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Sermons

This is a full list of sermons presented at UUCCSM since mid-1999. Links to sermon texts are included when made available by their authors. Audio recordings are also available for most sermons presented after September, 2007 by our staff ministers and others directly affiliated with our church (just click the speaker icon next to each sermon where it's available*). Audio from guest speakers is posted only when we have their permission to share it.

Hard copies of sermons by Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae are available in the church office. Contact office assistant Sibylla Nash at office@uusm.org if you have a request.

"Leaving Room for Hope: Sermons for Uncertain Times," a book of Minister Emerita Judith Meyer's sermons, is available here.

**Please Note: Video recordings are available for sermons with a small TV icon showing at the bottom of the sermon listing. Just click the icon to watch the service.**

Our Divine Covenants
Monthly Theme: Attention
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae

We live in a world of covenants—both temporal and divine. Some are not honored, while others stand the great test of time. These sacred agreements are central to liberal religious identity and the promises we make to each other.  How might covenant help us to navigate a world of so much brokenness and invite new possibilities for restoration, healing, and wholeness?

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Livin' on a Prayer
Monthly Theme: Attention
Liz Murphy
Prayer is synonymous with religious communities.  But how might we, as UUs of many different beliefs, connect with prayer in our own lives and in our congregations?  Looking to the natural world as our guide, this sermon will investigate how prayer, in its many forms, can be a transformative practice of paying attention in our daily lives.
 
Liz Murphy is the Intern Minister at Throop Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena.
Dia de Los Muertos
Monthly Theme: Attention
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, Vilma Ortiz, Leon Henderson-MacLennan
"Our annual Day of Dead Service is a time to commune with the memories and spirits of our beloved dead. This is a time to celebrate the impact of their lives upon us and to reflect upon what it means to honor death in the cycle of life.  Following this service, we will have a brief service in the Garden of Eternity to remember those memorialized there. All are welcome. Please note Daylight Savings ends this morning.           
 
In Memoria: Garden of Eternity Service
November 3, 2019, 11:30am-12:00pm
 
We will gather in the Garden of Eternity following our Día de Los Muertos service to remember our beloved dead and honor the new names that are being added to this sacred space of our beloved community.  All are welcome to this brief service of reflection and memory.
Through Endless Seasons
Monthly Theme: Belonging
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae

This is UUSM Music Program’s music of remembrance service offering. It will feature British composer Will Todd’s Footprints Choral Suite, as well as other music selections. Footprints was inspired by Mary Stevenson’s poem Footprints in the Sand. Though the original poem has a clear Christian tone, the choral suite draws on the more universal elements of friendship, responsibility, and reaching out, especially in a time of loss and grief.

Note: No audio recording is available for this service.

 

Called to Belong
Monthly Theme: Belonging
Aubrey Sassoon
Are there places you know you just belong? Places you don’t need to explain or qualify your being there, or being with those people. Each of these might feel like a home of sorts, but for many people the very places and people they don’t feel like they belong to can be intrusive and traumatic, leaving a feeling that affects even the places they should feel safest. Come worship the inherent worth and dignity of all, to belong.
Blessing of the Animals
Monthly Theme: Belonging
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
"Our 7th Unitarian Universalist Principle is: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This service we will celebrate our animal companions with a special service of blessing as we consider our roles in the interdependent web of life. This will be a multigenerational service and you are invited to bring your animal companions to the service with you this morning.
 
Please bring your pet in the safest way possible -- for them to feel safe as well as for the other animals around them.  If coming to church is not your pet's idea of comfort and reassurance, bring a toy they like to play with and a picture of them so that they can be blessed in the same way they provide a blessing to you." Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae Cassie Winters

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Awakening: The High Holy Days (Sept. 30-Oct.9) Adonai Roi
Monthly Theme: Belonging
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae

Jewish tradition honors the sanctity of this time as the begining of the New Year, the period of judgement, and the Day of Atonement. Join us as we reflect upon the High Holy Days of this tradition and find their relevance to our lives and the world.   

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A Boundless Light
Monthly Theme: Expectation
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 a.m.
 
In studying religion, one discovers a multitude of theologies, doctrines, and dogmas that have profoundly impacted humanity. At times, they’ve been the sources of schisms and bloodshed. At other times, they’ve spread love and justice in the world. This Sunday, we will consider a liberal religious doctrine that stands out as one of the most important and controversial theological doctrines ever articulated.

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Ingathering Water Communion
Monthly Theme: Expectation
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
One service at 10:00 a.m.  (note:  fall return to two services has been postponed; new date for resumption of fall schedule is TBD) 
 
Enter, Rejoice, and Come In!We gather again in love, as we return to offering two services each Sunday.Bring a small container of water from your travels or from home to mingle in a communion bowl.

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Now What Do I Say?
Monthly Theme: Expectation
Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
One service at 10:00 a.m.  (note:  fall return to two services has been postponed; new date for resumption of fall schedule is TBD) 
 
The power of personal narrative is that it provides opportunities to bond and create community. Working in community with a diverse group of people means that all present will be in a richer, more fertile environment. How do we do that? Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating empathy, facilitating healing, and inspiring action.  Sometimes before we tell our stories we have to remove foot from mouth, back track, rewind, apologize, or simply take our chins off the floor.  This morning we will start a conversation about how to do that with some grace.
 
 The Rev. Kikanza Nuri Robins is a trans-traditional spiritual leader who works with groups from many faith traditions. She is an author, a consultant to mission driven organizations, and a member of our beloved community.
 
 Dozens of our members are at de Benneville Pines weekend – and holding a service this morning at our mountain camp.

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