Sermons are pdf documents except we now have audio sermons that are marked as AUDIO. (if you want the text version of an Audio sermon please contact the minister.

• January 15,2012: AUDIO  ʻLong the Struggle, Hard the Fight:ʼ MLK Sunday by the Rev. Chip Wright. Reading by Jay Thurmond. There are many challenges in our long human journey. Keeping an eye on the prize and your heart open to the magic can be particularly difficult at times.
  
  
• January 1, 2012: TEXT The 11th Hour? by Joan Nelson. Itʼs easy to approach this yearʼs promise of a new start with cynicism. Nevertheless, we must transcend uncertainty and act as though we could make a difference. Because we are the only ones who can. How will you secure your good intentions with high intention?
  
  
• December 4th, 2011: AUDIO "Occupy" the Long Winter's Night by the Rev. Chip Wright. As the winter weather grows and the encampments of the 'occupy' movement across the nation continue to get raided, leveled and to spring back up like the phoenix preparing to burn even brighter, there is hope here for us. (sermon contains feedback by members)
  
  
• November 13, 2011: AUDIO “Getting it: About the Evolving Door” by Joan Nelson. The world mind (science, economics, politics, the arts) is expanding in ways that push us beyond our individual and collective sense of reality. We won't have the ability to evolve along with the existential challenges until we "get it" about who and what we really are.
  

• November 6, 2011: AUDIO “We are Too Powerful to be Irresponsible” by Tom Zolot, guest speaker.Though at times I feel small, there are constant reminders that we are powerful. Our effects are far reaching and deep. We cannot afford the cost of being irresponsible, we must and will gain so much from being cautious.
  

• October 30, 2011: AUDIO: Homily Halloween and a Host of Dia de Los Muertos Spirits! with Rev. Chip Wright. Come celebrate rituals of recognition and remembrances of ghosts and spirits all!  Wear the style of dress your loved ones wore or don your favorite Halloween costume, but dress for the day!  Bring photos and symbols of loved ones who have cast off their mortal shells to build our Dia De los Muertos Altar!  We will dance; we will laugh and celebrate. And -- there will be costume parades and all kinds of prizes!
  

• October 23, 2011: AUDIO "Our European Roots" with the Rev. Chip Wright. After returning from attending our Partner Church’s building dedication and visiting some of our other Transylvanian Unitarian sites with Rev. Levente and his family, I will share some thoughts about what we hold in common and some of our unique differences.
  
  
• October 16, 2011: AUDIO Imagination by Christy Baker. More than the mere playtime of youth, our reason needs the balance of imagination to embrace the possible and find the creative and energizing truths that nourish our souls in myth, symbol, art, and story.
  
  
• October 9 ,2011:TEXT The Integrity of the Soul by Lindasusan Ulrich. What happens when your life asks you to put everything on the line for the integrity of your soul? Do you listen to that voice “still and small” and take a chance on a relationship, leave a job, or speak up about injustice? Lindasusan Ulrich, a seminary student from Starr King School for the Ministry, will discuss how sometimes, the biggest risk is not taking one.
  
  
• Sept. 25, 2011: AUDIO  “To Be Religiously Liberal” by the Rev. Chip Wright. Yes, there are challenges in being religiously liberal. And there are priceless gifts as well!
  
  
• Sept. 4, 2011: TEXT "Putting the Labor Back Into Labor Day" by Guest Speaker Michael Eisenscher. Too many depressed people in our depressed economy, have discovered they’ve lost contact with the unitary and universal values of worth, dignity, justice, equity, and compassion. Michael Eisenscher, founder of US Labor Against War, will tell us how to get our country's values back by “Putting the Labor Back Into Labor Day”.
  
  
• August 21,2011: TEXT "You Are This Universe" by Sharon Wylie (summer minister.) The spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. We tend to think of these teachings as ancient, but they also intersect with and inform many of our modern ideas. Come, let us consider the many ways we connect with each other and with the Divine.
  
  
• August 14, 2011: TEXT: “Becoming White” by Sharon Wylie (summer minister). Unitarian Universalist theologian Thandeka suggests that systems of class and racism shape the identity of white people in painful and abusive ways that our culture largely overlooks and ignores. Today’s sermon will share and explore ideas from Thandeka’s book “Learning to be White.”
  
  
• August 7, 2011: TEXT “Prayer and Poetry” by Sharon Wylie (summer minister). Prayer is an ancient spiritual practice embraced across myriad religious traditions. We pray in praise, contrition, petition, and thanksgiving. We pray as individuals and as communities. We pray…even if we aren’t sure who or what we’re praying to. Let’s gather this morning to consider prayer and to pray together.
  
