Services

Heaven on Earth

Our Universalist ancestors believed that, in the end, everyone would go to heaven. They believed that any God who was loving would not damn anyone to eternal hell. And they believed that it was up to each of us to create something like heaven on earth—to work for justice, to act with compassion and mercy, … Continued

Zombie Theology

Zombie books, movies, and television series have been on the rise in recent years. What does this phenomenon say about us as a society and where we are headed? To what extent do zombies represent a metaphor for our troubled times in which people can sometimes seem to be soulless bodies just going through the … Continued

The End of Civilization

Our worship service theme for the month of February is eschatology, meaning where we come from, where we are going, and what is our ultimate goal or endpoint. Despite great technological advances in recent decades, our current era can seem like the end of the world—as evidenced by irreversible climate change, the rise of authoritarian … Continued

Shelter from the Storm: Soteriology of Bob Dylan

Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan’s music has been more influential than perhaps any other songwriter in American history. This service will feature music by Dylan and will focus on his vision of what might save us as individuals and as a society. (Our designated offering this week will help provide American Sign Languages classes for deaf … Continued

What is it?

What is this thing we call faith? Longtime Sunnyhill member Susan Richmond will offer her particular Unitarian Universalist perspective on faith. This service is a Service Auction presentation.

UUs and the Freedom Movement

Unitarian Universalists have a long and somewhat complicated history with the American Freedom Movement. This sermon will examine some of the twists and turns of our history and where we are today. (Our designated offering this week will benefit BLUU, Black Lives of Unitarian Universalists, which provides support, information and resources for Black UUs, and … Continued

What Saves Us

This month’s worship them is “Soteriology,” which is the study of religious doctrines of salvation. As Unitarian Universalists, what, if anything, do we believe saves us? Is the concept of salvation relevant to us in the 21st century? If so, how are we (and our world) saved. This sermon will consider these and other questions. … Continued

Letterboxing: Getting Lost and Found in the New Year

Letterboxing is a quirky hobby combining orienteering, puzzle solving, journaling, and treasure hunting, dating back to the 1850’s in Dartmoor, England. As we begin 2017, with our well-intentioned resolutions in tow, we’ll explore Letterboxing as a spiritual metaphor for getting lost (in healthy ways) — stepping off the well-worn paths from here to there in … Continued

Christmas Eve Services, 5 and 7 p.m.

Christmas Eve Services will be held at 5 and 7 p.m. at the Clubhouse on Brightwood, Bethel Park. The 5 p.m. service will be an intergenerational, family-­friendly event featuring music from our children, youth and others, as well as stories and a brief re­enactment of the Nativity. The 7 p.m. service will be contemplative in nature … Continued

Yule, 7-9 p.m., First Church, Shadyside

The Spiritways Leadership Team cordially invites you to celebrate Yule on Sun., Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside. Yule or Yuletide (“Yule time”) is a Pagan religious festival observed by the historical North Germanic peoples, later being absorbed into and equated with the Christian festival of Christmas. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indigenous Germanic month names meaning … Continued