December’s Theme is Hope. The theme packet can be found Hope.

December Sunday Platform Addresses

December 3 9:30am & 11:30am — “Should We Keep Hope Alive?” Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader. What does it mean to have hope in the world today? Is it a good idea–or even possible? Amanda will explore the interaction of lamentation, solidarity, and that elusive hope, drawing on the work of Miguel de la Torre and others. Music from the WES Chorus.

December 10, 11:30am & 4:30pm — Winter Festival. New to WES? Winter Festival is our December celebration: a multigenerational performance that incorporates music, an original play, and activities. WES members, both children and adults, act in the play, sing the music, and do everything else to make it a silly, fun, moving, sweet time. It’s kind of like our pageant, but instead of being focused on a particular winter holiday it’s centered around the values of Love, Hope, Peace, Joy, and Giving. And trust us, you won’t want to miss it. Join us for the 11:30 show followed by cocoa, cookies & crafts. Join us for the 4:30 show followed by cocoa, cookies & caroling.

December 17, 9:30am & 11:30am — “Getting Down and Dirty For Hope,” Chioma Iwuoha, Founder of Melanin Uprising Youth Collective. If the things you hoped for were to happen today, would you be ready? Hear from Chioma Iwuoha on how to get prepared to receive the things you hope to call forth in the world.

December 24, 10:30am — “Hope, Anyway,” Gayle Danley. Nationally award-winning poet Gayle Danley returns to WES for a special morning of poetry and music. Interweaving her own work with music from Bailey Whiteman and friends, Gayle will explore our theme of hope.

December 31, 10:30am — “One More Time Around the Sun” Zeb Green, Amanda Poppei, and Melissa Sinclair. Join us for a celebration of the year, and a look at what a circuit around the sun means for us in our personal lives…and on a cosmological level! We will travel through space and time, and make our own commitments to the universe we share. Music from singer/songwriter LEA.

Artist Statement

“Hope begins in the dark, it’s a stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work!”
Hope is seeing the light in the darkness, of having faith that you will come through the darkness into the light again.
When I was grieving for my husband, when I was in the pit of despair, I did not know how I would get there, but I knew that eventually I would cross over to the other side. I would survive and find some kind of joy again. My work would help me, other people would help me, and I would help myself.
This month’s quilt, Canyon Arch, shows light coming out of the darkness and represents hope to me. The image of light coming from within a canyon is a powerful one for me. The darkness is trying to hold me back, but I will survive.

-Donna Radner, WES’ 2017-2018 Theme Artist