UUCS Sunday Sermons

For many, philosophy refers to a body of ideas; ideas contained within various philosophical schools and traditions. Many think a good philosopher is one who can quote the great philosophers or can explain their teachings to others. For me, philosophy is about shaping one’s own mind to become a better thinker. It’s not about remembering, reciting, or lecturing. It’s about philosophizing. In this s...

Harvard professor Charles Darby Knock once said that “Religion is what people in community do, say, and think with respect to those things over which they have no control”. What are some of those things, the ones that challenge us most deeply? The story of Adam and Eve gives us a timely “Heads Up”! on this important question! Listen to the audio only of this sermon.

Sigmund Freud, the father of Psychoanalysis and modern psychology helped us understand that our actions and beliefs are often (perhaps more often than not) driven by unconscious forces. Today, almost everyone applies this awareness to their interpretation of events, although mostly to presume (often wrongly) the underlying motivations of others (seldom of themselves). In this sermon we’ll consider...

It’s already been four years since the extremely partisan US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, giving those claiming to be “pro” life what they’ve claimed to have wanted for decades. But when it comes to the care and concern of the living, they remain as mute as always. In this sermon we’ll expose this hypocrisy and consider what it truly means to be a lover of the living. Listen to the audio...

During a recent sermon, I rephrased Judaism’s Ten Commandments to better reflect their original meaning. In this sermon, I discuss my versions in more depth and explain why I believe it’s a more accurate translation than most. Listen to the audio only of this sermon.

Nowadays, most of us condemn the idea of racism, but how does it differ from nationalism when it is used as an excuse to terrorize, extort, bomb, displace, and kill people who live across the imaginary borders we’ve use to segregate the human race, the only race there is? Listen to the audio only of this sermon.

It’s 2026 and the U.S. President is fighting with the Pope and displaying pictures of himself dressed as Jesus. The Secretary of Defense (or is “of War”), recently asked every American to pray to Jesus on bended knee. What happened to the optimistic vision of a future without superstition that was envisioned by our forebears toward the end of the 19th century? In this sermon we’ll be honest about...

Last month a Gonzaga student visited UUCS as part of his theology course, assigned to learn more about us and report what he learned to his class. Deacon left the service with more questions than answers, as it ought to be. He then followed up with an email listing some of those questions. In this sermon I’ll share them with you, along with my responses. Listen to the audio only of this sermon.

We often begin our sentences with, “I think.” Yet too many of us ever mention “why” we think what we think. I think statements that are unsubstantiated with one’s reasons for thinking are pointless and would be better off not being stated at all. Why? Because there are no reasons given to accept something is true solely because somebody thinks it is. In this sermon we’ll consider the value of conj...

Join us as Gordon Diddons leads us through a special intergenerational service we are calling the Flower Celebration. In this beloved practice, everyone is invited to bring a flower if they can, and each person will return home with a different flower, symbolizing the unique gifts we each bring and the community we create together and celebrating our interconnectedness and community. This service...