Monthly Service Topics
Coffee Hour follows the worship service in Baker Hall.
Join Rev. Makar for the Sermon Chat at noon in the Chapel.
Sunday, October 4
10:15 AM
Stop Pushing the River
Rev. Anthony Makar
The Serenity Prayer sounds simple: change what you can, accept what you cannot, and know the difference. Unfortunately, that last part can take a lifetime. Sometimes we give up too soon. Sometimes we keep pushing long after reality has told us no. How do we know what is ours to change, what is ours to release, and what is ours simply to grieve? This sermon explores courage, control, surrender, and the difficult wisdom of knowing where our power begins—and where it ends.
Sunday, October 11
10:15 AM
The Benefits of Spiritual Hygiene
Rev. Shirley Nelson
Our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness require conscious daily care and sacred maintenance. One way we can practice is by releasing attachments and eliminating the things in our lives that no longer serve us in order to make space for that which does. It doesn’t have to be deep. It can be as simple as decluttering and letting go of old clothes, books, jewelry, shoes, etc. It can also be spiritual practice, such as Yoga, that allows us to get in touch with the body, mind, and spirit connection through movement and breath work. This act of making space in the outer aligns with the spirit within and helps us to realign and restore our inner temple. After all, we’re just working it out and walking each other home, and these few reminders might help you along the way.
Sunday, October 18
10:15 AM
The Stories We Are Already Living
Rev. Anthony Makar
Modern people may think they have left myth behind. But our movies, games, sports, rituals, and sacred symbols suggest otherwise. Drawing on Karen Armstrong’s A Short History of Myth, we’ll explore how myth is not simply an old story about what once happened, but a living pattern that helps us understand what keeps happening in human life. From superheroes and role-playing games to the flaming chalice, this sermon asks what changes when we learn to recognize the stories we are already living—and the rituals that help us embody them.
Sunday, October 25
10:15 AM
Bearers of Possibility
Rev. Anthony Makar
What happens when a community learns to see one another not through scarcity, frustration, or limitation, but as bearers of possibility? This sermon explores how communities come alive when they recognize, encourage, and trust the gifts already among them. On this special Sunday, we will also commission Judy Montgomery to her Lay Ministry at West Shore, celebrating both her commitment to service and the larger truth her ministry represents: sometimes what we need most is already here, waiting to be seen.
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Music
West Shore Choir
The music program is enhanced by the choirs of West Shore. At the heart of the choral program is the West Shore Choir. The choir has been widely known throughout the Cleveland area as a choir of extreme excellence.
Music
Junior Choir
The Junior Choir welcomes those from kindergarten into high school. Our wide age range helps to create a family atmosphere for choir members. The only requirement of membership is to care about each other.
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