev. Thomas Disrud
With all that goes on in our seven-day-a-week, 24-hours-a-day world, the concept of Sabbath seems almost old-fashioned. But it is in these very times that Sabbath may be all the more important. Time out of ordinary time--how do we make that a priority?

October 29, 2005. "Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?" Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
This speech was given by Dr. Sewell at a conference about bridging the cultural divide at Multnomah Bible College.

October 30, 2005. "The True Believer." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
The sealot is a distinctive psychological personality--the problem is that the ideologue's "true belief" can be transferred from one loyalty to another, for it is certainty he is after, not truth. Our faith calls us to the messy contradictions of truth-seeking.

November 6, 2005. “Power: Its Use and Misuse.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
I find that if I dare to be my powerful self, I encourage other people to own their own power. And that is a good thing—to lead, to create, to innovate—all is to the good, if this power is used in service to others and not in service to one’s ego. 
 
November 20, 2005. “What Is Our Liberal Religious Message?” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
What does our free religious faith offer that no other faith can offer? How can we answer the needs of a broken and alienated people who long for hope and a better way to live? 
 
November 27, 2005. “Everyday Grace.” Kate Lore, Director of Social Justice
The notion of grace, which can be found in almost all religious traditions, can  help us connect with out truest, deepest self and to connect more genuinely with others. It does not require good deeds, ritual, sacrifice or worthiness.

December 4, 2005. "The Wisdom of Restraint." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
In a world in which "more is better," we increasingly multi-task to do more, faster. I explore the wisdom of restraint--on many levels--in this sermon.

December 18, 2005. "Mary, the Mother of God." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
The sciptural account of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is very sparse. I see her as a powerful symbol of female energy, which is emerging as a blance to the predominantly masculine energy that has dominated our world for so long.