Here are all our previous service posts; some are the full text of the service.
Sunday, 20 November 2022: Seven Pillars of Wisdom? - Wisdom has built her house;she has set up its seven pillars.She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;she has also set her table.She has sent out her servants, and she callsfrom the highest point of the city,“Let all who are simple come to my house!” — Proverbs 9:1-4 (New International Version) Unitarian Universalist congregations … Continue reading Sunday, 20 November 2022: Seven Pillars of Wisdom?
Sunday, 14 November, 2022: Stoic Practices - stoic: a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining Oxford Language stoic: one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain Miriam-Webster When considering the doctrines of the Stoics, it is important to remember that they think of philosophy not as an interesting pastime or even a particular body … Continue reading Sunday, 14 November, 2022: Stoic Practices
Sunday, 6 November 2022: Planning and Brunch - “What’s the point of coming to this free religious church?” I say we come, firstly, to live our deepest questions so as to allow the meaning of our lives slowly to dawn upon us, and, secondly and equally importantly, to rehumanize ourselves through wit, decorum, story-telling, fellowship, conversation, courtesy, and sociability, so as be able … Continue reading Sunday, 6 November 2022: Planning and Brunch
Sunday, 30 October 2022: The Veil - There was a Door to which I found no Key; There was a Veil past which I could not see: Some little talk awhile of ME and THEE There seemed — and then no more of THEE and ME. — Edward FitzGerald, translation of a poem attributed to Omar Khayyam We are told that there … Continue reading Sunday, 30 October 2022: The Veil
Sunday, October 23, 2022 - Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be having church on ZOOM this week. If you are interested in attending please email us at westforkuu@gmail.com This Sunday Cricket will be doing a service titled “The Courage to be Authentic: coming out of all of our closets.” “What if this darkness is not the darkness of the … Continue reading Sunday, October 23, 2022
Sunday, October 16, 2022 - What principles inspire courage? Is there courage without risk? What does it mean to take a risk for our principles.
Sunday, 9 October, 2022: Why Practice? - Unitarian Universalism has gone even farther than its Protestant forebears in trimming spiritual practice to the bone. Lisa deGruyter will consider what spiritual practices – exercise – might do to build skills and strength, and suggest some suitable for UUs. Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 … Continue reading Sunday, 9 October, 2022: Why Practice?Outing Cancelled – Sunday, October 2nd 2022 - Due to some unforseen circumstances and the chilly weather headed our way this weekend, we have decided to cancel this week’s Spiritual Outing. West Fork UUs will return next Sunday the 9th at the PWA in Clarksburg.
Sunday, October 2, 2022: West Virginia State Wildlife Center, French Creek - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s sixth outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer, nature, and fellowship on Sunday, October 2, at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek. Please note that unlike most of the parks we visit, the … Continue reading Sunday, October 2, 2022: West Virginia State Wildlife Center, French Creek
Sunday, September 24, 2022 - “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”— Hebrews 13:2 This Sunday, John Hall will present a Comfort & Inspiration service on chosen community in support of the September theme of Belonging. Join us for Worship: We returned to virtual services in August of 2021, but West Fork … Continue reading Sunday, September 24, 2022Sunday, 18 September 2022: NO SERVICE - Due to scheduling conflicts this weekend, there will be no in-person or ZOOM service at WFUU on Sunday, 18 September 2022. Regular Sunday services will resume at 10:30 a.m. on 25 September 2022. Have a wonderful weekend. Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, … Continue reading Sunday, 18 September 2022: NO SERVICE
Sunday, September 11, 2022 - “If the world had a front porch like we did back thenWe’d still have our problems but we’d all be friendsTreating your neighbor like he’s your next of kinWouldn’t be gone with the windIf the world had a front porch, like we did back then” – from “If the World Had a Front Porch” by … Continue reading Sunday, September 11, 2022Sunday, September 4, 2022: Ferguson Memorial Park, Shinnston - Ferguson Memorial Park, Shinnston We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s third outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer on Sunday, September 4, at Ferguson Memorial Park in Shinnston We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service … Continue reading Sunday, September 4, 2022: Ferguson Memorial Park, Shinnston
