Exodus Moments
In a season of immense change, we turn to one of the classic stories of transition: Exodus. It’s a story of freedom, of fear, of an upside-down world… sound familiar? We re-examine this story — which is one of our 7 UU sources — to glean wisdom, hope, and strength. These days are full of “Exodus Moments” — how might we respond to these thresholds with connection to community, with compassionate love, with a conviction for justice?
Banana!
Direct communication is hard, especially for those of us who are a bit conflict-avoidant. But can we build community without it? And what does this have to do with bananas?
Surviving the New Normal
What are the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges as we emerge from the pandemic, and look at the opportunities for spiritual growth?
Love Right Through
When conflict arises in our lives, our human tendency is to fight, flee or freeze. While these reactions are understandable, they limit what is possible and go against our Unitarian Universalist values. This morning, we will explore what it means to face our challenges with love and compassion for ourselves, for those near us, and even for our adversaries.
We Hold These Truths
What does the best friend of Rev. Rica’s grandfather have to do with the 4th of July, and how can this help us to love this country even better? Find out in this sermon.
Living Over the Rainbow
Roz Esposito, guest speaker and guest musician shares about the extensive work she’s done around the story of Lawrence/Letisha King, a 15-year-old non-binary student who was shot during class in Oxnard in 2008. The story touched Roz so deeply that she felt an imperative to keep this story in our collective memory. She created an amazing musical called “Living Over the Rainbow” that now has several major producers and is making its way to Broadway stages.
Sermon: The Importance of Play
What does play look like as an adult? How can we give up our sense of guilt for not doing anything “productive?” On this fun filled day, we also honored Rev. Judy’s retirement.
Flower Communion and Bridging
This service is the Unitarian Universalist multi-generational tradition of “Flower Communion.” If you are new to Unitarian Universalism, it’s a lovely tradition about embracing our diversity of thought and person by building a bouquet of flowers, with each person bringing a flower to add to the bouquet. We also lift up the bridging of our youth to adulthood this day.
The Root Causes of Addiction
Beth Syverson shared her own journey with addiction, plus her son Joey and others from the church shared their stories as well. Beth helped us ponder the root causes of addiction, and suggested ways we as a community can help those who are affected by its pull. Their stories are full of hope for those suffering.
Widening the Circle
OCUUC has been highly successful this last year – in not just maintaining, but in thriving. We did this because we didn’t stop to bemoan our situation, but dug in and embraced the changes that needed to happen at the beginning of the pandemic. Success isn’t about having the most money or the biggest church. Success can be measure by how well we deal with change and embrace new information.
Sermon: Who Tells Your Story?
Rev. Sian Wiltshire gives examples of story, and we’re encouraged to share our stories.
Multi-Church Service 2.0
OCUUC and our sibling churches in Orange County celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of our faith tradition! Various ministers, including Rev. Sian, speaking.