Sermon Archive
Honoring Mother Earth
On this Mother’s Day we want to respect our Mothers, our Grandmothers and Mother Earth. We will hear about the work of bringing renewable energy, sustainable living, and educational training to Native Americans, from the beginning until now. We will see how this work ties into the people’s way of life. Lakota elder Henry Red Cloud is the founder of Red Cloud Renewable.
Join our Virtual Service Sunday at 10:30
Click Here to link to the Zoom Service
Meeting ID: 275 194 110
Phone In: (669) 900-683
Holding
The best children’s stories are some of the very best stories we have. They are made to be told, retold, voiced, performed. They become part of us, much like “religious” stories do. Here is my idea for a children’s story that I would write and illustrate, if I could, a work in progress with something for the child in every one of us—and for the adult in every child.
By Rev. Moro
To listen to the service click on the recording link below.
Annual Flower Communion
The beloved Unitarian Universalist ritual of Flower Communion welcomes Spring. You are invited to bring a flower (physical, photographs, or art) or a memory of spring. What kind of beautiful virtual bouquet can we make? Service led by Wy’east members.
Join our Virtual Service Sunday at 10:30
Click Here to link to the Zoom Service
Meeting ID: 275 194 110
Phone In: (669) 900-683
How Light Comes In
Our story today is set in the city of Teotihuacán. It was established around 100 years before the Common Era and by the year 250 of our calendar it was one of the largest cities in the world—roughly 125,000 people. Eleven hundred years later, the Aztecs, who had built their own metropolis further south, knew it as an already ancient ruin. They wondered who had made it. This morning let’s hear more about the Pre-Columbian cities of Central, South, and—yes—North America.
By Rev. Moro
Songs for the Earth: A Virtual Field Trip for Earth Day
Service led by the Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Pasco, WA
In the spirit of sustainability and sharing resources, Wy’east will travel virtually to Pasco, Washington for this service and join an Earth Day Celebration and worship planned by the Community Unitarian Universalist Church. This service will share songs of interconnections with Nature and love of Earth led by musicians Mike & Shannon and will include spoken reflections from Mike Truex and Shannon Hays-Truex
Service is at our usual time of 10:30 and will include a post-service social hour to meet the members of the Pasco congregation.
In addition, there will be a post service presentation by Jon Biemer about his forthcoming book: Our Environmental Handprints: Recover the Land, Reverse Global Warming, Reclaim the Future
Please note the special Zoom link for this service.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96285644812?pwd=OVplZjBVZnBZWjZFT0VESUNMQ1ozZz09
Meeting ID: 962 8564 4812
Passcode: 869724
How to Wipe A Thousand Noses
Tenali Ramakrishna was the court poet of the 16th century Vijayanagar empire in South India. He was also known for his comic wit. This morning I’ll share some of his earthiest stories, along with a tale about how a joke may have saved my life!
By Rev. Moro
Wy'east Ministry: What's Next?
Our minister is retiring at the end of the next church year (June of 2022) and that gives our "little church" the amazing opportunity to look hard and deep at the future of ministry at Wy'east. Linda Macpherson and Daniale Lynch, your current Worship Committee Chair and Board Moderator, aim to get the conversation started about what comes next with their initial thoughts about the opportunities this year-long transition brings.
Service led by Linda Macpherson & Daniale Lynch
Below the Valley
A haunting folk song tells an Easter story with a Universalist message of resistance to power and the power of resistance. Matt Lynch will perform the song and I’ll try to unpack some of its meaning.
By Rev. Moro
Decolonization: Until All Of Us Are Free, None Of Us Are Free
Decolonization has become quite an academic and social buzzword in the last few years, even within religious settings. Originally applied to the work stressed by Indigenous people to come out from under the hundreds of years of subjugation and cultural genocide, this term is now being applied to mainstream society and American culture. Join me as we explore the nuances and applications of this self-reflective method for freeing ourselves from the yolks that oppress us all. Decolonization has the potential to truly help save our world.
Rev. Gary McAlpin was raised mostly with his maternal grandparents in rural Northeast Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas, with his grandmother being a strict Baptist and his grandfather a traditional ceremonial Cherokee. Gary has an undergraduate degree in Cross-Cultural Services, an MDiv with emphasis on Native American Pastoral Care and a Masters in Clinical-Counseling Psychology with concentration in Indigenous Psychology and Inter-Generational Trauma. Gary found the UUA around 13 years ago after serving in different denominations as church planter and a minister, both adult and youth. Rev. McAlpin has also served as a therapist for over 12 years in mental health settings, mostly with adolescents and families.
Currently, Rev. McAlpin is a UUA Community Minister serving the people of Cherokee County, the heart of Cherokee Nation with outreach, aid and support for the community and families affected by pediatric cancer and environmental climate justice. His organization is called Sweetwater Foundation, a 501.c.3.
Nice Little Church
How big is our religious community? Physical dimensions and numbers of members can be deceptive. When we come together on Sundays—virtually or in person—we gather on something like the tip of an iceberg. There’s so much more beneath the surface! Let’s explore such thoughts together as we move forward with our annual stewardship campaign.
By Rev. Craig Moro and the Stewardship Team