We Belong Together(ish) Rev. Dawn Fortune In a denomination rooted deeply in individual freedom and integrity, Unitarian Universalists can experience tension between that independence and the very human need for deep connection. What does it mean to belong — to a congregation, a town, a global community?

Hold On (Loosely) Rev. Dawn Fortune The magical of covenants is that they leave room for human error and forgiveness. As humans, we make mistakes, poor decisions, and bad choices. As members of a covenanted community, we commit ourselves to remaining in relationship. But what happens when someone will not or cannot abide by the … Continued

The Poetry of the Tao Te Ching Lay speaker Debbi Dagavarian Does the Tao Te Ching’s beauty and simple wisdom come from the 6th century BCE’s Lao Tzu, or from the scholars who translated it? In this service, we will look at some of the poetic translations of the Tao Te Ching, and discover what … Continued

Freely Gathered Rev. Dawn Fortune Bound not by creed, but by covenant, the notion of a covenanted community is sometimes difficult to grasp. So much of our lives is governed by rules and laws and contracts, but a covenant is different in some fundamental ways. Join us as we explore the unique way that members … Continued

Welcome Back to Community Rev. Dawn Fortune Ingathering as celebrated by Unitarian Universalist congregations in North America is a time of gathering after a summer’s time away. We share a ritual that brings together water from places we’ve been or that are meaningful to us, and we recommit to being in community with one another. … Continued

The Importance of Our Unitarian Universalist Faith Guest minister Rev. Mark Kiyimba UUCSJS last welcomed Rev. Mark Kiyimba to our area in July 2014, not long after Uganda had passed an anti-homosexuality law, and traveled the U.S. to spread the word about the threatening climate in Uganda and many other parts of Africa that endangered … Continued

Mindfulness: The Path to Free Will Lay speaker Dennis Bohn Much of the time we go through life as automatons: our responses based on our ingrained conditioning. We act out of our evolutionary, cultural, ancestral, familial and childhood programming instead of what we would like to do. Mindfulness is one element of the Buddha’s path. … Continued

Finding Center Guest speaker Robin Renée Words and music have the power to help us declare personal truths, to evoke inner stillness, and to draw us into deeper connection with one another. Join writer and performer Robin Renée for an experience of Finding Center through original songs, spoken word, and the call-and-response chanting practice from … Continued

The Iowa Sisterhood Led by UUCSJS Margaret Circle In the late 19th century, two dozen female Unitarian ministers served congregations on the western frontier, with a different style of ministry than their male counterparts in the staid churches of New England. In this service, you will meet several of these pioneering women who called themselves … Continued

Singing the Journey Guest minister Rev. Maddie Sifantus How do we sing our journey as Unitarian Universalists? How does the path of our journey change what we sing and how does what we sing change the journey? Join Rev. Maddie Sifantus, minister of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, California and professional singer, as … Continued