Ray Krise and W.A. Kathleen CraigWhat is the most beautiful thing you can imagine? A shimmering multicolored garden, perhaps, or winkling star infested dusk. But what is the aesthetic meaning of a flower or star? We decide this meaning together when we practice interpersonal love, engage in a blessed community. Only in that context can … Continue reading “Beauty in the Religious Context of Love”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and Erin Forstein and Elizabeth Granado What a journey this past year has been! In this religious community that spans all ages, we have all learned a lot, and each of us has grown one year older. In this morning’s multigenerational service we will be recalling the past and looking to the … Continue reading “Celebrating All Ages” Multigen Service

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and W.A. Bjorn Nilson There is something about the beauty of nature that calls to us, and when too many of us answer that call, we can end up harming the very beauty we seek to cherish. How might we expand our appreciation to more sustainably accommodate our desire for natural wonders … Continue reading “Trampling Through Paradise”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and W.A. Corey BrunsonSome of us are mothers, and all of us have had mothers– this Mother’s Day we will explore some of the many facets of motherhood, in all its joy, sorrow and complexity. If you have a motherhood anecdote or photo you’d like to share, please contact Rev. Elaine or … Continue reading “The Multiple Meanings of Motherhood”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W.A. Micah Forstein The Flower Communion is an annual tradition observed in countless UU congregations in Spring. On this Sunday, every in-person worshipper is invited to bring a cut flower along to church. The flowers will be placed in large baskets, and then distributed to all present. (Those of you joining … Continue reading “The Wisdom and Wonder of Wild Flowers”

Rev. Dennis Hamilton and W.A. Bjorn Nilson I have been waking up all my life. That is to say, I have been half asleep all my life. Sometimes waking up is an aha! moment when I see the world in a different light. More often it is when I see myself in an unflattering light … Continue reading “I Am Awake”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W.A. Ray Krise The season of spring, as well as the religious and secular holidays that have sprung up this time of year – stories of saviors’ resurrections, of a religious people’s liberation, of gods returning to earth, and furry, long-eared harbingers of spring – all of them offer perspectives on … Continue reading “How We Are Reborn”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and W.A. Kathleen Craig We know that the clock is ticking for our planet’s environmental health, and we need to wake everyone up to this reality and work together to find solutions. We will explore ways that we can make a difference, locally and globally.

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W.A. Sue Ellen Stringer Paul was on the road to Damascus, Siddhartha sat under the bodhi tree, Elijah cowered in a cave, Helen Keller was getting water – all of these are stories of sudden insight and inspiration. While perhaps not as dramatic and not as widely known, we each can … Continue reading “Aha Moments: Our Unexpected Awakenings”

Rev. John Buehrens and Ray KriseContinuing our theme of “Renewing Faith,” we welcome back to our pulpit John Buehrens, who served as interim minister at UUCMP in 2012-14. Since then John has written two works of history, one about our transcendentalist forebears as social activists, and one about Unitarians in San Francisco since 1850. He … Continue reading “Faith and History”