Reflections

As we approach Labor Day, we will have the opportunity to “learn a new balance.”  Our children will return to school, darkness is already coming sooner in the evenings, temperatures will drop as Fall approaches and our church will begin a new season.  As we find our ways through... Read more →

I have seldom been so glad to see rain as I was this morning. As we are now growing accustomed to “smoke season” in the summers, it is a relief to feel things clear out and return to air you can breathe and a possibility of returning again to the outdoors. With our... Read more →

Our congregation has a long tradition of opening our doors to those in need. We are a founding congregation of Congregations for the Homeless, and have opened our doors each November for a rotating program shelter for men experiencing homelessness for more than two decades. The... Read more →

It is a joy to take time with family and travels and it is also a joy to return. I have been in Maryland visiting my spouse Josh’s extended family, with lots of baseball and fireflies. And in the midst of it, I have been thinking about the difference between a vacation and... Read more →

Aloha and Mahalo!  Hello and gratitude from Hawai’i!  What an amazing Western Regional Youth Event (WRYE) we attended last week in Honolulu.    Seven of our youth (and 2 chaperones) joined over 400 participants from the western states of the UCC.     Despite sun-burn and... Read more →

The past week’s events have reminded us how change occurs slowly in some areas and quickly in others. On Saturday, progressive faith communities from Bellevue came together and celebrated God’s inclusive love in our sanctuary.  It was a small, but mighty service.  We... Read more →

The SafeConduct team invites you to join a conversation on welcome, accountability, and how we navigate complex issues in our life together. Since January, the SafeConduct team has been working to revise our existing SafeConduct policy from 2010. We have been working to address... Read more →

Alice Paul said, “I always feel the movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end.” This quote describes perfectly who we are as a faith community, pieces of and one beautiful, mosaic. As pieces, we make... Read more →

May 6th is Youth Sunday! Our youth conscientiously chose songs for their inspiring lyrics and wrote prayers to reflect what ails their hearts.  Their ardent words of reflection are calls to action.  And of course, these teenagers are talented singers and musicians.   Steph... Read more →