250 years ago, John Murray, considered the founder of Universalism in America, extolled preaching “hope, not hell.” What does it mean to lean into hope amid the challenges facing our country today?  [This service will take place live on the Sunnyhill grounds and will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.]

[This service will take place live on the Sunnyhill grounds and will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.] Faith and forbearance are words that tend not to be used much these days or are used only in very limited and narrow ways. What do these concepts mean to us as Unitarian Universalists, and how … Continued

Langston Hughes wrote a poem with this title in 1935 as a rallying cry for greater inclusion. 86 years later it has lost none of its power in calling for an as-yet unborn America that makes real the dream of justice and liberty for all. How can we help make this dream a reality in … Continued

Being a “welcoming congregation” is not merely an academic exercise or just a nice thing to do. Welcoming our LGBTQIA+ siblings is a life-affirming and potentially life-saving act. In this service we will examine what we can do to work for justice for LGBTQ people while becoming a more fully inclusive and welcoming congregation. [This … Continued

Rev. Jim Magaw and Director of Religious Education Jennifer McGlothin are joined by members of the Sunnyhill High School Youth Group for our annual Bridging Service. “Bridging” honors and celebrates the transition from youth to adults of our high school seniors. Join us to mark this important time for these students and their families.

The concept of moral injury has been described as “the damage done to one’s conscience or moral compass when that person perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to prevent acts that transgress their own moral and ethical values or codes of conduct.” How are we seeing this concept play out in our world and what can we … Continued

Often the stories of our lives are not told until after our deaths in the form of eulogies and obituaries. What is the story of your life, and why might it be important to embrace and tell the story now rather than later?

A recent newspaper article described a feeling many of us have had in recent months as “languishing,” which seems an apt descriptor. Fatigued by the pandemic, personal challenges, and political uncertainty, where and how do we find hope and joy?

While Pittsburgh may be “America’s Most Livable City” for some, it is not for all. In fact, studies of housing, educational outcomes, income, policing, and other issues show that ours is a divided city. How did Pittsburgh become so divided along lines of race, and what can we do about it now?

Writer Rita Nakashima Brock said: “Broken heartedness, when we can acknowledge it, reveals both the heart’s original grace and its virtually indestructible presence.” What is the power of heartbroken community and how do we tap into it?