Podcast: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections

Where Our Hearts Are

“Opening Our Doors and Enriching Our Community”

–Theme of UUCPA’s one-week pledge campaign

We live in a society that measures worth largely by money. This can be so exhausting, confusing, and soul-killing that we desperately need an alternative: a place where “enriching our community” isn’t about … read more.

Diyos sa Gugma (God of Love): Building Bridges with the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines (UUCP)

There are over 2,000 Unitarian Universalists in the Philippines in over 24 congregations. Most of the churches are located in remote rural farming and fishing villages. What can UUs from the Philippines teach us about their unique expression of our shared global liberal religious faith? … read more.

Twenty-Five Words

After months of input from people throughout the congregation, a team put UUCPA’s mission into these words: We gather, our different paths entwined, to deepen our spiritual lives: nourishing connection, learning from each other, caring for each other, tending to our world.
In brief, plain language, it communicates great spiritual depth and helps us each to recall our own mission or purpose. What is yours, and who helps you accomplish it?

Genie in a Bottle

What is a genius? Someone rare, we know that. Someone with extraordinary gifts that few of us can hope to have. Figures such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jordan. Or, descending slightly from the stratosphere, someone with an IQ … read more.

Chalice Sunday

Our annual intergenerational service in which we ask and answer questions such as: What is the origin of the flaming chalice symbol? What does the chalice mean to you? What happens when we put all those meanings together into one community? Why do we have … read more.

Ruts, Routes, and Paths

Habits go straight to the heart. When we’re trying to break an unwanted habit and failing, we often feel as if there’s something wrong with us. The same thing happens when we’re having trouble creating a better habit. It’s true that our habits say a … read more.

Brick by Brick: Chanting Down Babylon

An intergenerational service celebrating the life and message of Martin Luther King, Jr., and how his ministry continues on through folks who are fearless in the face of oppression and aggression. Our minister of religious education, Cat Boyle, leads us in a liberating service … read more.

Mystery Gifts

When we embrace mystery, we never know just what we’re going to discover. In this service, we won’t even know what order things are going to happen. A pile of wrapped gifts will be on the altar, and as each is opened by a volunteer … read more.

New Year’s Eve Service

Rev. Alex da Silva Souto [they+Brown+Latinx] has been a person of the “in-between space” since birth and childhood in Brazil. They are currently the minister of Sierra Foothills UUs in Auburn, where they remain a devoted social justice advocate, liturgical artist, and partner in the … read more.

Season of Giving

In the “Season of Giving,” it is easy to give too much or to feel like we are not giving enough. Let us take a moment to relax and ensure that our own wells do not run dry, so that we may be fully present, … read more.