Come, Come, Whoever You Are! - Stewardship Sunday
Monthly Theme: Awakening
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
Beloved Community, faith, and generosity are among the traditional themes of the holy month of Ramazan in the Islamic tradition. Join us for this special Stewardship Sunday as we reflect upon this sacred time and our commitments to the vitality and good works of our liberal religious community.
The Poetry of Awakening
Monthly Theme: Awakening
Rima Snyder
With the arrival of spring and April, National Poetry Month, we celebrate poems that bring us to a sense of new awakening and resilience, and remind us of the importance of living in the moment. #poetry # spring #awakening #springpoetry #nationalpoetrymonth #livinginthemoment
#womenwhowrite
Conversations about the Mystery
Monthly Theme: Renewing Faith
Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
How do you describe your Faith? Is it enough to say, “I’m a UU?” Or do you need to specify the kind of Unitarian Universalist you are, citing perhaps, the religion or faith or belief system that informs your appreciation of Unitarian Universalism. During this season of polemic speech in our country, it becomes harder to share what you believe without becoming defensive or feeling you need to justify your position. This morning we will talk about how one can talk about the Mystery that some call God, and the energy that shapes other beliefs, in ways that are inclusive — calling people in to share their ideas, rather than calling them out or pushing them away.
“How Rare, How Lovely, This Fellowship”
Monthly Theme: Renewing Faith
Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels
The most important value for a religious community is the community. As a faith community, our fellowship is at the ground of all we receive for ourselves and offer to the larger world. When we begin to move other programs to the center of our shared identity, we begin to lose our unique purpose and strength.
We welcome back to our pulpit the Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels, who is a Unitarian Universalist minister working in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in Santa Monica, he received a Masters of Divinity from the Claremont School of Theology in 1998 and was ordained and fellowshipped with the Unitarian Universalist Association later that year. During his 24 years in the ministry, he has served UU congregations in La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, and Long Beach. Currently, he serves the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County in Bakersfield, CA. He lives with his husband in downtown Los Angeles.
A Lotus in Bloom
Monthly Theme: Renewing Faith
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
Thích Nhất Hạnh — the simple Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk and peace activist — has inspired the spiritual lives of countless people of all faith traditions. In January, he departed from our mortal coil and we offer this service in honor of his profound life and teachings. We hope you will join us for this special service.
Please also note: Daylight Savings Time begins today!
The Faith of Julian of Norwich
Monthly Theme: Renewing Faith
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
In the late 14th Century, Julian of Norwich experienced 16 mystical visions that she documented in a book that is believed to be the first written by a woman in the English language. “Revelations of Divine Love” is considered a masterpiece in Christian theology that was all but lost until modern times. Join us as we explore the life and visions of this great feminist and proto-Universalist religious leader. She, too, lived in a time of plague and found herself compelled to offer a hopeful message to society that is as relevant now as it was then.
Mahashivaratri: The Bhakti Poet-Saints
Monthly Theme: Widening the Circle
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
Mahashivaratri — “the Great Night of Shiva” in the Hindu tradition — has arrived once again! For the past two years we’ve honored this important Hindu festival with a special service. This year we will hear from the great devotional poet-saints and progressive reformers of this tradition. Join us for this holiday service marking the removal of ignorance and the sacred cosmic dance of creation and destruction.
Widening the Circles of Love
Monthly Theme: Widening the Circle
Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
As we journey through life, we surround ourselves and those we care about with circles of connections. Many of the circles intersect. Most of the circles change over time. Some of the circles shrink as you age and friends and family die. Given who you are and how you are in the world, do you have enough circles? Are your circles expansive enough? How is it possible to widen our circles — and is it really necessary?
Real Love
Monthly Theme: Widening the Circle
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
We side with love, we fight for it, and we live it. Our liberal religious faith calls us to put love into action. What exactly is it? What does religious wisdom have to teach us about it? Join us this Valentine’s Day Sunday as we consider real love.
Widening the Circle of Healing
Monthly Theme: Widening the Circle
Rev. Matthew Cockrum
What does it mean to expand our understandings of healing and how it occurs? How can our efforts to decolonize include our experiences and practices of medicine and end of life care?
The Rev. Matthew Cockrum (Honored Guest Minister) is a Unitarian Universalist minister currently serving as a hospice chaplain in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rev. Matthew has served in congregations and hospitals, has also worked as a yoga teacher, and has a private practice in spiritual direction and somatic companioning and healing. His interest has also recently been piqued by the use of entheogenic and plant medicines in healing and end of life care.
