Join us in-person and online on Sundays at 10:30 am. All are welcome! We as Unitarian Universalists in Santa Monica look forward to being with you.
Masks are optional, but always acceptable and welcome. If you or someone in your household is not feeling well or has tested positive for COVID, please stay home; you can still join us via our Facebook or YouTube live-stream worship.
Parking at the UCLA parking structure at 1311 16th St. is available to people attending Sunday services. The entrance is from 16th St. between Santa Monica Blvd. and Arizona Ave., on the SE corner of Arizona and 16th; ask the attendant for a UUSM parking permit to place on your dashboard. For those with a handicap parking tag, several spaces are also available onsite, via the alley west of 18th St., as well as in the UCLA structure.
Worship Online: We livestream our service from the sanctuary. Join us by clicking the WATCH NOW button above where the video is live every week beginning at 10:20 am, or watch on YouTube or Facebook. You don’t need to have a YouTube or Facebook account, or be logged in, to watch the service. You do have to be logged in to comment and chat with other members of the congregation.
Explore past services on our Sermons page, available 24/7. Tune in anytime to catch up and worship with your community. We encourage you to light a chalice or candle at home, meditate, and sing along.
Summertime…
And some things are a bit different with our minister away from the pulpit, while some are the same:
- Spiritual Care is available to members of our community and can be requested by emailing pastoralcare@uusm.org or by calling the church office. If loving, non-judgmental, and confidential support would be helpful to you on a short-term basis, please reach out, and we’ll connect you with the appropriate trained spiritual caregiver.
- If you have a joy, sorrow, or milestone to share with the congregation in our Thursday Announcements and a Sunday service during “Joys and Sorrows,” please email joysandsorrows@uusm.org or call the church office.
- There is no monthly ministry theme until September, and the Choir is on vacation.
- We’re delighted to welcome a variety of voices to our pulpit in July and August, with each Sunday service hosted by a member of our Worship Associates Team. And there are special activities for children and youth.
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Sunday Worship: So, Things Are Good?
Sanctuary 1260 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, United StatesWorship ServicesChaplain Michael Eselun, guest speaker; Dr. Susan Hendricks, worship associate. Popular guest speaker, church member, and oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun, will examine our cultural quest and even demand for “happiness” and for our lives to be good---to be “all good,“ in fact. How do we define happiness and “things being good?” What’s the criteria? Are those definitions universal? Or are they fluid? Join us in-person or online.
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Sunday Worship: How to Navigate an Apocalypse
Sanctuary 1260 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, United StatesWorship ServicesDMRE Jessica TenHave-Place, speaker; Rebecca Haggerty, worship associate. In this service we will explore the meaning of "Apocalypse" as an unveiling of truths that have been hidden from our view. When a troubling truth is revealed, we have the choice to accept it and learn how to navigate our new reality, or to deny it and continue living with comforting lies. Navigating apocalypse isn't easy - but the truth will set us free. Join us in-person or online.
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Sunday Worship: The Poetry of Compost
Sanctuary 1260 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, United StatesWorship ServicesRima Snyder, speaker; Chela Metzger, worship associate. In this service we will explore poems about night and shadows, time, mystery and mortality, the earth’s fertile soil and the cycle of life. Join us in-person or online.
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Sunday Worship: Confessions of a Recovering Perfectionist (Yes, I wrote this title 12 times.)
Sanctuary 1260 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, United StatesWorship ServicesThe Rev. Sue Fisher, guest speaker; Cassie Winters, worship associate. In a world that tells us we need to look a certain way, act a certain way, and have it all together at all times, being in a community where we can admit our cracks — our unfinished edges — is a deep relief. Join us in-person or online.
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Sunday Worship: Tom & Ma: The Joads’ Story and Ours
Sanctuary 1260 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, United StatesWorship ServicesThe Rev. James Ishmael Ford, guest speaker; Chela Metzger, worship associate. Our old friend, The Rev. James Ishmael Ford, first read the Grapes of Wrath when he was a teenager. Its deeper messages have never left him. The story of the Joad family was first recounted by John Steinbeck in his novel. The spirit of that novel was captured by John Ford in his adaptation for the screen. And then it was summarized in a haunting song by Woody Guthrie. James feels this Labor Day weekend is a good time to revisit some aspects of that message. Rev. James is our 2024-2025 Honored Guest Teacher. Each year of Developmental Ministry, we've had one special Honored Guest Teacher who has deepened our understanding and commitments to multi-religious life and/or anti-racism and anti-oppression. Join us in-person or online.
August Generous Congregation Recipient: Camp de Benneville Pines
Our practice here at UUSM is to dedicate half of our non-pledge Sunday offerings to support the life of our church and the other 50% to organizations doing work in the world that advances our Unitarian Universalist principles. This month we’ll share our Sunday Offering with Camp de Benneville Pines.
Your generosity can make a significant difference in the lives of young people and adults alike, as well as in the broader UU community. Camp is a place of transformation, where young minds are nurtured, interpersonal skills are honed, and a profound connection to nature is forged. It’s a haven where individuals of all ages can explore and embrace UU values, foster lasting friendships, and grow as individuals. These experiences are invaluable in shaping the future of our community and our world.
In 1961 UU congregations across Southern California and Arizona donated the funds to purchase Camp and rebuild its facilities — so we own it! Located in the San Bernardino National Forest, just 100 miles from UUSM, it is year-round for sponsored programs as well as for rental for private retreats, Here’s a marvelous history of de Benneville’s early years — and its name.
Members of our congregation go to events at camp throughout the year. And this year we’re gathering with folks from neighboring UU congregations for a retreat September 26-28. Registration is open: here’s more info.
Thank you for your generous support of our beloved community and Camp de Benneville Pines. To give $10 right now, text “$10 GCC” (or another amount) to 844-982-0209. (One-time-only credit card registration required.) Or visit uusm.org/donate.
Our service in the world continues.
