There is something about this time of year that makes me think of going back to school, even though it has been quite a while since I was in school. The end of summer is in sight and fall is around the corner. There is something in me that…

  You hear a lot when you study to be a minister. How to think critically. How to think of others and their needs. How to remember your own needs, too. You learn practical things. You learn thoroughly impractical things, too. Of course learning to be a minister isn’t entirely…

  “Good News! Chariot’s a comin’ … and I don’t want it to leave me behind.” That Gospel hymn calls up memories from my childhood. Chariot’s a Comin, Swinging Low so we can all get on board. We sang of Good News, that final hope. In the Baptist Church in…

  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.   That’s one heck of a mysterious thing to say. Robert Frost, that wily Northeasterner, had a knack for not caring to explain his poetry to people.…

  “The Christian life is not about pleasing God the finger-shaker and judge. It is not about believing now or being good now for the sake of heaven later. It is about entering a relationship in the present that begins to change everything now. Spirituality is about this process: the…

    In a quiet town not too far from here, the minister sat typing at his desk. It had been a busy week, and this late hour on Saturday night, alone in his study was the first moment he could find to finish his sermon for the next morning.…

    Well, church. I have a bit of a confession—something I need to unburden myself of. Being in a place for a while now with views of such beautiful mountains, all these peaks people hope to climb and summit, and all of these beautiful trails through stunning terrain, I…

  It’s popular in Unitarian Universalism to think about our religious movement as a “chosen” faith. But what does that really mean? Chosen by whom and from among which options? When we focus only on personal choice, we can inadvertently hide and even devalue some of the ways our world…

    There’s a way, There’s a road, That will lead me home. There’s a voice, I can hear, That will lead me home. Rise up Follow me I will lead you home. These words from our anthem today remind us that home, being home, arriving home, leaving home—all of…

  I invite you to come with me on a journey. We are together in the dessert. The shifting sands and dry winds find every piece of earth, every piece of our exposed skin. We can feel the sting of the whipping sand in our eyes. The beating sun heats…

I have to say that I’m really looking forward to summer this year. It will arrive at 9:24 pm this Tuesday to be exact… but who’s counting. After the winter we have had—yes, I know that a lot of folks in a lot of places would be glad to trade…

  I love our reading this morning… Wanting “everyone to feel included in her prayer, she said several names for the Holy.” You’ve heard me do it: “Spirit of Life and of Love. Great Mystery at the Heart of Things. Dear God.” It is emblematic of our faith…we often talk…

  America in the 1930’s saw the creation of the father of the superheroes we know today. Some of you may recall listening to an old radio show that began with heavy music, then ominous-sounding laughter, and then these words: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?…

    Peace be with you. That’s OK. You can say it. Old habits die hard, right? For those of us here raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, as well as some other traditions, we have a fine-tuned response to the words “Peace be with you.” We say in response,…

This Music and Worship service features our Chamber Choir offering Walt Whitman's words and Nico Muhly's music, with photography by Shawn Lee (Artists Repertory Theatre), all to bring artistic perspective to America's current challenges.  

    Our guest, Rev. Janne Eller-Isaacs Co-Minister of Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul Minnesota, will be with us to reflect together on a mother’s love, community accountability, and praying for each other in these times.

!function(a,b){"use strict";function c(){if(!e){e=!0;var a,c,d,f,g=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),h=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=b.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content");for(c=0;cBill: “If we cannot bring justice into the small circle of our individual lives…” or the small circle of this liberal faith that we love…none of us will survive. I have been in Boston, serving as one of three Interim Co-Presidents of the UUA, following the…

  Good morning. I want to thank you for having me this morning and bring my greetings from the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Pasadena, California. I have served there as Senior Minister for two years, and before that served as Assistant minister at All Souls in New York City.…

  This was a conversation someone overheard one day: Two people were discussing the beliefs and practices of various religions when Unitarian Universalism came up. “Yes, one of them asked, just what do Unitarians believe?” The other person, without a pause, said. “Oh, the Unitarians, they believe in recycling.” And…

  Happy Easter! Halleluiah!   This is one of those rare times when even we liberal religious folks, even the most skeptical of us, can get to “halleluiah.” At least we are willing to sing it. We will sing things many of us would never say…at least out loud. Just…

Join us for this special communion service in which we remember the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, who stood fast against the forces of oppression and taught us to love one other. We will use the silver Communion Service donated by the founders of our church, the Ladies…

This is an annual tradition at First U - a service led by our high school youth in YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists). It's a wonderful opportunity to experience what our church nurtures in young people. The service will include the musical talents and insightful homilies of our youth.  View the entire…

  “Well, it’s a pretty good country,” said the child in our Together Time story. “Its a pretty good country.” And so she decided to wear turquoise, pink and beige as her patriotic colors, instead of red, white and blue. It was a thoughtful and a tentative kind of allegiance…

  Hearing our beautiful choir today reminds me a little of my childhood. I will carry your heart with me…. Specifically, what it reminds me of was how badly I wanted to be someone’s BE FRI. Sure, I would have settled for being someone’s ST END. But really what I…

  “Its me, its me, its me, Oh, Lord, standin’ in the need of prayer.” Prayer is one of “those” words. Powerful for many. Problematic for just as many more. Who are we praying to? What do we expect to happen? Can’t we just call it meditation? What do we…

  [audio mp3="http://www.firstunitarianportland.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Rev_Sinkford_Practice_Practice_Practice_03_12_2017.mp3"][/audio] Responsive Reading: Whose Are We by Victoria Safford Who carries you in their heart, thinks of you, whether you think of them or not? Whose are you? Who are your people, the ones who make a force field you can almost touch? Whose are you? Who is…