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Recorded Services and Sermons
Sept. 26, 2021
Atonement and the Possibility for Redemption
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto and Meg Dorsey While none of us is a perfect person and can unintentionally cause harm to others, the practice of atonement and the possibility for redemption can strengthen relationships and enrich our lives. Join us this Yom Kippur as we explore these themes.
September 19, 2021
A Priest and an Atheist Walk into a Bar...
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto and John Bohland
How can a theist minister be of value to atheists members of our congregation, and how can an atheist person value and benefit from a multi-faith/religious community like SFUU? Join us this Sunday as we explore this topic together.
September 12, 2021
The Sacred Gift of Water
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto, Joan Lacktis, and Suzanne Borth
We come together this Sunday to celebrate the sacred gift of water and how it can connect all sentient beings. We will have an opportunity to assess our location on the individual and collective paths we are on, and determine the course ahead, as well as our level of commitment in the individual and collective scales.
September 5, 2021
A Labor of Love
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto and Vicky Jungers
As we continue to explore our personal and collective commitment to SFUU, our future and the betterment of our world, we take the opportunity to reflect this Sunday on what it means to labor in love. We each carry forward all the dedication received from our ancestors and those who came before us, whose guidance continues today in creating this place where we are.
August 29, 2021
Envisioning a Future Together
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto and Amy Evans
Over the last 18 months, we've been guarded and by necessity, cautious in thinking about the future of SFUU. As we joyfully enter a new chapter we envision an exciting future for SFUU.
August 22
Dreams and Commitment
Rev. Alex da Silva Souto and Joan Lacktis
“As a new church cycle unfolds… What are we willing to re-commit to as individual agents of SFUU, and in partnership with a new minister? What do we still need to heal from, let go of and/or surrender to in order to embrace the future?”
August 15
Music for Us All
Vicky Jungers, Hank Florence, Jeff Chamberlain, Skyler Leftridge, Julia Leftridge, and Pattiey Leftridge
You are invited to join us this Sunday for a special music service. We will explore together the joy that music brings us and it's powers to connect, heal and deepen our spiritual practices. Be prepared to join us in song, even if we can't hear you!
August 8, 2021
Transitions are Hard
Suzanne Borth and Andrea Henke
When children have to transition from one place or situation to another, they might act out on overwhelming emotions. As adults, we generally have the ability to keep our emotions in check, but that doesn't mean we aren't still overwhelmed. Even when the transition is something we want! This Sunday we will talk about how we deal with change as a community without throwing a fit!
Click here for the written text for some of this service:
August 1, 2021
Kindness
Vicky Jungers, Meg Dorsey, and Adrean Dills; with a special guest cameo by Rev Alex
There is a popular t-shirt design that states - “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Join us this Sunday as we explore the vital need for a kinder world and learn new ways to develop kindness to share with yourself and others.
July 25, 2021
Carrying Blocks and Planting Flowers
Joan Lacktis and John Bohland
As we at SFUU prepare to start over with another new minister, perhaps we can be inspired by others who have started over from far greater setbacks. We will hear about work the UUSC supported in Haiti following the 2013 earthquake with updates showing how far they have come since then. The community they have built can inspire us to keep moving forward.
July 18, 2021
What It Means to Have and Open Heart
Lea Morris and Amy Evans
All are invited to a very special musical interactive experience with LEA. In her words she is a Child of the Universe, singer, songwriter, teacher and perpetual student. She has spent the last twenty years sharing her musical talents in Washington DC and throughout the country.
July 11, 2021
Real-life Heroes
Pam Downs and Meg Dorsey
Please join us this Sunday as we explore heroes in our lives. Do we need real heroes? Who are our heroes of the past and present? What do our heroes say about us and where do we find the meaning in that?
