Sunday Services

Next Sunday Service:

December 1, Nils Pedersen

Sermon: Where do We Come From? What are We? Where are we Going?

Almost a year ago, the Tomato Soup Group talked about what we wanted to do given where we were then, and the Salish Sea Fellowship was the eventual answer. We are now over 50 members with a mailing list over 100. As we approach our first Annual Meeting and formal election of a Board, it is worth thinking about who and what we want to be together.

Past Services:

November 17, Joseph Bednarik

Sermon Title: The Altar of Iron and Light

Joseph Bednarik enters the room of iron and light to see where the infinite may lead…

Watch on YouTube

November 3, Curtis White

Watch on Youtube

Sermon Title: The Benevolent Unknown

Curtis White is a novelist and social critic whose works include Memories of My FatherWatching TV, The Middle Mind, and, more recently, The Science Delusion, We Robots, and Lacking Character. His essays have appeared in Harpers and Tricycle. Curtis taught English at Illinois State University. To learn more about Curtis and his newest book, Transcendent:Art and Dharma in a Time of Collapse, you may read an article from the Port Townsend Leader HERE.

October 20, Jim Golden

Sermon Title: “Things I’ve Learned/Re-Learned/Have-Yet-to-Learn, Along the Way – UPDATE”

In July 2018 I gave a sermon at QUUF entitled “Things I’ve Learned/Re-Learned/Have-Yet-to-Learn, Along the Way” In it, I applied the sermon title to a variety of events in my life. Well, it’s now 6 years later, and a lot has changed over that time. So I’m going to update that sermon, with progress (or lack thereof) in some areas, the disappearance of others that have sunk to irrelevancy, and the addition of a couple lessons I didn‘t even know existed in 2018. It will be served with a heavy dose on my sense of humor which, per my high school yearbook, is “not universally appreciated”. Some things never change.

Unfortunately, due to technical issues, we were unable to record or Zoom Jim (and Kendra’s!) delightful service.  Recordings and Zoom will be back in action for November 3rd’s service, and beyond! 

Please access a written transcript of Jim Golden’s sermon, Things I’ve Learned/Re-Learned/Have-Yet-to-Learn, Along the Way – UPDATE, HERE.

October 6, Joseph Bednarik

Sex and the Dictionary

Watch on Youtube

Book bans are on the rise in the United States and, in response to a recently passed state law, a school district in Florida temporarily removed dictionaries from library shelves so they could be reviewed for their sexual content. This Sunday, as a counterweight, we celebrate human sexuality and the Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education program offered by UU congregations throughout the country.

September 22, Paul Hinton

   

Watch on Youtube

“Do not go gentle into that good night, and other nonsense”

The theme is the joy and value of aging and the contribution to be made at this end of life’s journey.

Biography: Ex curmudgeon. Retired airline pilot. Retired attorney.

September 8, Dr. David Rymph

Watch on Youtube

“The Power of Community or Why Am I’m Not Leaving the Country”

A consideration of the importance of community, to our health, contentment, and longevity.

David Rymph is focused on community service (research staff for Peace Corp and part of the team that started AmeriCorp).  After retirement from Federal service, he moved to Port Townsend and became involved in affordable housing issues.  He served on public housing commissions for Jefferson and Clallam Counties.  He has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology.

August 25th, Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof

Watch on Youtube

Recent changes within Unitarian Universalism have been so dramatic that they have led to many new beginnings. The UUA has stepped away from its Seven Principles and, in so doing, has taken an entirely new path. Those who have chosen not to go along have also entered upon a new path, resulting in an entirely new association (NAUA), along with new Fellowships, like Hayward NAUA Fellowship, Open Hearts and Minds Fellowship, and Salish Sea Fellowship, along with some individuals who have left the faith altogether. All of us are left wondering, where do we go from here? The answer lies in first returning to our roots by remembering our values and our purpose.

