Calendar
Many Pieces, One Community
We are thrilled to welcome artist Craig McMillin to our pulpit this Sunday. During the service, Craig will create a piece of art with clay as a reflection on our shared humanity and interconnectedness.
Everyone will be invited to participate by adding a small piece of clay infused with silent joys and sorrows, fears, resentments, prayers, or hopes.
Together, we will create something beautiful that reminds us we are all part of a larger whole.
To visit Craig's website, click here.
Craig McMillin will lead the service.
Greeters: Barry Lee and Leslie Roussel
Blessing Ceremony with Grayhawk Perkins
Please join us on October 11 as we welcome Grayhawk Perkins to our pulpit for a special blessing ceremony.
A member of the United Houma Nation and widely regarded as a cultural treasure of Louisiana, Grayhawk is an internationally recognized musician, storyteller, educator, visual artist, and historian.
Honored by organizations including the Smithsonian Institution and the State of Louisiana, he has spent decades sharing Native American history, arts, and traditions through his performances, teaching, and community leadership.
We are honored to welcome Grayhawk. You can find his book, Grayhawk's Native American Folktales, here.
Stewardship
Join us for Sunday Service and stay for coffee afterwards! Casual dress code. Friendly folks.
Brunch and Banter Potluck
At the beginning of the year, your Board of Trustees wanted to have more opportunities for our congregation to share with one another in a meaningful way. So, it was decided to have a “Brunch & Banter” service once a quarter, and this Sunday is our fall quarter edition.
Banter is defined as light-hearted conversation, and this Sunday our conversation may be light-hearted, but about important things.
This past Sunday, Our member, Colin Peden, gave an excellent sermon on, “Community, Whether We like it or Not!” So this week, we are going to look at a bit of the “like it” part.
People in our congregation have remarked that often we don’t know much about our fellow members until we hear about their life in a memorial service, and that we wish we knew more about one another before that occurs. This Sunday, we will have the opportunity to get to know more about each other in a light-hearted manner, plus share some delicious food.
Please bring your favorite fall dish to share, and be in community with your fellow UU’s!
Erica Merchant will lead the service.
Greeters: Nina Helfert and Colin Peden
Worship Service
"Being in Community... Whether We Like It or Not!"
Service by Colin Peden
“There is only one person in the world like you, and people can like you exactly the way you are,” Fred Rogers told me through the television. Shakespeare, perhaps having read the comments section, was less optimistic: “I desire that we should be better strangers.”
Most of us recognize a little truth in both. People gather in churches, cooperatives, punk scenes, and countless other communities seeking acceptance, purpose, and connection. Then we encounter the unavoidable catch: other people. They have their own inconvenient opinions and needs, and a great talent for misunderstanding ours.
We'll explore why the goal is not to compare NSUUS to some imagined perfect community, but to practice the imperfect arts of listening, participating, disagreeing, repairing, and growing together. Community is not merely the destination. Community is the way there. The work itself is the point.
Colin Peden will lead the service.
Greeters: Rita and Steve Storey
Water Communion
Please join us for the annual Water Communion Service! The UUA Worship Web states: "The Water Communion, also sometimes called Water Ceremony, was first used in a Unitarian Universalist worship service in the 1980's.
Many UU congregations now hold a Water Communion once a year, often at the beginning of the new church year (September).
Members bring to the service a small amount of water from a place that is special to them. During the appointed time in the service, people one by one pour their water together into a large bowl.
As the water is added, the person who brought it tells why this water is special to them. The combined water is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many different sources."
Bring your water to share! If you don't have actual water from a vacation or special location, feel free to bring "symbolic" water. "Symbolic" water will also be provided!
Read more about the origins of the service here.
Tamara Murray will lead the service.
Greeters: Leslie Roussel and Jude Selva
Worship Service
Labor in the United States
It is difficult to find a Rev. Dr. William Barber talk that is under an hour, but Tamara found one AND he is speaking about the importance of Labor in America! Reverend Dr William J Barber, II speaks on racial and economic justice at the 2016 SEIU Convention in 2016, although it could have been delivered today. There can be no economic justice until there is racial justice.
About SEIU: We are the Service Employees International Union, an organization of 2-million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide and dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.
Click here to find out more about SEIU.
Tamara Murray will lead the service.
Greeters: Barry Lee and Julie Bosch
Poetry Service
All-Ages Poetry Service
Please join Jessa Barthels and Erica Merchant for an All-Ages Poetry Service. We will celebrate rhythm and verse with each element of our worship chosen for its poetic spirit.
Members of our congregation will step into the pulpit to share both original creations and cherished works by poets of many voices. We will also experience the collaborative artistry of our RE students, who have crafted a poem for this occasion. Experience the soul stirring power of poetry in community.
