East Shore Unitarian Sermons (bellevue, Wa)

Let us gather to express our gratitude for all the blessings received this year and to share the story of the first Thanksgiving from the perspective of the Mashpee Wampanoag people. Join us after for a potluck!

"Cambia, todo cambia, pero no cambia mi amor." What happens when congregations embrace change as an opportunity for transformation? Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin are co-authors of this year's UU Common Read, Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism. They found that while the path to multicultural, anti-racist Beloved Community can be long and winding, it is also dotted with moments of joy and wonder. Nancy and Karin invite us to consider how we can open our hearts to possibility as we commit ourselves to creating a world that reflects the best of who we are.

We draw inspiration from the Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur, a ritual of atonement that allows us to bring to mind and heart those whom we have wronged, and to ask for forgiveness. Yom Kippur is the moment in Jewish time when we dedicate our mind, body, and soul to reconciliation with our fellow human beings, ourselves, and God. As the New Year begins, we commit to self-reflection and inner change. 

Join us on October 30 to honor the memory of our dearly departed. During the service, we will build a community altar. You are invited to bring pictures, flowers, and other mementos to honor your beloveds’ memory. “At the rising sun and at its going down; We remember them...For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as, We remember them.”

Welcoming a new minister is like turning a page in an impressive, weighty volume to a new, fresh chapter. We get to decide who we will be together in the years to come and what this new chapter will hold. Building on the congregation-wide retreat that will take place Saturday, October 15, this worship service, led by guest preacher Alex Kapitan, will be a time for deep reflection on what it takes to practice welcome together across lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, age, belief, and more. What transformation are we being called toward in this new chapter?

Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to fully understand the legacy of colonialism, just as it calls us to respect and learn from indigenous peoples and support their struggles for social justice and religious freedom. Join UUs across the United States in honoring Indigenous Peoples Day and celebrating indigenous resistance.

Join us in person or via Zoom for our annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony. You are invited to bring your pets so they can receive a blessing (please ensure they are on a leash or in a carrier). If your animal companions have crossed over the rainbow bridge, please bring their photo so we can honor their memory.

A sermon based on the book by Valarie Kaur: "When you choose to see people as your cousin, as your other self, as the friend you have not met yet, you are being courageous and compassionate. When we are curious about the people in our lives, their thoughts, their pain and joys, their wants and needs, we get a glimpse into their humanity, into their hearts, as vast and complex as our own. That wonder, is the wellspring for love."

How can we create a brave and safe space to bring our best selves, share stories, and build a relationship of mutual respect and trust? How do we build a strong foundation to continue growing and building the Beloved Community? As we begin our shared ministry journey together, we give thanks for this amazing opportunity and reflect on our mutual aspirations, hopes, and expectations.

On September 11 we'll gather as a community to welcome our new Minister, Rev. María Cristina, and to express our gratitude for our spiritual home, East Shore. We'll also give thanks for having access to clean drinking water and for those bodies of water that refresh our bodies and souls. Join us in person or via zoom, as we bring together the waters we have collected (from the ocean, rivers, or our garden hose) to pour into a communal vessel, symbol of our Beloved Community. 

What does it mean to age gracefully? What choices do we make along the path of life to help us flourish as we reach our elder years? Members and guests of East Shore share their individual stories and perspectives on how their lives have shaped who and where they are today.

Our guest speaker, indigenous activist Julian Matthews, will share what it means for the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce Tribe) to be protectors of sacred lands and waters. The focus of his talk will be the current issue of how Nez Perce Treaty rights are impacted by the Lower Four Snake River dams. Salmon have been a critical part of Nimiipuu culture and identity and are one of the main First Foods for their people. Asserting Treaty rights to safeguard these relationships propels their current activism to restore the wild salmon runs on the Snake River by removing the Lower Snake River dams. In so doing, the tribe aims to ensure that their Treaty rights are secured for future generations.

How does our faith lead our discussion of reproductive rights? We will hear from UUA President Susan Frederick Gray and other UU leaders, plus music and more.

We will be celebrating the first harvest and discussing how we harvest and what we will harvest,not just from our gardens but in all of our life. We will celebrate with song and dance. Please join us for this celebration of Lughnasadh (LOO-nah-sah) and the turning of the wheel of the year.

What is happening in the UUA? What was shared at General Assembly? The members and staff who traveled to Portland and some who logged in virtually will share their takeaways.

Join King County Council Member Sarah Perry in an exploration of Behavioral Health challenges and what state, county and local government can and is doing to address those challenges.

"One day we were driving across town, and my partner Mary Jane wanted me to pull over, so she could give some $ to a man down on his luck. I refused; MJ rebutted; and I drove by like a heartless brute. We both felt bad for different reasons." Help is a big part of what makes us a social animal, so much so that we feel good when we help, and bad when we don't. ANSWER is how I discovered that helping children in need, helps us in our need to help. This is my journey over the potholes to giving.

In the midst of our divided nation, how do we move from the paralysis of fear toward a greater sense of freedom, hope and healing? Please join us as we explore this question within the theological context of a welcome table of hospitality, bridge-building and social justice. 

TED talks have become famous as a way of giving people a chance to share their ideas across a wide platform. In this service, members share their ideas in just 5 minutes each. In addition, Eric Lane Barnes will lead a pop-up choir. If you’ve always wanted to try being in the choir, this is your chance to give it a go. Arrive in the Sanctuary by 9am and we will learn some easy pieces, and then perform them in the service.

It’s that time of year when the kids and youth in our education programs leap, lead and bridge into their next spiritual journey and welcome transition in an intentional way. Through music, art, and reflection, let us open to the holy curiosity of our community. Join us for a sweet and special day! This morning we also "Share the Plate" with Congregations for Kids Good Start Back to School, who provide supplies to school age kids throughout the Bellevue School District. Monetary donations and in-kind donations of Sturdy Backpacks are requested, so please join is in your support and shop for Backpacks without slings or wheels; padded backs for 4th through high school; large size for middle and high school, with laptop compartments; solid colors (no red) for HS.