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!

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

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 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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

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