  
• July 24, 2011:TEXT 
“Are We Christian?” by Sharon Wylie (summer minister). Unitarianism and Universalism both began as Protestant Christian traditions. Our beliefs have broadened beyond these origins, but what is our relationship with Christianity today? What does it mean when we sing Christian hymns during worship? Let’s reflect together on what our relationship to Christianity might be.
  
  
• July 17, 2011: TEXT “To Be In Need”by Sharon Wylie (summer minister). Most of us are happy to help our friends in times of crisis, grief, and loss. But how many of us are able to ask for help when it is we who are struggling through hard times? Let’s consider together the risks and rewards of sharing our vulnerabilities.
  
  
• July 3,2011:TEXT “Traveling By Caravan” by Sharon Wylie (summer minister). As religious liberals, we value our freedom to seek truth and meaning wherever we might find them. But sometimes our freedom can leave us feeling unanchored. Do Unitarian Universalists have any shared beliefs? Let’s mark Independence Day together as we ponder the gifts and challenges of freedom.
  
  
• June 26, 2011: TEXT “Because Life is a Wild Ride – Guidelines for Raising a Sane and Successful Teen” by Mary Ann Maggiore, M.Div., Guest Speaker. Guiding a young person into adulthood can be a swirling, hectic inferno, an engaging spiritual practice, or a bi t of both. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, family member, friend or neighbor of a teenager, there are things you can do to smooth the path of growing up. We will explore what works and what doesn’t and how we can all participate in this work of building a beloved community for all ages of people.
  
  
• June 19, 2011: TEXT "Shout for Joy" by Sharon Wylie (summer minister). The start of summer is a time to celebrate life's abundance and bounty. Even in times of struggle and sorrow, there is laughter and beauty to cherish. Come, let us gather together at the edge of summer to wonder at life's myriad gifts.
  
  
• May 29, 2011: AUDIO “Liberal Religion around the Globe” by the Rev. Chip Wright. There are so many ways liberal religion is found around the world. What it means to be liberal in one’s religion in Transylvania, the Philippines, or Sri Lanka can be quite different than we generally understand this idea here in the United States.
  
  
• May 22, 2011: AUDIO “Service as the Privilege of self-expression: An odyssey of service in India” with Jinendra Jain, Guest Speaker. During this service, you will have the opportunity to explore for yourself the nature of service. Service as an obligation or service as fulfillment of joyful love. You will also hear Jinendra’s recent experiences of service in India.
  
  
• May 15, 2011: AUDIO "The 8th Deadly Sin" with Dr. William F. Schulz, President of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). How many of the seven deadly sins can you name? How many have you not committed? Bill Schulz, President of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), will offer an eighth—one he contends is the worst of them all and one of which we all have been guilty at one time or another. But hosannah! He’ll also describe how UUSC is working to vanquish this preeminent sin and, in the process, save your souls.
  
  
• May 8, 2011: AUDIO “Mother Earth” with the UUCM Readers Theater by the Rev. Chip Wright. Come celebrate both Earth Day and Mother’s Day!
  
  
• May 1, 2011: TEXT “I’m Not Sure I Believe” with the Rev. Chip Wright. Faith & belief are similar experiences in some ways. We will explore these ideas which we apply to so much, both in our day to day, as well as in the deeper places of our lives.
  
  
• April 24, 2011: AUDIO sermonette “Flower Communion, Child dedication and Easter Sunday” by the Rev. Chip Wright. Bring a flower (or more!) to share. We will also celebrate our children, and learn a bit of the history of both the flower communion and the Easter season.
  
  
• April 17, 2011: AUDIO "The Prophetic Power of Play" by Jennifer Whitten, Starr King School for the Ministry seminarian. From Hasidic storytellers to Zen Masters, the prophets have not always been full of brimstone and fire. Sometimes, it is the prophet’s job to introduce the playful, opening a holy space where new ideas can enter. How can play move us forward in our work in the world, and keep us aligned with UU principles?
  
  
• April 10, 2011:  AUDIO “Islam” by the Rev Chip Wright. Muslims make up just about one fifth of the world’s population. Today we take a look at this religious tradition and its dynamic effects on our world.
  
• March 27, 2011:  AUDIO “It Comes from the Heart” by the Rev. Chip Wright. Reflections on the power of the center of community. (audio contains 2 songs sung by Chip)
  
  
• March 20, 2011: AUDIO “Turning of the Star Wheel” by the Rev. Chip Wright. The vernal Equinox approaches and we celebrate the coming of spring!
  
