West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church

06/02/2026

Come celebrate pride with us on Sunday June 7 starting at 10:15 AM & look for our booth at Pride downtown this Saturday!

05/29/2026

Come join us for this Sunday May 31st, 2026 for Pt. 9 in this year's on going series on transcendentalism.

"Transcendentalism did not stop in Concord. It kept going. In the poetry of Mary Oliver, it becomes less grandly philosophical and more daily, embodied, and accessible: not the sage on the platform, but the watcher in the grass; not system, but attention; not doctrine, but encounter. Emerson asks whether we can have “an original relation to the universe.” Oliver answers: yes—but only if we learn to notice.

This service will also feature The Dances of Universal Peace. This is a spiritual practice that uses gentle movement, music, and simple chants drawn from the world’s wisdom traditions to cultivate inner peace. Moving and singing together in a circle, participants are invited into a deeper experience of harmony, connection, and presence. No experience or special skill is needed. The rhythmic, repetitive quality of the dances helps calm the mind, open the heart, and foster a sense of connection—with oneself, with others in the circle, with the wider community, and with something greater beyond."

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

Since we are Unitarian Universalists, perhaps “ten suggestions” might be more our speed. But whether commandments or suggestions, they matter—not only for parents, grandparents, and religious educators, but for anyone trying to talk about religion with honesty, respect, and freedom. Because once you learn how to speak with a child about ultimate things without coercion, you are also learning how to speak that way with anyone. Children may be our focus this morning, but the deeper question reaches far beyond childhood: how do we talk about religion in ways that leave people more free, not less?

05/01/2026

This Sunday May 3rd is our annual Rock & Roll Sunday at West Shore—the best place to be on a Sunday morning in Cleveland! Today we gather for a special service that draws us into the spiritual heart of some of Stevie Wonder’s most beloved songs. Expect joy, soul, and plenty of music. Because our annual congregational meeting will follow immediately after worship, today’s service is a little shorter than usual. Until then, you’ll be invited to sing along. Consider this karaoke at church!

05/01/2026

Join West Shore Social Action Film Series on May 9th for a special presentation of The Man Card.

04/24/2026

Join us Sunday April 26th for a service lead by The Undoing Oppressions Task Force:

In a time of mounting existential threats, the unraveling of government programs and institutions and multiple crises, how do we work together to make the world a better place for everyone? What are the different strengths needed to build the Beloved Community we speak of? Leading today’s service, the Undoing Oppressions Task Force will look at the ten roles author Deepa Iyer identifies in the UUA common read SOCIAL CHANGE NOW. Hear members share their stories of what happened in their lives that made them want to be part of making the world a better place and tell us which of those ten social change roles they fit into. Which roles or strengths do each of us have that together can create a healthy justice making ecosystem here at West Shore? The service will be enriched with music – historic and present day – that has inspired us to come together through the years and show up for a better world.

04/17/2026

The Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau went to Walden Pond to ask a hard question: What is actually necessary for a good human life? This sermon explores his challenge to busyness, distraction, and false necessity—not as a call to copy his life, but as an invitation to examine our own. What are we spending our lives on? What owns us? What might it mean to live more deliberately, simply, and freely?