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• Heather Dahm memorial service set on Jan. 24 December 29, 2025
  A celebration of the life of Heather Marie Isadora Dahm will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 at Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church,  9400 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215 in the metro Kansas City area. In lieu of flowers, we invite your support of the family GoFundMe honoring Heather’s memory at https://gofund.me/e4158083d.
• SAT will show “My Father’s Name” documentary on Jan. 4 December 23, 2025
  All are invited to join the Social Action Team at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, to view “My Father’s Name,” a 20-minute documentary about a woman’s discovery that her father participated in a lynching. She “must now reckon with deeply conflicted feelings about the father she loved, find a way to hold her family ...
• “Getting to Know UU” Newcomers’ Retreat scheduled Jan. 18 December 23, 2025
  Our Membership Team‘s next “Getting to Know UU” Newcomers’ Retreat and Potluck Dinner has been scheduled on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. The retreat and dinner is for those interested in becoming a member of UUCC. It will be held in the Sanctuary from 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 18. Newcomers will learn about Unitarian Universalism and ...
• Christmas Eve services at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. December 21, 2025
  Christmas Eve Candlelight Services 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24 A potluck cookie reception will be offered between the two services. Your cookie contributions will be gratefully accepted. Family Service – in-person only at 4:30 p.m. Traditional carols and candlelight, and an interactive telling of the Christmas story with an accessible message of hope. This service will not be live-streamed due ...
• Church leaders’ December messages November 29, 2025
  2025-26 President Kim Wade Dear UU folks, I have been pulping wild persimmons and adding pints of the pulp to our freezer. It’s a fall ritual I began after being ushered through a Persimmon Portal five years ago. It began like this. Sitting on a dock one morning, I hear something fall onto the wooden planking with a ...
• Water Bearers Society lauds Anderson family gift November 29, 2025
  The late Carla Anderson became a member of the Water Bearers Society with her recent bequest to the church. This month the society This month asked Rosie Anderson-Harper why her family decided to contribute a legacy gift in honor of her mother, for which our church family is deeply grateful. Carla was a long-time church member ...
• Pastoral visitors team announced October 5, 2025
  We are delighted to share that a new team of pastoral visitors has been formed and trained by Rev. Molly to extend the pastoral reach of the congregation. This team will collaborate with the minister to offer emotional support, spiritual encouragement, and pastoral care in situations of transition and difficulty. It will also help maintain ...
• “Pen Pal” program with Fulton State Hospital October 5, 2025
  The LGBTQ Collective is piloting a pen pal program with patients at Fulton State Hospital and is in need of ally volunteers. Volunteers will receive one or two pen pals from the hospital’s LGBTQ group. Please email Rev. Molly if you are interested in being a pen pal to get connected with program organizers.
• “Coming Back to Life” programs planned on Saturday mornings starting Nov. 1 September 26, 2025
  A collaborative program of UUCC and two other faith groups will offer a “Coming Back to Life” series of programs on Saturday mornings from November through March with a theme of “Empowerment in the Fact of Planetary Suffering.” UUCC members and friends are invited to share their care for the earth and engage in relational and ...
• Exploring mutual aid and radical neighboring September 24, 2025
  Thirty-six UUCC members and friends gathered to explore possibilities for radical neighboring and mutual aid following our worship service and Rev Molly’s sermon on “Mutual Aid, Labor and Faith: A History” on Sunday, August 31. Want to know what happened and how you might be part of next steps? If so, read on. Our theme that afternoon ...
• Chalice Circles signups now open September 7, 2025
  Need community? We’ve got you. Being in community might just be the most important thing we can do right now for ourselves and for each other. As a small-group ministry of our church, Chalice Circles are designed to build that community, foster connections between members, and provide opportunities to share your heart in a safe, brave space. These ...
• Care Team re-launches September 5, 2025
  The UUCC Care Team is being re-launched with new members and new focus. Are you interested in embracing radical neighboring? Please join the UUCC Care Team! The group has several areas we are focusing on: Meals: After a birth, surgery or illness, etc. Rides: To church, medical appointments, etc. Memorial Services: For UU Members Cards: Joys, Sorrows & Support Are you Interested ...
