Life Transformed: From Tomb to Womb
2026-04-05 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | West Room and Zoom
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

This Easter, we gather in a season of profound change – changes reflected by the ancient stories of Inanna’s descent and Jesus’s transformation. While our transitions—through downsizing, career changes, or the loss of those we love—can feel like a radical stripping away, these stories suggest a deeper truth: our transitions are a sacred preparation for a new form of existence. Join us as we find hope in the “life after letting go” and discover how our darkest tombs can become the wombs of our most resilient possibilities.

Sharing Our Light
2026-04-12 10:30 - 12:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

What do we mean when we speak of light? Not something sentimental or decorative, but compassion for what is, clarity about what is true, and openness to what is possible. This Sunday, we will reflect on generosity as a spiritual practice and on the ways our shared light becomes blessing—through visible gifts, hidden faithfulness, and the quiet labor of love that sustains a community.

Misteakz!
2026-04-19 10:30 - 12:30
UUCNH Youth Group

Our youth group will tell the story of the, EVIL Eraser, the spirit of every perfectionist, who will learn to live with their mistakes.

Embracing the Possibility : Views on the Afterlife
2026-04-26 10:30 - 12:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington
What happens after we take our final breath? While we are fully aware of our own mortality, what awaits us remains a profound mystery. Throughout history, humanity has sought answers through religious texts, philosophical reasoning, and scientific inquiries like near-death experiences.
This Sunday marks the first part of our final Deep Dive Sunday series in this liturgical year, where we will explore some of the most intriguing ideas about the afterlife. Each of the three Sundays in this series stands alone, so it’s okay to miss one—you won’t be lost!

This Sunday: Embracing the Possibility: Views on the Afterlife
May 3rd: Embracing the Possibility: Comforting Words & Deeds
May 10th: Embracing the Possibility: Companioning the Dying and the Bereaved

We will dive deeply through small group discussion and exercises to help us companion the dying and the bereaved. (Please expect May 10 to be a 90-minute service).

Embracing the Possibility : Comforting Words and Deeds
2026-05-03 10:30 - 12:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

When a friend receives a terminal diagnosis or a neighbor loses a loved one, even the most articulate among us can find ourselves speechless. In this service, we explore the ministry of presence and kind deeds that truly sustain us in times of catastrophe. Drawing on the wisdom of several different traditions, we will learn how to offer the kind of comfort that doesn’t try to fix the unsolvable, but ensures that no one has to go it alone.

This Sunday marks the second part of our final Deep Dive Sunday series in this liturgical year, where we will explore some of the most intriguing ideas about the afterlife. Each of the three Sundays in this series stands alone, so it’s okay to miss one—you won’t be lost!

Last Sunday: Embracing the Possibility: Views on the Afterlife
This Sunday: Embracing the Possibility: Comforting Words & Deeds
Next Sunday: Embracing the Possibility: Companioning the Dying and the Bereaved

We will dive deeply through small group discussion and exercises to help us companion the dying and the bereaved. (Please expect May 10 to be a 90-minute service).

Embracing the Possibility: Companioning the Bereaved and the Dying
2026-05-10 10:30 - 12:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington
What does it mean to truly walk someone home? In our final deep dive of this liturgical year, we move beyond the search for the right words and enter the practice of presence. Witnessing the end of a life or the weight of a Great Loss requires more than just sympathy. It requires the courage to face the unfixable and remain present and emotionally available.
We will look at practical ways to ensure that neither the dying nor the bereaved face pain and sorrow in isolation. Through small group discussion and shared reflection, we will explore how to nourish the spirit by simply showing up.
Please note: This is a 90-minute service to allow for deeper engagement and congregational exercises.

Voices for Change: The Role of Advocacy in Our Faith
2026-05-17 10:30 - 12:30
Sunday Services Team & Michael Mehrazar, Executive Director of UUJusticePA
Consider the essential role advocacy plays in living out our Unitarian Universalist principles. By examining how our faith calls us to action, we will explore the transformative power of collective voices, the significance of storytelling in connecting with others, and practical ways to engage in advocacy that promotes justice, compassion, and equity in our communities.

What's So Funny About Humor?
2026-05-24 10:30 - 12:30
Tony Palermo

Of all the survival techniques Natural Selection has honed in us, the ability to laugh seems the most, well, superfluous. What good is it, how do we make it happen, and what are some – hopefully – fulfilling examples? Let’s look at Bugs Bunny, the Far Side, Opus the penguin, Abbott and Costello and others. Bring your funny bone

Roots Hold Me Close, Wings Set Me Free
2026-05-31 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

The transition from youth to young adulthood is both joyful and bittersweet: a time of letting go without becoming untethered, gaining independence without losing connection. As young adults move toward wider horizons, the people, places, values, and lessons that have shaped them can continue to guide them. This Sunday, as we celebrate our Bridging Ceremony, we will reflect on how roots and wings work together, helping young adults become free without becoming alone.

When Two Rivers Meet and Merge
2026-06-07 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Washington

Here in Pittsburgh, we often speak of three rivers: the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. But older Indigenous naming traditions offer another way of seeing the same waters: whether the long river was called Ohio or Allegheny, the Monongahela was understood as a tributary flowing into something larger. Same water. Different map. Larger truth.
On this Annual Meeting Sunday, we will reflect on Rev. Christopher Buice’s parable of two arguing rivers and consider how two or more things can be true at the same time. As we prepare to gather around lunch, reports, budgets, elections, memories, hopes, and shared decisions, we will ask what it means for a congregation to flourish not through sameness, but through faithful confluence — many currents joining in one larger life.

