We are a denomination that likes to extend a welcome to people from many faiths and backgrounds, but sometimes it can be challenging to talk with strangers. What would it mean to be a radically inclusive church? Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley, today’s preacher, is the Lead minister at First UU in Columbus. She has been … Continue reading Radical Hospitality
This Sunday, several congregants will explain their connection to UU identity through a few different and playful phrases. Each slogan will be available in button form after the worship, to wear and share as you like. Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church home at 1574 Franklin Street, Lewis Center, Ohio, … Continue reading Unitarian Universalism: In a Very, Very Few Words
What does it mean to be a self in a world that constantly pulls us between individuality and belonging? From religious debates about the soul to modern anxieties about identity reflected in the fears around group think, humans have long wrestled with the tension between standing apart and being held in community. Join us as … Continue reading The Joining
Hate often masquerades as strength, promising clarity and belonging when our sense of self feels fragile. Resentment can become a perverse delight—an energy that feeds on itself, distorting our relationships and our humanity. In this service we will consider how cultivating genuine self-differentiation, balancing individuality with connection—can help us resist the temptation to scapegoat, to … Continue reading The Allure of Hate: Problems in Self Differentiation
Rev. Alison Wohler reflects on our lives from the perspective of our hearts. How much anger, how much sorrow, how much longing, how much joy, how much beauty, how much love? We spend our lives in the “Lost and Found of Love.” Rev. Wohler will be using several of Mary Oliver’s poems from her book … Continue reading The Lost and Found of Love
Rev. Susan shares reflections based on her trip to Minneapolis, where clergy and others gathered this past week to protest the harms of ICE. Through the lens of imago dei—the sacred spark in every person—we explore how Unitarian Universalists show up, bear witness, and act for justice. Join us at 10:30 AM at our newly … Continue reading Every Person a Divine Spark: Witnessing in Minneapolis
Because of extreme winter weather, there will be no worship or any other church activity on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
On this Martin Luther King Day weekend, we reflect on the complicated relationship humans have with prophets—figures who are at once flawed individuals and larger‑than‑life voices for justice. How do we honor their vision without idolizing them, and how do we acknowledge their humanity without dismissing their call? This sermon explores what kind of relationship … Continue reading The Problem with Prophets
Leave your boots by door and warm your bones by the fire. Director of Religious Exploration Morgan Patten explores oral tradition as a vessel of wisdom, memory, and community. Together we will reflect on storytelling, the origins of sacred texts, and modern folktales. By honoring the spoken word, we celebrate how stories passed from mouth … Continue reading Word of Mouth: Folklore, Faith and the Stories that Shape Us
This time of year we think of giving up certain vices as a positive, life affirming act of self-care. And yet, “giving up” in general has a bad reputation. How are we to know when to persist and when and what appropriate “giving up” looks like? Today, Rev. Susan offers some possibilities for recasting these … Continue reading Giving Up
