August 2026 Worship Services

/ By / Events, Ministry
Group photo of congregation wearing UUSM colors.

August 2026 – Creativity and Connection

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 free 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. 

Events

Today

UUSM Events Camp de Benneville PinesAugust 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 October 2 to 4. Registration is open, so won’t you join in? 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.

Creativity and Connection

Our congregation this month is joined by our new minister, the Rev. Diana Smith! And our theme for August is Creativity and Connection. In the Northern Hemisphere it’s summertime, with that illusion of “the living’ is easy,” but millions of people continue struggling for rights and freedoms, for economic justice, for basic safety, food, and shelter for all. Here’s a few ideas about keeping on with this work while taking care of ourselves and each other.
 
Steve Jobs: “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” 
 
Brené Brown: “Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”
 
Austin Kleon: “Creativity is about connections, and connections are not made by siloing everything off into its own space. New ideas are formed by interesting juxtapositions, and interesting juxtapositions happen when things are out of place.”
 
John Berger: “Drawing is a way of coming upon the connection between things, just like metaphor in poetry reconnects what has become separated.” 
 
John Muir: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
 
Alfred Lord Tennyson: “I am a part of all that I have met.” 
 

Interdependence Questions:

  • Has a tree ever spoken to you? How about a river? Or the ocean? Or the moon? What about a weed?
  • Do you think age impacts the way we connect with the interdependent web?
  • How does climate anxiety or grief show up in your life?
  • When was the last time you became thoroughly absorbed in the curiosity of understanding another creature’s life?
  • How has the place where you live shaped the way you understand and approach life? And yourself?
  • Do you struggle with “burdening” others with your troubles and worries? If so, who or what led to your belief that your grief, worry or struggle is unwanted by or too heavy for others?
  • Have you ever been “loved” by the natural world?
  • What new relationships will you build this year? What others will you strengthen or modify?

UUSM flaming chalice, round logo

Our service in the world continues.

 

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