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Sermons

This is a full list of sermons presented at UUCCSM since mid-1999. Links to sermon texts are included when made available by their authors. Audio recordings are also available for most sermons presented after September, 2007 by our staff ministers and others directly affiliated with our church (just click the speaker icon next to each sermon where it's available*). Audio from guest speakers is posted only when we have their permission to share it.

Hard copies of sermons by Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae are available in the church office. Contact office assistant Sibylla Nash at office@uusm.org if you have a request.

"Leaving Room for Hope: Sermons for Uncertain Times," a book of Minister Emerita Judith Meyer's sermons, is available here.

[*Please Note: if you do not see an audio speaker icon below each of the individual sermons on this page, click the small lock-shaped icon next to the page's URL in your address bar, and in the drop-down menu that pops up, make sure "Flash" is set to "Allow." Then re-load the page, and you should be able to see the audio players. Sorry for any inconvenience - we are working to fix this issue.]

January 31, 2021 - 10:00am
A Multireligious Bouquet (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Imagination
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
 
A church of Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, Secularists, and Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and other spiritual seekers!? One of the most unique features of Unitarian Universalism is the expansiveness of our religious and philosophical embrace. It distinguishes us from every other religious tradition and yet is reflective of the world in which we live. It presents its own challenges and opportunities in creating beloved community. Join us as we explore our uniquely beautiful multireligious bouquet.
January 24, 2021 - 10:00am
Just Imagine (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Imagination
Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
 
Our theme for community reflection this month is “Imagination.” What role does imagination play in creating a world that works for us?
January 17, 2021 - 10:00am
A Prophet for Our Times (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Imagination
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
 
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister, theologian, and a luminary of the movement for civil rights. His prophetic legacy was largely whitewashed to make him more palatable to mainstream culture. In seminary, I had the privilege of studying his life and writings and discovered a liberal religious prophet for our times. Join us as we encounter Dr. King anew and his radical message of liberation.
 
Photo Caption:  Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with readings of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on January 17, 18, and 19. (PRNewsFoto/Eastern State Penitentiary)
January 10, 2021 - 10:00am
Hope is On the Horizon (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Imagination
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
 
Let us pause and take inventory of the good work of this church in the past year and chart a course for our ministry together in 2021. Join us as we explore the new ways we are called to minister to each other, our developmental priorities, and what might be born of the global experience of surviving a pandemic together.
January 3, 2021 - 10:00am
Loss -- Holding on and Letting Go (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Imagination
Michael Eselun
 
Moving together through these challenging times, we find ourselves confronted by loss in so many dimensions. What might be there for us? Do we hold on or let go? UCLA Oncology Chaplain and popular guest speaker Michael Eselun will share reflections on these questions.
 
December 27, 2020 - 10:00am
Marking Time (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Stillness
Rev. Matthew Cockrum
 
How are you crossing the threshold this year? Spiraling, ascending, finishing, or counting the days? How we mark time matters.
 
The Rev. Matthew Cockrum serves as Minister for Spiritual Care and Practice at Fountain Street Church, an independent church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, Matthew is also trained in spiritual direction, yoga instruction, and end of life doula services and has served as a hospital chaplain.  Matthew’s ministries focus on music, movement, and meaning.
 
December 24, 2020 - 6:00pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (Online Service)
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
 
Join us for our online Christmas Eve service this year as we joyfully sing the carols of the season from around the globe and consider the deeper meaning of the story of Christmas.  Tonight’s offering will benefit the Minister’s Discretionary Account.
December 20, 2020 - 10:00am
A Season of Lights (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Stillness
Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
There are several holidays this month that are celebrated with candles and strings of lights. Each of these holy days invokes the Light from the Darkness. How might your world be different if the light within you shone more brightly around you? Let us remember why we light our candles. Let us end 2020 looking forward to the light of the New Year and our contribution to its brightness.
December 13, 2020 - 10:00am
Our Divine Words (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Stillness
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
 
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was G-d…” declares the scriptures of our Christian siblings. What about the words we speak and the ways we communicate? Is there something miraculous about our capacities for communication? What might religious wisdom teach us about good communication and the spiritual path?
December 6, 2020 - 10:00am
Mary: The Radical (Online Service)
Monthly Theme: Stillness
Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae
 
Our service explores the narratives and life of the most famous religious woman in the world, revered in the Christian and Islamic traditions, and often ignored by Protestantism. Let’s separate the myth from reality as we contemplate her life and a radical feminist revolution this Advent season.