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…

As parents and grandparents, teachers and churchgoers, Portlanders and people in general, we find ourselves once again on the day after a shooting in a school in a church. This time in Minnesota. And, at this tender time of first days of kindergarten, and fifth grade, and ninth grade, and freshman year in college. How do any of us manage to let go, to close the door, and to say goodbye to our children? Yet, we do it for many reasons, including that we cannot nourish life’s flourishing by keeping our children walled off from all that is outside… love…

Last Sunday, the Reverend Charlotte Cramer, an interfaith chaplain who works as a street chaplain, spoke of the critical importance of spiritual care for houseless people. I agree with her and would add that spiritual care is important for all of us. The ministry of spiritual care happens in multiple ways in our community and is upheld by many hearts.The ordained ministers here – me (Rev. Alison Miller), Rev. Tom Disrud, and Rev. Leah Ongiri – all have some availability to offer pastoral care when the need arises in your life. You can email us directly or call the church…

At a campus ministry workshop a number of years ago, we were comparing the slogans we put on signs for tabling at college activities fairs. One that sticks out in my mind is – “Unitarian Universalists: we have a question for your every answer.” This quip holds a fundamental truth about us as a people who believe that the act of questioning is a spiritual practice. Coming up later this month we have a special tradition that speaks directly to this practice. We are holding our annual Question Box Service on Sunday, August 24, at our 10:15 am worship. It is…

Some of you may have noticed that I've been hobbling around a fair amount the last few months. I've been living with arthritic pain in my hips for some time and there has been a long wait to schedule replacement surgery. A couple weeks ago I received word that I am now on the schedule and next week I'll be having hip replacement surgery. I expect I will be away from my responsibilities at the church for a few weeks and hopefully back for a new church year in September. In a few months I hope to have surgery on…