• Choir and Sacred Songs plans announced September 5, 2025
  Violet Vonder Haar, Director of Music Ministry, has announced choir and “Sacred Songs” plans. Choir: It’s time for another season of singing UU! The UUCC Choir will resume our weekly rehearsals this Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. Members are invited to bring a dish for a potluck for our first rehearsal. We will eat together, ...
• Monthly worship theme workshops planned on 1st Fridays August 22, 2025
  Join us in the sanctuary from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday each month from September through May for Guidebook to the Garden, an all-ages workshop to engage the theme of the month with creative prompts. We’ll get started on Friday, Sept. 5. Participants will receive a blank book to fill up with inspiration ...
• New Philosophy Club will meet on 4th Sundays August 22, 2025
  Philosophy Club, led by Ben Schulz, is a group for anyone interested in discussing a topic more deeply with others. No philosophical training is needed, all worldviews are welcome, and any member can submit a subject to be discussed from spirituality to sociology, psychology, ecology, science and anything else. The group will meet in the sanctuary 11:50 ...
• UU minister Jordinn Nelson Long will do research at UUCC August 6, 2025
  Rev. Molly has announced that UU minister and cultural geographer Jordinn Nelson Long will be visiting with us during the 2025-2026 church year to support her research on thriving progressive faith communities. Jordinn will be with us for most of September and from January to mid-March. She will be embedding herself in the congregation, meeting many ...
• Rev. Molly receives 2024 Skinner Sermon Award from UUA July 6, 2025
  Our minister, the Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon, is the 2024 recipient of the Skinner Sermon Award from the Unitarian Universalist Association for her Oct. 20, 2024 sermon “How to Have an Enemy,” the UUA has announced. The announcement said the sermon was recognized “…for its powerful clarity, deep power analysis, and unwavering solidarity with vulnerable ...
• Monica Clark-Robinson will be our new intern minister June 28, 2025
  Rev. Molly has announced that we will have another intern minister this coming year. Here is the text of her announcement: I am delighted to share that we will be serving as a teaching congregation once more for the 2025-2026 program year! In September we will be welcoming Monica Clark-Robinson to UUCC to complete the second ...
• Ten new members join UUCC June 15, 2025
  Ten new members joined UUCC during a New Member Ingathering Ceremony during worship on June 15, 2025. In alphabetical order, they are: Carmen Clearwater, Katie Guinn, Amy Hoffman, Maha Libdeh, Jeremiah Long, Kristen Long, Tim Madsen, Trana Madsen, Sam Schick, and Carol Snively. Many thanks to Kim Wade for taking the following group photo and ...
• Planned Giving Work Group lauds Dr. Dorothy Watson June 1, 2025
  With deep gratitude and admiration, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia honors the late Dr. Dorothy Watson for her generous and compassionate bequest to the church. We celebrate her legacy in our newly formed Water Bearer’s Society, which recognizes those who plan for the future of our congregation with a legacy or estate gift of ...
• Our Board of Trustees issues public statement about our commitments in these times April 29, 2025
  Members of our Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the following public statement regarding our commitments in these times at their March meeting. The statement was circulated by email to church members and friends on April 29 and was published the same day on the editorial page of The Columbia Missourian. View a video version of ...
• 40 Missouri UUs attended first-ever Advocacy Day in Jeff City April 27, 2025
  Forty UUs, including six from UUCC, gathered in Jefferson City on Wednesday, April 23, for the first-ever Missouri UU Advocacy Day. The group met at the Jefferson City UU Fellowship for relationship-building, training and lunch. After lunch they went to the Missouri State Capitol to talk with legislators about bodily autonomy, workers’ rights, and how maybe ...
• Stewardship campaign was a big success March 23, 2025
  Annual Giving Chair Christine Heath and Rev. Molly report that our stewardship campaign for the 2025-26 fiscal year was extremely successful. The total pledged exceeded the aggressive goal of a 9% increase over current year pledges, allowing us to increase our budget from $327,000 this year to more than $356,000 for the next fiscal year ...
• Grounds Team introduces Hamamelis vernalis February 1, 2025
  Have you met Hamamelis vernalis? …also known as Ozark Witch Hazel? Several of these woody shrubs live on our church grounds, one in front of the building and a few out back. Each year, they are the first of our native plants to bloom, even before spring arrives! On warmer winter days (January-March) they can ...
