Podcast: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections

The Quest for Immortality

In this intergenerational service, we celebrate Easter with stories, very special music, and a traditional animal of the season: the cicada.

Photo of cicada’s wings (c) Roger Smith, used by permission

Worship leader: Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern

Special Music: Karen Van Dyke, flute, and … read more.

Making the Invisible Visible

Invisible people roll past us, walk among us, even speak to us . . . and what’s even stranger, we are sometimes invisible to them. This isn’t a fantasy movie, but instead, a strange fact of our existence, one that Passover urges us to challenge … read more.

One Year

*Note: Remember to put your clocks forward, or you will be very late to the service!*

Today’s service shares what we have experienced, learned, mourned, and hoped for during this past year, to give us inspiration for the last push.

The Woman’s Point of View

So many of our mental models were created for and by men. The hero’s journey, for example, is a particular kind of journey for a particular kind of hero, suited more to typically male ways of being than female ones. When we re-imagine how such … read more.

Better Late Than Never?

It can be very hard to be a latecomer to a point of view. As people like Rep. Liz Cheney have discovered, you not only anger the people with whom you used to agree, but you don’t get a lot of love from your new … read more.

Wolves, Narnia, and a Parliament of Fowls

That’s what Valentine’s Day is really all about. At least, that’s the best anyone can figure out, since this holiday, now dedicated to made-for-TV movies and keeping florists in business, has very murky origins. But there is some real wisdom embedded in its stories, with … read more.

What Matters Most

No, I’m not going to tell you. You know what matters most to you — or, if you are still trying to figure that out, you are in the right place, because we support each other in discerning and living into our most profound values. … read more.

Power over Pity

You heard the reflection, now hear the sermon: on how disability rights activists in this country both influenced and inherited the movement for African-American civil rights, and led themselves and everyone to greater liberation. Amy was unable to be at the January 17 service and … read more.

Free and Responsible

By highly unofficial survey, of the seven principles that we affirm and promote as a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, number four, “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning,” is the favorite. Today we delve into what … read more.

The Gift of Limitations

Our limitations don’t usually feel like a gift. But today we’ll hear some stories about surprising things that have happened in situations of difficult and unwanted constraints. Our guest preacher, Rev. Darcy Baxter, is in her seventh year of serving as the minister at the … read more.