January 8, 2006. "The Seeker." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
As Unitarian Universalists, we say that "revelation is never sealed," and that understanding makes us seekers, ever open to new truth.  It is an exhilarating way to live---and not a little unnerving--and personally, I wouldn't have it any other way.

January 15, 2006. "Transcending Boundaries." Rev. Thomas Disrud
How is it that we overcome the divisions between us and others? It is one thing to be in relationship with someone we like or love, but what about someone we despise? On this Martin Luther King Sunday, some lessons we might learn from King.

January 26, 2006. "What About a New Bottom Line?"  Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Does our "bottom line" always have to be expressed in material terms? As a religious people, are there not other values that are basic to our well-being and to the well-being of the larger society? What are those values and how can we shift our emphasis to include them?

February 5, 2006. "Cultivating Joy." Rev. Thomas Disrud
"Joy is not incidental to your spiritual quest," said Rebbe Nachman, "it is vital." Sometimes joy seems hard to come by. Wh is that and how do we cultivate more of it in our lives?

February 12, 2006. “Go to the Heart.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
On this Sunday before Valentine’s Day, I will speak about matters of the heart—how to keep the heart warm and open and supple, despite the stresses of these difficult times. 

February 19, 2006. “When a Few Make a Difference.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Sometimes we look at our troubled world and think we can’t do anything to make a difference—but that’s not true. Listen to these stories about people who were willing to put themselves on the line and who did make a difference.

March 12, 2006. “Annual Youth Service.” Youth Program
Our youth will share their joy and exuberance for the acceptance of one another, encouragement to spiritual growth, the right of conscience, and the use of the democratic process. It is especially important to hear the voices of youth, who inspire hope in our hearts and renew our faith in youthful ideas.

March 19, 2006. “Our Love Affair with War.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
War seems, on the surface of things, the most illogical and repulsive of approaches to conflict—so why has it been considered noble and glorious? Can we foresee a time when war will be no more?

March 26, 2006. “Imagine!” Preston Moore, Guest Preacher
“Failure of imagination”—so said the 9/11 Commission in analyzing our government’s failure to appreciate the possibility of martyr hijackers flying a plane into a building. What is at stake spiritually when imagination is extinguished? How should we compose ourselves in a culture that jeopardizes this vital quality?

April 2, 2006. “What They Dreamed Be Ours to Do.” Rev. Thomas Disrud
This is a line from the hymn “Rank by Rank Again We Stand,” which we sing on Homecoming Sunday. There is much we can learn from the deeds of those who have gone before us. Their lives present us with a foundation—and a challenge.

April 9, 2006. “Going All the Way with God.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
It’s one thing to have a “spiritual hit” on Sunday morning, and leave it there—it’s another thing to commit your life to something larger than yourself and live out of that commitment every day.  But this latter way is the path to true joy and fulfillment.

April 16, 2006. “The Nature and Purpose of Sacrifice.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
As a culture, we are a people who like to indulge ourselves, not sacrifice—and contemporary Unitarian Universalists certainly do not emphasize sacrifice.  Is there any place at all for this religious practice in our faith, as we live it out in the world?

April 30, 2006. “Mental Illness: What Nobody Talks About.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
No, it’s not sex. It’s not death. It’s not even money, one of our last taboos. It’s more hidden than any of these. It’s mental illness. Let’s come out about the one topic no one wants to discuss.

May 21, 2006. “Moving into the Future.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
There are many voices out there in society saying, “Follow me, follow me!” As our church family moves into the future, what are the messages from our liberal tradition that could be saving messages for these contemporary times?

June 4, 2006. "The Blessings of Idleness." Rev. Thomas Disrud
Being idle goes against just about every message we receive in our culture. We are supposed to be productive, to work hard, and to sacrifice. But we also need time to imagine, to think, and just to be.

June 11, 2006. “Confessions of a Morthanist.” Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Summer Minister
Poet Mary Oliver writes of deer descending to a pond through a hilly wood. Only, she says, she did not see them, though she knows they were there. She knew their presence in other ways, ways that pointed to their presence. Experience is of different sorts. Some experience is in the boundary, in the twilight zone. Religious experience, at times, is more than our philosophy dreams of.

July 2, 2006. “America, America.” Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Summer Minister
The Fourth of July. Could there be a more rambunctious, hoopla- and jingoist blather-filled, fire-lit holiday on the face of the earth? It is a day to celebrate America, to fly our patriotism in the face of . . . well, cynicism? Disappointment? Embarrassment?

