University UMC Sermons

“In this time of great reflection on two hundred fifty years, We remember, as a nation, times we’ve prospered, times of tears. “We shall be,” a preacher told us, “as a city on a hill”— not to praise us but to warn us: We’ve a duty to fulfill.” – “In this Time of Great Reflection” by Rev. Dr. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette “While the Fourth of July is not a liturgical “holy day”, it is a chance to r...

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” so the saying goes. Psychologists tell us that a common enemy can create a very fast friendship. But they also tell us that relationships built on such things are shallow, fragile, and stand on a shaky foundation of context-dependent reactivity. On the other hand, psychologists tell us that bonding which occurs over common good, that which focuses more on what...

“I am a person of faith and a gay man. Pride is a celebration and commitment to justice I make every day.” — Rev. Dr. Alvaran , United Methodist Pastor in California

How can we name a Love That wakens heart and mind Indwelling all we know Or think or do Or seek or find Within our daily world In every human face Love's echoes sound And God is found Hid in the commonplace — from the hymn “How Can We Name a Love?”

“May your tongue tingle with the good news. May your heart open to all the people of the street. And, when you are ben over by sorrow, may you find the Spirit’s feather on the ground waiting there to give you hope.” — A Pentecost Benediction by Maren Tirabassi

In preparing for this Sunday, Dr. Ham writes, “I will be connecting Ruth and Naomi’s story with my own experience of moving across different countries, cultures, and communities, and slowly learning what it means to find my people. I will reflect on the sacred gift of being known without having to explain every part of yourself. Ruth and Naomi remind us that community is sometimes formed through s...

It’s interesting that walking through the scriptures made their hearts burn but it was participation in a meal that opened their eyes to see the Risen One in their midst. I can’t help but think that’s the same invitation to us too. May you SEE your daily participation as a holy sacrament. – Scott Erickson The stranger who is the Savior still meets us on the lonely road to Emmaus.  The guest w...

“We don’t always get a breakfast on the beach with the Giver of Existence, but we sometimes get the miracle of a change of perspective that leads us to question who we are going to be now. May you SEE that you are invited to be so much more than you have allowed yourself to be.” – Scott Erickson

“Doubt will be your constant companion on this journey. Doubt will be the consistent wall of understanding that you bump up against as you pursue the Endless Mystery. Doubt is the doorway to each new way of knowing, each new perspective. Doubt is the feeling of your heart expanding for a larger capacity of Love. May you SEE your doubt as the invitation to endless knowability.” – Scott Erickson

“Hallelujah that in spite of it all, there is love, there is singing, nature, laughing, mercy.” – Anne Lamott Death cannot stop the good news. It is alive, unbound, and wild in the world. Like the mustard seed, it grows without limit. Like water turned into wine, it surprises us with joy. Like loaves of bread, it expands to feed each hungry soul. And now, even in the face of death, it will not be...

“Revolutionary and subversive acts do not have to be grandiose or immediately altering. They can be small, seen but immediately unseen, loud and expected but bewilderingly unconventional. In that way, the powers that be cannot control, stop, or even anticipate the next revolutionary act. . . . So for the upcoming Palm Sunday, please try this revolutionary act. Disrupt the indifference, distract th...

“Our love and mercy are stronger than the hate that ignores the call to love neighbor and stranger…What we can do now is find our people; wrap our arms around the most vulnerable of us; have honest conversations; lean into mutual aid and kindness; and curate moments of joy and fierce love.” — Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis

“You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.” — Deuteronomy 24:17-18

Jesus models a way to be in community by coming together and sharing what we have, dispelling perceived impossibilities. The good news empowers us to believe in the miracles that can become possible through the power of community. — A Sanctified Art

“Whenever I wash the world’s feet, my hands immediately stop shaking.” - from a poem by John Roedel

When it comes time to write my obituary for the local paper, please do not start with my résumé. Do not start with my career or my worldly accomplishments (however small they may be). Do not take up space writing about my alma mater or outlining the entire family tree (we know who we are). Instead, spend your precious little word count on how beautiful it all was. Write about the dinner parties an...

“Christ leads us down the mountain and into the desert, because the true transfiguration, the true shining forth of God in all God’s glory happens when we follow him there together.” ― Reverend Michael D. Kinman

“When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines the kind of people we are.” ― César Chávez

This Sunday we celebrate UUMC’s anniversary of affiliation with Reconciling Ministries Networks. This service celebrates the strides that have been made in our faith communities towards full inclusion of queer and trans folks, and also place before us our ongoing work as queer and trans people of faith and allies. We welcome guest preacher Adama Brown, sharing her sermon “Love Still Wins”.

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us, who speaks all languages, lives in all countries, and reunites all races.” – Jose Luis Casal “The Immigrants Creed” from Fiesta Cristiana, a United Methodist resource for hispanic worship.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." – Martin Luther King, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham, Alabama jail,” April 16, 1963 The Dream Keeper Bring me all of your dreams, You dreamer, Bring me all your Heart melodies That I may wrap them...

Beloved is Where You Begin by Jan Richardson If you would enter Into the wilderness, Do not begin Without a blessing. Do not leave Without hearing Who you are: Beloved, Named by the One Who has traveled this path Before you. Do not go Without letting it echo In your ears, And if you find it is hard To let into your heart, Do not despair. That is what This journey is for.

“Epiphany is a day in Chrisitan traditions when we remember the Magi’s journey, following a star from nations around the world to meet Christ as an infant. Later, when King Herod attempts to manipulate them to reveal the location of the child he wants to kill, they, in sacred disobedience, ignore his request.” – Cole Arthur Riley

We light the candle of JOY for the last Sunday of Advent! Pastor Teresa’s sermon is entitled “Songs of the Season” and we’ll continue our theme Ancestral Knowledge with a look at the words spoken by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist from Luke 1:67-79. Of all the Biblical characters appearing at this time of year, Zechariah is often overlooked. His story, however, is fascinating - including...

Join us as we celebrate the 2nd Sunday in Advent. Pastor Earl preaches. His sermon, entitled “Chosen Family,” uses Matthew 1:18-25 as its scripture.