Schedule of Sermons
November 27, 2011
Getting Naked
Rev. David Owen-O’Quill will give a sermon at OCUUC on Sunday, November 27th entitled “Getting Naked.” In a moment of gratitude we’ll take stock of life and celebrate the gifts of the season.
David has been pastoring UU churches for over 10 years from Texas to Chicago, and has recently moved to Orange County. His ministry includes developing new churches as well as consulting congregations about mission development, worship, and outreach. He moved here with his better half, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill, who serves at the Tapestry UU congregation. Together, David and Jennifer have a too-cute-to-believe son named Daniel.
November 20, 2011
The Gifts of Gratitude, Part III
This Sunday Rev. Ed will continue with his series of sermons reflecting on gratitude and appreciation. The spirit of his remarks is reflected in the following quote from Brother David Steindl-Rast: “We are never more than one grateful thought away from peace of heart.”
November 13, 2011
The Gifts of Gratitude, Part II
My sermon this Sunday is entitled “The Gifts of Gratitude” part II. This is the second in a series about gratitude. During the month of November I will be exploring the subject of gratitude form various perspectives with the aim of encouraging all of us to see gratitude as a powerful force for good in our lives, families, friendship circles, congregation, and beyond. In this Sunday’s sermon I will share a lesson in gratitude my eldest daughter taught me, and share other stories which illuminate for me the challenges we face as we try to ‘be grateful’ as well as the benefits being grateful brings.
November 6, 2011
The Gifts of Gratitude
My sermon this Sunday is entitled “The Gifts of Gratitude.” I will explore the ways the intention to express gratitude –or the absence of doing so – affects our lives.
In the month of November I will explore the theme of gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness. Rather than just talk about gratitude, I would like to invite every member and friend of the church to experiment with the practice of appreciation- by engaging in an effort to express gratitude in their daily lives. This could take the form of expressing gratitude to family and friends. I will be talking further about this in my sermons this month.
Beginning the first Sunday in November, the first religious service will begin at 9:45 a.m., rather than 9:30.
And, don’t forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night for Daylight Savings.
I look forward to seeing you in church.
October 30, 2011
Forgiveness and Letting Go
This week’s service combines the whimsical and the serious as we enjoy a musical homage to Halloween while in my sermon we continue to press ahead on the October theme of reflections on the meaning and value of a covenant of healthy relations. We all have a tendency to hold on to the memory of events we have experienced as hurtful. Over a life time it is possible to accumulate quite a number of such experiences. But this human tendency can create unnecessary burdens for us and have many negative ramifications. This Sunday I wish to tell stories about two different people, one who could not forgive and one who was able to embrace forgiveness and the very different consequences which flowed from each of these actions. After the second service, the congregation will have an important meeting to discuss its own covenant of healthy relationships. I hope everyone can participate. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
October 23, 2011
Change and Other Dangerous Church Activities
Join Rev. David Owen-O’Quill who will give a sermon entitled, “Change and Other Dangerous Church Activities.”
David has been pastoring UU churches for over 10 years from Texas to Chicago, and has recently moved to Orange County. His ministry includes developing new churches as well as consulting congregations about mission development, worship, and outreach. He moved here with his better half, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill, who serves at the Tapestry UU congregation. Together, David and Jennifer have a too-cute-to-believe son named Daniel.
October 16, 2011
Building Community Through Awareness of Our Common Needs
Rev. Ed will give a sermon entitled, “Building Community Through Awareness of Our Common Needs”
There are many ways people create walls to put between one another. Awareness of our basic human needs is one way to dissolve those walls. One of the greatest ways of developing deeper bonds of community is by keeping the universal human needs –such as our needs for respect, dignity, and compassion – at the forefront of minds in our relationships with others. It is a very simple notion with far reaching results. Sunday I will share some experiences that helped to make me aware of the wisdom of letting our words and deeds be guided by understanding that our own deepest needs are shared by all we encounter in our daily lives.
October 9, 2011
Being FAIR, California education under attack
As people of faith, we are called to speak on behalf of those around us whose voices have been silenced. Conservative extremists are once again attempting to silence marginalized people in California. This time they are waging war in our California schools by attempting to exclude and silence the stories of people with disabilities, LGBT people, and other cultural minority groups. Join AJ Blackwood to find out how you can become a model for our youth by speaking out.
Read more about SB 48 FAIR Education Act.
Bill Number: SB 48
The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act would amend the Education Code to include social sciences instruction on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This bill would also prohibit discriminatory instruction and discriminatory materials from being adopted by the State Board of Education.
Status: Introduced on December 13, 2010. Passed by the Senate Education Committee on March 23, 2011 on a 6-3 vote. Passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 4, 2011 on a 3-2 vote. Passed by the California Senate 23-14 on April 14, 2011. Passed by the Assembly Committee on Education on June 28, 2011, on a 6-2 vote, and by the full Assembly on July 6, 2011 on a 49-25 vote. Signed by the Governor on July 14, 2011.
October 2, 2011
The Importance of Covenants
In this sermon, Rev. Brock will explore the importance of principles in sustaining peace and harmony in any relationship system, whether that is a family, couple, congregation or group of any kind. His remarks come out of his decades of experience in working with congregations and families.