July 4, 2921
Wanting What You Have - Appreciating America
Joan Lacktis and Amy Evans
Over the last 4 years, it's been easy to question our pride in our country. This Sunday Amy and Joan offer us a new outlook on some of the freedoms and opportunities we take for granted by sharing the perspective of a legal immigrant entering America. Come and hear why it's still a great country.
June 20, 2021
Summer Solstice: Saying Goodbye Well
Rev. AJ van Tine and Meg Dorsey
Please join us for Rev. AJ's last Sunday in the pulpit at SFUU. We will celebrate the height of the sun's power on this Summer Solstice, sharing our gratitude for the two years spent together, gratitude for the exciting next stages of life for both Minister and Congregation, and gratitude for the gift of a "good good-bye."
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
June 13, 2021
Play and the Power of Pokémon
Rev. AJ van Tine with Rev. Christine Dance, and Barb Munn
We all need to play! From your Minister who grew up with Pokémon, collaborating with Rev. Christine Dance, who was previously a Brand Manager for this iconic toy brand, we will explore the role of play in our life and how we can learn from this game that has been delighting fans for decades, as well as games in general. (P.S. You don't have to know ANYTHING about Pokémon for this to be a fun service for you!)
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
June 6, 2021
RE Sunday
Adrean Dills and the C/Y RE Committee
Please join us for a special RE Sunday as we connect with the children and youth of SFUU and reflect on this challenging year and the new year that lies ahead.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
May 30, 2021
Remember My Story: How I Lived
Vicky Jungers and Maureen Bauman
While Memorial Day is a time to pay our respects to all who have died fighting wars the world over, it is also a time to reflect on why it is important to remember and share our stories. Our stories connect us, bring us closer, give us insight about others and help support living our values in the world. When we are reminded of how a person lived, such sharing allows us to embrace our stories and pass their lessons on to others.
May 23, 2021
Lord of the Rings Sunday
Reverend AJ van Tine and Pam Downs
Lord of the Rings is classic fantasy literature, which is beloved by many and influences so much of modern fantasy and mythic storytelling. Join us on a trip to Middle Earth as we explore this epic saga, the values and lessons within, and the role such legends and novels have in our own lives.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
May 16, 2021
Linear vs. Circular Storytelling
Reverend AJ van Tine and Suzanne Borth
Stories come in many different shapes and sizes. While most of the stories we hear and tell in our culture can be described as linear, there is also a lot of truth and wisdom to be found in circular, or non-linear stories. Join us as we explore the ways in which our shaping of stories in turn shapes us, and vice versa.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
May 9, 2021
Flower Celebration
Reverend AJ van Tine and Rick Marshall
Join us for the story of Flower Celebration and its origin in the Czech Unitarian Church, and our own virtually adapted celebration of spring, flowers, and the beautiful diversity of human community.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
May 2, 2021
Where Did We Come From? ... Where Are We Going?
QuianaDenae Perkins and Amy Evans
Please join us for a special Sunday service with guest speaker QuianaDenae Perkins of First UU Church in Ann Arbor, MI. QuianaDenae first engaged as a UU in 2000 in Minneapolis. In 2018, she took a professional role at the UUAA and is currently serving as the Coordinator of Congregational Life. She also volunteers with Black Lives of UU (BLUU) on social justice and youth programming. Her service will focus on personal narrative + life weaving + linage and legacy.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
Click here to view the performance of We Are by Ysaye Barnwell with the 2020 GA Virtual Choir
Click here to view the telling of Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloth
April 25, 2021
Earth Day: On Holy Ground
Reverend AJ van Tine and the Mission Earth team (Tom Piette, Barb Munn, Janet Russell, and Carol Koons)
The present and unfolding Climate Chaos is one of the biggest, most complex, and most urgent issues facing our world. Sometimes, it can be all too much. How can we engage the fullness of both science and faith to return to being grounded, realistic, and hopeful when we find ourselves overwhelmed?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
April 18, 2021
Feeding the Wolf
Joan Lacktis and Amy Evans
Sometimes it feels like negative thoughts and feelings will overtake us. How do we use this energy to move forward rather than letting it immobilize us?