Sunday, August 28, 2022 - “A Caterpie may change into a Butterfree, but the heart that beats inside remains the same.” — Brock Join us for Worship: This Sunday, Loki Hall will present a service about Pokemon and Spirituality. SpecifIcally: Persistence and the power to not give up despite others unhelpful comments. We returned to virtual services in August of … Continue reading Sunday, August 28, 2022
Sunday, 21 August 2022: Live the Questions Now - Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point … Continue reading Sunday, 21 August 2022: Live the Questions NowSunday, August 14, 2022: Audra State Park - Swimming at Audra We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer, but due to other scheduling issues our August Outing will be on the second Sunday (14 August). For this year’s fourth outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer and fellowship on Sunday, August 14, at Audra … Continue reading Sunday, August 14, 2022: Audra State Park
Sunday, August 7, 2022 - “You are changing the situation of women within our denomination and, in so doing, you are opening up for all of us new ways of understanding and perceiving women and, we hope, men as well. And furthermore, this change is something the church, as an institution, could not do for itself. We might say it … Continue reading Sunday, August 7, 2022
Sunday, July 24, 2022 - “I don’t think outside the box, I think of what I can do with the box.” – Henri Matisse “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking that we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein This Sunday we are taking the service “Out of the Box.” This will be an … Continue reading Sunday, July 24, 2022
July 17, 2022 Service – UU History: Secular Humanism - “Of moral purpose I see no trace in Nature. That is an article of exclusively human manufacture – and very much to our credit.”– T H Huxley Unitarian Universalism is a young religious tradition, but much of its purpose and focus for the early decades were rooted in secular humanism. Indeed, some UU churches with a … Continue reading July 17, 2022 Service – UU History: Secular Humanism
Sunday, July 10, 2022: Abundance and Hope - Welcome before Prelude Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m Lisa and I feel blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today. Thank you for joining us. Let us use the prelude for centering. We are about to enter sacred time. We … Continue reading Sunday, July 10, 2022: Abundance and HopeSunday, July 3, 2022: Watters Smith Memorial State Park - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s third outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer and fellowship on Sunday, July 3, at Watters Smith Memorial State Park. We will meet at 11 a.m. in the Pioneer shelter in the picnic area near the … Continue reading Sunday, July 3, 2022: Watters Smith Memorial State Park
Sunday, June 26, 2022: Self-Defense as Self-Care - This Sunday, Stacey Elza will discuss how the principles of resourcefulness, improvisation, and grace that underpin hapkido — the Korean martial art she practices — can have implications for our own spiritual practices, especially when the world seems intent on beating us down Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at the Progressive Women’s Association … Continue reading Sunday, June 26, 2022: Self-Defense as Self-Care
Sunday, June 19, 2022: How We Worship - The primary benefit of practicing any art, whether well or badly, is that it enables one’s soul to grow. — Kurt Vonnegut Worship, simply put, is an art, one that Unitarians and Universalists have sometimes failed to understand. This Sunday Robert Helfer will explore some of the history of Unitarian Universalist worship and spirituality. Our … Continue reading Sunday, June 19, 2022: How We Worship
Sunday, June 12, 2022: Living Our Principles - It is always easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them. Alfred Adler What is a principle, and how do we live it? Our Principles services are usually about a particular principle, but this Sunday, Lisa deGruyter will explore what a principle is, where our UU principles came from, and our … Continue reading Sunday, June 12, 2022: Living Our PrinciplesSunday, June 5, 2022: Prickett’s Fort State Park - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s second outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer on Sunday, June 5, at Prickett’s Fort State Park. During this time of continuing covid-19 pandemic we are following current CDC guidelines (see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/gatherings.html). Fully vaccinated people are … Continue reading Sunday, June 5, 2022: Prickett’s Fort State Park