Rev. Eklof holds undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Communications, a Masters in Religious Studies, and a Doctorate of Ministry, and has been nationally recognized for his activism in the areas of peace and justice, LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, the environment, Restorative Justice and criminal justice reform. He has been the senior pastor at Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane (UUCS) since 2011.
He has also created the NAUA (North American Unitarian Assoc.) which is dedicated to supporting and promoting the practice of liberal religion by embracing freedom, reason, and tolerance—rooted in our commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of every person and all peoples.

August 18th, Rev. Peter Morales

Watch on Youtube

The Tragedy of Liberal Religion

Two glaring realities confront liberal religion today. First, the need for spiritual community is enormous. Loneliness is epidemic and so pervasive that it is considered a public health issue. Deaths of despair (suicide, drug overdoses, alcohol liver disease) continue to climb. The opioid crisis has hit every community. Second, the core values and cosmology of progressive religion, groups like Unitarian Universalists, Reform Jews, United Church of Christ and others align with the emerging culture. Why has liberal religion failed to meet the needs for meaning and community?

August 4, Joseph Bednarik

“Wisdom Teachings from The Twilight Zone”     August 4, 2024

The Twilight Zone, a revolutionary television program from the early 1960s, was created by Rod Serling, who also happened to be a Unitarian. This Sunday we collectively search for truth and meaning in a “wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.”

July 21st, Tai Sheridan  Watch on Youtube

His talk was entitled “Discovering Your True Being”, which emphasizes the path to awakening the miracle of existing intimately with everyone and everything. During the talk, Tai will read a few paragraphs from “Buddha in Blue Jeans” and explore topics such as “How do we get out of the way of grace?” and “What’s beyond the thinking mind?”

Zen Contemplative, poet, artist, writer, and adventurer Tai Sheridan has written fifteen best-selling Zen books. His works like Buddha in Blue Jeans, Relax You’re Going to Die, and Zen Prayers for Repairing Your Life use accessible language and imagery to encourage spiritual inquiry and awakening. Tai practiced Zen for fifty years and was ordained with the Berkeley, San Francisco, and Dharma Eye Zen Centers. He had professional careers as a psychologist and organizational consultant. Tai raised children in the San Francisco Bay area. Since retiring in Port Townsend, he has led a recorder group, taught art, kayaked the bay, and camped and ridden motorcycles.

July 7th Speaker

Brother Moji’s non-sermon was entitled: “The Healing of Grandmother Earth”.  He talked about the moral and ethical dimensions of nonviolent “civility” activism. His current speaking tour is called “PATH” (Peace and Truth Heals.) He will outline three initiatives, Iranian non-violence, Native American, truth, and reconciliation and intersectional circles (chambers of compassion.) 

June 23

Dr. Terry Copeland, entitled ‘How to improve your relationship–a review of the Emotional Bank Account,’ including lessons from the work of Clinical Psychologist Dr. John Gottman.
Terry retired after a 45-year career in mental health. In that capacity, he was a trainer for the American Association of Family Therapists, among many other hats.

We will meet at 4pm on June 2 at the Community United Methodist Church in Port Hadlock, which is located at 130 Church Lane. (Zoom link, Meeting ID: 844 7353 7286.)

For our first service we heard from Dr. Terry Anderson

He spoke about Joseph Priestly.  We had 55 attendees.

Dr. Terry Anderson is a Professor Emeritus and former Canada Research Chair in the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University. Terry has published widely on distance education and educational technology and has co-authored or edited 10 books and over 90 peer reviewed papers. He and his wife Susan live in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a 50 year+ Unitarian and has been a member and a leader in four Unitarian Congregations across Canada.  His current interests include helping to organize the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA) Academy. He is also a woodworker and sailor. Terry’s interest in the NAUA stems from a deep commitment to positioning Unitarians as a religious alternative that welcomes all – including Freethinkers and atheists. He led the move by Westwood Unitarian Fellowship to become Canada’s first Free Thinker Friendly congregation.

Nils introduced the service.

Virginia and Dan lit the chalice

Dr. Terry Anderson delivered the sermon