From your Interim Minister, Rev. Brock:
This Sunday there will be a few minor changes to the order of service. Among these will be that the joys and concerns will be handled in the first service as they have been in the second service; so if you have a joy or concern you wish to share with the congregation during the service, please contact our Worship Associate, Katherine Martin (kateloum
gmail
com) .
My sermon this week will be about the importance of covenants for church communities. Soon I will be sharing a draft of a “Covenant of Healthy Relationships” with the congregation that will be discussed by members and friends of the congregation and, hopefully at some point – perhaps the last Sunday of this month – be voted on and approved by the congregation. During the month of October, I will, in a variety of ways, be discussing the meaning, uses, and significance of congregations having common principles, widely and deeply affirmed by all, to guide our behavior, words, and deeds.
I look forward to walking with you on your journey of creating your future.
September 25, 2011
Letters Home From Camp
Join Jason Cook as he shares his thoughts on what it means for us as a congregation to practice our principles when it comes to our youth.
September 18, 2011
What Are Congregations For?
Rev. Ed Brock has developed the opinion that congregations serve certain fundamental human needs and that congregations are “healthy” and “thriving” when they are doing this well and “unhealthy” and remain in a “stuck” position when they get off track. In this sermon, he will explore this notion and how it guides his work as an interim minister.
September 11, 2011
What I Have Learned About Congregations
In this sermon, Rev. Ed Brock will talk about the evolution of his experience with, and understanding of, congregations, which has led him to how he understands and “works with” congregations today.
September 4, 2011
A Spiritual Journey
In this sermon, Rev. Ed Brock will give an overview of his background and history as a way of introducing himself as OCUUC’s new interim minister.
August 28, 2011
Dear Unitarians
Ever wonder what the Almighty might be thinking about? What thoughts might be of concern to Unitarians? Come join Keith Jenkins as we explore in a service entitled, “Dear Unitarians”.
PS – If you missed this sermon, you may download a copy of it and read it by clicking here. Thanks, Keith!
August 21, 2011
Talk, Listen, Act & Reflect
AJ Blackwood, MDiv offers the question: What does it mean to engage in interfaith dialogue and action in our local communities? Sometimes interfaith work is easy, while other times it can be very frustrating. We will explore what it means to engage in interfaith dialogue and action in a manner that is welcoming and inclusive.
August 14, 2011
Rainbow and Tornado
Join Eileen Maurer as she explores the ways that the laws of physics and metaphysics govern the sacred properties of energy and balance in our spiritual lives.
August 7, 2011
Faithful Fools: Standing on the Side of Love for the Homeless
OCUUC Youth and Advisers
Our OCUUC high school youth, Director of Religious Education Rayna Hamre, and Youth Adviser Merrie Lee Wooten will report on the the Faithful Fools Street Retreat to San Francisco and explore the issue of homelessness. This will be a head and heart service, informative and our way of thanking the congregation for their support of this important project.
July 31, 2011
An Arresting Development
Lee Marie Sanchez will recount the events leading up to and during the civil disobedience protests of Arizona SB1070 in July 2010 in Phoenix.
“56 Hours in Phoenix,” a documentary about the protests which premiered at UU General Assembly in Phoenix, will follow the service in either Gillan 3 or the Social Hall.
July 24, 2011
Flower Communion
Feel free to bring flowers from your garden and join us in celebrating this beloved Unitarian Universalist tradition. Jason Cook will be sharing a surprising perspective on the story of Norbert Capek.
July 17, 2011
It Could Be Worse
Well-received guest speaker and oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun will explore the different dimensions and implications of a coping strategy we all use– the notion that, “It could be worse.” What does it say about our view of our own suffering and the suffering of others?
July 3, 2011
Resurrecting the Healing Mind: Healing Ourselves, Healing the World
Today we kick off our Summer schedule – one service time, beginning at 10:30 am.
Join Summer Albayati-Krikeche, MA, MDiv on a journey of self-discovery as we explore aspects of healing from around the world. We will look at what healing is for a Unitarian Universalist, how we might do it, and why it is possibly the most crucial concept for us to understand. You won’t want to miss this one. You just might discover the healing mind within you! Are you ready for this?
June 26, 2011
Moments of Transcendence
Young Adult Service “Moments of Transcendence:” OCUUC’s Young Adults invite you to share in this inspirational service. They will share moments in their lives that uplift them, and connect them to their spirituality or humanity.
Musicians from within the Young Adults group will perform songs that have inspired them.
June 19, 2011
A Song of Experience
Karen completes her ministry with us by sharing the sermon that she first preached for the search committee more than 13 years ago. She believes that it sums up the meaning of her ministry. Don’t miss this chance to hear what Karen describes as “the best sermon she’s ever given!”
June 12, 2011
Five Last Words
In her penultimate sermon Karen will leave us with a recipe for living well, summed up in five important words. She will be supported by the worship associates who will each share with you one of the words and their importance for our lives. We will honor those joining the 25 year club as part of this service.
June 5, 2011
The Possibility of Parallel Universes
On the book jacket for Brian Greene’s newest book, The Hidden Reality, it says “there was a time when ‘universe’ meant all there is. Yet in recent years, discoveries in physics and cosmology have led a number of scientists to conclude that our universe may be one among many.” From this striking possibility we will explore what that might mean to us and what new possibilities it opens for us as we create and live by our own theologies as Unitarian Universalists.