  
• March 13, 2011: AUDIO "Saints and Leprechauns" by the Rev. Chip Wright. With Saint Pattie’s day coming up we take a little journey to the Emerald Isle to visit some sprites and learn a bit about Leprechauns.
  
  
• March 6, 2011: AUDIO "Life, Love and War: Real and Earnest" by Norman Solomon. As a youth, Norman Solomon (like many of us) got the message about the insanity of war. Unlike most of us, he has turned his private anguish into a deep commitment to cleaning up the collective mindset that leads to war.
  Also, AUDIO Reading by Joan Nelson:I Remember Pearl Harbor.
  
  
• Feb. 27, 2011:  AUDIO ‘The Transylvanian Unitarian Symbol and its Meaning for Us’
  by the Rev. Lázár Levente. Our lives are surrounded by symbols.  In our homes, on the streets, even the letters we write are a kind of symbol.  Our everyday lives are led by symbols.  Why do we need and use symbols? What does the Transylvanian Unitarian Symbol of the dove, serpent, mountain and crown represent?  Peace, wisdom, levels, kingdom?  Yes, but also freedom, eternity, high knowledge, being ruler of your own life – depending on your point of view. This sermon will look at the meaning of Unitarianism in this world, through the lens of this Transylvanian symbol.  We will explore our pride in this symbol, and what it represents to those who see it.
  
  
• Feb. 20, 2011: AUDIO ‘WWDD (or What Would Darwin Do)? by the Rev. Chip Wright. As Feb 12th was Darwin’s birthday we’ll take look at his well established, yet still controversial theory of speciation and its effect on spiritual and religious development.

• Feb. 13, 2011:AUDIO "Can Love Conquer All?" by Noah Griffin. Harvard Law School graduate, radio talk show host, singer/songwriter and syndicated newspaper columnist, Noah Griffin, will update agape, philia and eros  (including observations on same sex marriage and its spiritual implications) for the 21st century.

• Feb. 6, 2011: AUDIO “Why the Trinity?” by the Rev. Chip Wright. Unitarian, originally coined as a theological term which identified folks who did not believe in the concept of the trinity, literally means ‘unity of the trinity.‘

• Jan. 30, 2011: AUDIO "What A Difference A Change Makes"  by the Rev. Paul Gaffney, Chaplain with the Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy. Rev. Paul somehow recognizes the sacred spark in everyone. Particularly those who are down on their luck, and thus overlooked and otherwise disrespected. At the soup kitchen, in jails, hospitals, and community service organizations, Rev. Paul IS--himself--a "spiritual presence”,  a "movable sacred space."He will give us the deeper story that lies behind what we see in the news and on the streets. 
  
  
• Jan. 9, 2011: “A Call from the Unitary Universal ‘InterBeing’” by Joan Nelson. Humanity is being called to move beyond the old ego-driven (self/other; you/me; good/bad) world view, with its illusion of duality and hierarchy. This calls for a deeper awareness of the Unitary, Universal InterBeing.
  
  
• Dec.  5, 2010: “Homeless at Hanukkah” by the Rev. Chip Wright. This Sunday night, Dec 5th, right in the middle of Hanukkah the Jewish festival of the light, we host our first winter shelter for homeless women in Marin.  This is a countywide effort involving many religious institutions of which we are one.  There is a sustaining value in reaching out with a light in a dark harbor.

• Dec.  5, 2010: Shelter Homily from “Homeless at Hanukkah” by Joan Nelson.

• Nov. 28, 2010: "The Transcendent Experience or Whose God is It Anyway?" by the Rev. Chip Wright. Transcendence is an old and very intriguing idea. This experience feels to some like a spiritual evolution and for others like arriving at another level of life.
  
  
• Nov. 7, 2010: "Fairy Tales and Great Myths?" by the Rev. Chip Wright. We draw what often seem like arbitrary lines between fairy tale, myth, parable and scripture. Many of the most powerful stories which guide us in our human journey cross these lines. In some cases erase them.
  
  
• October 31, 2010: Joan's Obituary from “Dia de los Muertos, Halloween and All Saints Day” by Joan Nelson.
  