• Please park at Shepard school if you can January 3, 2025
  Have you noticed our parking lot and the street filling up quickly on Sunday mornings as our attendance increases? We are able to park in the Shepard Elementary School lot across the street from the church. If you have been attending for some years and are able to, please park there to help welcome newcomers with ...
• Please provide complete ingredients list for potlucks January 3, 2025
  Potlucks can be challenging and sometimes downright frustrating for those with food sensitivities and allergies. For many, checking a box indicating “gluten-free,” “vegan” or “nondairy” is not enough. For instance, one of our members is gluten-free but also sensitive to arrowroot and sorghum flour. Let’s support each other by completing an ingredient list for our food ...
• Living Our Love for Our Trans and Gender Expansive Siblings July 7, 2024
  By the Rev. Dottie Mathews When Rosie and I moved to Columbia in 2015, we were thoroughly delighted to find this vibrant, committed faith community to join, and it has been my honor to serve as your Affiliated Community Minister for these eight and a half years. For those who may not know, that role simply ...
• Help UUCC when you sell on EBay or Facebook February 23, 2024
  When you sell items on EBay or Facebook, you can now donate some or all of the proceeds to UUCC using the Paypal Giving Fund. You will need to select an option in EBay or Facebook to donate a percentage of sale proceeds to charity. When you do that, at the time you complete a sale ...
• Water Bearers Society is launched February 4, 2024
  The Planned Giving Work Group of the Stewardship Team has been busy this past year and has launched a renewed planned giving program at UUCC. During many past Founder’s Day celebrations, we have shared the story of how our founders hand-carried water to nourish the young trees on the site where they planned to build our ...
• Please feed our Food Barrel February 4, 2024
  Thanks to everyone who put non-perishable food items in the barrel at the upstairs elevator doors over the last few months. Joan and I took 90 pounds to the Food Bank Market on Jan. 26. The need continues. Please, everyone, continue to feed our barrel, which helps feed our neighbors, and maybe some of us. Steve Mudrick Social ...
• First Aid supplies now located in Sanctuary December 2, 2023
  Staff and volunteers successfully completed a CPR and AED course with the American Red Cross on Oct. 29, so we are feeling more prepared for any medical emergencies that may come our way. UUCC staff members have been working on creating a visible area for the supplies needed in these life-saving treatments. The photo at right ...
• Lock system for exterior doors has changed June 30, 2023
  In the past UUCC used a key system for exterior doors. We have now fully transitioned to an automatic lock system to make our church more secure. Each week, Church Administrator April Rodeghero will update the schedule so the exterior doors will unlock and lock for scheduled activities. Staff members, lay leaders and organizations that rent ...
• Rev. Dottie Mathews recognized for immigrant work November 6, 2022
  Dottie’s recognition certificate Click to enlarge During our Oct. 23, 2022 worship service, our Affiliated Community Minister, Rev. Dottie Mathews, was recognized for her past work as coordinator of the Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum Seekers (CAPAS), a program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). As part of the recognition, it was announced that the UUSC has ...
• Welcome to our meadow! October 29, 2022
  By the time you see this article, the backyard meadow at church is likely to have received its maintenance-mowing and may look like a blank space or a poor excuse for lawn. But, I hope you have seen, can imagine, or will see the wonderful plants that are still alive and well beneath the ground. There ...
• We love our trees! November 28, 2021
  The Grounds Team would like to introduce you to some of our trees and invite you to share your love of our trees and woods on the UUCC Facebook page. Shingle Oak – Wood from this oak can be split into thin sheets, which used to be made into shingles. White Oak – These oaks can live ...
• Easy text and online donations now available September 26, 2021
  We are excited to announce that we have launched a new system giving our members and friends the ability to give to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia by: Text message from your smartphone, or Online This new system has been arranged through the Breeze Church Management System, our new church database. It replaces our previous Paypal portal, ...
• UU Life Writers’ Group publishes its second anthology February 28, 2021
  The UU Life Writers’ Group is pleased to announce the publication of its second anthology, Stories, Just Stories. The stories are mini-memoirs about family, growing up, social activism, romance and pets. A big section of poetry is included. The anthology also contains tributes to those writers no longer with us. Copies are $8 and can be ...
