This past Sunday, I preached about ways we can practice healthy self-reflection. On the surface it may seem like a simple concept, but I know many people, myself included, who struggle to find the right balance.  How can I look back on my actions and decisions with both honesty and compassion? How can I take accountability for mistakes I’ve made without convincing myself I am an inherently bad person for making them? How can I keep from overthinking every decision? I shared that one practice I’ve found helpful in this work of self-reflection is the Ignatian Examen. This is a…

Dear ones,  We are mid-way through this summer journey together—this time of rest, reflection, and renewal. As I reflect on the summer so far, it occurs to me that I have not said something as clearly as I could have: You all are doing a very hard thing. Being a member of a church in conflict is incredibly hard. I’ve been there myself. It’s hard if you’re a long-time member who feels like you don’t recognize your church anymore. It’s hard if you feel like you’re at risk of losing deep friendships you’ve made at church over the years. It’s…

This past weekend, my wife and I packed up a campervan and hit the road for a three day music festival near Bend. I was there under the high desert sun, covered in dust and sunscreen, with thousands of others as we read about wildfires spreading across Oregon and as we learned that Joe Biden was dropping out of the presidential race. In all likelihood, we probably digested the news of some other unprecedented world event that I’ve already forgotten about amidst so many unprecedented world events. And because it was a Country and Americana music festival in central Oregon,…

Dear ones, I know this has been another anxious week in what seems to be a string of anxious weeks. Violence and devastation continue in Gaza. Heat waves drive home the dangerous impacts of climate change. And political violence, during an already tense and perilous election for our democracy, has many of us feeling especially on edge. This is a time when we’ll need every one of the spiritual tools in our toolbox to stay centered, grounded, and hopeful.  One way I try to find hope in dark times is by seeking out things that spark my “theological imagination.” As…

As we announced from the pulpit, our Music Ministry Transition Team held our first meeting last Sunday, July 7 to begin to reflect on our music ministry and how it serves children, youth, and adults of all ages in the choir community and in the wider congregation. We are in a time of rebuilding and reimagining our music ministry, which will include assessing our current capacity, identifying and supporting the traditions which continue to nourish us, and experimenting and adapting with new ways of doing things. Below you can read all about the current scope of the team’s work and…

“Treating each other and ourselves with care isn’t a luxury, but an absolute necessity if we’re going to thrive. Resting isn’t an afterthought, but a basic part of being human.”― Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto I write this in the wake of several troubling Supreme Court decisions that could threaten the dignity and safety of our neighbors and the health of our democracy. And the alerts on my phone warning of an extreme heat wave keep distracting me from the tasks at hand. This week it feels like our nation and our planet are on fire, making it…

Dear Members and Friends, A couple of Sundays ago, Leslie Pohl-Kosbau, our Moderator, spoke from the pulpit regarding the transition in Music Ministry staffing. She shared that the entire Church Board has been engaging in processes over the last 18 months about a personnel issue that predates the current senior minister’s tenure. Leslie also let you know we would be sharing more information about the music transition soon. Our two previous letters (from June 13, and from June 5) are included below.We are balancing what transparency and confidentiality call upon us as leaders to share and not to share for…

Dev Dion, Foundation Board President The Foundation Board would like to recognize and thank the twenty-one members of the congregation who joined the Legacy Society this spring when they informed us that they included First Unitarian in their will or estate plan. The membership in the First Unitarian’s Legacy Society now totals 119 congregants.  THANK YOU NEW LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBERS Cleve Abbe & Trish Brown Marty Anderson Bill Bateman & Rodolfo Troya Marilynne EichingerRonnie-Gail Emden Ethel Gullette Nancy Hagensick Nancy Harrison John Hutzler & Teri Martin Rick & Maxine Lathrop David Livermore & Laura Jones Steve & Shannon Planchon Karen…

Did you know that the Eliot Chapel turns 100 this year? It was 1924 when First Unitarian moved to its present location, which, back in 1924, was the western edge of downtown Portland. Up until then, the church’s home was just a couple blocks away from what is now Pioneer Square. The first service happened in August of that year, and the building was formally dedicated in November. Then, in December, the annual Christmas Pageant was inaugurated in recognition of the congregation’s new home. That’s another important milestone we will mark this year. 100 years. Just think about all the…

This is a reflection on the hopes and dreams for our future that you shared with me in May and June of 2023 at the Community Conversations.  Read on to see what we’ve been able to accomplish in the past year. Thank you for all you shared. We couldn’t have made it to where we are today without your ideas and your help in furthering many of our goals.You asked for better communication.We expanded the role of our communications coordinator from half-time to full-time with Nikki Beezley in the role. She has already made several improvements, and I hope you…