Many people are familiar with the jokes that begin “Confucius says…” But what did Confucius really say? And what does a Chinese philosopher who was alive in 500 BCE have to offer people of modern-day Earth?

Over a hundred years ago, Rev. Norbert Capek devised the Flower Communion, a ritual that is now celebrated by Unitarian Universalists all over the world. Whether or not you bring a bouquet from your garden to share or you only bring yourself, everyone is welcome to take a piece of beauty with them at the … Continue reading Bring a Flower, Take a Flower

Rev. Ma ponders a personal experience (involving a spilled beer!) and the implications for wider society. Whose responsibility is it to clean up messes? Make amends? Restore relationships? Build Beloved Community?

When the colonists first arrived in North America, Africa, and Asia, they brought with them colonial ideas about hierarchy, consumption, and scarcity. These ideas have now spread all over the world and hinder our abilities to solve problems such as climate change, poverty, and oppression. In order to be the change we want to see … Continue reading Decolonizing Ourselves

Almost 20 years ago, product designer Peter Skillman delivered a TED Talk about his “Design Challenge” using spaghetti and marshmallow to construct a tower. In the many years since then running this challenge with various groups, he realized that kindergarteners outperformed all the other groups, including business students. What can we learn from kindergarteners on … Continue reading A Tower of Spaghetti and Marshmallow

As the Unitarian Coastal Fellowship settles into its new building, with a new flagpole, we are beginning to feel deeply rooted! Now that our roots are deeply planted, we can start extending our branches. As we look toward the future, this multigenerational service asks members and friends to share what is important to them, and … Continue reading Deeply Rooted, Branching Out

Dungeons & Dragons is more than just a game. It’s an exercise in collaborative storytelling, in which every participant plays a role in moving the story forward. All are welcome to a fun, suspenseful multigenerational worship service in which our creativity and the luck of the dice determine whether or not the forces of Unitarian … Continue reading Who Put Dragons in the Church?

When whiteness is the “default” in society, people of color become relegated to the margins–unless they assimilate into whiteness. This is what’s called “white cultural supremacy” or “white supremacy culture.” On this Racial Justice Sunday, the day before our Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we explore in what ways white cultural supremacy is part of … Continue reading When Whiteness is the Norm

The Principles have been part of Unitarian Universalism for what feels like forever. Now, it seems as if our living tradition may evolve to replace the Principles with Shared Values. Today, we explore those Values and how they’re similar and different from the Principles–through music!

At this service, Unitarian Universalism honors its Christian roots with a traditional service of “lessons and carols,” or readings and hymns. Many of these readings and songs may be familiar to those who grew up Christian. For those who didn’t, come experience a fresh look at one of the world’s most enduring tales of miracles … Continue reading Lessons and Carols