Joy is medicine to our hearts and minds. But how do we find joy even when life is challenging? Today we explore the pathways to joy during this midwinter time. Join us this Sunday as we honor the Winter Solstice and explore bringing the light of joy into our midst.
“Joy & Woe are woven fine / A Clothing for the soul divine / Under every grief & pine / Runs a joy with silken twine.” So wrote the English poet, William Blake. His words call to mind the Book of Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under … Continue reading For Everything There is a Season
This will be a hybrid service, held both on-line via Zoom and with limited in-person attendance by RSVP only. Today we begin our celebration of the holiday season by honoring joy as celebrated in the UU tradition of Chalica, the Jewish holiday of Hannukah, the Christian Christmas, African American Kwanzaa and the Pagan Winter Solstice. … Continue reading The Joy of the Season
As children, we are taught a very simplistic version of the origin of Thanksgiving. We make Pilgrim hats out of construction paper, and pretend that the Indian headdresses we construct are representative of all Indians. Yet the truth of the holiday is much more complicated than we are led to believe. How can we reconcile … Continue reading Paper Pilgrims and Indian Feathers
Thanksgiving reminds us to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. But what if we don’t feel grateful? With the ongoing pandemic and the many stresses facing our lives, how do we cultivate gratitude when we don’t necessarily feel grateful. Today, we will be celebrating our annual harvest bread ritual in a walk through ceremony immediately after the service for anyone who wishes to join us in person. We will also be opening this service to 30 masked and vaccinated people interested in attending in person. Please RSVP.
Moving together through these challenging times, we find ourselves confronted by loss in so many dimensions. What might be there for us? Do we hold on or let go? UCLA Oncology Chaplain and popular guest speaker, Michael Eselun will share reflections on these questions.
Contemporary western culture doesn’t honor or respect aging. In our appearance and health obsessed society, older people are often written off as declining, deficient, or disposable. Yet, as we age, most of us become wiser, happier and emerge into a new sense of wholeness. Today, we explore how we might reframe aging and society’s messages, to become something we celebrate and value.
To celebrate All Souls, All Saints, Dia de Los Muertos and Samhain, today we deepen our relationship with our ancestors. Join us for our annual tradition in which we share photos of our deceased loved ones and other ancestors we wish to honor. Anahi Quiroz will share wisdom from her culture and join Rev Nica … Continue reading Deepening Relationship to our Ancestors
Guest speaker Allison Hess, of the UU@UN connects the dots between food equity, sustainability and climate justice.
We all eat to survive. Yet, what we eat might actually be killing us. How we eat can be influenced by our culture, our religious beliefs, our health needs, our upbringing or our preferences. But how many of us consciously choose what we eat to maximize our health and well-being, as well as our planet’s … Continue reading What to Eat? Cultivating Right Relationship with our Food
