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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.**

April 21, 2019
Easter Service: The Easter Exam
Monthly Theme: Wholeness
Rev. Greg Ward

One of the great things about Unitarian Universalists is the freedom we enjoy in choosing our own beliefs.  Having emerged in the religious world as people who were persecuted for not automatically aligning with the orthodoxy, we've assumed a certain pride in bucking the religious trends.  And, although a great many UUs may not use the religious descriptor, "Christian" to describe themselves, there is a certain glee ALL UUs find in Easter that comes from watching the minister attempt the impossible task of explaining Easter to a crowded room of people who don't agree.  But the conundrum of Easter is larger than one minister, or all UUs - even larger than Christianity. 

Note: An audio recording is available for this service. Please click the audio player icon below to listen. If you do not see the audio speaker icon below, please click the small lock-shaped icon next to the page's URL in your address bar, and in the drop-down menu that pops up, make sure "Flash" is set to "Allow." Then re-load the page, and you should be able to see the audio player. Sorry for any inconvenience - we are working to fix this issue.

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April 14, 2019
Do Not Pass Me By (Passover Service)
Monthly Theme: Wholeness
Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
The Jewish holy week of Passover is a commemoration of deliverance and liberation.  The Passover seder is a ceremony eaten with a special meal where the stories of that first liberation are remembered.  Passover holds meaning for each of us as we reflect on our personal liberation stories.  What kind of bondage impedes your wholeness?  Physical?  Psychological?  Social?  What do you need to free yourself?  What might you do to support the liberation of others?  Join us as we remember, reflect and renew."
 
Note: No audio recording is available for this service.
April 7, 2019
Belum
Monthly Theme: Wholeness
Rev. Greg Ward

Greek philosopher Heraclitus once talked about our quest for stabilty and permanence and the pain that's inevitable in a world that never stops unfolding and evolving. He said, 'The only thing constant in this world is change.' Buddhists have a similar take, citing 'impermanance' as a more accurate descriptor of what we often call 'reality.'  This is what led them to the third noble truth which describes suffering as brought about by attachment to the way things are.  Before we can get to this month's theme of wholness, we have to learn to accept change. “Belum,” by the way, is an Indonesian word which means “Not Quite Yet” — as in, “not quite finished.”

Note: No audio recording is available for this service.

March 31, 2019
From There to Here
Monthly Theme: Journey
Robin Stillwater
Unitarian Universalists tend to avoid talking about money, but we have spent the last few weeks doing just that. This sermon looks at other congregations and how they worked through conflict and money, providing both hope and a warning. This journey we are on is important to continue being committed to. Our work is not yet over.
 
Note: An audio recording is available for this service. Please click the audio player icon below to listen. If you do not see the audio speaker icon below, please click the small lock-shaped icon next to the page's URL in your address bar, and in the drop-down menu that pops up, make sure "Flash" is set to "Allow." Then re-load the page, and you should be able to see the audio player. Sorry for any inconvenience - we are working to fix this issue.
 
 
 

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March 24, 2019
YRUU Service: "All Life is a Journey"
Monthly Theme: Journey
Kathleen Hogue and RE Youth

Come and hear about our Young Religious UUs’ stories of our lives and our faith journeys in our Religious Exploration program. We will explore the roads we have taken and where our journeys may be leading us.

Note:  No audio recording is available for this service.

March 17, 2019
The Spiritual Child
Monthly Theme: Journey
Rev. Judy Tomlinson

Scientific research has shown that we are hardwired for spirituality. Our children are at the beginning of their spiritual journeys. How do we nurture and support them? A service based on "The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving" by Lisa Miller, PhD

We are happy to welcome back the Rev. Judy Tomlinson, who served as our DRE from 1991-2000. While working here she completed her Bachelor’s degree at CSULB in Human Development and Women’s Studies and then her M.Div. at Claremont School of Theology. She was ordained in May 2001 by the UU Congregation of Montclair, NJ, where she served from 2000 to 2017, first as Minister of Religious Education and then as Associate Minister. In 2017 she returned to Southern California and currently serves as DRE at Orange Coast UU Church in Costa Mesa.
 
Note: No audio recording is available for this service.
March 10, 2019
Beatles (Music) Service
Monthly Theme: Journey
Saunder Choi
NOTE:  Daylight Savings Time begins - SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD!
 
Music is a tool that aids in community-building. In this service, our Music Department explores the community and connections that have been built by the music of the Beatles. The Choir is singing at both 9:00 and 11:00! It’s Bring a Friend Sunday. 
 
Note: An audio recording is available for this service. Please click the audio player icon below to listen. If you do not see the audio speaker icon below, please click the small lock-shaped icon next to the page's URL in your address bar, and in the drop-down menu that pops up, make sure "Flash" is set to "Allow." Then re-load the page, and you should be able to see the audio player. Sorry for any inconvenience - we are working to fix this issue.
 

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March 3, 2019
Five Dollars is Five Dollars
Monthly Theme: Journey
Rev. Greg Ward
As a young boy, I grew up in a family with a complicated and confusing relationship to money. We didn't have any. My siblings and I watched as our parents worked multiple jobs to help us get by. But that just cost us in different ways. Money – and conversations about it – brought up feelings of tension, anxiety, despair, and even anger. But there was one moment that cut through everything and spoke volumes about what we felt was missing:  our value, our worth, and our future. On our Stewardship Kickoff we will talk about the antidote to shame and guilt regarding money. And we’ll have a New Member Ceremony.

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February 24, 2019
Curiosity as a Spiritual Practice
Monthly Theme: Trust
Rev. Dana Worsnop

In our culture we are quick to leap to conclusions and make assumptions about other people and their beliefs. We all might be better served by adopting a practice of starting with curiosity. A pithy dictum: Be curious, not furious. How might such a practice change how you move through the world?

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February 17, 2019
A Padded Room
Monthly Theme: Trust
Robin Stillwater
A sermon on racism by a white person for white people.  **Trigger Warning/Content Warning**

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