• May 3, 2020 podcast – A Chance to Dream May 7, 2020
  Sunday, May 3, 2020 was the eighth Sunday of our online worship in compliance with guidelines for social distancing during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s homily was titled “A Chance to Dream.” Even as our state rushes to “re-open the economy,” it is clear not only that there is no quick and safe ...
• April 26, 2020 podcast – Lessons from Nature April 29, 2020
  Sunday, April 26, 2020 was the seventh Sunday of our online worship in compliance with guidelines for social distancing during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Our service observed the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, and we enjoyed the beauty of spring as members of our Green Sanctuary Team reflected on “Lessons from Nature.”    
• April 19, 2020 Podcast – “Lessons from the Flowers” April 29, 2020
  Sunday, April 19, 2020, was the sixth Sunday of our online worship in compliance with guidelines for social distancing during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. We remembered the beauty of the earth as well as its impermanence by creating a nature mandala with beautiful bits of spring. Rev. Molly’s homily was “Lessons from the Flowers.”  
• April 12, 2020 – Easter – The Holy or the Broken Hallelujah April 15, 2020
  Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, was the fifth Sunday of our “virtual” online worship in compliance with guidelines for social distancing during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Rev. Molly livestreamed the service from her home via Zoom. This podcast features Rev. Molly’s homily, “The Holy or the Broken Hallelujah.” You can also view a video of the entire ...
• Oct. 13, 2019 – Loving Bravely April 15, 2020
  On Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon preached on “Loving Bravely.” Rev. Molly invites us to explore together how we live through the spiraling dance of love and fear, discern the difference between discomfort  and  danger,  and  expand  our  comfort zones so that we can draw the circles of love and compassion in ...
• Oct. 20, 2019 – Strengthening Our Hearts April 11, 2020
  On Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019, our Worship Associates presented a meaningful lay-led service on the topic “Strengthening Our Hearts.” They offer us an  opportunity to hear UU Churchers’ testimony about what “Courageous Love” means to them in their lives.  
• March 8, 2020 – Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There! April 9, 2020
  On Sunday, March 8, 2020, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s sermon title was “Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There!” Often it is not actually what we do that is most supportive to our loved ones, but rather a quality of our presence. Rev. Molly invites us to explore what it means to be a healing presence ...
• Oct. 6, 2019 – Begin Again in Love April 3, 2020
  On Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, special guest Jeanne Snodgrass, Director of Mizzou’s Hillel Jewish Student Center, preached on “Begin Again in Love.” One way we practice courage is by making amends and beginning again in love. On this Sunday closest to Yom Kippur, Jeanne invites us to learn what wisdom we can all take from ...
• Nov. 17, 2019 – What Do We Seek Here? April 1, 2020
  On Nov. 17, 2019, “What Do We Seek Here?” was the Rev. Dottie Mathews’ sermon topic. In our Unitarian Universalist faith, there is no precept demanding weekend attendance or any “extra heavenly points” awarded to those who actively participate in Sunday services and in other fellowship opportunities. Rev. Dottie invites us to ponder: Why is ...
• Nov. 10, 2019 – With Heat and Great Effort April 1, 2020
  On Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s topic was “With Heat and Great Effort.” Listen as she explains that beloved community is not a thing that simply happens – rather, it is created, under heat and with great effort. Rev. Molly invites us to reflect upon what it really means to forge community ...
• Nov. 3, 2019 – Remembrance Sunday March 30, 2020
  On November 3, 2019, our annual “Remembrance Sunday” on the Sunday closest to All Souls Day, we set aside a time of deep memory, honoring the lives of loved ones now gone. Rev. Molly Housh Gordon explored how community holds memory in a way that none of can do alone.  
• July 14, 2019 – Making Liberation Irresistible July 14, 2019
  This summer we are exploring the use of secular works as sacred texts. Listen to the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s sermon on July 14, 2019 as she explicates the thesis of the book Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown. Brown posits that there is more to this world than the pursuit of mere life, liberty ...
