Podcast: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections

A Hearth at the Heart

Our annual Chalice Sunday celebration takes place today, at the cross-quarter festival of Imbolc. We’ll hear about why we light a chalice at the beginning of our gatherings. In an embrace of our Pagan roots, we’ll call the directions and seek inspiration from Brigid, the … read more.

Way of Nature, Way of the Gods*

In nature, there is holiness. There is the divine. This is the way of the gods.*

The choir sings Hymn to the Earth, a composition arranged by our own former music director Alva Henderson, in this service steeped in the Shinto wisdom Rev. Cat learned from … read more.

Going Too Far?

When accused of “extremism,” Martin Luther King, Jr., reflected from his jail cell in Birmingham and “decided that perhaps [he] would like to think of [him]self as an extremist — in the light of the spirit which made Jesus an extremist for love.” If someone … read more.

Verse 42

It’s time to get good at the pivot. We know enough to have lived through the idea that “God is change,” as it says in Octavia Butler’s great novel Parable of the Sower. But Butler has more to say about what comes next. Let’s get curious … read more.

How Will They Know?

A popular Christian song of yesteryear sang “They will know we are Christians by our love.” In this intergenerational service, we’ll ask: How do people know what our most cherished values are? What’s the “tell”?

Worship leader: Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern

Worship Associate: Joe Bailey

Follow along in … read more.

Before There Were Children

Please note that both services will be held indoors (with patio seating always an option) due to the chilly temperatures expected.

The service time changes on December 25! Beginning on that day, we will hold a single Sunday service at 10:15.

The concept of childhood, it has … read more.

The Simplicity of Love

Please note that both services will be held indoors (with patio seating always an option) due to the chilly temperatures expected.

Shakespeare said “Love is blind,” and called it a liability. But love’s blindness to boundaries, rules, conventions, and barriers can also be a strength that … read more.

Good Words for Going Forth

Please note that both services will be held indoors (with patio seating always an option) due to the chilly temperatures expected.

In this sermon, part of the series, “Why Do We Do That In the Sunday Service?,” we look at the circuitous history, and multiple meanings, … read more.

Intergenerational Thanksgiving Service

Please note that both services will be held indoors (with patio seating always an option) due to the chilly temperatures expected.

Help fill today’s altar with your fruits of the harvest: fruits, vegetables, leaves, flowers!

We’ll hear stories and sing songs about gratitude, fall and family in … read more.

Only One Rule

Please note that both services will be held indoors (with patio seating always an option) due to the chilly temperatures expected

Friday was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. He was a veteran of World War II, a chemist, and the honorary … read more.