![Fear Not: A Buddhist Perspective]()
September 5, 2021
Ven. Shih Ying-Fa, Worship Leader
Elizabeth Gerencser & Grace Durfee, Worship Associates
David Blazer, Music Director
In these uncertain times we may experience fear about a number of things such as the pandemic, the environment, or partisan politics just to name a few. Skillfully utilizing Wisdom and Compassion is an effective way to deal with these realities while helping to heal our world. Ven. Shih Ying-Fa, Abbot of CloudWater Zendo, the Zen Center of Cleveland, will examine the Buddhist view of fear and how we may deal with it in a reasonable fashion.
VEN. SHIH YING-FA, ABBOT: Venerable Shih Ying-Fa is the Abbot and founder of CloudWater Zendo, the Zen Center of Cleveland. He has been a practicing Buddhist for the last 35 years. Venerable Ying-Fa has been a fully ordained Buddhist monk since 1998 and is the founder of the Nien-Fo Ch'an Order of Buddhist Monks. He founded CloudWater Zendo in 1994 and subsequently founded Zen meditation groups in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington state. He is active in interfaith activities in the greater Cleveland area and spent 20 years teaching Buddhism and meditation in Ohio prisons. He also teaches a weekly class on the Chinese internal art of Qigong,
(“Nien-Fo Ch’an” is pronounced “Nee-enn-foe Chawn”) (“Qigong” is pronounced “Chee-gong”)
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June 27, 2021
by Reverend C. Nozomi Ikuta, Worship Leader
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Forty-nine days after a gunman killed eight people, including six Asian women in Atlanta, 49 spiritual leaders from different Buddhist sects led a healing ceremony in Los Angeles marking the moment the dead transition to another realm. At the heart of the ceremony was a lotus flower, which needs muddy water to grow. Nozomi's sermon will invite you to reflect on making flowers bloom from the muddy waters of suffering, pain, delusion and oppression.
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June 6, 2021
by Reverend Anthony Makar, Worship Leader
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Our year-long sermon series exploring some of the world religion sources of our "However mean your life is," says Henry David Thoreau, author of the famous book Walden, "meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is." On West Shore's Pride Sunday, Join Rev. Makar for an exploration of the vision of one of our pre-eminent Unitarian Universalist ancestors.
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May 16, 2021
by Barbara Walker, Lay Minister
Melinda McGucken, Judy Montgomery & Grace Durfee, Worship Associates
David Blazer, Director of Music
Today’s service is a feast of perspectives on “Coming of Age” Our 9th Grade Coming of Age graduates will offer their personal credos, and several of our Worship Associates will contribute their reflections around the journey of personal growth.
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April 11, 2021
by Reverend Anthony Makar, Worship Leader
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Without a doubt, there are structures and systems in our world that alienate people from themselves and from others and thereby cause great suffering. White supremacy culture is one of these. But how, specifically, does white supremacy culture manifest itself? What are some ways we might seek liberation from it?
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![It Takes Practice]()
March 20, 2021
by Matt Meyer, Guest Worship Leader
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Our favorite songs, whoever the artist or whatever the style, were created in a strange alchemy of study and inspiration, of strict practice and of letting go. Spiritual Practice is a similar combination of dedication, muscle memory, and perhaps a little divine inspiration. Join us for a musical exploration of learning to risk, building the muscle memory of courage, and the spiritual practice of relationship when things around us are changing fast.
About Our Guest Worship
Leader Matt Meyer is musician, worship leader, and community organizer, as well as a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. He has been a keynote speaker at the JPD worship arts festival, Ohio Summer Institute, Allies for Racial Equity national conference, and the annual meeting of the Canadian Unitarian Council. He has also led music for most of the last fifteen General Assemblies of the UUA. Matt is a founding worship leader and current Director of Operations for Sanctuary Boston, a contemporary worship community in Boston. He was a founding member of the Lucy Stone Cooperative and is a current organizer of the UU Song leaders Convergence. www.RhythmRevelations.com
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January 17, 2021
by Rev. Anthony Makar, Worship Leader
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Our year-long sermon series exploring some of the world religion sources of our Unitarian Universalist spiritual way continues with Taoism. Our study text is Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions: The 50th Anniversary Edition (available at your local bookstore, at Amazon, and other outlets). Reach out to Rev. Makar directly if you are unable to afford purchasing the book. As preparation for the sermon, please read the chapter on Taoism (pp. 196-220).
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December 20, 2020
by Reverand Anthony Makar, Worship Leader
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Rev. Anthony Makar is asking you to watch a video clip from the Christmas comedy movie Elf starring Will Ferrell, before this Sunday's Service. In his sermon, he will be referring to this movie, and given copyright restrictions, we are not able to screen this clip in the service. Receive extra credit if you choose to watch the full movie before Sunday. To watch the video clip, click here.
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November 15, 2020
by Reverend Anthony Makar
Grace Durfee, Worship Associate
David Blazer, Director of Music
Our year-long sermon series exploring some of the world's religions sources of our Unitarian Universalist spiritual way continues with Buddhism. Our study text is Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions: The 50th Anniversary Edition (available at your local bookstore, at Amazon, and other outlets). Reach out to Rev. Makar directly if you are unable to afford purchasing the book. As preparation for the sermon, please read the chapter on Buddhism (pp. 82-153) before the service.
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December 1, 2013
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The Spiritual Autobiography Class
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Come hear the stories of changed lives from members of
West Shore's Spiritual Autobiography class as they relate
how fear, taking a risk, teachers, telling the truth and mountaintop
moments have made them the people they are now
and the people they are becoming.
