Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. It’s understandable upon learning I’m a minister that most presume I must be a “believer.” Western religion, after all, is almost synonymous with theology. One’s religion, that is, is determined by one’s beliefs about God. These days atheism is becoming increasingly acceptable but being both a minister and an atheist still seems contradictory. In this sermon I’ll wrestle with this contradiction by talking about the evolution of my own theological beliefs.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. The ability to reason has long been considered one of the fundamental qualities distinguishing human beings from other animals. While some other animals also demonstrate rudimentary forms of reasoning, and humans don’t always use this power effectively or often enough, learning to reason well could fundamentally transform human relations.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. Upon delivering this sermon I will have freshly returned from a weeklong class at Singularity University on, “Preparing Global Leaders & Organizations for the Future.” The course promises to help students, “Explore the opportunities and implications of exponential technologies and connect to a global ecosystem that is shaping the future and solving the world’s most urgent problems.”

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. In this sermon we’ll more closely examine the “dichotomy of control,” a fundamental principle of Stoic philosophy. The first line of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer is familiar to most; “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Often it is knowing the difference that is the most important and most difficult of all.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. It seems most people are defined considerably by where they are from, not as much by what they are—humans. Like so much in our personal lives, our provincial origins add to our uniqueness, but should in no way be considered more important than our membership in the human family at large. In this sermon, we’ll consider what it means to belong in this world through the ethic of human welfare and individual fulfillment.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. If you’re a fan of James Bond, this sermon is for you. If you’re not a fan of James Bond, this sermon is for you too. Though I am not a fan of those … and Philosophy books—Harry Potter and Philosophy, Game of Thrones and Philosophy, not even, South Park and Philosophy—I make an exception for James Bond and Philosophy. In this sermon I’ll discuss how the practice of Stoicism can improve our peace of mind and happiness by considering the ways and thoughts of James Bond.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. In our country, we often celebrate the moon landing, or even the first American in space, but before any of this, Russian astronaut, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin became the first person in space. Gagarin is hardly a household name in the U.S., though, if we saw ourselves as human beings, rather than strictly as American human beings, perhaps we would be as grateful and aware of his place in our history as we are Neil Armstrong or Alan Shepard. This is just one example of how a humanistic ethic enriches our concept of history, and our connection to all people.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. The familiar story of Joseph and his brothers remains as poignant today as it must have been for its original audience a few thousand years ago. We seem to have so many excuses for considering ourselves separate from others, better than others, and for holding on to grudges that sometimes transcend generations. How can these habituated divisions between us ever be closed? Perhaps Joseph’s story holds the answer.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday.  There is much conflict and disagreement in our world, as well as much anger and protest. Often, regardless of the issues involved, just looking at their behavior makes it difficult to tell some protestors apart. Yet a humanistic ethic requires us to treat those we disagree with as our fellow human beings, requiring us to demonstrate our values amidst the most heated debate.

Services are held at 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. each Sunday. Social Justice is the lifeblood of any Unitarian Universalist Church. Although we’re involved in many other aspects of life, including creating community and finding meaning, a UU congregation that’s not actively working to make the world a better and fairer place for everyone is ultimately unhealthy, unfulfilling, and unsuccessful. This is so, because we need to put our faith into action. It’s part of who we are. During this service we’ll lean more about all the things UUCS is doing for social justice, hear from some of those involved, and learn more about the opportunities for getting involved.