Rev. Alison Duren-Sutherland is Saltwater’s contract minister for the 2023-24 church year, operating in a hybrid/remote capacity from her home in Southern Oregon and onsite at Saltwater one week per month.
The abundance of the more-than-human world exists in contrast to false narratives of scarcity that we have learned from capitalism. Rev. Alison leads us in practicing gratitude for the abundant earth that feeds us, and reminds us that in so doing, we begin to notice that sources of gratitude are more abundant than we think.
Through Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, All Souls and All Saints Days, cultures around the globe recognize late October and early November as a time when departed ancestors draw near. In this season of remembrance, we will tell the stories, hear the songs, and become students of the wisdom of the ancestors of this place, … Continue reading Honoring Ancestors of Place
Members of Saltwater’s meditation group will join Rev. Alison to explore the ways in which the Buddha’s teachings and their interpretations across the globe have shaped our own practices of compassion.
Led by Rev. Alison Duren-Sutherland Rev. Alison will invite us into practices of self-compassion, with a reminder that the Love that Unitarian Universalists put at the center isn’t just for everyone else, but for you as well.
As the Wheel of the Year turns from fecundity to fallow, Rev. Alison and the Saltwater Choir will invite us to embrace the weeping sky, the wild spirit of the winds, and the reality of death as an essential and perhaps even beautiful piece of the cycle of life.
In a true community of care, everyone contributes in their own way to the good of the whole. This week as we explore our monthly theme Building Belonging, we’ll consider all that it takes to build a beloved community like ours, and we’ll explore the ways each of us can contribute our unique gifts of … Continue reading Building Belonging at Saltwater Church
Join Rev. Alison, the Saltwater Choir, & the whole congregation as we recommit ourselves to the beloved community of Saltwater Church with our annual in-gathering ritual the Water Ceremony, wherein we pour our individual waters into a common container. Folks joining in person are invited to bring a small bit of water with you, or … Continue reading We Are Sweet Water: Our 2025 UU Water Ceremony
Saltwater Church has a statement of purpose that makes it clear why we exist. But what about each of us individually? What is the purpose of a human being? Does a person have a purpose? If so, how do we figure out what it is? If not…how do we come to terms with that? In … Continue reading On Purpose: Finding Meaning As Individuals & In Community
In July, in lieu of our regular services, we have planned alternative fun for you. For our in-person folks there will be Worshipful Workshops – informal, lay-led, participatory workshops centered on differentspiritual practices. Online worshipers can join a different congregation each week to get a taste of the different ways we all do online worship. … Continue reading Music as a Spiritual Practice Worshipful Workshop & Visiting Rogue Valley UU Online
Join Rev. Alison as we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month! In her final service in the pulpit before her summer vacation and study leave, Rev. Alison will help us honor the trans women of color who started the riot against police brutality that was the first Pride, mourn those who were allowed to die from AIDS … Continue reading Living Out Loud: Pride Worship & Glitter Blessing
