Podcast: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections

120 Years Since the First IQ Test!

Can IQ be used as a measure of competence and intent? Does higher wealth correlate with higher IQs? Is an expert in math and business more or less intelligent than a drummer or an athlete? Are awareness and kindness measures of intelligence? Let’s unpack all … read more.

May Day at UUCPA

Join us as we celebrate 20 years of dancing the maypole at UUCPA. May Day is a holiday celebrating the vibrancy and creativity of spring, as well as a day of worker recognition and protest. In this service we will seek joy and purpose in … read more.

Conversations with Strangers

They’re unexpected, they’re awkward, they’re a spark of connection in an ordinary situation, they’re something that can make your day, they’re all of the above. They can be the smallest of small talk, or they can be the deepest interaction we’ll have all week. What … read more.

Happy Rebirth Day

Or should that be happy rebEARTH Day? We celebrate Earth Day and Easter this week. Just as the joyful resurrection of Easter morning follows the gloom and despair of Good Friday, a new generation of environmentalists are wisely inspiring us to rejoice in the abundance … read more.

Confronting Pharaoh

Passover begins the night before. What lessons can we draw from the ancient story of confronting Pharaoh?

Worship leader: Rev. Dr. John Buehrens

Worship Associate: Jane Chronis

Special music: Four Shillings Short, Celtic music

Follow along in the order of service, bit.ly/uucpa_oos_20250413.

If you prefer to join the … read more.

From the Bedside

Join Rev. Greve as he brings us to the bedside of his work as a hospice chaplain, inviting us to witness the ordinary and extraordinary that can occur as we near the end of our lives.

Worship leader: Rev. Mr. Barb Greve

Follow along in the order … read more.

Learning to Live

Does religious education end when you outgrow Sunday School? Think again! Join us as we explore how lifelong learning is at the heart of Unitarian Universalism. In an ever-evolving, complex, and connected world, religious education isn’t just for kids—it’s for everyone, at every age across … read more.

The Four Things That Matter Most

Our relationships can thrive if we are guided by four phrases: Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you. This quartet has roots in Hawai’ian culture. Dr. Ira Byock, who worked in palliative care for many years, observed that they were what … read more.

Gratitude Is a Map

In times of crisis, having concrete practices for grounding ourselves in our values and our relationships becomes ever more important. UUCPA member Matthew S. Rosin will show us how spiritual practices of gratitude can reveal our belonging, our connectedness, and our irreplaceability in the world, … read more.

Honor All Beings

This concludes our series of services exploring the benediction we say together each week. What does it mean to seek to honor all beings? What might a spiritual practice of honoring others look like, and what effect could it have on our daily lives? … read more.