• June 16, 2019 – Looking Up to Les Misérables June 23, 2019
  In summer 2019 we are studying secular works as sacred texts. On June 16, 2019, we explored secular texts using the spiritual practices of Lectio Divina and Floralegium – techniques that ancient monks used to study the Bible. Tim Dickerson and Sam Otten applied these techniques to excerpts from two works – Les Misérables by ...
• May 19, 2019 – Celebration Sunday Podcast May 26, 2019
  At worship on May 19, 2019, we were treated to a music extravaganza as we celebrated the service of our Interim Director of Music Ministry, Marques J. Ruff, and our accompanist, Arun Garg. We also celebrated the accomplishments of our high school graduates. We apologize that this is one of the longest podcasts we have ...
• Fragrance sensitivity? We’ve got you (or at least your chair) covered! May 26, 2019
  On Sunday, March 24, the Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry (AIM) Team presented the lay-led service, “Living Up to Radical Welcome,” and made a small change in the sanctuary while we were at it. As we’ve heard a number of questions about this change, we thought it was about time we shed some light on it. If ...
• May 12, 2019 – Flower Communion May 19, 2019
  On Sunday, May 12, 2019 we celebrated our annual Flower Communion, a tradition started in 1923 by Czech Unitarian Minister Norbert Chapek. In this podcast, we are pleased to present the reflections of our Director of Religious Education Jamila Batchelder and feature the wonderful music from our service, by permission of the performers. Although the ...
• March 24, 2019 – Living Up to Radical Welcome March 31, 2019
  At worship on Sunday, March 24, the UUCC Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry Team explored the topic of disability. Some disabilities are easily observed, leading to snap judgements about the person’s inherent worth and dignity, to misconceptions and prejudices, and often to discrimination. On the other hand, many disabilities are invisible, leading to accusations that the ...
• Feb. 24, 2019 – Reparations and Soul Repair February 26, 2019
  At worship on Feb. 24, 2019, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s topic was “Reparations & Soul Repair.” She explored these issues: If power is the ability to act, then our power is deeply affected by our resources. What do we do about the truth of history that many have been systemically robbed of resources and thus ...
• Jan. 27, 2019 – Across Generations: Founders’ Day Sunday February 1, 2019
  At worship on Jan. 27, 2019, the day before the 68th anniversary of our church’s founding on Jan. 28, 1951, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon reflected on the history and future of Unitarian Universalism in Mid-Missouri. Listen to her sermon exploring the vision that connects us across generations, what it means to be a good ancestor, ...
• Jan. 20, 2019 – MLK Jr. Weekend – The Lonely Justice-Maker January 21, 2019
  On Jan. 20, 2019, the day before the official observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon revealed a major new effort by Faith Voices of Columbia – an interfaith group that promotes relationships of understanding, cooperation, and respect across religious and political divides. This proposal is scheduled to ...
• Jan. 13, 2019 – Thresholds January 13, 2019
  Church was canceled on Jan. 13, 2019 because of heavy weekend snow, so we offer an archived recording from 2015 on the topic of “thresholds.” Times of change and transition can seem significant. Below the surface of our lives, the seeds of huge changes sleep beneath the snow, but we suspect nothing. When the grip ...
• Jan. 6, 2019 – Be It Resolved January 13, 2019
  A guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. C.W. Dawson challenged us at worship on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, a time of resolutions and self-reflection, to be courageous – courageous in the face of trouble, courageous to stand up and say “enough,” courageous in the face of criticism and controversy. Rev. Dawson said he would rather die ...
• Dec. 30, 2018 – Begin Again in Love January 13, 2019
  At worship on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, we paused at the cusp of a new year to reflect on what had been, and also to look forward and find inspiration and purpose for the new year. Rev. Molly Housh Gordon, DRE Jamila Batchelder, Intern Minister Alexis led us in poetic reflection.
• Dec. 2, 2018 – The F word (Faith) December 2, 2018
  There is a word not often heard in the Unitarian Universalist Church, and it is the F-word. Dare we utter it? Faith. In our exploration of loaded words this year, faith is the loaded word for December. Sometimes we see faith set up as an idea in opposition to reason and doubt. But can faith ...
