East Shore Unitarian Sermons (Bellevue, WA)

Unitarian Universalism’s Third Source reads “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.” Reverend Furrer will consider what the simplicity and directness of Zen Buddhism has to offer us in the way of insight and deep meaning.

As ESUC begins its nearly two years of search for your next Minister, It will be good to consider styles of leadership and what style you think will fit most comfortably and serve most ably among you. Notes on George Patton, Abraham Lincoln, Rev Violet Kochendoerfer, and servant leadership as conceived by Robert Greenleaf and others.

The modern Western worldview has forgotten how to read the calendar of the wild Earth as both sacred text and a guide for our own soul formation. Yet, this inherent rhythm is our heritage as we are forged and fashioned out of the fiery elements of creation’s womb. Join with us as Mary guides a seasonal threshold crossing of deep remembering: remembering we carry wildness within; remembering we are related to other plants and animals who inhabit Earth with us; remembering we are on a common journey upon our common home with the whole of creation.

Let's honor the 250th anniversary of Universalism in the United States by remembering one of its most colorful characters! The Rev. Abner Kneeland's unusual ideas and bold writing landed him in hot water more than once. Just how far did a minister have to go to be too radical for Universalism? How would Abner's shocking notions fit into Unitarian Universalism today?

Enjoy a light-hearted morning celebrating the sentient creatures we hold dear and near to us. The traditional blessing of the animals this year also includes an animal altar and a mid-winter break slumber party. Favorite animal stuffies, and pictures of your beloved animal friends are invited to spend the week at East Shore.

Inauguration Day was a truly moving and spectacular expression of America working together! Yes, I got a little moist at points throughout the day. Now we enter into a critical time that will make or break all that we have done to date. This is also the moment we consistently get wrong which resets a cycle that will repeat until we lose it one last time or finally wake up and move into a new era for the US and the world. Be prepared to uncover a simple (not necessarily easy) missing link. NOW is the time to advance to a new era for humanity.

The title of this sermon is attributed to Polish-American scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski and became a premise in Korzybski's General Semantics and in neuro-linguistic programming. For me, it becomes a springboard for explaining my liberal worldview and theology. Notes on the phenomenon of projection, imagination, and poetry.

Did you know that Plato, Benjamin Franklin, Tolstoy, Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, George Patton, William Butler Yates, Jack London, and J.D. Salinger and countless other well known and highly respected people belied in reincarnation? Come to zoom church this morning and find out why.

The “heroic attitude is ingrained in our culture, and it shapes how most of us approach activism. But we are in the throes of a major cultural shift that is redefining how power is handled, and that calls for a new model of activism. Jody will contrast the heroic model of “defeating the bad guys” with a model drawn from her studies of heroines, one that focuses on sharing and empowering all people.

Hear from East Shore community member Rhonda Brown, who works extensively on the Beloved Conversations programs, will discuss the long arc of justice and the role we each play in weaving together a Beloved Community, opening up our apertures to see a wider view of the world within and around us all.

Join us for a virtual gathering to reflect on the past year and to stand together to create positive energy to carry us into the new year with hope and love. This is a family friendly service. All are welcome.

Join us on Christmas Eve as we celebrate in a whole new way! This more traditional service will be held on Zoom with music from Eric Lane Barnes, stories for children of all ages from Amanda Uluhan, and a Christmas sermon from Rev. Stephen Furrer. Bring your own candles to join in a lighting. Come in your holiday best, or your PJs and celebrate this meaningful night together.

This year, the holidays are tougher than ever! Join us as we take a moment to stop and breathe together and take a break from the sometimes hard-to-handle holiday cheer.

The story behind Hanukkah, which runs from December 10-18, 2020, and some of its meanings.

Faith, according to the Book of Hebrews, is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Reverend Furrer’s reflections on what faith can mean to contemporary Unitarian Universalists. Notes on Sharon Salzberg, Thomas Jefferson, John Milton, Paul Tillich, and Bernice Johnson Reagan.