A Poetry Celebration
Join Laurie Singer and many readers from our congregation for our Poetry celebration. click here to attend via zoom
Archives: Services
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Our annual Christmas Eve worship service celebrates, in the light of the story of the birth of Jesus, the rebirth of hope. The service includes readings from Christian and Muslim traditions and more. We hear the prophetic words of Maya Angelou and Howard Thurman. And, of course, we light candles and sing “Silent Night.”
The Longest Night
Every tradition marks this night because it speaks to something essential in our human experience. The Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is when darkness reaches its fullness and the light begins again. The message invites reflection on endurance, imagination, and the ways we carry light forward for one another when certainty feels distant. OOS … Continue reading The Longest Night
Let There Be Light
We experience an interesting confluence this week with the start of Hanukkah and the arrival of the shortest day of the year. Both are stories of light, courage, and renewal—seasonal and spiritual lights that guide our lives. OOS 12-14-2025 pdf Music Sheet 12-14-25
Advent for Unitarian Universalists
For many religious denominations, Advent is the four weeks leading up to the nativity of Jesus. Do UUs celebrate Advent? Mostly we don’t, but we can in our own UU way, and perhaps we should. It’s a time to remember the hope, peace, joy, and love that the Advent candles represent. How can we bring … Continue reading Advent for Unitarian Universalists
Build Our Common Good
Last Thursday, many of us gave thanks with and for family and friends at Thanksgiving; some of us may have expressed gratitude for bargains on Black Friday. Before we get to Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday, I invite you to cultivate gratitude for this congregation; that is, for each other. OOS 11-30-2025 Music Sheet 11-30-25
A Hard-Won Gratitude
We often think of gratitude as that which comes to us in an easy way. But often, gratefulness is hard won. It may come after struggle, suffering and conflict. We gather on this Sunday before Thanksgiving to explore this truth. OOS 11-23-25 Music sheet 11-23-2025
Crossing the River
Tolerance is not an idea, it’s a lived practice. Respect for and tolerance of others comes in many shapes and sizes. Honoring diversity to strengthen understanding sometimes leads us into new territory. We explore this in our Sunday message. OOS 11-16-2025 Music sheet 11-16-25
Nurturing Gratitude
“Some of us learned to count blessings on our fingers, others to whisper thanks to ancestors or earth or sky. We carry different languages of gratitude, different ways of recognizing what sustains us.” —Rev. Michelle Collins OOS 11-9-2025
Gratitude That Arises in Challenging Times
It’s very easy for us to turn to the obvious things when we think about gratitude. What if we began to look at the difficulties and challenges of our lives from a stance of gratitude? How might that shift our perspective in terms of what it means to be human? Is it possible that our … Continue reading Gratitude That Arises in Challenging Times