• Nov. 25, 2018 – Now the Work, Soon the Victory November 26, 2018
  One of our favorite guest preachers, the Rev. Dr. C.W. Dawson, pastor of Dawson Journeys Ministry, was in our pulpit on Nov. 25, 2018. He teaches religion and philosophy at several area colleges, and his eight-week course “History of the Black Church in America,” has been a hit at our and several other area churches. ...
• Nov. 11, 2018 – Service and Sacrifice November 18, 2018
  On Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, 2018, our worship topic was “Service and Sacrifice” – a time to think carefully about the role of sacrifice in the lives of our service members and in all of our lives. What does it really mean to serve our country? Listen to Joe Collins and Anja Eick about their ...
• Nov. 4, 2018 – Day of Remembrance November 11, 2018
  In the United States we have often conceived of Halloween as a frivolous time when children don costumes and eat too much candy. However in many cultures, this is a serious season for contemplating and respecting the memory of ancestors, folks dear to us who have departed – a time for honoring their memory and ...
• Oct. 21, 2018 – Do the Monster Mash October 28, 2018
  At our “Do the Monster Mash” worship services on Oct. 21, 2018, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon and DRE Jamila Batchelder considered the idea of monsters in mythologies and in the minds of young and old alike. Listen to their thoughts as they explored how the visceral imagery of devils or demons can describe the experience ...
• Oct. 14, 2018 – Damaged by Privilege October 15, 2018
  In his sermon on Oct. 14, 2018, Jeff Ordway recalled how the privilege of being a white male, which might sound desirable, instead resulted in damage to his own soul and especially to others. The events of recent weeks, when we watched several women come forward at great personal risk to describe abusive behavior by ...
• Oct. 7, 2018 – Everyday Evil October 14, 2018
  Writing in the shadow of the Holocaust in the years after the Second World War, German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt said: “The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” At worship on Oct. 7, 2018, Rev. Molly Hough Gordon’s sermon grappled with ...
• Sept. 30, 2018 – Peace Must Be Dared October 14, 2018
  German theologian, pastor and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared. It is itself the great venture and can never be safe.” On Sept. 30, 2018, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon explored the mingling ideas of safety and risk in these times ...
• Sept. 23, 2018 – A Shelter for Every Storm September 26, 2018
  At worship on Sept. 23, 2018, our Sanctuary Team (Immigrant Ministry) explored how to create an expansive sense of what it means to offer sanctuary in these challenging times. Together, we considered how claiming our identity as a sanctuary congregation relates to creating deep connections, radical welcome and courageous love – not just for our ...
• Sept. 16, 2018 – Making Amends September 26, 2018
  Our Jewish neighbors, members, and friends observed the high holiday of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, Sept. 18-19, 2018. We all make mistakes. There is something reassuring about that – we have all fallen short, every one of us. Listen to the podcast of our Sept. 16, 2018 interactive worship service for all ages, ...
• Sept. 9, 2018 – Sanctuary – An Altar in the World September 16, 2018
  “Loaded words” is our worship theme for the year, and September’s loaded word is “sanctuary.” Listen to our worship service on Sept. 9, 2018 when the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s sermon, “An Altar in the World,” explored what it is to create and experience sacred space, and sanctuary, in the world and in our lives.
• Sept. 2, 2018 – The Work of Love September 9, 2018
  What is the work of love? Work can be a sacred gift, a meditation, and a prayer in itself. Listen as Reverend Molly Housh Gordon considered the many ways that we serve our deepest calling in this life at our Sept. 2, 2018 worship service on Labor Day weekend.
• Aug. 26, 2018 – Ingathering and Water Ceremony September 9, 2018
  Every year, at the end of the warmth of summer and the beginning of the coolness of fall, we hold an ingathering ceremony – to gather the waters from out diverse travels over the summer and gather our grounded souls as we begin a new church year. Water is in our very bodies, and is ...
• Aug. 19, 2018 – Being UU in an Era of Blood-Sport Politics August 26, 2018
  The current era of blood-sport, winner-take-all politics marked by xenophobia and hyper-nationalism may feel new and different, but it’s actually a recurring pattern in American history. How can we as Unitarian Universalists resist these ugly phenomena while remaining true to our principles? Steve Scott leads us in this challenging topic, with a bit of humor ...
