Sermon Archive

There is so much change happening right now that it may feel as if the whole world is in a storm. How do we find the way to move with and through the storm? Not running for cover, but finding who we must become to ride it out and emerge triumphant. When the storm settles, as it must, how do we help to keep the house from blowing away?  

Rev. Summer Albayati is a UU Muslim of Iraqi descent who brings extensive experience in leadership development, strategic planning, multiculturalism, curriculum development/programming, outreach, organizational development, grant writing, interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and mediation. She currently serves on the UUA Congregational Life Staff for the Pacific Western Region. Learn more about Summer HERE.

Online (Zoom) Only Worship

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

This Sunday is May the Fourth which has become a Star Wars day (“May the Fourth be with you”). We can imagine “the Force” to be the pull of conscience, compassion, and courage. The Star Wars saga chronicles the fall of a democratic republic and the seductive rise of authoritarian power, reminding us that the battle between hope and fear lives in every heart—and in every society. 

We’ll explore how this story about fascism, resistance, and the quest for peace and justice matters to us today. In a time of political unrest and creeping authoritarianism, we are called to awaken the Force within us with wisdom, love, and community.

First-Sunday Monthly Potluck after Service!

Multi-Platform Worship (both in-person & online)

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

In honor of Earth Day, our April spiritual practice exploration service this month is centered around nature. We asked some Wy'easters to share a story, poem or song that illustrates their experience of how nature nourishes their spirit. How does your immersion in the wonder of nature nourish you? 
 

Online (Zoom) Only Worship

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833d

Our minister, Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx will share a celebratory Easter service lifting up the truth of the story without getting caught up in the accuracy of the events depicted. Together we will consider how Jesus’ life, death and lasting impact guide us in these current challenging times. 

Special Collection: SAGE

Multi-Platform Worship (both in-person & online)

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

Join Jennica Davis-Hockett in exploring how joy and community-building can be transformative forces in our lives. She shares a personal story of shifting away from internalized self-exploitation toward a more playful, liberatory approach—one that embraces rest, community care, and resilience. Using the Deeper Joy framework, and some very serious play, Jennica invites us to experience radically inclusive, accessible and spiritually grounded community. Presented by Jennica Davis-Hockett, UUA Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Staff.

Online (Zoom) Only Worship

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

Watching the news these days can be overwhelming.  How can we stay grounded while we face such chaos?  Rev. Sarah Schurr will share tips of resistance she once learned on a biology field trip.  

Sarah was a charter member and the new congregation organizer for Wy’east at its founding, and is now freshly retired from work at the Unitarian Universalists Association. 

First-Sunday Monthly Potluck after Service!

Multi-Platform Worship (both in-person & online)

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

Each church year there are 4-5 months that have a 5th Sunday. As part of our lay-led ministry, we will be using these Sundays to offer an alternative to traditional worship. In lieu of holding a service, either in-person or on Zoom, we will be organizing a group service project we can do together instead.

This month we are sponsoring a Trans Day of Visibility Potluck Picnic at Wilshire Park for the trans and non-binary community and their allies. The National Trans Day of Visibility is March 31st and in these times it is important to find ways to demonstrate a community spirit of resistance and resilience. 

Who: The trans and non-binary community and allies
What: Potluck picnic! Bring your best potluck dish, labeled for allergens and dietary restrictions
When: Sunday, March 30,2025 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: Wilshire Park, 4116 NE 33rd Avenue
Why: Because we EXIST and are stronger together!

Please share this event as appropriate. Find a flyer HERE

There will be NO regular service (either in-person or online) this Sunday.

We continue exploring spiritual practices by participating in a workshop led by Colette Gardiner, a witchcraft practitioner. Colette will share the symbolism and meaning behind spring equinox according to her practice, and lead us in a ritual that can be repeated at home with household objects. We will strive to work from a place of inclusion without appropriation and honor the web of connection, and as we empower ourselves, we need to ensure that all people are empowered.

Colette has taught and worked with witchcraft and spirituality for almost 50 years. She is an earth-based practitioner who works with spirits from other realms. Colette currently runs the Golden Web Mystery School and has a Youtube channel called Witch Ways. She strongly believes that witchcraft is about relationships and spirituality, linking us to empowerment, justice, and the well-being of all.

Online (Zoom) Only Worship

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

Our Social Justice Speaker Series, focused for this church year on Building Beloved Community, continues this month with Kimonti Carter. He is both the former president and a current member of the Black Prisoners’ Caucus, plus the founder of TEACH (Taking Education and Creating History). While incarcerated, Kimonti led a movement to create a model of education seeking to transform prisoners’ lives and their communities – our prisons and our humanity. His story is featured in the film “Since I Been Down,” and it invites us who are Unitarian Universalists to live deeply into our shared values, which call us to create diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where everyone thrives.

Kimonti Carter is both the former president and a current member of the Black Prisoners’ Caucus (BPC), plus the founder of T.E.A.C.H (Taking Education and Creating History), the BPC’s higher education program for the incarcerated. This program was inspired by the idea that education is foundational to the elimination of inter-generational poverty, debt and homelessness, plus building stronger communities and an improved quality of life – even for those serving long (often unjustly long) prison sentences. Since his release in 2024, as a result of a landmark Washington Supreme Court decision, he has worked tirelessly to expand access to educational opportunities for the incarcerated. 

We will be doing a Special Collection to benefit BPC T.E.A.C.H. (Black Prisoners’ Caucus: Taking Education and Creating History)

Immediately after the worship service (at Noon), we will have a screening of the film ”Since I Been Down” followed by a Q & A discussion with both Kimonti Carter and the Filmmaker Gilda Sheppard. (The run time of the film is 1 hour and 45 minutes – bring a sack lunch to eat during the film). Preview a trailer of the film HERE.

Special Collection: BPC T.E.A.C.H. (Black Prisoners’ Caucus: Taking Education and Creating History)

Multi-Platform Worship (both in-person & online)

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833

Unitarian Universalism affirms the worthiness of every person, yet systemic ableism and exclusion persist even in our most well-intentioned spaces.  Too often, physical limitations, mental health struggles and invisible disabilities create barriers to true belonging. Our faith calls us to radical inclusion—challenging ableism, listening deeply, and ensuring our communities truly welcome and uplift all people. Together, we will explore how to foster a culture of curiosity, compassion, and accessibility.

This week we invite disability advocate Leo Chatterjee, who will be engaging in a conversation about disability with Rev. Leslie Becknell Marx. Leo is a non-binary, Asian American person living with multiple disabilities and chronic illnesses. They join us to share their experience, talk about the importance of being conscious of disability, how organizations can be more inclusive of disabled and marginalized populations, and why doing so is so imperative to the values of truth, justice, and Love.
 

Online (Zoom) Only Worship

Sunday at 10:30 AM

Click here to join the virtual service on Zoom

Meeting ID:  275 194 110

Phone In:  (669) 900-6833