Sunday, May 29, 2022: Beginning From a Place of Self-Love - Let nurturing beauty be our spiritual practice. On Sunday, Phoebe Durst will help us see how, “beginning from a place of self-love.” Our services are Sundays at 1030 a.m. at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse. A coffee hour, a time for discussion and socializing, will … Continue reading Sunday, May 29, 2022: Beginning From a Place of Self-Love
Sunday, May 22, 2022 - “Our task is to be who we are, in every way we can be; our salvation proceeding in putting ourselves back together after each tumble…We irridesce, shine, and radiate. We exclaim and roar: we are.” By Kenneth L. Patton … Continue reading Sunday, May 22, 2022
Sunday, May 15, 2022: Annual Meeting - This Sunday is our Annual Meeting. We will gather as usual at for coffee, check-ins and informal discussion, and the Annual Meeting will begin at 11:00. Everyone is invited to participate in the discussion; decisions are by consensus of members. If you’d like, bring a snack to share. Annual Business Meeting. The annual business meeting … Continue reading Sunday, May 15, 2022: Annual MeetingSunday, May 1, 2022: Valley Falls State Park - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s first outing, we will gather for a celebration of spring, flowers, and the challenges of labor history on Sunday, May 1, at Valley Falls State Park — picnic and hiking on the banks of the Tygart Valley River. … Continue reading Sunday, May 1, 2022: Valley Falls State Park
Sunday April 17, 2022: Flower Ceremony - Please bring flowers to share. Whatever is blooming, or a twig in bud, is fine. We have resumed meeting in person. Everyone is invited to lunch at Robert and Lisa’s after the service; ham, potato salad, and rolls will be provided. Other dishes to share are welcome. We will have our Flower Ceremony, which was … Continue reading Sunday April 17, 2022: Flower Ceremony
Sunday, April 10, 2022 - “What does it mean to be in covenant? How do we handle the mutual accountability of living in love? What do we need from our shared agreements now and in the future?” Join us for worship and a potluck lunch. We will be discussing the Article II Study Commission and our values as they apply to our … Continue reading Sunday, April 10, 2022 Sunday, April 3, 2022 - “What does it mean to be in covenant? How do we handle the mutual accountability of living in love? What do we need from our shared agreements now and in the future?” Join us for worship and a potluck lunch. We will be discussing the Article II Study Commission and our values as they apply … Continue reading Sunday, April 3, 2022
Sunday, March 27, 2022 - “9 Then the Lord said to me, “Speak to the wind for me. Son of man, speak to the wind for me. Tell the wind that this is what the Lord God says: ‘Wind, come from every direction and breathe air into these dead bodies! Breathe into them and they will come to life again!’” … Continue reading Sunday, March 27, 2022 Sunday, March 20, 2022 - “As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears.” – Rumi “My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I … Continue reading Sunday, March 20, 2022 Sunday, March 13, 2022 - “They asked, ‘If a tree should fall in the woods and one is not there, does it make a sound?’And the answer came, ‘If a tree should fall and no one is there, listen for the cry of mourningbirds who grieve the loss of their nests. They know where the tree lies. They call you … Continue reading Sunday, March 13, 2022
Sunday, March 6, 2022: A Crisis in Faith - Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the handmaiden of truth. Doubt is the key to the door of knowledge; it is the servant of discovery.A belief which may not be questioned binds us to error, for there is incompleteness and imperfection in every belief. — Robert T. Weston Unitarian Universalism has no creed, no specified … Continue reading Sunday, March 6, 2022: A Crisis in Faith
Sunday, February 27, 2022: The Id in Identity - But what if we are not icebergs, but waves? In the historical dimension we talk in terms of life, death, being, nonbeing, high, low, coming, going, but in the ultimate dimension, all these notions are removed. If the wave is capable of touching the water within herself, if the wave can live the life of … Continue reading Sunday, February 27, 2022: The Id in Identity
