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by Reverend Patricia Hart

The Jewish traditions of Rosh Hashanah teach the importance of restoring balance to life by asking for and granting forgiveness. Is it always right to ask forgiveness from those we have harmed, or to offer it to those who have harmed us? What does it mean to forgive?

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by Reverend Patricia Hart

In 1939, two Unitarians—Rev. Wait still Sharp and his wife, Martha Sharp—traveled to Europe on behalf of the whole denomination to try and help Jews, dissidents and immigrants escape from the growing Nazi threat. Because of the new Ken Burns documentary about the Sharps (to be televised on September 20), UU principles and American values are getting some attention this fall. What can we learn from hearing this story? And what comment does it make in the fierce debates swirling in our time?

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by Reverend Patricia HartOurs is a “covenant” faith: what matters most in our congregations is not the word of some divine authority or even pronouncements from UUA “headquarters,” but the gathered wisdom of the people. Each of us feels called to do the right thing… so how does a congregation of individuals become a covenanted group and what does that mean in practice?

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by Reverend Patricia Hart and

Layne Richard-Hammock

Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Come one, come all, to a joyful celebration of the West Shore community, and the “kick-off” Sunday for what promises to be a busy and important church year. This All Ages service will feature “Singing Down the Rain,” a story about water, joy, learning, and how communities grow stronger.Don’t forget to bring water from a place that is important to you and your family. In the annual Water Communion,we will pour our offerings of water together, symbolizing the gifts everyone brings to create the community that is West Shore

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by Reverend Patricia HartOn this Labor Day weekend, we will look back at some of the triumphs and losses of our country’s labor movement, and reflect on how cultural attitudes about work shape the structures of our society. Plus, a brief visit from the original “Mother Jones,” an Irish immigrant to America who became an important labor and community organizer.

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by Warren & Kathleen Campbell-Gaston

Facts are data that can be proven correct. But truth is alive, embodied in human beings and expressed through our behavior. Therefore, our truth grows and changes as we mature. We will look at UU sources and the way we refine and expand our truth as we learn from life’s experiences.

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by Reverend Patricia Hart

Interim Senior Minister

At this, the beginning of our two-year shared "interim," Rev. Hart will talk about what she’s learned about transitional ministry, where Unitarian Universalism seems to be heading in this tumultuous time, and some of the work we might do together here at West Shore.

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by Barbara Walker

Worship Associate

Whether we are born into this faith or come to it later in life, we can sometimes find ourselves complacent in finally finding like minds around us. This sermon will encourage us to break out of our comfort zone, examine what drew us here in the first place and act upon our principle of inherent worth and dignity of ALL people.

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by Dave Clements

Worship Associate

The more we live on the surface of our identity, the less we are in touch with our deeper self. How can we know who we truly are when we spend our time and attention trying to be something other than what we find ourselves to be? No amount of changing ourselves for the purpose of being perceived as cool or fashionable or getting the approval of others is going to bring us any closer to really knowing our-selves.

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by Christine Salontay

Worship Associate

Love always wins. How can we continue to proclaim this when evil is constantly claiming innocent lives? It kills others, our own souls and our future generations. We will explore how an intense feeling, such as fear can hide truths from us and how we can lean on hope to take action.

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