September 2020 Worship Services

Join us each Sunday ONLINE as we celebrate and worship as a community.

We as Unitarian Universalists look forward to being with you virtually and in spirit on Sunday morning. We continue to develop our new spiritual practice of co-creating beloved community together in the midst of a global pandemic. We’re finding ways to spiritually prepare and fortify ourselves and to support others in uncertain times. If you need help getting to the online services, please contact board member Eileen McCormack for assistance.

Join our online Sunday service broadcast on the church’s Facebook page @UUSantaMonica on Sunday mornings and join the conversation on Facebook. You can also watch it live here on the UUSM Newsletter site on the main page (news.uusm.org). You don’t need to have a Facebook account or be logged in to watch on Facebook or here. The video will also be available on our YouTube channel shortly after the end of the service, so tune in anytime to catch up and worship with your community.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

“Quilting Lessons”

Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, preaching
Dorothy Steinicke, Worship Associate

ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 am online

Sometimes in the midst of doing something that has you focused in one direction, you realize that you are learning things that apply to other aspects of your life. That was the case when I made my first quilt. I thought I was learning about quilting; I realized later that I was learning about life. Has that ever happened to you? We have been in quarantine for six months now. Some of us have been in our homes the whole time. Others have ventured out; all have learned new ways of doing things. And learned new things as we did the mundane. What have you learned about yourself and about life in the past six months? As we bring our summer sermon series to a close, come and share with one another lessons you have learned while quilting, or gardening, or …. whatever you have been doing in the past few months.

The Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins is a member of our congregation who preaches across the Southland. When she is not working with churches she is helping other mission-driven organizations — and people — learn and use the lessons that the Universe presents to them.

Sunday, September 13, 2020

“Ingathering Water Communion” (Intergenerational)

Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, preaching
Kikanza Nuri-Robins and Aubrey Sassoon, Worship Associates

ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 am online

Join us for our annual ingathering service to celebrate the new church year! Rev. Jeremiah returns to the pulpit and we honor our water communion ceremony this year from the safety of our homes.

You are invited to email Jeremiah and Saunder hopes, inspirations, and blessings for the new year — either as a video with water being poured into a bowl or as text to be read during the ceremony. We need these videos by Tuesday evening (September 8th) to hopefully include them in the service. Please be sure to record in a quiet and well-lit space with HD (720p) if possible.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

“The Masks We Wear”/span>

Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, preaching
Alison Kendall, Worship Associate

ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 am online

As the popular saying goes: “I can’t believe it’s September — it literally feels like it was March just sixteen years ago!” Developmental ministry in the midst of a pandemic offers many unique challenges and opportunities for congregations. Join us as we explore developmental ministry in this ne/w context, in the new church year.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

“Yamim Nora’im: The Days of Awe”

Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, preaching
Natalie Kahn, Worship Associate

ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 am online

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have arrived on the cycle of the Hebrew calendar, and we explore this sacred time of taking inventory of our lives and making amends to refresh our souls and renew the world. Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience.

Generous Congregation Recipient: Community Services Unlimited

We come together for more than ourselves. This month 50% of the Sunday offering will be donated to Community Services Unlimited. Established in 1977, CSU provides healthy organic food and preventive health services, while building the South LA community’s capacity to address issues of unsustainable resources and unequal impact.

Over the past 5 years, UUSM has supported a number of CSU programs, as part of our commitment to justice-driven, community-based programs and educational initiatives. Thank you for your generous support.

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