Sunday, February 20, 2022: Solitude - Not all people are called to be hermits, but all people need enough silence and solitude in their lives to enable the deep inner voice of their own true self to be heard at least occasionally. — Thomas Merton (modified slightly) Each of us needs to make space for the “still small voice” of our … Continue reading Sunday, February 20, 2022: Solitude
Sunday, February 13, 2022 - “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” – James Baldwin The same could be said for Unitarian Universalist History. This Sunday join us as Cricket Hall explores UU History through the lens of Widening Our Circle. Please Join Us for Worship. We … Continue reading Sunday, February 13, 2022 Sunday, February 6, 2022 - “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” – Lilla Watson This Sunday John Hall will explore themes of collective liberation and what that means as we widen our circle. Please Join … Continue reading Sunday, February 6, 2022
Sunday, 30 January, 2022: Right Intention: Justice, Equity and Compassion - Three Pure Precepts I vow to refrain from all evil.I vow to make every effort to live in enlightenment.I vow to live and be lived for the benefit of all beings. – from the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts Buddhist psychology teaches that intention is what makes the pattern of our karma. Karma, the cause and results … Continue reading Sunday, 30 January, 2022: Right Intention: Justice, Equity and Compassion
Sunday, January 23, 2022 - “The Sabbath is to time what the tabernacle and temple are to space: a cathedral in time. On the seventh day, we experience in time what the temple and tabernacle represented in spaces, which is eternal life with God in a complete creation.” – Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath This Sunday, Stacey Elza will give … Continue reading Sunday, January 23, 2022
Sunday, 16 January, 2022: Does Our Past Matter? - Our age is retrospective. It builds the sepulchres of the fathers. It writes biographies, histories, and criticism. The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relation to the universe? Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and … Continue reading Sunday, 16 January, 2022: Does Our Past Matter?
Sunday, January 2, 2022 - So yes, we have facts. And yes, we have information. But we also have experience to think about. We have to use ALL of it to find that truth and meaning. Being free and responsible doesn’t mean just looking at the numbers. Being free and responsible means looking at the entire picture, the bigger picture, talking about hearts and people. It is my goal in the new year, and I hope that it will be one of yours as well, to focus on being intentionally responsible. That it is not just “oh I am doing this responsibly,” but more “it is my duty to do this responsibly.” Because we cannot make change, we cannot live up to our principles without an intentional free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
Sunday, December 26, 2021: NO SERVICE - We are taking Sunday, December 26, off. There will be no ZOOM service and no in-person service, while we individually celebrate Saint Stephen’s Day/Boxing Day/The Second Day of Christmas/The First Day of Kwanzaa or perhaps to prepare for tomorrow’s International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. Please join us January 2, 2022, when we resume regular Sunday … Continue reading Sunday, December 26, 2021: NO SERVICE
Sunday, December 19, 2021: Joy to the World - No more let sins and sorrows grow,Nor thorns infest the groundLet righteousness its glories showAs far as love is foundFar as the love is found,Far as the love is found,Far as, far as, the love is found. In these dark times, there will be singing. In the darkest time of another dark year, we will … Continue reading Sunday, December 19, 2021: Joy to the World
Sunday, December 12, 2021 - “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” – Hamilton Wright Mabie “This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!” – D.M. … Continue reading Sunday, December 12, 2021
Sunday, December 5, 2021 - “Joy is an act of resistance.” – Toi Derricotte “Feeling good is not frivolous, it is freedom.” – adrienne maree brown “Joy is the transformation of our suffering, not the escape of all we have to face.” – Mark Nepo This Sunday, John Hall will discussing “Finding a Unitarian Universalist Joy and How That Applies … Continue reading Sunday, December 5, 2021
