Drawing on the intimate personal narratives from Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, Rev. Ritchie traces the “Great Migration” of millions of African Americans from the American South to the North and West throughout the twentieth century—a movement driven by hope, resistance, and the search for dignity. Alongside these and other experiences of human … Continue reading Great Migrations
Inspired by the Jewish High Holy Days and Rabbi Jack Riemer’s reflections, we explore turning—not just as repentance, but as rebirth. Rosh Hashanah awakens us to life’s beauty; Yom Kippur invites us to shed the ego and return renewed by grace, understood not as a divine gift but a spiritual practice. Join us at 10:30AM … Continue reading (Re)creating a New Day
In a world of constant connectivity, we pause to rediscover the richness of the slow and the tangible. This service advocates for unhurried thought, and spiritual presence in an age of digital overwhelm. Come wade into quieter waters: there’s plenty of room. Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church home at … Continue reading Swimming in the Analog Sea
Today we’ll ask: What does it mean to do spirituality without the constraints of respectability politics? How might we become more honest, more liberating, and more faithful to the messy beauty of real life? Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church home at 1574 Franklin Street, Lewis Center, Ohio, or, attend … Continue reading Indecent Theologies
Fear can seem like an especially irrational emotion. Surely, there is nothing to be afraid of in the drafty basement or the dark path through the woods. Indeed, over 300 biblical verses exhort us not to fear. Should we fear not? In this spine-tingling service, Director of Religious Exploration Morgan Patten will explore what fear … Continue reading Fear Not? What Horror Movies and the Bible Teach Us about Terror
In the flickering candlelight of 19th-century parlors, Universalists gathered not only to preach the gospel of boundless love—but to listen for the voices of the departed. Spiritualism, with its séances and spirit circles, was more than a cultural curiosity; it was a theological experiment born of grief, hope, and radical openness. In this service we’ll … Continue reading The Veil Lifted: Universalism and the Legacy of Spiritualism
What if faith need not be tethered to certainty, doctrine, or proof? In this service, we explore the liberating possibility that faith might arise not from belief, but from deep imaginative engagement—with mystery, with myth, and with meaning inside the “imaginal” realm: that rich space between the literal and the fictional, where inner truths and … Continue reading Faith Beyond Belief: Embracing the Imaginal
In this worship, Rev. Ritchie offers a spirited guide to the essentials of modern paganism and the soul-deep richness of honoring the turning seasons. From harvest festivals to hearth-centered wisdom, this service invites you to mark autumn in particular with intention, curiosity, and reverence. Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church … Continue reading Stations of the Sun: Autumn
Retired UU minister the Rev. Alison Woehler offers the worship today. (Yukhráz Be-Hemshekh is Hebrew for To Be Determined). Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church home at 1574 Franklin Street, Lewis Center, Ohio, or, attend online using this link: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82694590385?pwd=TlRCUitCa0VSdnNyY2tvemM5N29KUT09 Meeting ID: 826 9459 0385 Passcode: 962432
What does communion mean when it’s not bound by creed? In this service, we’ll explore the Unitarian Universalist understanding of communion—not as sacrament, but as symbol. Bread becomes our teacher: of sustenance, of community, of brokenness and renewal. From ancient grain to shared table, we’ll reflect on how bread invites us to remember our interdependence, … Continue reading Broken Bread: Rituals of Thanksgiving
Whitney Young and NUUC member Pam Spense explored what it means to experience worship that includes the movement and the body. Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church home at 1574 Franklin Street, Lewis Center, Ohio, or, attend online using this link: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82694590385?pwd=TlRCUitCa0VSdnNyY2tvemM5N29KUT09 Meeting ID: 826 9459 0385 Passcode: … Continue reading Embodied Worship
This Advent season, Rev. Ritchie explores a variety of quirky and invented traditions and holidays in order to offer permission and guidance on how to reshape this holiday season to match whatever your current needs. Join us at 10:30AM at our newly renovated and expanded church home at 1574 Franklin Street, Lewis Center, Ohio, or, … Continue reading Happy Festivus!
In this sermon, we ask what it means to remain, to witness, and to respond when others have fled or forgotten. By examining some of the stranger and more sinister Christmas time traditions, Rev. RItchie explores winter as both literal and spiritual terrain: a season that holds grief, stillness, and transformation. From ghost stories to … Continue reading Dead of Winter
Rather than descend into darkness, the solstice lifts our gaze to the sky—where Earth tilts, turns, and traces ancient arcs around the sun. This sermon honors the solstice not as absence of light, but as cosmic alignment: a moment to feel the sweep of time, the precision of planetary rhythm, and our place in a … Continue reading Turning of the Heavens: A Solstice Reflection
