Ragged Edges
Most of us would prefer tidiness over mess—a place for everything and everything in its place. Sadly, life seldom cooperates. Life is messy—perspectives and realities can collide at such inopportune times. Can we come to peace with mess? Even stand in awe before the jarring mess of life? Popular guest speaker and UCLA oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun will share some reflections with no answers at all. If you’d rather listen to just the sermon instead of watching the full worship…
Bound Up Together
After the Civil War, the women fighting for the vote faced a painful question: should they support an amendment giving Black men the ballot when women were still shut out? Four of our spiritual ancestors answered differently. All four were brave, but not all of them saw clearly. Two days before Election Day, we’ll explore the challenges of making room for everyone.
“Oops” is not the end of the Story
Penicillin was discovered because a scientist left his petri dishes out and mold got into them. The Post-it note began as a glue that didn’t stick very well. Some of life’s best gifts show up looking like mistakes. This Sunday we celebrate the wrong turns, failed plans, and “oops” moments that helped us grow, lead us somewhere better than we ever imagined and the courage to face our mistakes. On this day, you are invited to look very silly by…
Edge Walking
Edge walkers occupy a thin space and are by definition a bit lonely. Most people inhabit the vast spaces on both sides of edges. But those of us called to the thresholds-the edges between-live in this thin space and recognize one another when we meet. The edges between biosystems are called ecotones. These thresholds usually contain the most biodiversity and therefore are the most resilient.
Holy Data
What do a Victorian nurse with a gift for pie charts and the inventor of the World Wide Web have in common? More than you’d think! Florence Nightingale and Tim Berners-Lee both are our theological ancestors and used the tools of science in service of something sacred: healing, connection, and the common good. Come explore their stories as part of our monthly Unitarian Universalist History series.
Moral Courage
Robert Frost told us about the road less traveled. Nobody warned us about the road less applauded: the one where you speak up at dinner, cast the lonely vote, or say “that’s not okay” when everyone else is laughing. This Sunday we explore moral courage, why it’s so hard, why it matters so much right now, and how love gives us the backbone to walk the path that’s right, even when it isn’t popular.
Blessings in Hindsight: Reframing Regret
The sermon explores how we make meaning from failure, disappointment, and the choices we wish we could revisit. Drawing from my own experience with the rise and fall of a company I founded, and the period of reflection that followed, I look at regret not simply as something to overcome, but as a lens through which we can recognize growth, transformation, and even blessings that were difficult to see while we were living through them.
Shipwrecked and Reclaimed: Two Unlikely Beginnings
This week we begin a new sermon series exploring the lives of famous Unitarians and Universalists, starting with the two men often called the founders of our modern faith: William Ellery Channing and John Murray. Both arrived at their calling not through grand vision, but through grief, exhaustion, and circumstances neither of them chose. Join Rev. Sian as we explore what we can learn from them about starting over and starting out.
Water Ceremony: What We Water Grows
Every new church year begins with something small: a seed, a hope, an intention, a little bit of water. As we return from summer and gather again in community, we’ll reflect on what we want to nurture in ourselves, in one another, and in the world we are helping to create.
Craving Kindness
With the news punching us in the gut every day, many of us are craving kindness right now. But kindness isn’t always easy, especially when snark is so satisfying. Come explore how we might hold onto our Shared Values, and satisfy that craving.
“To Rome, with Love”
Have you heard the one where a group of Protestants and a Unitarian Universalist walk into the Vatican offices… Join Rev. KC for an exploration of how stories can transcend time, and what it might look like to “heal memory”.
Tightening the Weave of Community
Guest speaker Melanie DeMore talks and sings about the many ways we are connected.