A number of us traveled to Baltimore, MD, in person or virtually to attend Religious Professional Days followed by the Annual General Assembly (GA) of the Unitarian Universalist Association. This is the annual conference where ministers, other religious professionals, and lay leaders gather to do the business of our wider association, to network with and learn from one another, and to attend insightful workshops and meaningful worship. It is always inspiring to gather with 3,000 to 4,000 UUs from across the country and to feel the power of our collective faith and what’s possible.Here is a glimpse of some of…

Dear Ones, After two years ministering amongst you all, the time has come to say “farewell.” I know colleagues who have had the privilege of officiating the weddings of babies they dedicated, so in the grand scheme of ministry, two years is not very long at all. And yet, the two years we’ve spent together have not been ordinary. They’ve been marked by deep, painful conflicts and divisions inside and outside of these church walls. We’ve joined in protests together against the rising tide of authoritarianism and Christian nationalism in our nation, and we’ve tried to find our way forward…

Thank you to everyone who wished me well on my 3-month sabbatical and welcomed me home with open arms this last week. My time away was renewing and I’m returning with refreshed focus and determination for our work together in these very challenging times. It was a joy to come back for the fabulous turnout for the No Kings protest last Saturday and Sunday’s beautiful Shower Project volunteer recognition and celebration of our Shower Coordinator Kelly’s completion of graduate school! Thanks to every congregant and staff person who not only covered my ongoing work tasks, but also took our community…

Dear Beloved Community, On behalf of the Ordination Committee, I wish to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for the extraordinary outpouring of support, generosity, and love that made the ordination of Rev. Danielle Garrett a truly unforgettable celebration. Thank you to all that attended! If you were unable to, you can watch the recording here. From the very beginning, your willingness to step forward—whether by donating flowers from your gardens, baking one of the 38 delicious pies, or volunteering your time and energy—transformed this occasion into a living testament to the spirit of Unitarian Universalism…

As Portlandia’s landscape changes, it impacts our Learning Community and Religious Education program. Many can recite dour statistics: Housing costs and other factors drive families with children and youth further away from downtown and the Metro area. Long accustomed to meteoric population growth, Portland proper has experienced stagnation and even shrinkage in recent years. Since pandemic lockdown, all kinds of institutional life report reduced participation, including less school attendance, volunteering, and religious community involvement for people of all ages. Traffic and safety concerns make weekday evening treks to the church building less appealing. The cultural expectation that Sunday morning is…

If we desire to create holistic and positive change around an issue of social justice, this will inevitably include education, service, advocacy, public witness, community organizing, and fundraising. Our Shower Project is one opportunity we offer in our building to engage in direct service to ensure more of our houseless neighbors have access to better hygiene and greater wellbeing and health. This is an essential service in a society where access to clean water has become increasingly privatized or accessible only within home spaces. When our guests arrive at the Shower Project they are met with compassion and hospitality alongside…

As we move towards the end of our third year of shared ministries here at First Unitarian Portland, I am conscious of all the ways that 2024 – 2025 has been filled with renewal, inspiration, and commitment.Last Sunday was a prime example: We honored our Coming-of-Age Students (7th and 8th graders) in a special service celebrating the community they have built together and hearing their thoughts about the meaning of this church and the values that guide their lives. We were witness to a soaring presentation of Fauré’s Requiem by our choirs and instrumentalists in our Music & Worship service.…

Whenever I was taught about the great masterworks of our human civilization, the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré is a perfect example. A work of French genius which contains layer after layer of different flavors, some poetic, some darker and richer, infinite nuance and intrigue; and yet, at the same time, everything is perfectly balanced, harmonious, not one element overpowering the others. This brilliance of balance – depth of content with refinement and grace – is the unique gift of French art. Gabriel Fauré was a definitive exponent of this art. This amazing Requiem depicts the timelessness of human existence, the…

It is good to be back. I've been on a sabbatical leave for the last four months and last Sunday was my first time in church since January. It was a gift to be back and to see so many of you. For many years I've been in church most Sundays and so being away for a few months was indeed strange. Four months is long enough that some of the familiar begins to fade away—at least a little bit. My time away was good. It included some time traveling through California visiting friends and old haunts. It included some…

In May, we are kicking off our topic of “Belonging” as a part of our year’s spiritual theme of “Join the Journey.” While many of you have chosen to belong to this community by becoming a member, our congregation is also a member of the wider Unitarian Universalist Association of congregations along with over 1,000 other communities. This is a good time to reflect on that wider set of relationships as one of the major gatherings, our Annual General Assembly, is coming up in the middle of next month, and you might think about joining one, a couple, or many…