Dreams of Hope: OH MY GOD!
2026-06-14 10:30
Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, and allied (LGBTQA+) youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders.
We will have some of our youth participants perform excepts from our 2026 theatriQ production:
OH MY GOD! a theatriQ original production
The Fable Realm is thrown out of balance when the God of Wisdom dies. While in mourning, the rest of the gods must contend with how to prevent a world without Wisdom.
OH MY GOD! explores the legacy that emerges from their collective grief.
Over the course of seven months, Dreams of Hope’s queer and Trans performing arts youth ensemble created OH MY GOD! The members of theatriQ collaborated to write, produce, and present a remarkable show honoring their individual and collective truths.

Beyond the Shadows: Illuminating True Interdependence
2026-06-21 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Wasthingon
There’s a delicate balance between individual agency and our Seventh UU Principle: the interdependent web of existence. In celebrating Summer Solstice, we step out of the shadows of two persistent errors—a toxic empathy that minimizes human capability by viewing people as perpetual victims, and a rigid self-sufficiency that refuses the support of others.
Drawing on several wisdom traditions, we will examine how the best community caretaking promotes a healthy interdependence, through personal resourcefulness, rather than permanent dependency.

What We Tend Becomes Precious
2026-06-28 10:30
Rev. Lee Anne Wasthingon
A garden teaches us that beauty cannot be rushed, love cannot be forced, and growth asks for patience, attention, and trust. This Flower Communion Sunday, with wisdom from The Little Prince and from those who know the holy work of tending living things, we will reflect on how what we care for changes us — and how beloved community becomes precious through the time and tenderness we give to one another.

Everyone is invited to bring a flower for our shared bouquet and food to share at coffee hour. There will be extras of both if you forget.

The 2026 Unitarian Universalist General Assembly
2026-07-05 10:30
This will be different from our usual Sunday service, but nonetheless engaging and inspiring! We will be playing the service from the UUA’s General Assembly, recorded on June 21, 2026. Enjoy the compelling spirit of the year’s largest UU gathering, where Unitarian Universalists come together in unity for an engrossing Sunday worship celebration! It promises a vibrant, communal worship experience to uplift your soul and ignite your passion. Join us this Sunday as we watch the Sunday Worship Service from the UUA General Assembly 2026, starting at our regular worship service time of 10:30 a.m.

Art, Mind, Wonder
2026-07-12 10:30
David Miles
Not a ‘Deep Dive’, but more like wading into a stream . . . of consciousness. This service is designed as a follow-on to Peggy Fallon’s service about the brain’s participation in placebo power. Delving into the book “Your Brain on Art”, by Magsamen and Ross, discloses many ways the arts affect the functioning of the brain. We will touch on some of these through experiences to encourage congregants to dive deeper into the power of the unconscious. No sermon here – only experiences to activate Your Brain on Art.

This service will not be available to view on our normal youtube live stream. If you cannot join in person, please use the below zoom link to join the service online.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82669082728?pwd=[REDACTED]

Take Me Home
2026-07-19 10:30
Eli Baumwell
Coming back to the church he grew up in, Eli will draw parallels to revisiting foundational principles of America as we honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Punk Spirituality
2026-07-26 10:30
Reverend James Clarke is an ordained interfaith community chaplain and UU layperson who has served as a chaplain at the annual Camp Punksylvania music festival for the last four years. He offers his perspective on the truths and meanings that punk spirituality can teach us.

Kindness Inspirations from Theo ﻿(of Golden)
2026-08-02 10:30
Jody Clark
Kindness is fundamental to life within our church family and in the wider world. Join us for a time of reflection on the many ways one person can demonstrate kindness and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Our discussion and reflection will be inspired by the novel Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.

Finding Your Place in the Work of Justice
2026-08-09 10:30
Robyn Travers
In Deepa Iyer’s book Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection, she reminds us that each of us has unique gifts to offer in the work of creating a more just and compassionate world.
In this interactive service, Robyn will introduce the ten roles people often play in social change movements and invite us to reflect on where we naturally fit. Together, we’ll explore how our gifts, lived experiences, and skills can help our congregation faithfully engage in the work of justice and make a meaningful difference in our community.

The Power of Your Emotional Intelligence
2026-08-16 10:30
Brian Sullivan
Emotions happen, all the time. Ignore them or stuff them down, and they may explode! Your emotional intelligence can be an infinite source of energy: use it with wisdom and compassion, and avoid explosions. Our collective emotional intelligence is an existing strength of this community – let us build on that strength!

What's in your Invisible Backpack?
2026-08-23 10:30 - 12:30
Robyn Travers
Mila is excited and worried for her first day of school. We all know that feeling, heading into the unknown. Well, Mila finds out that she has an invisible backpack with all the tools she needs. We all do too. Let’s explore together in this multigenerational service.
Please bring your actual backpacks, purses, work bags, computer cases, totes… or whatever you use on a daily basis so they can be blessed or the year ahead.
Also bring back to school supplies to donate to kids in need.

What Does Democracy Mean To You?
2026-08-30 10:30 - 12:30
Diana Hull
America is a work in Progress and we have a common thread: the constitution of a perfect union. We are so far from that right now because we have been led to hate anyone different. That element of fear that violence is in the air, and people begin to make small compromises and eventually they convince themselves that they are doing it for the right reason.