Sunday, 28 November, 2021: Making Inroads - I see the Anthropocene as something that demands that we humans see ourselves in a different way, as a partial cause of those changes. But I also see the Anthropocene as an interpellation to challenge the human as the key subject of history. — Joanna Zylinska This Sunday Phoebe Durst will be using Joana Zylinska’s … Continue reading Sunday, 28 November, 2021: Making Inroads
Sunday, 21 November, 2021: On What Authority? - The authority of Jesus, as of all teachers, one would naturally think, must rest on the truth of his words, and not their truth on his authority. — Theodore Parker, The Transient and Permanent in Christianity On what authority have we Unitarian Universalists built our beliefs? And by what tests do we determine their Truth? … Continue reading Sunday, 21 November, 2021: On What Authority?Sunday, November 7, 2021: Deegan and Hinkle Lakes, Bridgeport - Little Blue Heron at Deegan & Hinkle Lakes Park We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer and into the winter. For this year’s seventh outing, we will return to Deegan & Hinkle Lakes Park in Bridgeport for a celebration of nature, fellowship, and the beginning of the holiday … Continue reading Sunday, November 7, 2021: Deegan and Hinkle Lakes, Bridgeport
Sunday, 31 October, 2021: Cultivating Relationships - The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.” — C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves This Sunday, Phoebe Durst will lead us in a service on cultivating relationships. Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting … Continue reading Sunday, 31 October, 2021: Cultivating Relationships
Sunday, 24 October, 2021: Joy in the Moment - Look to this day:For it is life, the very life of life.In its brief courseLie all the verities and realities of your existence.The bliss of growth,The glory of action,The splendor of beautyAre but experiences of time.For yesterday is but a dreamAnd tomorrow is only a vision;But today well-lived, makesYesterday a dream of happinessAnd every tomorrow … Continue reading Sunday, 24 October, 2021: Joy in the Moment
Sunday, October 17, 2021 - “Herbie Hancock – Jazz musician and Buddhist – describes jazz as “a music of the moment”. Improvisation allows him to capture the essence of the present and express it; to provide for listeners an unmediated glimpse of the realm of the infinite.” This Sunday, John Hall will lead a service on different types of meditation. … Continue reading Sunday, October 17, 2021
Sunday, October 10, 2021 - Welcome: Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m Cricket and I feel blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today. Thank you for joining us. [If guests] I’d like to welcome our guests. Thank you for taking a chance and taking the … Continue reading Sunday, October 10, 2021Sunday, October 3, 2021: West Virginia State Wildlife Center, French Creek - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s sixth outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer, nature, and fellowship on Sunday, October 3, at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek. Please note that unlike most of the parks we visit, the … Continue reading Sunday, October 3, 2021: West Virginia State Wildlife Center, French Creek
Sunday, 26 September, 2021: The Possibility of Forgiveness - … not to shirk responsibility, but in honest expectation of the possibility of forgiveness. This Sunday, Phoebe Durst will lead us in a service on the possibility of forgiveness, a meditation on part of our Sunday morning welcoming words. Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting … Continue reading Sunday, 26 September, 2021: The Possibility of Forgiveness
Sunday, 19 September 2021: Bread and Roses - As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women deadGo crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too. “Bread and Roses” – James Oppenheim, inspired by Helen Todd “Bread and Roses” came from the labor … Continue reading Sunday, 19 September 2021: Bread and RosesSunday September 12th, 2021 Service – Spiritual Practices - This Sunday’s service is present by John Hall which is about how important it is to refocus our spiritual perceptions. Join us for Worship: After a year of virtual services, West Fork Unitarian Universalists were excited to resume in-person services the end May. In light of the current surge in Covid-19 infections we resumed Zoom … Continue reading Sunday September 12th, 2021 Service – Spiritual Practices
Sunday, September 5, 2021: Valley Falls State Park - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s fifth outing, we will gather for a celebration of the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn on Sunday, September 5, at Valley Falls State Park — picnic and hiking on the banks of the Tygart Valley … Continue reading Sunday, September 5, 2021: Valley Falls State Park
