Gathering for Sunday services in person and online, 10:15 am.
In this time of physical distancing and virtual church, we miss some of what makes our Sunday mornings special. How do we reach out to one another and show our care for each other in this new way of being together?
Special music: The Season of Us, jazz flute/guitar duo
The order of service is here.
“Ring theory,” or “Circles of care,” is a simple principle with many, many applications. It can help us help others and get what we need, ourselves. Today’s service explores its almost magical possibilities. Special music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano
Today’s offering will be donated to the justice partner for July: California Clean Money Campaign. Nancy Neff will be the speaker.
The order of service is here.
One of our affiliated community ministers, the Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, speaks to us about the spiritual practice of attentiveness to the present moment, in all its complexity. Special music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano
The order of service is here.
Not this one, but previous ones. Plague and flu, tuberculosis and smallpox: each has challenged us, shown us who we were and could become, and offered us some lessons that could help us today. Let us redeem this difficult time by emerging from it with more compassion and self-understanding.
Special Music: Eric Leong, violin
The order of service is here.
The order of service is here.
Today’s service invites us into the traditions of contemplative prayer, centering, silence, and music from the Taizé community. They are all meant to help us tap into our first source, “Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.” Come drink deeply from the source.
One of the most interesting figures in the old Unitarian Church of Palo Alto that existed from 1905 to 1934 was Helen Kreps. A brilliant scholar, she
was inspired by seeing a woman minister, Rev. Florence Buck, preach at the Palo Alto church, and after a brilliant career at Stanford went on to prepare to become a Unitarian minister herself. When the influenza epidemic hit in
1918, she volunteered as a nurse, contracted influenza, and died. The story of Helen Kreps has a lot to tell us about heroism, feminism, and the importance of controlling pandemics.
Special music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano
Order of Service: https://bit.ly/uucpa_oos_20200510
We’re mostly associated with liberal causes, not just because we are religiously liberal. Religious liberalism is a stance that affirms personal freedom to seek spiritual truth, and places trust in humanity’s power to discern rightly, via reason and other gifts, and one need not be politically liberal to be religiously liberal; but we tend to be both. However, many values that have long been associated with political and social conservatism in this country are ones to which we should, in your minister’s humble opinion, adhere. Special Music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano
Order of Service: https://bit.ly/uucpa_oos_20200503
The text from which today’s service draws inspires us with the vision of a community where everyone shares what they have, gladly and generously. Reverend Randle (Rick) Mixon, has been pastor of First Baptist Church, Palo Alto, for the past 14 years and is adjunct faculty in pastoral care at the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley.
Special music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano
UUCPA takes seriously its vision of ministry as a collective enterprise of the entire congregation. By our by-laws, the Committee on Ministry is charged with “supporting and monitoring the health of the total shared ministry of the church, which includes the integrated work of clergy, staff, and laity,” and ensuring “that the congregation understands its mission in terms of ministry.” Today, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Amy’s ordination as a Unitarian Universalist minister, the committee members share what our vision of ministry means to them.
Special music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe
Celebrate Easter with UUCPA from the comfort of your home.
Special Music: Liz Russ, soprano
Order of Service bit.ly/uucpa_oos_20200412a