Rev. John H. Deitrich, our Spokane congregation’s minister from 1911 to 1916, went on to become known as the Father of Religious Humanism. In his wish to reawaken us to this seminal figure’s relevance today, Rev. Eklof will continue his series of occasionally reworking and delivering one of Dietrich’s historic sermons. In this particular sermon, given in 1923, Dietrich discusses his thoughts on growing older and achieving old age; emphasizing all that life still has to offer us and, more importantly, all that we still have to offer life no matter how old we are. “Life is not a hill,” he says, “one half of it spent in ascent and the other half in descent.”

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Those of us living in the US (which isn’t alone) are caught up in a kind of cold civil war, in which one side is seeking to control the Nation’s beliefs and narratives, and to ultimately eradicate their ideological opponents. The media often facilitates this mindset by giving us bipolar opinion polls, as if there are only two sides of any issue. But what if most Americans, in this case, are more alike in their thinking and values than not? What if the media began asking about common issues and ideas that most of us agree upon? What if there was a political party for the majority of us who are together in the middle? What if this were so, no matter what our political registration, let alone the color of our skin, our gender, our sexuality, our income, our age, our religion, or any of the other differences we are told must keep us apart?

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Shooting from the hip, intuition, gut feelings, and the like are often used to justify the truth of one’s ideas without any reasons or evidence to accept them as such. Some go through much of their lives simply expressing whatever they are feeling and thinking in the moment, in a lived stream of consciousness that’s better reserved for shrink’s couch. In this sermon we’ll consider the vital importance of allowing reality to impress itself upon us rather than projecting our inner wishes and desires onto others and the world around us.

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In this guest presentation, LaRae Wiley and Christopher Parkin, will share information about the Southern Interior Salish Languages, the programming at Salish School of Spokane, and the SSOS new campus project. They will teach some Salish words and LaRae will share her personal medicine song and close with the Sandhill Crane Song that tells the story of service and sacrifice for the community.

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In challenging and overwhelming times, it can feel impossible to make a difference in the world. Ami provides a perspective on getting involved locally to change our world and build community. This presentation will assist in building community starting where you are. She will share her experiences and present opportunities for the UU Church in housing services, housing advocacy and policy and community organizing.

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More than a quarter century ago, I traveled to Janesville, Wisconsin to visit a rare White Buffalo, a mystical experience that I’ve never forgotten. Perhaps the story I’ve fashioned explaining the encounter is the result of my “meaning making” human brain, connecting dots where there aren’t any, or maybe there really are invisible lines connecting us to each other in ways we cannot comprehend. In either case, I look forward to sharing this meaningful story with you.

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There’s an old joke, “If you see a fork in the road, take it.” The fork represents the uncertainty of our lives; seldom entirely sure about the choices we face. What if a good rule of thumb is to make the choice that’s the least convenient rather than the one that appears easiest? In this sermon, I’ll make the case for doing just that.

SERMON TEXT CLICK HERE

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The 2025 NAUA Summit will wrap up with a Sunday service beginning at 9:00 AM Pacific Time. The theme of the service is “What We Believe: Unitarian Reflections,” and will be facilitated, livestreamed, and Zoomed, as usual, from our sanctuary at UUCS. Rev. Eklof will lead the service and our amazing song leader Rachae Thomas, and our incredible pianist Jackie Sandberg will provide music.

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In this guest presentation, the Honorable Mary Logan will discuss the use of problem-solving and harm reduction theories when attempting to navigate people out of the criminal legal system.

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Unitarian Universalism, which has remained increasingly ill-defined since its inception in 1961, has recently and finally been defined by the illiberal extremists who have captured and now control it. In doing so, they have abandoned the core principle that has defined liberal religion for centuries—absolute freedom of thought and expression, along with the tolerant attitude that is crucial to fostering such freedom. While remaining openminded and willing to discuss such differences, as a devoted liberal I cannot be part of an organization that represents the antithesis of my core values, especially one that has become so dogmatic and authoritarian.

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