Sunday, 29 August 2021: … and Repeat - Wet hair thoroughly Massage shampoo into your scalp Lather, leaving on your hair and scalp for several minutes Rinse and repeat — Directions on a bottle of shampoo The thing about spiritual practice that I get wrong most often is that, well, it’s a practice. Spiritual practice, like practicing a musical instrument, requires repetition. Robert … Continue reading Sunday, 29 August 2021: … and Repeat Sunday, 22 August 2021: … and Repeat - Wet hair thoroughly Massage shampoo into your scalp Lather, leaving on your hair and scalp for several minutes Rinse and repeat — Directions on a bottle of shampoo The thing about spiritual practice that I get wrong most often is that, well, it’s a practice. Spiritual practice, like practicing a musical instrument, requires repetition. Robert … Continue reading Sunday, 22 August 2021: … and RepeatSunday August 15th, 2021 Service – Comfort & Inspiration - “Today is a good day to die! Follow me!” – Ogala-Lakota Chief, Low Dog. This Sunday’s service is present by John Hall and about how we can live our lives with greater passion and authenticity by embracing non-attachment and impermanence. Join us for Worship: Our services are Sundays at 11 a.m. at the Progressive Women’s … Continue reading Sunday August 15th, 2021 Service – Comfort & Inspiration
Sunday, August 8, 2021 - Welcome: Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m Cricket Hall and I feel blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today. Thank you for joining us. Let us use the prelude for centering. We are about to enter sacred time. We are … Continue reading Sunday, August 8, 2021Sunday, August 1, 2021: Audra State Park - Swimming at Audra We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s fifth outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer and fellowship on Sunday, August 1, at Audra State Park. We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service followed … Continue reading Sunday, August 1, 2021: Audra State Park
Sunday, 25 July, 2021: Punishment and Universal Salvation - (Image: the old two-cell strap-iron jail in Kelso, California) If I don’t believe God would punish people after death and send them to hell, because God is so loving and because punishment is not salvific, then why would I think punishment would be salvific on earth? That makes no sense. It’s just theologically inappropriate. — … Continue reading Sunday, 25 July, 2021: Punishment and Universal SalvationSunday, July 11, 2021: Ferguson Memorial Park, Shinnston - Ferguson Memorial Park, Shinnston We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s third outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer on Sunday, July 11, at Ferguson Memorial Park in Shinnston We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short service … Continue reading Sunday, July 11, 2021: Ferguson Memorial Park, Shinnston
Sunday, July 4, 2021: SERVICE CANCELED - Because of scheduling conflicts during the holiday weekend, there will be no in-person or ZOOM service at WFUU on Sunday, July 4, 2021. Have a safe and festive Independence Day weekend. Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302
Sunday, June 27, 2021 - “From the Greek word selig (which means blessed) comes the English word silly. I like to think that there is something sacred about the ability to be silly – to play – to laugh and be child-like.” – June Mack Maffin Join us for Worship: This Sunday, Cricket Hall will present a service about Play … Continue reading Sunday, June 27, 2021
Sunday, 20 June, 2021: Thinking Too Freely? - Freethinkers were fine people, but they shouldn’t go around thinking just anything. — Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent In the turmoil of early 19th Century religious thought in the United States, the Universalist minister Abner Kneeland set a high standard for controversy. A supporter of radical social reform, women’s rights, birth control, and interracial marriage, … Continue reading Sunday, 20 June, 2021: Thinking Too Freely?Sunday, June 6, 2021: Watters Smith Memorial State Park - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s second outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer and fellowship on Sunday, June 6, at Watters Smith Memorial State Park. We will meet at 11 a.m. in the Pioneer shelter in the picnic area near the … Continue reading Sunday, June 6, 2021: Watters Smith Memorial State Park