Our apologies, we forgot to record this zoom service, however we do have Amy’s reflection, the hymns (# 101, 108, 1002) and Jeff Chamberlain’s version of I am willing.
April 11, 2021
Progressive Religious Impulse
Reverend AJ van Tine and Cindy Whitson
Unitarian Universalism is a relatively new approach to religion, and also has ancient roots. What is the thread that connects us to our past and informs how we approach our future? And how does being aware of this thread help us live our lives today?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
April 4, 2021
God As Change
Reverend AJ van Tine and Tricia Caspers
During this Easter Sunday service, we reflect on Octavia Butler’s novel, Parable of the Sower, and the idea that God is change. How do our ideas about God and the universe impact and shape us, and how does seeing God as change help us weather the difficulties we face in life?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
March 28, 2021
To Be the Grain of Sand
Amy Evans, Pam Downs, and Barb Munn
When we try making big changes in the world, it's easy to get discouraged. You are invited to join us this Sunday as we explore what it can mean to be the grain of sand, when we understand that each person's efforts have a ripple affect on others.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
March 21, 2021
Ostara: Renewing Commitment to Yourself
Reverend AJ van Tine and Stevie Rea
As we mark the turning of the seasons into spring, we will reflect on our month’s theme of commitment by renewing our commitments to self and self-care. In the midst of so much that draws our attention and takes up our energy, how can we prioritize our own physical and spiritual health and sustainability?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
March 14, 2021
Celebration Sunday: A Year of Living Pandemically
Reverend AJ van Tine and Tricia Caspers
As we celebrate the end of our stewardship drive and arrive at the first anniversary of sheltering in place, we will reflect on how our commitment to our values and to each other has sustained us and how that commitment will guide us forward.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
March 7, 2021
Onward and Upward
Rev. Andrew Millard and Amy Evans
For generations, our Universalist and Unitarian ancestors-in-faith sought to grow the Beloved Community by fostering “the continuity of human development in all worlds, or, the progress of humanity onward and upward forever.” And yet, we know that progress is never linear, that there are always set-backs and disappointments along the way. How do we temper our optimism while still striving for a better world?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
February 28, 2021
The Promise and the Practice of Our Faith
Joan Lacktis, Pam Downs, Rick Marshall, Stevie Rea, and Cindy Whitson
What would it be like if our UU worship service centered entirely around the voices and the experiences of black Unitarian Universalists? What truths might we hear, however difficult? What might we learn? How might these black UU leaders teach us to be better allies, better siblings in faith, and even better citizens in our community?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
February 21, 2021
Non-Credal Community
Reverend AJ van Tine and Suzanne Borth
Unitarian Universalist congregations are famously non-credal communities. We say that what binds us together is our common covenant, rather than our common creed. But does being non-credal mean that we don’t have any creeds? What about the individual beliefs of individual UUs? How do we build deep relationships with each other when we don’t share the same beliefs, and how do we build community with other people of faith around us?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
February 14, 2021
Building for Tomorrow
Reverend AJ van Tine, Stevie Rea, and Bill Boyce
Transformative religious community doesn’t happen by itself -- it only exists when dedicated people come together and create it, and ensure it exists in the future. Join us for our Stewardship Sunday as we reflect on what it means to be generous in doing what we can to practice beloved community, and lay the groundwork to build a home for progressive religion in our region.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
February 7, 2021
Does Beloved Community Have Walls?
Reverend AJ van Tine and Joan Lacktis
We often describe UU Congregations as striving to be beloved communities, but that is a difficult vision to live up to. What does that aspiration truly call us to do, who does it call us to be, and what is our history as Unitarian Universalists in moving closer, and sometimes further away, from that vision?
