"A House with Two Masters" Oct. 25, 2015

Rev. David Bloom

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about our ultimate priorities. "No one can serve two masters," he said. "You cannot serve both God and wealth." We live in a society that is obsessed with money, with "making it," usually meaning to get rich. How do we negotiate between our society's emphasis on wealth and the clear demands of religious faith to work for justice for those who live on the economic and social margins?

A treasured visiting speaker at Westside, the Reverend David Bloom is an American Baptist minister with 38 years of ecumenical leadership experience in Seattle on social justice issues.

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"The Day All Lives Will Truly Matter" September 27, 2015

Marcus Green

As racial matters continue to grip our national conversation, it's becoming ever common to ask what role each of us can play in dismantling the systems and structures that stubbornly exacerbate racism in our country. In that destruction, it is important for us to identify that racist outcomes can exist without racist people, or else we can unfortunately replicate what we're attempting to destroy. As a faith tradition who holds sacred the dignity of every human being, this sermon will challenge all of us to first look deeply inside ourselves before joining together in solving one of the greatest human rights issues still plaguing our country.

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"Twilight Zone" September 13, 2015

Crystal Zerfoss

Come explore the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition. Seattle University student and UU seminarian, Crystal Zerfoss, will lead us on a journey into the dimension of imagination.

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"The Language of the Heart" August 16, 2015

Viveca Monahan

The literature around spiritual psychology and the human heart consistently discusses two kinds of knowing. There is scientific knowing, which is linear, analytical, rational, verbal and mechanical. And there is poetic knowing or poesis, which is holistic, intuitive and has depth. The heart "perceives" while the brain "knows." Language creates images. What we name a thing, becomes that which we named. The heart has its own language that rises to the surface just when we need it most. This access requires only that we silently ask. And then patiently wait.

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"OK, Now What?" - July 26, 2015

Rev. Grace Simons

Westside UU is moving toward a new church year, but things have changed! Can we approach a new situation in ways that increase the chance of success? What factors can help us navigate a transition most productively? Why can't this just be easy?

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"God and the 'What' of Unitarian Universalism" July 19, 2015

Rev. Barry Andrews

So much rides on what we understand God to be - not only our own spiritual well being, but the future of Unitarian Universalism as well. The stakes are high. We aspire to live a spiritual life in keeping with our Unitarian Universalist principles. We would like to see Unitarian Universalism thrive. But what kind of faith is it that has no object? We can answer the who, how, why, when and where of spirituality, but, seemingly, not the what. Without a sense of a "what," worthy of reverence, I fear that Unitarian Universalism will become a dead end in the evolution of religion.

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"Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration Stories" July 12, 2015

Rev. Amy Moses Lagos

Reverend Amy Moses-Lagos will share from her experiences working with immigrants in diverse settings from Texas to California.  She will discuss ways in which immigrants' stories can inform our approach to this complex issue.  

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