  
• October 17, 2010: “Come to the Table: The Spirituality of Eating” by the Rev. Thomas W. Traylor. Food is a Bay Area obsession. Most of us spend a good deal of time thinking about food, talking about food, preparing meals, going to restaurants, and generally enjoying the delights of the table. But we may not stop to think about eating as a spiritual experience. This Sunday we will consider insights from some of the world’s great spiritual traditions about the spiritual dimensions of eating that can make coming to the table both more pleasurable and more profound.
  
  
• (this is an audio sermon outside the UUCM web site) Oct. 3, 2010: “Servant or Sucker: A Faithful Response to Panhandlers” with Rev. Megan Rohrer, Executive Director-Welcome Ministry, San Francisco. Should we give it all away or be practical, good stewards who save? What is the appropriate faith response to panhandling? Pastor Megan will addresses these questions and share insights from her eight years working with the chronically homeless and from her street retreats, where she lives on the streets in San Francisco's Tenderloin.
  
  
• September 26, 2010: “Living in an Ever Changing World” by the Rev. Chip. It is always difficult to change or at least it is a challenge to change. How can we lessen
  the load of this always present, difficult task?
  
  
• September 19, 2010: “The Politics of Fear” with the Rev. Chip. Voices echo across the land calling for fear. This time over the building of an Islamic community center in New York City. Fear marketing of this kind always comes around in the weeks and days before elections.
  
  
  
• September 5, 2010: "Putting 'Labor' Back in Labor Day" with Judith Pomeroy. Judith will read an award-winning sermon from the UUA Worship Web by David Breeden - This Labor Day we remember the rise and fall of labor unions and what it means for individuals, our country and our principles.
  
  
• August 22, 2010: “Tiptoeing into God Talk” with Sharon Wylie, Seminarian from Starr King School for the Ministry. Sometimes it seems that Unitarian Universalists are able to talk about anything and everything but God. We have so many varying beliefs, it can feel safer not to share our ideas about God with each other (including the idea that there is no God). But we are not people to avoid a challenge either! Let’s reflect on some ways we might talk about God together.
  
  
• August 1, 2010: “Dancing at Lughnasadh” with Sharon Wylie, Seminarian from Starr King School for the Ministry. Lughnasadh is an ancient Celtic celebration of the beginning of the harvest season. Summer is at its height, but the days already grow shorter, and preparations for winter begin. This is a time for celebration and reflection, a time to give thanks for what is being harvested while realizing there is still much work to be done to prepare for winter.
  
  
• August 1, 2010: In “Dancing at Lughnasadh” service. Self Reflection: Dwindling Toward the Precious by Joan Nelson.
  
  
• July 25, 2010: “Wrestling with Privilege” with Sharon Wylie, Seminarian from Starr King School for the Ministry. Understanding race and class privilege is an important part of resisting oppressive systems in our culture, but it’s also important spiritual work. Come consider how understanding privilege and marginalization enhances your own healing and wholeness.

• July 18, 2010: “Putting Down Roots” with Sharon Wylie, Seminarian from Starr King School for the Ministry. Being in community sounds good but isn’t easy. Being in church community can be especially challenging because we have high hopes and expectations of what our
  shared church life should be like. Let’s reflect on the challenges and rewards of putting
  down roots together.

• July 11, 2010: “In Praise of the Goddess” with Sharon Wylie, Seminarian from Starr King School for the Ministry. Neo-pagan traditions recognize the cycles of the moon as visible expressions of how the Goddess works in our lives. Let’s honor tonight’s new moon with reflections on the visibility and invisibility of the Divine Feminine.
  

• July 4, 2010: “Faith of the Free” with Sharon Wylie, Seminarian from Starr King School for the Ministry. The history of Unitarian Universalism is full of stubborn, opinionated people who died fighting for the right to practice freedom of religion. This Independence Day, let’s savor our own freedom to believe as we choose and remember our forebears who helped make this freedom possible.
  

• June 27, 2010: "Can We Defend Our Civilization's Universal Values in Today's Global Environment?" with Lay Speaker Nani Ranken. Our commitment to freedom of conscience may place us in a dilemma when other cultures' strongly held values conflict with our own. Are we forced to adopt a relativist position, or can we find a way to stand our ground?

• June 20, 2010: “Lazy Days of Summer” with Joan Nelson. Most UUs—even the well-organized among us—have trouble finding and managing those touted mythical “lazy” days of summer.  This participatory  service will help us give UU meaning to the art of laziness.
  

• May 30, 2010:  "In the Eye of the Beholder" with the Rev. Lisa Wiggins, Guest Minister.
  Beauty is an illusive concept, fraught with a wide diversity of understanding and appreciation.  However, it is a common spiritual yearning throughout human culture.  We will explore the search for the aesthetic in our daily lives and its value of being a window to the interconnected universe. 
  

