Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections

Frederick Buechner, who died in August after a full and fulfilled life, described what we are each called to do as “the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.” Until we do find that place, we often feel like something important is ... read more .

A new trend is roiling the business world: “quiet quitting,” defined as fulfilling only one’s job description and nothing more. There are obvious justice implications of expecting employees to do more than they are paid for, but this service is not about those. Instead, we’ll ... read more .

The Water Communion is an annual intergenerational ritual, celebrated in most Unitarian Universalist congregations at this time, in which we pour waters together to symbolize the unity of life and our coming together as a community. COVID has been such a long dry season that ... read more .

Pace of life has increased a lot over the last decade. In the meantime, our bodies and brains have not evolved at all. Often, there are feelings of being overwhelmed and dissatisfied. However, there are ways to not only survive but thrive at this pace. ... read more .

From before the Revolutionary War to after January 6, 2021, we have struggled to establish a country that would be ruled by peaceful means and the conscience of the people. Always, this principle has been countered by another–“might makes right”–and Unitarian Universalists have joined others ... read more .

The lyrics of this song written by Florence Reece have lived on for 90 years, fueling movements for labor justice and beyond. How do we, as Unitarian Universalists who believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, answer this question in today’s fractured ... read more .

Today’s service offers a way to nurture our spiritual paths through an examination of the world’s historic religions, new avenues of emerging spiritual thought, and a rapidly developing global culture. Do you consider yourself spiritual? Do you not, but try to live a life of integrity and ... read more .

Living while dying? We’re all doing that. Except, sometimes it takes letting go of our deep-seated fear of death to free us up to fully live. Bear and Brian are here to help illuminate a scary topic in a playful way. Bear Capron and his parents ... read more .

Our guest speaker says: “I have suffered with chronic bodily and mental pain for more than two decades. Knowing about how the pain appears and what makes it continue on opened me up to the world inside me. Just knowing more and opening up to ... read more .

Why would you want to forgive someone who wronged you?  Even if you wanted to forgive them, how would you go about doing so?  During this service, we’ll consider what forgiveness is (and isn’t), why we might want to forgive (ourselves and others), and how ... read more .

Since the devastation in Newtown, Connecticut, almost ten years ago, the gun lobby has gone all out to convince us that the way to curtail gun violence is to have plenty of “good guys with guns.” Amy’s family knows from bitter experience that this is ... read more .

As we celebrate both Father’s Day and Freedom, we turn our attention to the gifts that those of us who parent and share in the lives of parents, hardly ever cease to enjoy: the children we help to nurture. While all of us, no doubt, ... read more .

Our blessings and our burdens are not only closely intertwined, they often come from exactly the same source. Farewells and greetings occur at the same moment, on the same threshold. The experiences that wounded us most yielded the insights that enable us to live more ... read more .

When we’re driving, new drivers may be alongside us at any time–people who don’t even have a license yet. They’re just learning, so they’re not the safest cars with which to interact. Maybe it would be better if they weren’t on the road. But how ... read more .

That’s a misleading shorthand that people often use to describe Unitarian Universalism–a religion where we can believe anything we want. It’s understandable that these words come to mind, because in contrast to many religions, it’s true that Unitarian Universalism isn’t defined by a set of ... read more .

The leaked news that the Supreme Court will almost certainly overturn Roe v. Wade after 50 years has landed with a sickening, world-shaking crash in our lives. While many rejoice, the vast majority of US Americans want abortion to remain available. But we have been ... read more .

In this annual intergenerational service, we each bring a flower (or several), fill vases and baskets with them, and after blessing the flowers and each other, we each choose a flower that someone else brought and bring it home. If you’re attending online, have your ... read more .

The Golden Rule is a central part of many religious traditions. But buried in it is an assumption: the people who you are “doing unto” share your values and expectations. How can we transform the Rule to work with people whose values differ from ours? ... read more .

For this Earth Day service, we celebrate the gains we have made at UUCPA when we have united for environmental action. We all know the challenges facing our beautiful planet, and can get quite overwhelmed by them. But fear and despair sap the will to ... read more .

They weren’t among Jesus’s twelve apostles. They received so little respect that they couldn’t even be witnesses in a court of law. But they witnessed the miracle of Easter, because they persisted. Come to this intergenerational service to hear their story and receive new life ... read more .

During the service, we wrote our “lifted moments” in these balloons, now displayed on the walls besides rooms 4, 5, and 6 (the block with the yellow doors). Enjoy, and come add your own! UUCPA turns 75 on April 6! We celebrate today by looking at ... read more .

I’ve got some good news, some bad news, and some more good news for you. The good news is that we belong to a tradition that keeps changing to incorporate new understanding. The bad news is that that means we have to keep changing, too. The ... read more .

We can’t live forever. We’re pretty sure of that. And maybe we don’t want to live forever, especially when the body ages and we “get weary and sick of trying,” as the song “Ol’ Man River” says. But what if we’re also “scared of dying”? ... read more .