Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church (OCUUC) Podcast

The Gifts of Buddhism. At the heart of Buddhism is the desire to alleviate suffering. This service reflects on gifts of Buddhism and its practices has deepened our capacity for and understanding of compassion, resilience and liberation. -Rev. Sian Wiltshire Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Level Up! Becoming Who We’re Called to Be. The turning of the year offers more than a fresh calendar—it offers a chance to become more fully ourselves. Join us as we explore how growth, connection, and shared purpose can shape the next chapter for you, for OCUUC, and for our wider community. -Rev. Sian Wiltshire Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Fire Communion: Like a Phoenix Rising. As we look to the New Year, the Phoenix is top of mind. That legendary bird who rises up from the ashes of its predecessor. The Phoenix is a powerful symbol of rebirth, renewal, transformation, and resilience. We will explore personal and global examples and how this symbol connects with our own lives. The service will include a fire ceremony where we burn aw...

Winter Solstice: The Winter Solstice is obviously the time that marks the darkest point of our journey around the sun and begins the journey back to light. Marking this moment is among the oldest of religious acts. Today as we observe this darkest time of year, we ask what lessons the Winter Solstice can offer us emotionally. On Sunday we will engage the question, how can this be a period of quiet...

Jesus Called - He Wants His Religion Back: In this service, we'll explore how Christianity has been co-opted by modern Christian Nationalism - and how voices like Unitarian Julia Ward Howe remind us that faith was never meant to be a weapon of domination, but a force for justice, compassion, and courageous transformation. -Rev. Sian Wiltshire Due to an unexpected technical issue, this service was...

The Gifts of Judaism: Continuing our monthly look at world religions and in honor of Hannukah, let’s look at the gifts of Judaism this holiday season. -Rev. Sian Wiltshire Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

The Holy Rebellion of Advent: Advent, the Christian holiday of preparation, begins this week, but it is not for shopping, but of awakening. Advent calls us to a gentle kind of revolution - to imagine systems built on care instead of control, and belonging instead of fear. Before the light of celebration comes the courage to dream of justice. -Rev. Sian Wiltshire Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: ht...

The Risks and Rewards of Gratitude : Kellie Kinsman, Intern Minister shares the risks and rewards of gratitude. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

The George Bailey Effect: What if gratitude isn’t about counting our blessings - but imagining life without them? We explore how reflecting on the absence of what we cherish can awaken a deeper, more enduring sense of appreciation for the lives we already have. - Rev. Sian Wiltshire Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Gifts of Confucianism: Confucianism offers the world timeless wisdom about living in harmony — with ourselves, our families, and our communities. It teaches that a just and peaceful society begins with moral integrity, respect, and education, and that true leadership flows from character rather than power. At its heart, Confucianism invites us to cultivate virtue in everyday life so that harmony m...

Animal Blessing: On this Sunday, bring your furry and feathered friends (or a picture of them) and we will bless them in Unitarian Universalist fashion! This is a multigenerational service with Rev. Sian Wiltshire. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Cultivating Compassion: Growing the Compassion that forms our Unitarian Universalist Values. Let’s consider how we practice compassion among strangers, within our own community, and as self-care. -Kellie Kinsman, Intern Minister Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Gifts of Hinduism: Noting that Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights begins on Oct. 20th, and continuing our monthly sermon series on the gifts of various religions, today we look at the gifts of Hinduism to the world. - Rev. Sian Wiltshire Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Being the Calm: When life feels like a tempest, how do we keep ourselves centered and grounded? What do we hold on to? In this day and age, we all need to find our center. - Rev. Sian Wiltshire  Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Free Speech, Brave Listening. We often think of freedom of speech as the right to say whatever is on our minds. But true freedom of speech is incomplete without the courage to listen — to hear words that challenge us, to receive voices long silenced, and to respond with compassion. This Sunday, we reflect on how free speech and listening together create the possibility of a more compassionate worl...

Please Remind Me Who I Am or How the Heck Did I Get Here: Who am I? I ask myself that every day. How did I - how did we - end up here, in these UU spaces? Remembering my journey grounds me, sparks curiosity, and reminds me of purpose and change. What reminds you? -Kellie Kinsman, Intern Minister Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

The Gifts of Animism: Listening Our Way Into Belonging. Animistic and early indigenous traditions invite us into a way of life where listening is more than hearing—it’s how we know our place in the web of life. By listening to the earth, to the spirits of place, to the voices of ancestors, and to one another, we learn how to belong. This year, Rev. Sian will look at a world religion each month and...

What is Unitarian Universalism? Our doors are open wide! Whether you've been here many times, visited once or twice, or are brand new, you are warmly invited to join us for our Open House Sunday. Bring your curiosity, your stories, and maybe even a friend—because there's always room for one more. Rev. Sian Wiltshire looks at what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and building a place where e...

Laughter As Resistance. Humor, satire and ridicule have long been a deliberate strategy in resisting authoritarian regimes. There will be jokes. Rev. Arvid Straube joins as guest minister. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Let's Talk About Sex. Got your attention? Good! Because we are going to talk about sex education through our award-winning program, called Our Whole Lives (OWL) which we are launching for our junior high students in September. Come hear why this program is important to our values as UUs. - Rev. Sian Wiltshire and Danielle Lewis, Director of Religious Education. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: htt...

Celebration and Blessings! This is the first Sunday in our new sanctuary! On this day, we blessed the new Sanctuary in a myriad of ways. Join in the fun with Rev. Sian Wiltshire. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

The Unexpected: When Life Has Other Plans. Join us as Donna McCartney shares a thought-provoking sermon on the unexpected twists in life. We have all made plans - only to have them suddenly derailed, often leaving us frustrated or disappointed. But what if those disruptions lead us to something even better than what we originally envisioned? Come explore how life’s detours might be part of a great...

Unitarian Universalist Mysticism: Finding your inner light. On this Sunday we explore what mysticism means to UUs and how we can all experience it. Come join us for this day of reflection and joy. Rev. Sian Wiltshire is in the pulpit. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Waving the Flag Without Whacking Your Neighbor: Nationalism (both Christian and secular) has been growing in our country and around the world. Is it a form of patriotism or tribalism? And why should we as Unitarian Universalists pay attention to this trend? Rev. Sian Wiltshire is in the pulpit. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org

Embracing the Messiness of Mental Health: Mental health is often an invisible issue, but we have all gone through times, just like our bodies, when we get sick. What can we do to make this kind of illness more visible without judgement, but with compassion? Rev. Sian Wiltshire is in the pulpit. Find us in Costa Mesa, CA or at: https://ocuuc.org