January 31, 2021
The Practices of Imagination
Suzanne Borth, Vicky Jungers, and Joan Lacktis
Do you ever watch children play, and glory at their sense of imagination and wonder when you lost yours? As adults we are not often given the opportunity. Let us look at ways we can use imagination as a spiritual practice and how imagination can help us perceive and impact the world.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
January 24, 2021
Re-imagining the Future
Reverend AJ van Tine and Cindy Whitson
When we endure times of crisis, times of great change; when we make mistakes or encounter obstacles -- how can we practice seeing these not as failures, but as opportunities to expand our imaginative thinking, and discover previously unthinkable new ways of living, of being community, of structuring society? In short, what is the role of the error or the obstacle for our imagination?
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
January 17, 2021
Are We Still Dreaming?
Matthew Pargeter-Villarrea and Joan Lacktis
As we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday this year, Matthew Pargeter-Villarreal reflects on what this day means and how we can take Dr. King’s words and embody them so they speak to us in the here and now as we have conversations about the future of racial justice.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
January 10, 2021
Theological Imaginations
Reverend AJ van Tine and John Bohland
Not every Unitarian Universalist believes in God, and in fact a breadth of beliefs about God and religion are a hallmark of our denomination. What does it mean, then, to talk about Unitarian Universalist Theology? Do Buddhists, atheists, and pagans, for example, have theologies? Join this service as we explore the joys of being imaginative and expansive with our relationship to religious or theological terms!
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
January 3, 2021
Questions
Reverend AJ van Tine and Vicky Jungers
Following poet Rainer Maria Rilke's prescription to "live the questions", Minister AJ will, rather than offer a sermon, answer questions submitted by congregants in advance and during the service.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
December 27, 2020
When You are Weary
Vicky Jungers and Amy Evans
When you are fighting your hardest and have become so weary, how can embracing stillness help? We will reflect on finding our way through the burdens we carry in order to shine and move forward with renewed strength. There is meaning in the stillness and a path to rest and quiet, while being inspired to looking forward.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
December 24, 2020
Silent Night - Sharing Stories and Music
Reverend AJ van Tine and Adrean Dills
Join us in beloved community for Christmas Eve. We will share stories and songs that speak to what lies within our hearts during this holiday season. Contributions from: Bella and Andreea Mottram, Jeanine Meunier, Bob Coombs, Sam Florence, Pattiey Leftridge, and the SFUU virtual choir.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
December 20, 2020
Stillness of Dark, Stillness of the Sun
Reverend AJ van Tine and Meg Dorsey
Winter Solstice is the split-second moment of stillness as the earth ceases its path away from the sun, and begins the trek back through the solar system. It is the mysterious moment when the days cease getting shorter, and begin to stretch longer. Join us on this special Sunday as we meditate in the stillness of the moment we find ourselves in, and celebrate the returning light.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
December 13, 2020
Wholly Families
Reverend AJ van Tine, Leah Florence, Stevie Rea, and Marsha von Dessonneck
Join us for our annual Wholly Families service, honoring the wholeness and holiness of every kind of family, with reflections on the monthly theme of Stillness from some of the various families here at SFUU.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
December 6, 2020
Rest is Resistance
Reverend Aisha Ansano (Nourish UU) and Vicky Jungers
In a world where we are always being pulled from one thing to another, always adding things to our to-do list, it is counter-cultural to rest—and yet it is so important. Let’s take a moment to pause, to rest, and to be rejuvenated. For this brunch church service, we’ll gather as we always do, but the structure will be a little different. We’ll still do some things all together, but we’ll also go into breakout rooms for discussions at our “tables,” then come back together to close out the service. Please bring at least a bite of food for a ritual, though you’re invited to bring your whole meal, too!
