Worship Services

Rev. Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, preaching;
Cassie Winters, Worship Associate. 
     When the sound system isn't working, or the Zoom audio needs adjustment, we get feedback: Annoying, irritating noise that tells us that something must be adjusted. Feedback from people is often subtle and easy to ignore, and sometimes it is missing altogether. This morning we are going to talk about feedback and what it sounds like in a Beloved Community. Join us for worship in-person and online.

Sunday Worship: A Thief of the Heart. Rev James Ishmael Ford, preaching; Karen Hsu Patterson, Worship Associate. What does a spiritual life look like over the long haul? Today friend and occasional speaker at UUSM, the Rev. James Ishmael Ford, will share a story that explores what that might look like. Join us for worship in-person and online. Rev. Ford served as a UU parish minister for twenty-five years. He's the minister emeritus at the First Unitarian Church of Providence. Today while officially retired, he serves an affiliated minister with Neighborhood UU Church in Pasadena. James is also a Zen teacher and the author of five books on aspects of the Zen life. His sixth, the Intimate Way of Zen: Effort, Surrender, and Awakening on the Spiritual Journey, has just been released by Shambhala Publications.

Small Gestures. Rev. Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, preaching; Cassie WInters, worship associate. How can you communicate without words that you care? What are the small gestures the make the biggest difference to you? What do you know makes a difference for others? Join us for worship in-person and online.

James Witker, preaching; Dr. Susan Hendricks, Worship Associate. A child of missionaries, Sophia Lyon Fahs' own spiritual odyssey would transform liberal religious education from rote study into an experience-centered search for truth and meaning. Her lifelong dedication to children’s learning, and to the quest for knowledge from all sources, helped usher an era of rapid and unprecedented growth that was dubbed “The Unitarian Renaissance.” Even today, we at UUSM remain part of the revolution of ideas that Sophia Lyon Fahs instigated — and she still has much to teach us. James Witker has been a member of UUSM since 2010, during which time has been involved especially with the Faith In Action Commission (FIA) and Adult Programs (RE). He has also served on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association (UUHA), and works professionally as a documentary film and TV editor and producer whose work can be seen on Showtime, Netflix, Tennis Channel, and other networks. Join us for worship in-person and online.

The Process of Becoming. Change is hard. Transformation is even more difficult. How might the butterfly's cycle of life offer us a pathway toward transforming the world through courageous love? Join us for worship in-person and online. We welcome back the Rev. Liz Murphy (she/her), who is a staff chaplain at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Loma Linda, CA. She is also the affiliated community minister at Orange Coast UU Church. She previously served as the Interfaith Programs Assistant at the University of Southern California's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, as well as a chaplain intern at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Liz graduated from the Claremont School of Theology with a Master of Divinity in 2020. Originally from Pittsburgh, she lives in Monrovia with her wife, Hilary.