Rev. Marcia Stanard is our consulting minister. This is what she wrote to introduce herself:
We gather together in spiritual community.
Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you are welcome here.
May all who hunger for inspiration be filled.
May all in need of friendship be comforted.
Let us leave our time together refreshed anew, and carry our shared vision into the wider world.
These are the words that we say together every Sunday as we light our chalice, a symbol of our liberal religious faith. As the minister here at Wy’east, I strive to remember these words in everything we do as a community.
I grew up as a religious seeker, finding inspiration and value both in the Protestant churches of my childhood and in the beauty of nature I was surrounded with growing up on the Oregon coast. Throughout my teens and twenties I explored a variety of faith traditions, finally finding a home in Unitarian Universalism. For me, the most important part of one’s faith is what it inspires a person to do in this lifetime, and not in providing an insurance policy for the next one. Unitarian Universalism connects me with other people who care about community, about social justice, and about the world we live in. Together, we support each other in our work in the world, and in our relationships with one another.
I went into ministry because I believe that what we do in church matters. Together, we learn, teach, worship, support one another and grow spiritually. Ministry, to me, brings each of these things together. I get the great privilege of being with people during the great joys and sorrows of their lives. It is a sacred trust that we enter into with one another.
My own call to ministry came out of teaching youth. I taught the Our Whole Lives sexuality education program and Coming of Age to 8th & 9th graders at First Unitarian Church of Portland, and from there realized that ministry was what I was called to do. I attended seminary at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago in a Modified Residency Program that allowed me to live in Portland and attend classes in January in Chicago. I graduated in May of 2011.
While attending Meadville Lombard, I’ve been honored to serve as vice chair and chair of the student government, and as the student representative on the Board of Trustees. I am also fortunate to have experience with Wy’east, having served here as the Director of Religious Education from 2006-2008. I served my internship at Saltwater UU Church in South King County, Washington.
I live in Portland, with my two daughters, who are 10 and 13, my cat, and a hamster. I love spending time with my family, cooking good food, laughing with friends, reading books and walking in pretty places.
My own spirituality embraces a sort of mystic naturalism. I believe that there is a creative force in the universe that I am comfortable calling God, that is present in trees and water and mountains and is also present in relationships between people. I’m inspired by the work of Carter Heyward, a lesbian feminist Episcopal priest, who says, “god is a verb. When we love, we God.”
As Unitarian Universalists, each person is invited to decide what is true and right for themselves in regards to belief or non-belief in God, and what inspires and forms their own spiritual practice. We have people in our congregation inspired by Buddhism, Christianity, Natural Mysticism, Judaism, and Humanism—sometimes several of these at once. We also have people who consider themselves Atheist or Agnostic, some of whom are also inspired by other faith practices. But together, we believe that what we do here on earth matters, and that we are responsible for making the world a better place.
If you are seeking a faith community to be part of, I encourage you to come visit us on a Sunday morning. I will be leading worship on the second (and sometimes the fourth) Sunday of every month, and other guest ministers and lay members of the congregation will provide a variety of rich worship experiences during other Sundays.
We are a warm and vibrant community here at Wy’east, and we look forward to welcoming all those who share our ideals. Come tell us your story!
Blessings-
Marcia Stanard