UU Community Church of Washington County's Podcast

From a Far Side comic strip to classic children’s books to contemporary novels, and from genealogy to history to current events, we’ll explore the beliefs and the motivations underlying the acts of giving and taking.

In this season of thanksgiving, as we approach Thanksgiving Day, the sermon will explore how genuine gratitude can help mend the brokenness in our lives and in our world.

As winter creeps towards us, our sky darkens earlier each evening, giving us more time to enjoy the stars. Perhaps this is why so many cultures honor celebrations of light during what we know as the “darkest” time of the year. This Sunday will celebrate the vibrant holiday of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, and explore ways to keep our inner flame alive. 

As fall sets in and winter approaches, we are often inspired to look within.  Being in the dark with our thoughts can be uncomfortable.  We may find grief, regret, or fears about the future.  How do we process these unsettling feelings?  Let's explore them together.

How do we remember stories of yore or memorialize those who have passed on?  The practice of ancestral remembrance exists across time and cultures.  Creating altars or reciting names of our dearly departed can be supportive practices, linking us to our love.  In this sense, when we remember those who we've loved, we remember who we are as well.  Join us this Sunday as we build our own "Altar of Remembrance."  While honoring the past, we will remember who we wish to be.

As Unitarian Universalists who covenant together to support one another in our search for meaning, we affirm our identity as spiritual and religious people.  But those are loaded terms, often for good reason! How can we learn to embrace both the spiritual and religious dimensions of our chosen faith?

The Jewish High Holy Days, often called the "Days of Awe," take place between the new year of Rosh Hashanah and the holiday of Yom Kippur.  This time of reflection and forgiveness is fueled by a charge to mend and repair.  This Sunday's service will explore the wisdom of these holidays and offer the opportunity to apply these teachings to our own lives.

Join us as we explore autumn’s gifts of hope for ourselves and our church community, for new school beginnings, and for fall’s precursor of new growth. There will be music, a pocketful of trees, and our celebration of autumn’s unpredictable joy. And there may be a pile of leaves to jump in after the service.

They say that home is where the heart is.  What makes our hearts feel at home?  Come share in an exploration of what home means, on Earth or in our hearts.

Inspired by Mary Oliver's "The Summer Day", we learn from the particular grasshopper that is eating sugar from the poet's hand, and are inspired to marvel at the particular beings around us.  This service is focused on the art of connecting with others, whether forging new relationships or deepening the ones already in our lives.  If we bring added intentionality and wonder to those we share our time with, might we learn to behold them in new ways and deepen our own sense of belonging?