What’s in a Name?
As we consider whether to change the “church” in our name to something else, here’s some historical and philosophical context.
Music: Emma’s Revolution
Services at 9:30 and 11:00am
Podcast: Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Sermons and Reflections
Senior-High-Aged Youth
The senior-high-aged youth of UUCPA lead today’s service with passion and honesty, as they share about being a teenager in today’s world. Music: Lisa diTiberio and Yuri Liberzon, flute and guitar
****DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME STARTS TODAY****
The Stalin in the Soul
This striking phrase comes from the late, great writer Ursula K. Le Guin, who inquired with great honesty about how we frequently censor ourselves and limit our own freedom. As people who aspire to free lives, it’s an important question and the topic of today’s service. Music: Veronika Agranov Dafoe, piano
Time -Turner Times
We live in a time of maximum efficiency. Machines, electronics, travel options, and advanced communications knock hours, even days, off the time many activities used to take. Why, then, do we feel busier than ever? And is there anything we can do about it? Music: Martin Manley, jazz piano
Humor: If You Come To A Fork In The Road, Take It!
Yogi Berra’s comment strikes us as funny. Something happens in your head when you hear it that derails your mind and you laugh. Today we will enjoy humor, both musical and spoken, and explore how this derailing of our mind can make us more creative (and be a lot of fun besides … ). Music: Veronika Agranov Dafoe, piano
Dreaming Bigger, Dreaming Together
The poet Francisco X. Alarcón writes: “a dream / we dream / alone,” but “reality / we dream / together.” Come to today’s service ready to dream, and we will make something bigger out of our individual dreams, a reality we can dream–and create–together. Creators: Everyone
Staying Curious In Conflict
Sometimes living our values becomes a challenge when we find ourselves in passionate disagreement with someone who does not share our perspective, or at an impasse with someone we love. Conflict is often about communication, but it is also about culture – the context of our lives shapes our relationships and patterns of interacting in community. Join Megan Dowdell, Assistant Professor of Ethics and Society at Starr King School for the Ministry, as we explore how to stay curious in conflict through story, sermon and song. Music: Veronika Agranov Dafoe, piano
Chalice Sunday
In our annual fire service, we mark the holidays of Candlemas, St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc–which converge at this midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox–and celebrate the many meanings of our chalice symbol. Why do we light a chalice at the beginning of our services, and what does it mean? Child care is provided at both services as always; other children remain in the Main Hall for this intergenerational service.
The Promise and the Practice
Today’s service puts the voices and experiences of African-American Unitarian Universalists at its center. Their witness, struggles, and joys call UUs of all backgrounds to be all that we aspire to be. Come be inspired! Music: Veronika Agranov Dafoe, piano
We Forgive Ourselves and Each Other . . .
Can we review our 2017 resolutions, and our lives so far, with compassion instead of judgment? It is particularly hard to do in those matters where we feel we have not lived up to our own plans and promises. Let us forgive ourselves as well as others as this year comes to an end. Music: Ihang Lin