A clipboard with poetry activites will be provided for the young and young at heart.
Erica Merchant and Jessa Barthels will lead the service.
"Lessons about resilience from Wall-E and Unitarian Universalism"
by Rev. T. J. FitzGerald, First Unitarian Church of Dallas
What can a little trash-compacting robot teach us about resilience, loneliness, and love? In this sermon, Rev. T. J. FitzGerald explores the surprising spiritual wisdom of WALL-E, reflecting on what it means to keep showing up, hold onto hope, and choose connection in a world that can sometimes feel broken or overwhelming.
Through the story of WALL-E, this sermon explores resilience, Universalist faith, and the power of what the film calls "irrational love." Rev. Fitzgerald invites us to consider how small acts of courage and compassion can change lives.
Tamara Murray will lead the service.
Greeters: Steve and Rita Storey
Guests from Masjid An-Noor
On Sunday, August 16th we will be especially thankful to have our neighbors from the Northshore Islamic Center, Masjid An-Noor, in Mandeville come and share elements of their faith and lead our service.
To celebrate their coming, we will have a potluck lunch after the service, so everyone bring one of your favorite dishes to share.
In these times of divisiveness and political rancor, it is essential that we remember our shared bonds of humanity, and one way to do that is by breaking bread together. So, mark your calendars for Sunday, Aug. 16th!
Blessing of the Backpacks
North Shore Unitarian Universalists invite you to be part of our third annual Blessing of the Backpacks, a beloved tradition honoring all who are involved in the sacred practice of education.
Students of all ages, teachers, staff, and everyone who supports our schools—from cooks to receptionists, from janitors to classroom aides—are welcome to bring their bag (backpack, purse, briefcase, or otherwise) to be blessed as they embark on a new year of learning and growth.
Katherine Drew-Jones will lead the service in-person.
Greeters: Julie Bosch and Barry Lee
"Resting Season"
In our always-on world, it’s easy to feel ruled by endless commitments, notifications, to-do lists, and the pressure to always do more. But what happens when life invites (or insists upon) a season of rest?
Join Ashley Roe as we explore why rest is more than a simple pause from productivity. It’s a sacred practice that restores our spirits, renews our humanity, and gives us the strength to keep showing up for ourselves and a world that needs us.
Ashley Roe will lead the service in-person and on Facebook Live.
Greeters: Nina Helfert and Bert Green
"Lughnasa in the Land of Hurricanes"
Traditionally, Lughnasa—also known as Lammas—is the first harvest festival in Ireland and the British Isles, a celebration of grain, craftsmanship, and the gifts of human skill.
Erica Merchant will lead a ritual in honor of Lughnasa, adapted to suit the climate of South Louisiana.
August has a different rhythm here. It is not the start of harvest; it's hurricane season, and the hottest time of year. We will honor Lughnasa as a season of endurance and patience.
We will reflect on what we are planting now, what needs pruning, and how endurance becomes a form of creativity in difficult seasons.
Katherine Drew-Jones will lead the service in-person and on Facebook Live.
Greeters: Barry Lee and Julie Bosch
"Finding Hope in Hopeless Times"
How do we, as Unitarian Universalists, find hope in a hopelessly broken world?
This Sunday, Colin Peden examines the concepts found in Lamentations 3:22–24 through a Unitarian Universalist lens. Written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonian Empire in 587 BCE, a few words of solace emerge from a backdrop of grief and annihilation. Somehow, even in the worst of times, compassion endures, love persists, and hope can be found amid sorrow.
Rather than offering an escape from suffering, we recognize the human capacity for daily renewal and the sustaining power of community, justice, and perseverance for those who suffer. Each morning becomes a possibility—a chance to begin again, to choose love over despair, and to draw strength from shared humanity.
Join us as we reflect on hope not as passive optimism, but as an act of resilience, renewal, and engagement with a challenging world.
Colin Peden will lead the service in person and on Facebook Live.
Greeters: Barry Lee and Julie Bosch
"Labyrinth Sunday: Walk Into the Mystery"
This Sunday we will explore of the history and meaning of the labyrinth. For thousands of years, seekers have wondered its spirals for reflection and grounding.
Weather permitting, we’ll walk the outdoor labyrinth.
Indoors we’ll have the fabric labyrinth that was donated to NSUU by the Women’s Center via longtime member Patricia Stout.
Please note: the indoor fabric labyrinth requires NO SHOES. It can be a bit slippery, so please bring your own grippy socks if needed.
Some drums and percussion instruments will be available and you are welcome to bring your own to enrich the rhythm of the sacred path.
Erica Merchant will lead the service in person and on Facebook Live.