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
November 29, 2020
Healing Through Storytelling
Meg Dorsey and Hank Florence
Sharing our stories allows us to not just learn about one another, but to learn from the experiences of people both close to us and those unknown. Join us for this special Sunday to learn how our stories can help us understand how to heal and support our human connections, and provide solace for our spirits.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
November 22, 2020
Random Acts of Kindness, Senseless Acts of Beauty
Reverend AJ van Tine, Kara Rivera, and Jeanine Meunier
As we seek to heal each other, ourselves, and the world, what is the role of the "Random Act of Kindness?" Is this phrase just a catchy fad, or is there a deeper and more ancient wisdom in it? Join us in worship as we explore the value of random acts of kindness.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
November 15, 2020
Healing Through Acceptance
Vicky Jungers and Patricia Leftridge
For many months now as we have moved through this pandemic time, our souls and hearts have been wounded, for all variety of reasons. How can we work towards healing? Coming to accept those things we cannot change, and viewing these challenges with new perspective can help us learn. Let's explore how acceptance can open the door not just for healing but to create new opportunities to build deeper love and gain new strengths.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
November 8, 2020
What Is Still True
Reverend AJ van Tine and Barb Munn
No matter what happens with the Election, no matter what state of uncertainty we may find ourselves in this Sunday, certain truths will still be the same. We still will gather together, we still will be held in a larger love, and we still will continue the work for a more just and flourishing world.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
November 1, 2020
Pre-Election Centering & Worship with UU Fellowship of Northern Nevada and Emma's Revolution
Reverend AJ van Tine and Carol Koons
On this last Sunday before the Presidential Election, we will gather for a brief service which will speak to our anxiety and hope in this moment, and then "travel" together to join the UU Fellowship of Northern Nevada for an upbeat and inspiring musical pre-election service with music from the beloved activist band, Emma's Revolution!
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
October 25, 2020
Worship
Amy Evans, Meg Dorsey, Jim Robison, and Suzanne Borth
Do UUs worship? What would you tell a friend who asks, "what do you worship?" Maybe it is a fellowship or a celebration instead? What makes UU services impactful and how can you be more involved with the creation and consummations of Sunday services.
October 18, 2020
Widening the Circle of Concern
Reverend AJ van Tine and Joan Lacktis
Deep Listening to others is not only a service to the other, but can be a means of transformation for the individual, and a first step towards greater justice in our world. Join us for a celebration of how listening to others, especially those at the margins of society, can be a catalyst for transformation, and an exploration of how we can cultivate an attitude of deep listening to all.
Click here for the zoom captioning transcript for this service.
October 11, 2020
Listening and Responding to the Truth Within
Reverend AJ van Tine and Rick Marshall
On this National Coming Out Day, during LGBTQ History month, join us as we reflect on the importance of not only listening to the deep truths of one's self, but also making the choice to live that truth out loud.
October 4, 2020
It Takes Practice
Matt Meyer and Amy Evans
Our favorite songs, whoever the artist or whatever the style, were created in a strange alchemy of study and inspiration, of strict practice and of letting go. Spiritual Practice is a similar combination of dedication, muscle memory, and perhaps a little divine inspiration. Join us for a musical exploration of learning to risk, building the muscle memory of courage, and the spiritual practice of relationship when things around us are changing fast. Matt is a musician and worship leader who has led hundreds of services for UU congregations across the country. He has a degree in hand drumming and serves as Director of Community Life for Sanctuary Boston.
September 27, 2020
Atonement, Renewal, and Universalism
Rev. AJ van Tine and Joan Harris
As we honor the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur and celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Universalism being first preached in North America, it is an appropriate time to consider atonement in both traditions, and our own living tradition. What does it mean to atone, to apologize, to make amends, to make reparations? How do our inherited or chosen theologies influence our answers to this question?
September 20, 2020
Fall Equinox: Grounding for Renewal
Rev. AJ van Tine and Bill Boyce
Typically, we think of spring as the time for renewal. But in Fall in California, in a time of harvest, of heat, wind, and fire, we find ourselves facing destruction and endings which are struggles to endure, yet may also provide the potential grounding for future renewal.
