Archives: Services

Looking Outward Together

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As we begin this month focused on “Growing Together in Faith”, we reflect on the words of French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” Carol Flanagan and Paul Chavez, married for nearly three decades, will speak of the evolving place of faith in their personal history and the place faith inhabits in their lives today. First drawn together by a passion for art, a common history of childhood Catholicism, and a deep interest in Buddhism, they share their journey to make meaningful lives through creative action and experiences.

Intergenerational Justice: Does Any Vision Matter More?

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It’s not just immoral; it is evil to irreparably harm the future for short-term personal or institutional gain. Yet we have a global economic system supported by governments everywhere ensuring that it’s not only legal to condemn posterity, it’s highly profitable. What most people don’t realize, however, is that this is precisely what history teaches us. When religion fails, economics becomes demonic. What else to call a system that rewards the few at the expense of the many, measure progress by how fast we can turn the biosphere into pollution, and forces virtually all of us to betray the future just by pursuing the so-called ‘good life’. Only ‘ecology as theology’ can save us now.

Many Paths, One Vision?

Mahatma Gandhi said: “Belief in one God is the cornerstone of all religions so it is toward this one God that all religious people are climbing.” The 2015 Parliament of World Religions brought together over 10,000 people from all over the world in Salt Lake City to share practices, social justice calls and a multi-cultural vision of faith. It was a giant experiment in seeing whether all these diverse religious paths really shared one vision. This service will explore this multiplicity of paths and whether there really is one vision.

Carpe Diem!

This life is a beautiful gift. None of us know how long we will get to enjoy it. It is the finite nature of life that makes it so precious. Yet many of us live as though we have forever. We can forget that each year of life is not a given. Carpe Diem encourages us to seize the day, to live with intention and make the most of every precious day we have here on this earth. Join us to live fully now.

2020 Vision – YRUU

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We begin our month focused on “Growing Together in Vision”, with our satire-loving teens leading a service with their vision for the future. Our young people just might have a way of keeping our sights on a bright future, despite trying times for many. Please join us as YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) present their Survival Guide for 2020 vision.

Compassionate Living

Compassion is love in action. Writer and theologian, Karen Armstrong, believes that only compassion will save our planet. Only through growing our compassion, she insists, will we not destroy one another and our planet. This service will explore ways to nurture our compassion personally and throughout the world. It will invite us to be the change we wish to see in the world.

Unconditional Kindness

Timber Hawkeye is the bestselling author of Buddhist Boot Camp and Faithfully Religionless. He offers a secular and non-sectarian approach to being at peace with the world (both within and around us), with the intention to awaken, enlighten, enrich and inspire.

30 Days of Love

The Unitarian Universalist Campaign for “30 Days of Love” kicked off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16. Our actions for love as a community began that day too and show no signs of slowing. During the last month we have participated in marches, interfaith movements and service projects, standing on the side of love for the world we want. Join us for this service to be inspired to witness for UU values and learn the joy of resistance and the tools for resilience.

Guided by the Heart

As we begin our month focusing on love, we explore what it means to let our lives be guided by our hearts. Can listening to our hearts connect us more deeply to our inner knowing? This service of poetry, music and meditation will draw on the wisdom of mystics and sages to teach us about living in connection with our heart’s guidance.

PKs, UUs and Evangelism!

After growing up the son of 2 Presbyterian ministers, Michael Guinn swore he’d never step foot in another church. Until he discovered Unitarian Universalism, that is. Now he’s an ardent UU evangelist, and travels as an itinerant speaker and singer to UU congregations throughout Southern California. And he’s also of course married to a minister – our own Rev Nica. Join us to hear Michael’s thoughts about the importance of sharing our faith.