Greeters: Leslie Roussel and Jude Selva
"Meet the Moment: GA Sunday Worship Comes to NSUU"
General Assembly is the week-long annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists. This year’s GA, held June 14–21, was a hybrid, multi-platform format, with in‑person events centered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Sunday Morning Worship at GA is the largest communal worship experience in our movement. For 2026, the service was led by Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryu, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, Oregon.
Born in Seoul and raised in Ohio, Rev. Ryu found Unitarian Universalism as a young adult and has spent her ministry weaving together depth, intellect, and a commitment to multigenerational community. She will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her ordination this year.
Tamara Murray will lead the service in person and on Facebook Live.
Greeters: Bert Green and Colin Peden
Pride in Community
This Sunday’s service, led by Melissa Rousseaux, honors Pride Month and celebrates the welcoming, inclusive spirit of our UU faith. Everyone is invited to show their support—rainbow accessories are warmly welcomed and encouraged.
Melissa Rousseaux will lead the service in person and on Facebook Live.
Greeters: Nina Helfert and Colin Peden
Reflections upon Our Fathers
This Sunday, Tamara Murray leads a Father’s Day service honoring the diverse experiences we hold around fatherhood—love, loss, gratitude, complexity, and growth. All are welcome to a space of reflection, compassion, and connection.
Worship Leader: Tamara Murray
Greeters: Nina Helfert and Colin Peden
"What Our Ancestors Know: Juneteenth Musings"
Join us this Sunday as Heather Moller will explore themes of heritage, inheritance, and seeds of freedom in her message titled "What Our Ancestors Know: Juneteenth Musings."
She invites us to consider how the stories we carry shape our understanding of liberation today, and how we might honor those who came before us by cultivating a more just future.
Worship Leader: Heather Moller
Greeters: Leslie Roussel and Julie Bosch
The Jedi Way
May the Force be with us this Sunday as Jasmine Kemp leads The Way of the Jedi, a thoughtful look at the mysticism of the Jedi Knights and the deeper spiritual currents running through George Lucas’ Star Wars saga.
This service reflects on the Jedi path as a discipline of inner stillness, compassion, and attunement to the living Force. We will explore how Jedi practices can illuminate our own spiritual journeys.
Worship Leader: Jasmine Kemp
Greeters: Rita and Steve Storey
Brunch and Banter
“Come One, Come All!” Our quarterly “Brunch & Banter” service is on Sunday, May 31st. Bring your favorite dish, (or as they say on ‘Beat Bobby Flay,’ your signature dish) to share with your UU friends and family.
Food and cooking are such a part of our region’s culture, and is a way we show love and care for others. So, please bring a copy of the recipe for your dish, along with a story about it and what it means to you. It can be a few short sentences or a paragraph.
This will be the final push to get more recipes for the new edition of our NSUU cookbook, which is planned to be completed over the summer and ready next fall. So, don’t be shy, bring your best, and share the love on Sunday, May 31st!
Worship Leader: Angie Hoffpauir
Greeters: Bert Green and Nina Helfert
Memorial Day Service
Ashley Roe will lead the service this week in honor of those whose lives were lost while serving in the United States Armed Forces. She has collected stories, readings, poems, and reflections on military service and will share both the joyful and the bittersweet. Please join us as we celebrate those who made the ultimate sacrafice for their country.
Worship Leader: Ashley Roe
Greeters: Barry Lee and Julie Bosch
Religious Exploration Service
The RE kids are taking over worship this Sunday! They have spent the past month preparing and they will be running the entire service.
It's going to be a treat, so don't miss it!
Worship Leader: The RE Students
Greeters: Judy Rushton and Jude Selva
Flower Communion
This Sunday we celebrate our annual Flower Communion, a Unitarian Universalist ritual honoring the beauty of community and the uniqueness each person brings.
Everyone is invited to bring a flower—a symbol of your own individuality—to add to our shared bouquet. During the service, we will each take home a different flower, a reminder of how we are enriched by one another.
This tradition, first created in 1923 by Czech Unitarian minister Norbert Čapek, has become a beloved UU practice symbolizing diversity, connection, and the strength we find in community.
Worship Leader: Tamara Murray
Greeters: Rita and Steve Storey
Lessons from Blackberries
Join us for a ritual‑centered celebration of Beltane, the ancient Gaelic festival that marks the start of summer, honoring fire, creativity, and the earth in full bloom. We’ll explore how this tradition speaks to our own Louisiana season of heat, flowers, and early harvests.
Our sermon from Katherine Drew‑Jones is “Lessons from Blackberries,” reflecting on patience, perspective, and the interdependent web of life.
Come celebrate the turning of the season with ritual, story, and community.
Worship Leader: Erica Merchant-Lee
Greeters: Barry Lee and Colin Peden