During our October 26 worship service, when we introduced our Season of Giving effort for this year, we sang The Magic Penny by Unitarian Universalist Malvina Reynolds:  “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more. It's just like a magic penny. Hold it tight and you won't have any. Lend it, spend it and you'll have so many they'll roll all over the floor.” We decided to experiment with that concept by enacting a Reverse Offering. We adjusted that magic penny for inflation and gave each child and youth in the sanctuary a $5 bill.…

Throughout the month of November, we are focused on the stories that are woven through our lives as individuals and as a community of faith. You will hear some of these stories in worship or in coffee hour, and you will read about some of them in our newsletter or on the community timeline in Fuller Hall. As I look over that timeline with a focus on the last 30+ years, there are events and people that stand out.One of the stories that has been interwoven with our lives is that of the Rev. Tom Disrud’s arrival thirty years ago…

On Nov. 2, one week from this coming Sunday, we will have our annual All Souls service. At this service every year we name members of our church community who have died in the last year as well as close family members of congregants. For me, this has come to be one of the most moving services we have every year. It is a tender and precious time.  If you’d like to submit names to be included you’ll find a link to send later in this message.  The church is a community of memory and hope. Honoring the lives of…

Sometimes I get asked the question, “Can you be a Unitarian Universalist on your own?” On one hand, the answer is yes, because ten times the number of people who are members in our churches say that they are UU when polled. On the other hand, given the nature of our faith it’s difficult to do so outside of a community of practice. Being a Unitarian Universalist is exercised through interdependence and not independence.We are a covenantal faith and not a creedal faith. In short, this means we believe in deeds not creeds. Being a Unitarian Universalist is about how…

Throughout the month of October, as a part of our annual theme of Weaving Community, you are invited to help us share our collective story and history. Our lives are interwoven with one another and with this church community over time. This is true whether you descend from the people who engaged in the work of founding our church between 1865 – 1867, or whether you are brand new.One of the ways we can tell our story is through a timeline and weaving our stories through it – both our individual stories and our collective story over time. Our history…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz2r5jpdOxQ Delivered by Rev. Alison Miller at First Unitarian Portland on October 1, 2025 The Jewish High Holidays have several themes – one of them is the birth of the world. There are a few Jewish creation stories, including two from the Book of Genesis; another story in midrash (a collection of rabbinical writings) which presents a scene of Adam on trial and ultimately going forth free; and a fourth story, a guiding story from Kabbalah (or Jewish mysticism) most famously shared by Rabbi Isaac Luria of Safed in the 16th century.In the beginning there was only a wholeness we…

As a religion that draws wisdom from multiple sources, certain holidays outside of our Protestant roots have come to hold a special place in our Unitarian Universalist tradition. Here are three examples of worships outside of our regular Sunday morning service that are coming up:  the High Holidays from Judaism (we’re holding a Yom Kippur evening service this coming Wed. Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.), the Animal Blessing from Catholicism (Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.), and the Winter Solstice from Pagan traditions (Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.). The meaning and rituals of these times of year have contributed to shaping…

It has been good to be back at the church this month. Some of you may know I was out on medical leave for several weeks, recovering from hip replacement surgery in July. Thank you for the many encouraging and loving thoughts and prayers during that time. Even while away, your presence and care were very much felt. After two Sundays back, it has been wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to feel the positive energy in our gatherings. Despite the times we are living in, there is a strong sense of people seeking a way forward. That is…

At First Unitarian Portland, our vibrant and caring community is shaped by the dedication of volunteers who give their time, energy, and talents—helping to weave the fabric that holds us all together. From welcoming faces at worship, to the warmth of Souper Sunday, from Sunday social hours to the teams who greet and usher and keep us safe, volunteers are at the heart of every connection and celebration. In recent years, our congregation has joyfully expanded the ways we come together, offering richer programs and more opportunities for all to engage and grow. Naturally, with this blossoming, the need for…

Welcome to Fall at First Unitarian! Here are some of the things to anticipate in our community in the coming weeks:We will be kicking off our annual spiritual theme, “Weaving Community,” this weekend in a worship for all ages and on a day filled with hospitality – the pancake breakfast, a festive coffee hour, a visitors meet & greet, and a book discussion on Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families. This could be an ideal day to invite a friend to come along with you.At First Unitarian, we weave a community of belonging that is spiritually…