Sunday, May 30, 2021 - “Writers imagine that they cull stories from the world. I’m beginning to believe that vanity makes them think so. That it’s actually the other way around. Stories cull writers from the world. Stories reveal themselves to us. The public narrative, the private narrative – they colonize us. They commission us. They insist on being told. … Continue reading Sunday, May 30, 2021
Sunday, 23 May, 2021: Love is the Doctrine - Our covenant, which is more than a hundred years old in one form or another, may be the only thread that runs through the last century of Unitarianism and Universalism essentially unchanged. Love is the doctrine of this church,The quest of truth is our sacrament,and service is our prayer.To dwell together in peace,To seek knowledge … Continue reading Sunday, 23 May, 2021: Love is the Doctrine Sunday, 16 May, 2021: Love is the Doctrine - Our covenant, which is more than a hundred years old in one form or another, may be the only thread that runs through the last century of Unitarianism and Universalism essentially unchanged. Love is the doctrine of this church,The quest of truth is our sacrament,and service is our prayer.To dwell together in peace,To seek knowledge … Continue reading Sunday, 16 May, 2021: Love is the DoctrineSunday Service, May 9, 2021 - “The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” —James E. Faust This Sunday, John Hall will give a lesson on the spiritual benefits of Mother’s Day. Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on Zoom. We share music, readings, and hymns … Continue reading Sunday Service, May 9, 2021
Sunday, May 2, 2021: Prickett’s Fort State Park and Flower Ceremony - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s first outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer on Sunday, May 2, at Prickett’s Fort State Park. We will have our Flower Ceremony, which was created by Dr. Norbert Čapek for the Liberal Religious Fellowship he … Continue reading Sunday, May 2, 2021: Prickett’s Fort State Park and Flower Ceremony
Sunday, May 2, 2021: Prickett’s Fort State Park - We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s first outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer on Sunday, May 2, at Prickett’s Fort State Park. During this time of continuing covid-19 pandemic we are practicing appropriate social distancing; please wear a mask. We will … Continue reading Sunday, May 2, 2021: Prickett’s Fort State Park
Sunday, April 25, 2021 - “In the end, reconciliation is a spiritual process, which requires more than just a legal framework. It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people.” – Nelson Mandela This Sunday, Phoebe Durst will give a lesson on Becoming Reconciliation. Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus … Continue reading Sunday, April 25, 2021
Sunday, 18 April, 2021: How Did I Get That So Wrong? - I’ve spent most of my life being wrong. Not about everything. Just about most things. — Chuck Klosterman, But What If We’re Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past Robert Helfer will lead the service. Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting … Continue reading Sunday, 18 April, 2021: How Did I Get That So Wrong?
Sunday, April 11, 2021 - “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of it’s members.” – Coretta Scott King This Sunday, Phoebe Durst will give a lesson on Intentional Community. Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on Zoom. We share music, readings, and hymns … Continue reading Sunday, April 11, 2021
Sunday, April 4, 2021 - “The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.” – Albert Schweitzer This Sunday, Cricket Hall will give a lesson called “Easter, Resurrection, and Becoming New” Please Join Us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on Zoom. … Continue reading Sunday, April 4, 2021
Sunday, March 28, 2021 - We have been invited to join as special zoom church service and concert. Details below will also be emailed out to our google group. If you need help getting the zoom invite please contact us. 10:30 AM: “Music as Activism: Finding Your Voice.” Two activist musicians will be featured on the UUs of Greater Pittsburgh … Continue reading Sunday, March 28, 2021
Sunday, 21 March, 2021: Committed to What? - Today, conventional wisdom too often teaches that people who disagree with us are obstacles; we must coerce others to follow our wishes; happiness is supposed to come from getting exactly what we want. In contrast, the Dalai Lama asks us to treat others gently as sisters and brothers, even if they disagree with us; to … Continue reading Sunday, 21 March, 2021: Committed to What?