September 13, 2020
Ingathering
Renewing our Covenant to Each Other
Rev. AJ van Tine and Geoff Smith
August 30, 2020
Reflections and Re-commitment: Meditations on UUA General Assembly 2020
Maureen Bauman, Suzanne Borth, and Marsha von Dessonneck
Deep thoughts and honest conversation about what is happening on the national stage for Unitarian Universalists. Sharing ideas on system change and how we can support our local congregation to spiritual wholeness through faith development, covenanted community, and support of youth and young adults.
August 23, 2020
Sources of Inspiration
AJ van Tine and Stevie Rea
As we conclude our Summer of the Six Sources, we will reflect upon all the sources explored over the last two months of services, and engage our statement of six sources as a list of sources of Inspiration. What does it mean to be inspired by various theologies and religions, as a Unitarian Universalist? And what does this inspiration lead us to do?
August 16, 2020
6th Source: Nature and Earth
Jeff Chamberlain and George Lowry
Earth-Centered Traditions: The Source of the Sources: Our final source in this series is "the Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature". In this service we will explore what these traditions are and how they relate to the rest of the sources. We invite you to join us in these final steps along a journey to trace these roots.
August 9, 2020
5th Source: Reason and Belief
Amy Evans and Joan Lacktis
UU’s draw from humanist sources along with science and reason to find meaning in the world. UU’s don’t see reason and religious faith as being in conflict but use reason to inform our spiritual beliefs and practices. How can our spirituality and our commitment to science and reason keep us moving forward in a world full of not-always- reasonable fellow humans?
August 2, 2020
4th Source: Jewish and Christian Teachings of Love
AJ van Tine and Meg Dorsey
The fourth source of Unitarian Universalism is "Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves." Join us for a service to explore the historical connections Unitarian Universalism has with Judaism and Christianity, and to engage what it means to love the other as one's own self.
July 26, 2020
3rd Source: World Religions
AJ van Tine and Pam Downs
July 19, 2020
2nd Source: Words and Deeds of Prophetic People
Amy Evans and Trish Caspers
July 12, 2020
1st Source: Transcending Mystery and Wonder
Suzanne Borth and Abby Warner
The first of the UU sources is Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life. In these trying times, how are you renewing your spirit? Are you open to the forces that uphold life? Join discussion about how hard times are often when we feel most connected to the mystery.
July 5, 2020
Six Sources Kickoff
AJ van Tine and Kara Rivera
June 21, 2020
Midsummer: The Sun's Compassion
AJ van Tine and Jeff Chamberlain
Join as us as we mark and celebrate the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice. We will reflect upon the beauty and compassion the sun has for us, as well as how we might respond to that compassion as we transition into the second half of the year with shortening days and lengthening nights. We will also have a bridging ceremony for our graduating high school senior.
June 14, 2020
What Love Looks Like in Public
AJ van Tine and Suzanne Borth
Dr. Cornel West says Justice is what Love looks like in Public. As we explore our monthly theme of compassion and process the recent events of protests, riots, police brutality, and creeping fascism, this service will ask what love and justice look like in this moment, for us as Americans, as individuals, and as Unitarian Universalists.
June 7, 2020
Experiencing Homelessness - Experiencing Compassion
Meg Dorsey and Geoff Smith
Most of us feel our heartstrings tugged at when we come upon or interact with persons experiencing homelessness - it seems like such an insurmountable problem in our society and our community. Insight and compassion can go a long way toward understanding our own feelings and those of the homeless.
May 31, 2020
RE Sunday
Adrean Dills
SFUU Children and Youth
May 24, 2020
Choose to Bless the World
AJ van Tine
Kara Bowman
May 17, 2020
Retrospective: Top 10 UU Moments from the 2010’s
AJ van Tine
Marsha von Dessonneck
May 10, 2020
Mother’s Day
AJ van Tine
Rick Marshall
Maggie Nemeth