• Aug. 5, 2018 podcast – General Assembly August 26, 2018
  At worship on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, our congregation heard from three of our delegates to General Assembly, the Unitarian Univeralist Association’s annual gathering. This year’s General Assembly was held in Kansas City, Mo., which allowed about two dozen of our members to join thousands of other UUs from around the country and the world ...
• Aug. 12, 2018 – Fractal Reality August 25, 2018
  At our worship service on Aug. 12, 2018, the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon explored the concept of fractal reality. Fractal patterns move from small to large, and not entirely the other way around. The small changes we make every day, in our lives and our organization, matter. In this podcast you’ll hear Rev. Molly propose ...
• July 29, 2018 Podcast: Sanctuary August 15, 2018
  At worship on Sunday, July 29, 2018, the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon reflected on the meaning of Sanctuary. A sanctuary literally means a church, yet also means a place of spiritual and even legal refuge. Rev. Molly explored how we can create a culture of compassion and expand our circle of warmth and care to ...
• Archived Podcast – Youths Speak Out on Gun Violence August 5, 2018
  This podcast is an archived recording of our March 18, 2018 worship service. We have the privilege to hear our YRUU youth group share their feelings and thoughts about gun violence and the toll it has taken on their young lives.
• July 22, 2018 – Our Whole Lives July 24, 2018
  At our worship service on July 22, 2018, Director of Religious Education Jamila Batchelder and others offered a spiritual exploration of human sexuality and information about our “Our Whole Lives” (OWL) program of comprehensive sexuality education for all ages.
• July 15, 2018 – Try a Little Tenderness July 16, 2018
  In her sermon “Try a Little Tenderness” on July 15, 2018, the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon explored what it means to engage tenderness as a tactic of resistance in a time when appeals to security, strength and “other-ing” are used to oppress. She suggested how to bring softness and openness to the time at hand.
• July 8, 2018 – Everything Must Change: A Woman Gets Older July 13, 2018
  On Sunday, July 8, 2018, we explored “Everything Must Change: A Woman Gets Older,” organized by Connie Ordway. What does it mean for a woman to age in this society? Connie mapped the journey for women to reclaim their status as “Wise Women” with the help of several other women.
• July 1, 2018 – Spiritual Tools to Sustain Us July 1, 2018
  Rev. Molly’s homily on July 1, 2018, “Spiritual Tools to Sustain Us,” focused on four tools: Lamentation, Connection, Hope and Enjoyment.
• Dec. 10, 2017 – The Wildness of the Season December 24, 2017
  On Dec. 10, 2017, Worship Associate Rebecca Graves explored “The Wildness of The Season.” Focusing on the northern European figure of Krampus, she examined what it means to tap into the wild within.
• Dec. 3, 2017 – Show Up Anyway December 24, 2017
  On Dec. 3, 2017, we heard a story about a woman who showed up anyway. Amid the inevitable struggles of life and relationships, one of the most profound things we do in religious community is to explore how to remain faithful to one another, to our highest values, and to love. When the going gets ...
• Nov. 19, 2017 podcast: “Staying at the Table” November 19, 2017
  In her sermon on Nov. 19, 2017, “Staying at the Table,” Rev. Molly Housh Gordon spoke of how Thanksgiving time with family is sometimes fun, sometimes hard, and always meaningful, and she explored how we can stay at the table through it all. Listen as she starts with a closer look at a hymn popular ...
• Nov. 12, 2017 podcast: “Struggling Together” November 19, 2017
  Our members Kevin EarthSoul, Connie Ordway and Melissa McConnell spoke at our “Struggling Together” worship services on Nov. 12, 2017 about how they grappled with struggles of different kinds in their lives and the meaning they found in their struggles. Listen as they tell their stories. You can also read the text of Connie Ordway’s ...
• Nov. 5, 2017 podcast: “Wrestling to the Blessing” November 5, 2017
  One way we build resilient community is by engaging struggle together. In doing so we learn that we can do hard things, engage in emotional complexities, and struggle together for justice. When we wrestle with the difficulties of life together, sometimes we just may find our way to a blessing. Listen as Rev. Molly Housh ...
• Oct. 22, 2017: “I Am Large, I Contain Multitudes” October 24, 2017
  Difference enriches our communities, but could it also enrich the identity of our very own souls? Listen as we consider the complexities of the self, how we contain contradiction, and how we grow over time, awaking a different self each day. In her sermon on Oct. 22, 2017, Rev. Molly Housh Gordon explored how this ...