July 9, 2006. “Handling It Better.” Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Summer Minister
Unitarian poet May Sarton wrote, “I asked myself the question, ‘What do you want of your life?’ and I realized with a start of recognition and terror, ‘Exactly what I have—but to be commensurate, to handle it all better.’” To want what we have, Ah, there’s the rub.

July 16, 2006. "Why Should I Believe That?" Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Summer Minister

July 30, 2006. "There Is No God But . . . " Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Summer Minister
I have been challenged many times with the defiant parry, "I don't believe in God!" One of my favorite responses is, "Really, and which particular God is it that you don't believe in?" Occasionally, the weather being just right, some sort of conversation has tehn been possible.  This is only to say that the statement, "There is no God," is only the beginning of awesome possibilities.

August 6, 2006. "Look Alive!" Rev. Dr. Edward Frost, Summer Minister

August 27, 2006. “Standing at the Threshold.” Rev. Thomas Disrud
How do we prepare for that next chapter, whatever is next for us? Sometimes we are asked to take a leap of faith because we don’t know what will be on the other side of that doorway.

September 3, 2006. “Reasonable Hope.” Kate Lore, Director of Social Justice
These are difficult days in our history, and it is easy to despair. This sermon highlights several hopeful trends occurring in this country that can help turn things around.

September 10, 2006. "Coming Home to the Center." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Where is home for you? Returning to Portland, I was thankful for this city and thankful for our church, so yes, place is important. But there is a deeper place we call home: it is within, and it can never be taken from us.

September 17, 2006. "Yes I Am." Leela Sinha, Assistant Minister

A July shooting at the Jewish Federation in Seattle left one dead and five wounded. The police called it a hate crime and stepped up security at mosques and Jewish temples. What is it about our identities that divides us? How can it bring us together instead?

September 24, 2006. “Re-Imagining the American Dream.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
So isn’t more always better? So shouldn’t our kids enjoy a lifestyle of more ease and plenty than we ourselves? We’re beginning to see that the American Dream is way out of line with reality. That would be the reality of sustainability for the earth and then a spiritual reality that will sustain us through the challenges of this century. If you were responsible for re-writing our cultural story, what would you say?

October 1, 2006. "Turning and Returning." Rev. Thomas Disrud

What does it mean to find wholeness in these times? The High Holy Days of the Jewish tradition offer an invitation: to turn our lives in a new direction and in doing so, to return to our center.

October 8, 2006. "Asking for Trouble." Leela Sinha, Assistant Minister

It is counterintuitive to seek sorrow, to court grief, to walk with fear . . . or is it? Would we ever cradle life's pain on purpose?

October 15, 2006.  "The Pursuit of Perfection." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

When is the pursuit of perfection about excellence, a laudatory goal, and when is it about less than healthful motives? And who was it who said you had to be perfect, anyway?

October 22, 2006. "The Spirit of Guatemala."  Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

In this service, Marilyn Sewell and three congregants who were part of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's human rights delegation from our church to Guatemala this summer speak of the spiritual transformation they experienced by committing themselves to this sometimes difficult, but ultimately rewarding, journey.

October 29, 2006. "The Falling in of Our Spirits into Communion." Rev. Thomas Disrud

Those lovely words come from Puritan Richard Mather in 1644 and they speak of the task of religious community as we join together in covenant.

November 5, 2006. "The Call of the Earth."  Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

With global warming threatening and other ecological problems confronting us, what are our spiritual challenges - I mean, bedyond changing our light bulbs? Join me for some thoughts on deep ecology, from a spiritual perspective.

November 19, 2006. "Let Your Life Speak." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

There is an inner teacher in each one of us that will lead us to a life of meaning and purpose. How do we form a more attentive relationship with that deeper, truer self?

November 26, 2006. "Living in a House Called Gratitude." Rev. Thomas Disrud

December 3, 2006. "Crafting Ritual, Creating Family." Leela Sinha, Assistant Minister

Every group has rituals, and special occasions often throw them into high relief. As we enter the holiday season, how does what we do contribute to our sense of who we are and how we are together?

December 10, 2006. "Joseph's Story." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

Joseph is the persona non grata of the Christmas story. Who was this faceless man, who remained true to Mary, even when she told him that she was pregnant by . . . well, another? What can we learn from his story about forgiveness? About caring for every child that comes into this world?