• May 23, 2010: “Raise the Roof Beams! with the Rev. Chip Wright.
  There is a power in coming and working together that no other human activity can manifest.  It can transform acts of social justice into effective social change.
  

• May 16, 2010: “To Believe or Not” with the Rev. Chip Wright.
   On their behalf we will explore belief which is a powerful and fascinating human trait, holding a prominent role in both religion and the spiritual journey.
  

• May 9, 2010: “Mother’s Day: A New View”with the Rev. Chip Wright.
  Come discover some things I bet you never knew about Mother's Day!
  
  

• May 2, 2010: “10,000 Years of Light” with Starr King student Joel Gilbertson-White.

  Multiple concurrent crises have been resident in this world since long before any of us were born. While most acts of nature are beyond our control, the vast majority of the crises that exist today can be traced to human causes. As Unitarian Universalists, we have other dreams that we want to bring into being. Let’s explore a vision of what is possible in an intentional world which celebrates universal peace and security, and consider what may be required to realize a vision like this.

• April 25, 2010: “The Earth Forever Turning” with the Rev. Chip Wright.
  2010 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day—a day that has become a symbol of a growing awareness in our culture about the importance of understanding larger relationships and responsibilities. It is also a good day to honor our new standing as one of a number of UUA Green Sanctuary Congregations!
  
  
• April 11, 2010: "Got Pain When You're in an Other Guy's Shoes?" Joan Nelson, Pulpit Guest.
  Brain science suggests that the human animal isn't so aggressive and war-like
  after all. Indeed, that we are naturally empathic! But empathy hurts. What do you
  do when you feel someone else's pain? (Warning: This sermon promotes the
  practice of a forbidden pleasure.)
  
  
• March 28, 2010: “When Will We Ever Learn?” by the Rev. Chip Wright. Even though it seems that any comprehensive reform of the health care services in our nation will not be here anytime soon, while the Supreme Court gives corporations unlimited free license to buy elections, there is hope!

• March 21, 2010 “Here Comes the Sun” by the Rev. Chip Wright. It is the spring equinox, a time for celebration!
  

• March 14, 2010: "A Buddhist minister looks at end of life experience" by the
  Rev. Denah Joseph. Rev. Denah Joseph, chaplain at the UCSF palliative care unit, will reflect on her work caring for the very ill and dying. She will focus on what her work can teach us about living, including issues of hope, dignity, suffering, surrender, mystery and meaning. Rev. Joseph is an ordained Buddhist minister in the Theravada tradition.
  

• February 28, 2010: “Purim, or How Not to Take Things So Seriously!” by the Rev. Chip Wright. When we can laugh at ourselves, the weightiness of a troubled world can be transformed and lifted if just for awhile.
  

• February 21, 2010: “The Unitary Universal Pull to Evolve” by Lay Speaker Joan Nelson.Responding to the pull to evolve isn’t easy in today’s hectic materialistic world. Yet, it’s absolutely essential in today’s deeply-disturbed world. This service will help us to recognize and respond to the Unitary/Universal impulse to live at a higher and deeper level.
  

• February 14, 2010: “Will the Real St. Valentine Please Stand Up?” by the Rev. Chip Wright. (Lots of things I bet you never knew about this Hallmark holiday, and how it came to be.)
  

• Febuary 7, 2010: “Evolution at the Core” by the Rev. Chip Wright. There has been an ongoing discussion in our denomination about just what is the core of Unitarian Universalist theosophy.  Today some thoughts on one of my favorite subjects.
  

• January 31, 2010: "Groundhog Day" by the Rev. Chip Wright.
  So neglected and yet so unique.
  

• January 24, 2010: "The Well in your Heart: A Much-needed Perspective." Homily by Joan Nelson: Mucking with Mother Nature Most UUs are looking for ways to tap the well of compassion and justice deep in our hearts.
  

• January 17, 2010: “The Content of their Character” by the Rev. Chip Wright. On this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend a look at the message, and the messengers.
  

• January 10, 2010: “The Bear, Brook and the Bird” by the Rev. Chip Wright. The winter is here, a time for stories of change and hope. 
  

• January 3, 2010: "Every Day A New Day" by Sharon Wylie (YRUU youth advisor).The new year brings hopes for a fresh start to our lives, but many of us forget our hopes as the year moves on. What would happen if we lived each day like new year's day?
  
  Index of 2009 Sermons