• Oct. 15, 2017 – “Space to Listen” October 15, 2017
  On Oct. 15, the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s sermon was “Listening So Others May Speak, Speaking So Others May Listen. ” Jeff Ordway presented related readings. Rev. Molly explored how we can have useful conversations across difference in a polarized and polarizing time, how we might listen in a way that others will speak, and ...
• Oct. 8, 2017 – Honduras Team Worship Service October 8, 2017
  The UUCC Honduras Team presented the worship services on Oct. 8, 2017. The Team has been supporting villages in the Cangrejal River Valley, about an hour drive south from La Ceiba, Honduras, since 2009. A group of 16 went on the fourth UUCC service trip this past June to build latrines, offer Pap smears in a ...
• Oct. 1, 2017 – “Holy Difference” October 3, 2017
  In her sermon on Oct. 1, 2017 titled “Holy Difference,” the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon said that when she describes Unitarian Universalism to folks for the first time, one of the characteristics she names is, “We believe difference is holy, rather than threatening.” She explored how this belief can be hard to live out in ...
• Sept. 24, 2017 – “Being Sanctuary” October 3, 2017
  In her moving sermon on Sept. 24, 2017 titled “Being Sanctuary, our Affiliated Community Minister, the Rev. Dottie Mathews, shared what she has learned while accompanying immigrant neighbors to ICE check-ins and doing other sanctuary work. She pondered how we can truly treat everyone as members of the human family amid inhumane systems. The sermon ...
• June 11, 2017 – “High Fidelity” July 2, 2017
  At our worship service on June 11, 2016, Worship Associate Cande Iveson explored our worship theme for the month – fidelity to covenant. Listen as she unpacks this phrase with concrete examples to help understand it, adding a bit of humor.
• April 16, 2017: “Of Salvation and Scars” April 23, 2017
  In her sermon on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017 titled “Of Salvation and Scars,” Rev. Molly Housh Gordon explored a Unitarian Universalist interpretation of traditional Easter themes, examining what it means to be wounded and whether a wound paradoxically makes us more human.
• March 26, 2017: Reflections on Aging March 28, 2017
  Our lay-led worship on March 26, 2017 was titled “Four Score: Reflections on Aging from Four Generations” and was presented by UUs across several decades. Listen to what Cande Iveson, Rachel Byerly Duke, Tracey Milarsky, Todd Iveson and David Leuthold had to say at the 11 a.m. service about what aging means to them.
• March 12, 2017 – “The Circle of Life” March 21, 2017
  Life is a series of inevitable changes – yet we cling and grasp at each fleeting piece, always being forced to let go, as we are carried along in the currents of life. Moments of change in our lives can be lessons, as well as deeply emotional experiences. Join us as Director of Religious Education ...
• March 5, 2017 – “Memento Mori” March 7, 2017
  Our audio podcast this week considers impermanence – a part of the natural ebb and flow of life. Why do we resist impermanence, meeting our own end with fear and panic? Can we, instead of avoiding this part of living, turn toward it, through our spirituality? Can it be a friend, whispering that we should ...
• Feb. 19, 2017 – “The Fire of Commitment” February 26, 2017
  What does it mean to show up with courage in a time of division and even violence? Unitarian Universalists have a storied history of courageously resisting laws that violated their conscience. Listen to a podcast of Rev. Molly Housh Gordon’s sermon on Feb. 19, 2017 as she tells us of a chance and an obligation ...
• Feb. 12, 2017 – “Sustaining Love” February 13, 2017
  Our work in this time of division and fear is the same as the work always is – it is the simple calling of loving our world. How do we remain rooted in love in these times when there is so much to be done and so much coming at us all the time? Join ...
• Feb. 5, 2017 – “Moving for Justice” – Breathe, then Push February 6, 2017
  The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. admonished us to be “creatively maladjusted.” What does that mean as we face today’s challenges? Is it possible to be hopeful? As we confront today’s anti-progressive forces, what would it look like for a creatively maladjusted justice movement to forge a “Third Reconstruction”? Listen to the Rev. Molly ...