Sacred-ish

Send us Fan Mail It can be remarkably difficult to admit when we have caused harm. Individuals do it. Communities do it. Nations do it. Sometimes, however, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, we insist that we are innocent. Real reconciliation begins with something deceptively simple: acknowledging what we have done. As Jews observe Yom Kippur, a day devoted to atonement and seeking forgive...

Send us Fan Mail Why is it so easy to judge someone by what they do -- and so difficult to imagine what they might be going through? Psychology calls this tendency the Fundamental Attribution Error -- when we explain other people's behavior by their character while overlooking the circumstances that may have shaped it. And, if we're honest, we all do it. What would happen if, instead of...

Send us Fan Mail Justice can mean so many things. In Unitarian Universalism, as with many value systems, it intersects with love. Pastor Joshua's talks about how we "do" justice in the face of the almost inconceivable issues we are confronting in this moment.

Send us Fan Mail "The Singularity" refers to a hypothetical time when AI surpasses humanity's ability to contain it. If such a future awaits us, no nation, religion, or community will meet it alone. If we fail to learn the art of peaceful coexistence, the only identity that will still matter, will not be a human one. Pastor Joshua presents Pluralism as part of his UU values series.

Send us Fan Mail Our society and world are past needing change. We need transformative change. When even simply change is incredibly difficult, what will it take to truly transform into a society based on our values? This week, Pastor Joshua's UU values series tackles Transformation.

Send us Fan Mail You've probably seen the equity meme of three people of different heights standing behind a fence watching a baseball game. Their varying ability to see over the fence, regardless of height, illustrates equity. But what if the fence were removed altogether? This Sunday, Pastor Joshua continues his series on UU values as we explore the meaning of Equity.

Send us Fan Mail On this Mother's Day, Pastor Joshua takes inspiration from mothers and from the ABBA-inspired musical, Mamma Mia, to talk about strength, positivity, and passion for life.

Send us Fan Mail There is an oft-repeated statistic that more people today are spiritual but not religious. This group, also known as the "Nones" is actually a target audience for UU congregations. Pastor Joshua explores what spirituality means – to him at least.

Send us Fan Mail On this Easter Sunday which falls during Passover, Pastor Joshua talks about Liberation theology though the story of Jesus’ righteous anger as a model for challenging oppressive systems.

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talks about saving the moments in time that are meaningful to extend periods of hope that comes from witnessing awe.

Send us Fan Mail The number forty has oodles of significance in the bible. Both Jesus and Moses fasted for 40 days. The Jews traveled in the desert for 40 years from Egypt to the promised land. In fact, 40 is a significant number, even beyond its Biblical importance. As Lent, Ramadan, and the Lunar New Year coincide, Pastor Joshua discuss estheir collective connection to Forty-tude -- strength in...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua shares the Japanese art of Kaizen - literally "change for the better."

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua preaches on January 18th, 2026 about Identity.

Send us Fan Mail January 14th was "Global Belly Laugh Day" when the health benefits of laughter are recognized. It was created by Laughter Yoga teacher Elaine Helle to highlight laughter's power to connect and its benefits for mental, physical, and social well-being. Let's have some fun together in what Pastor Joshua hopes will be an annual humor service.

Send us Fan Mail Humans, especially in the "first world" take self-centeredness to an extreme by ignoring anything we do not experience directly. In order to successfully embody resilience, we must practice perspective, beginning with acknowledgement that the world does not revolve around us.

Send us Fan Mail This was a talk I gave in 2022 at the Chautauqua Institution in their Hall of Philosophy as a guest of the UU Fellowship of Chautauqua. It was originally called "Freedom and Other 'Ineffable' F Words”, but the Fellowship preferred I change that title. The recording does not include the entire service. It begins with a reading of a poem I wrote entitled "A FEW M...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talks about curating one's life.

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talks about hope in his first sermon of 2026.

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talks about the cycles of life and grace during the trying times.

Send us Fan Mail Christian Nationalism is in disharmony with Christianity. Pastor Joshua will talk about the egregious co-opting of Christianity by many in our country including and especially in our government who are ignoring and actually contradicting the lessons Jesus actually taught. 

Send us Fan Mail November 9th is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a German state-coordinated series of violent attacks against Jews. The lessons of that history, including the normalization of hatred and the danger of inaction, resonate profoundly today. Pastor Joshua will look to his secular and religious Jewish roots seeking inspiration to fight fascism today.

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talks about the moment we are in with it's authoritarian creep as well as the new programming the Unitarian Universalist Association has introduced to "Meet the Moment."

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talked about the Universalist Heritage of Unitarian Universalism and how it connects through social justice work into the 21st Century.

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua talked about belonging at a church in Michigan a few years ago.

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Joshua preached this sermon at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica in 2024. He combines the UU principle of "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part" and the UU value of love at the center.