Podcast: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections

Can I Believe Anything I Want?

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 Morality of Abortion

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.

Flower Communion

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.

Diversity and the Golden Rule

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.

Hope: It’s Infectious

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.

The Ones Who Stayed

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.

The Times, They Keep A’Changin’

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.

Lifted Moments: 75th Anniversary Service

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.

Trust in the Opening

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.

But You Do Believe in God . . . Don’t You?

Daylight Savings Time begins today–set your clocks forward!

“But you do believe in God . . . don’t you?” I get asked this question from time to time by people who don’t know much about us. But we UUs stumble all over ourselves trying to avoid … read more.