Sian's Shenanigans

I know how it feels right now. The news cycle is relentless. The executive orders come faster than we can process them. News of war, bombs, violence. Some mornings it takes a little extra courage just to open your phone. I feel it too. But when I look around, I don’t feel despair. I feel the possibilities and hope. Last month, many of us from Orange Coast UU showed up for the No Kings protest — one of thousands happening…

There is a quiet spiritual practice at the heart of every healthy congregation: paying attention. In a world full of noise, attention is an act of care. When we slow down enough to truly notice, we see the person who is new and unsure, the long-time member carrying quiet responsibility, the child asking big questions, the neighbor searching for meaning. Paying attention is how love begins and how community deepens. As we reflect on what it means to Raise the…

How do you embody resilience when the world is falling apart? Right now, ICE is trying to destroy communities and families, our democracy is on the brink of tyranny, the government has armed thugs pulling people off the street without cause demanding papers to prove citizenship as if we lived in some dystopian novel – or 1940’s Germany. For those of us with compassionate hearts, it’s easy to let the despair overwhelm us, to feel helpless. And yet… and yet.…

When we hear the word resistance, we often imagine something dramatic – marches, megaphones, moments of public courage. And those forms of resistance matter deeply. But resistance is not only something we rise up into; it is something we practice, day by day, often quietly. Truth is a daily practice: It happens when we correct misinformation, gently and clearly without shaming; use people’s chosen names and pronouns, even when it’s often hard to remember; or name harm rather than trying…

Hope has always been a difficult to explain. But I think Victoria Safford has it right: The Gates of Hope by Victoria Safford Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of Hope—Not the prudent gates of Optimism,Which are somewhat narrower.Not the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense;Nor the strident gates of Self-Righteousness,Which creak on shrill and angry hinges(People cannot hear us there; they cannot pass through)Nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of“Everything is gonna’ be all right.”But a…

I have a confession: I sometimes struggle with gratitude as a spiritual practice. When life throws curveballs, it can feel impossible to feel thankful – and sometimes the idea of “practicing gratitude” feels like I’m being asked to ignore or deny what’s hard. Over time, I’ve learned a gentler way: what I call “Even Though Gratitude.” When I’m feeling low, I might say, “Even though I’m upset at the world, I am grateful for my church,” or “Even though my…

Did you know that compassion is actually a skill you can increase? While it is somewhat innate, it’s also something that we can cultivate. I learned this myself: Years ago, I wasn’t a very nice person. Not horrible, mind you, but I was so in my head, I had a hard time being empathetic or understanding. I was in graduate school, studying long hours, always trying to prove myself to my teachers and fellow students. One night, after studying late,…

I sometimes joke that I have a strange gift: I can tell the future. OK, maybe not exactly – but hear me out. Over the years, I’ve noticed that I sometimes get an intuitive sense about people and places, little nudges that point toward what’s ahead. For example, years ago a friend showed me a brochure for a place called Yes Bay Lodge in Alaska. I looked at it and thought, Someday, I’m going to be there. A year later,…

We are on the verge of a new era for our church! It’s very exciting. The new sanctuary is almost ready for us, with just the normal snafus of unanticipated inspector issues to get through. But what does this new era mean for our church? Most people want to see the church grow – and we certainly will have enough room for it! But growth brings its own challenges. New people to integrate and feel welcome into our community; new…

It seems the world is spinning faster these days. The news is relentless. Our calendars are full. The needs are urgent—from the cries for justice in our communities to the relentless tasks in our own households. We feel the pressure to do more, give more, be more. And yet, amid this whirlwind, I want to remind you of something both simple and profound: Rest is not a luxury. It is a sacred act. In times of turmoil, rest becomes not…

There is an old saying, “if you love someone, let them go.” Wendy, our Intern Minister, is leaving us this month, spreading her wings to pursue her vocation in ministry. It’s hard to let go of someone you care about, to let them pursue the next phase of their life. Our life is filled with many “letting gos.” We do it with our children as they graduate and go off to pursue their careers or college; we do it when…

Do you ever talk to your pets or plants as if they could understand you? Name your cars? Blame Gremlins for losing your keys or stealing your socks from the dryer? We humans are odd and whimsical creatures. We imagine all sorts of strange things and it’s that wonderful? And there are lots of reasons for it. For one, humans are storytelling creatures. We see faces in clouds, patterns in stars, and personalities in pets and objects. This isn’t just…