Cosmic Advent
Our annual candlelight service using traditional Christmas hymns, readings from a variety of religions, and short homilies to help us celebrate the miracle of every birth and the birth of the Universe itself.
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof
UUCS Minister
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Then Gave it Back
This intergenerational story, written by Rev. Eklof, is a continuation of the classic Christmas story by Dr. Seuss. Just in time for the holidays, the Grinch is back with his brand-new big heart to help defend Whoville from a Grinch invasion and occupation. Come hear … read more.
Death Wish: Why So Many People Choose to be So Destructive
Psychologist Erich Fromm once made the distinction between two orientations, the Necrophilous and the Biophilous—death and life. In this sermon we’ll explore what Fromm means and consider how these opposing perspectives may help us better understand what’s happening today.
The Most Transformative Technologies of 2021
As the year comes to a close, we’ll consider what Rev. Eklof thinks are some of its most significant technical achievements and the hope they offer us on our path toward creating a better world.
Jesus Was a Tree Hugger: How Christianity’s Namesake was Inspired by Nature
Many scholars classify the historical Jesus as a “Wisdom teacher,” a term used to describe those whose teachings are inspired by nature. This isn’t often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Christianity’s central figure, but it should be.
Cool It: What it Will Take to Reverse Global Warming
When it comes to Global Warming, some say it’s already too late to do anything about it. “Game over.” In this sermon we’ll explore reasons to hope that it isn’t: that we can stop Global Warming and prevent the worse potential impacts of a warmer … read more.
Abundance: When there’s More than Enough to Go Around
We live in a world of scarce resources: not enough land, housing, clean water, trees, wealth, opportunity, energy, healthcare, firefighters (these days), and the list goes on. One obvious response is to conserve resources by living sustainably. But this often means that none of us has enough or that some have more than enough, while others have nothing. Another option is to create a world of abundance in which there is always more than enough for everyone.
Correction: Ours is a Liberal Religion, Not a “Covenantal” One
A few years ago, the leadership of the Unitarian Universalist Association initiated a plan to change its bylaws so that, instead of being a service organization, its member congregations would have to agree to a covenant that they would periodically renew. But the organization’s proposal was never put before voting delegates at a General Assembly, as had been their original intention. Instead, as of late, they’ve just started calling ours a “covenantal religion.” Balderdash! Ours has long described itself as a “liberal religion.” In this sermon, I’ll do my best to help prevent this sleight of hand from escaping our attention.
Vaccination Nation: How Vaccines Have Transformed our Lives and Our Society in Modern Times
In the U.S., little more than half of us been vaccinated against COVID-19, not because vaccinations are scarce, but because too many of us are afraid of them for unsound reasons. Such hesitancy has led to a deadly outbreak of the virus that is worse than the first. In this sermon we’ll recall the marvelous origins and history of vaccinations and how much they have saved and improved our lives.
Regaining Sanity in an Insane Society: How We are Driven Toward Extremist Thinking and How to Avoid It
Whether or not it is true that people are more divided now than ever, or if this is something claimed by every generation, the fact that more of us are divided today than ever cannot be denied. In this sermon we’ll consider some of the modern forces driving us toward extremist thinking and how to avoid being influenced by them.