Sunday, March 14, 2021 - “When the train stops, the woman said, you must get on it. But how will I know, the child asked, it is the right train? It will be the right train, said the woman, because it is the right time. A train approached the station; clouds of grayish smoke streamed from the chimney. How terrified … Continue reading Sunday, March 14, 2021 Sunday, March 7, 2021 - “Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.” – Stephen Covey Our MissionBe a beacon and a refuge for allWorship joyfullyGrow in spiritTouch our community This Sunday we will consider our history with covenant and commitment. John Hall will lead the service. Please Join us for Worship. … Continue reading Sunday, March 7, 2021
Sunday, February 21, 2021: With Feathers - “Hope” is the thing with feathers –++That perches in the soul –++And sings the tune without the words –++And never stops – at all – — Emily Dickinson, “‘Hope’ Is The Thing With Feathers” This Sunday we will consider “hope” and “things with feathers” in anticipation of the coming reawakening we call Spring, though still … Continue reading Sunday, February 21, 2021: With Feathers Sunday, February 14, 2021: With Feathers - “Hope” is the thing with feathers –++That perches in the soul –++And sings the tune without the words –++And never stops – at all – — Emily Dickinson, “‘Hope’ Is The Thing With Feathers” This Sunday we will consider “hope” and “things with feathers” in anticipation of the coming reawakening we call Spring, though still … Continue reading Sunday, February 14, 2021: With Feathers
Sunday, February 7, 2021 - Welcome: Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m Cricket and I feel blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today. Thank you for joining us. [If guests] I’d like to welcome our guests. Thank you for taking a chance and taking the … Continue reading Sunday, February 7, 2021
Sunday, January 31, 2021 - Welcome: Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m Cricket and I feel blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today. Thank you for joining us. [If guests] I’d like to welcome our guests. Thank you for taking a chance and taking the … Continue reading Sunday, January 31, 2021
Sunday, January 24, 2021: In Other Capitals - I walked up to a counter in Antalya Airport to tell a disbelieving airline employee that our flight would shortly be canceled because the tanks being reported in the streets of Istanbul meant that a coup attempt was under way. It must be a military exercise, she shrugged. Some routine transport of troops, perhaps? If … Continue reading Sunday, January 24, 2021: In Other Capitals Sunday, January 17, 2021 - Welcome: Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m John and I feel blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today. Thank you for joining us. [If guests] I’d like to welcome our guests. Thank you for taking a chance and taking the … Continue reading Sunday, January 17, 2021
Sunday, January 10, 2021: Where Are We Going? - Unitarian and Universalist ideas have a 2,000-year history. Lisa deGruyter will review where we have been, what is meaningful to her from that history, and ways forward. Please Join us for Worship. We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on Zoom. We share music, readings, and hymns on our usual presentation … Continue reading Sunday, January 10, 2021: Where Are We Going? Sunday, January 3, 2021 - “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – This Sunday, John Hall will give a lesson titled “Expect the unexpected.” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting instead through the magic of ZOOM. We share music, readings, … Continue reading Sunday, January 3, 2021
Sunday, December 27, 2020 - “The Joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing each other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” – W. C. Jones This Sunday, Cricket Hall will give a lesson titled “Putting the Holy back in the holidays.” We are forgoing meeting in … Continue reading Sunday, December 27, 2020
Sunday, December 20, 2020: People Look East - People look east, the time is nearFor the crowning of the yearMake your house fair as you are ableStrike the harp and set the table In these dark times, there will be singing. In the darkest time of a dark year, we will gather to light a candle and look forward to the return of … Continue reading Sunday, December 20, 2020: People Look East
Sunday, December 13, 2020 - “The culture is telling us to go faster and faster, cram more and more into less and less time. One of the main benefits of slowing down is we start to get to know ourselves better; we find and forge the right path for us through life.” – Carl Honoré This Sunday, Cricket Hall will … Continue reading Sunday, December 13, 2020
Sunday, December 6, 2020: Creating Christmas - Can you in your Conscience think, that our Holy Saviour is honoured, by Mad Mirth, by long Eating, by hard Drinking, by lewd Gaming, by rude Revelling; by a Mass fit for none but a Saturn or a Bacchus, or the Night of a Mahometan Ramadam? You cannot possibly think so. — Cotton Mather, Grace … Continue reading Sunday, December 6, 2020: Creating Christmas
Sunday, November 29, 2020 - “When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope.” – Henri J. M. Nouwen This Sunday, Cricket Hall will give a lesson titled “Letting Go of … Continue reading Sunday, November 29, 2020
West Fork Unitarian Universalists 