First Unitarian Church of Chicago

In these midst of global pandemic, rising authoritarianism, and uprising, lives hang in the balance and the future of democracy is on the line. In response, Unitarian Universalists are answering the call of our faith, building powerful partnerships to mobilize our communities to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate in the 2020 elections.

Just as our weekly Sunday service sets apart time for spiritual practice, an altar sets apart space for spiritual practice. During our quarantine we can’t gather in person, so our worship life happens at home. Dedicating a space to our spirits and our values can anchor and restore us during these difficult times. We’ll explore what makes an altar—and how to make one! This is the first service in a series on spiritual practices you can do in quarantine, offered over the course of our 2020-2021 church year.

On our annual ingathering Sunday, we begin the church year online at our YouTube channel. We'll honor our connection with the sacred in earth, water, the cycle of life, and with each other. Just as water exists individually as molecules and droplets--and collectively as lakes and oceans--we are united as individuals into a living faith tradition that flows through time. Like a river crossing a desert, we as a community are transforming ourselves to make it to the far side of the pandemic times.

Remote church, complex school reopening, an uprising for racial justice: this is not the season we expected. We are in the middle of the storm, a time filled with beginnings and endings, with uncertainty: simultaneously packed to overflowing and socially distant. We face this reality and find hope for the road ahead, even though it may not be what we thought we'd signed up for.

The ground beneath us is ever changing and our days are filled with the uncertainties of not only life, but a global pandemic. It requires great effort to keep our balance. Yet that very balance requires not just effort—but ease.

Welcome to our Summer Sermon Series! Every week this summer we are happy to invite a preacher from the Chicago area and beyond to our pulpit. This week we welcome Rev. Karen Mooney preaching her sermon "Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Women."

The Rev. Karen Mooney is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who grew up in rural(ish) Wisconsin. She learned the art of church from her parents who were very involved in the Mequon congregation where they were members for over 50 year. She worked in ministry for 3.5 years working with the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministries of IL. She currently is serving as the Sabbatical Minister for UU Advocacy Network of IL and as the Congregational Life Director at the Unitarian Church of Evanston.

Welcome to our Summer Sermon Series! Every week this summer we are happy to invite a preacher from the Chicago area and beyond to our pulpit. This week we welcome the Rev. Eileen Wiviott preaching her sermon "Patience: Is It Always a Virtue?"

Patience is a virtue, except when it’s not. As the world moves ever faster and we, its inhabitants, are more instantly gratified, it seems increasingly challenging to ask for and practice patience. We will explore the virtue and vice of patience and how we might practice it with one another, while navigating and responding to the urgency of our times.

The Rev. Eileen Riley Wiviott serves as the Acting Senior Minister of the Unitarian Church of Evanston, where she has been a member, Membership Director, Social Justice Coordinator, and Assistant Minister. Her ministry grew out of a call to usher people into a sense of belonging in our faith and a passion for expanding justice through transformative and accountable relationships. Her faith is rooted in the interconnection of all things and the belief that, together, we are called to expand life's beauty and create life’s meaning. She lives in Skokie with her husband, two grown (or nearly grown) children, and two yappy dogs. Eileen graduated from Meadville Lombard Theological School in May 2017 and was ordained by the Unitarian Church of Evanston on June 4, 2017.

Welcome to our Summer Sermon Series! Every week this summer we are happy to invite a preacher from the Chicago area and beyond to our pulpit. This week we welcome the Rev. Allison Farnum preaching her sermon "The Failure Confessions."

Welcome to our Summer Sermon Series! Every week this summer we are happy to invite a preacher from the Chicago area and beyond to our pulpit. This week we welcome Rev. Lucas Hergert preaching his sermon "Faith on the Tightrope."

Life can be precarious. Sometimes, it can feel as vulnerable as walking on a tightrope. How do we find faith for taking the next steps when we encounter uncertainty? This is a sermon about nurturing faith and finding hope in challenge.

The Rev. Lucas Hergert has been a minister since 2009, currently serving the North Shore Unitarian Church in Deerfield, Illinois. He grew up in a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio, and first heard his call to the ministry in high school. Lucas holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Miami University, a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from the Pacific School of Religion. Lucas was also previously a college faculty member, teaching courses in philosophy and comparative religion. His interests include yoga, Shakespeare plays, biking, continental philosophy, fantasy novels, interfaith work, and humor.

In our society, productivity is often the measure of success. Yet, during the COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to be “productive” was prevented by our collective grief and sudden changes in our society. If we listen to ourselves, we may find that we are tired in many ways – physically and spiritually. This Sunday, we will explore the different ways to let ourselves rest and why it is important.