2011 -- 2010 -- 2009 -- 2008 -- 2007
Unless noted otherwise, speakers other than Pastor Charlie Dieterich are Lay speakers (members of our congregation).
All sermon title links point to PDF documents.
2012
Top of pageFebruary 12, 2012 - Throw Me Something, Mister -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
This could easily be a sort of critique on how society forces excluded groups to beg... but it won't be. It is Mardi Gras season, when we can all be princes or paupers, or even both at once. “Love baby, love. That's the secret, yeah.”February 5, 2012 - Our Love Affair With Football -- Jack Miller
For decades, Sunday church attendance has been dropping, and on any given Sunday, the chance of having more men in attendance than women is about as likely as an Eagles Superbowl appearance. Meanwhile, interest in spectator sports continues to rise. What makes the NFL such an attractive religion?January 29, 2012 - Come Into This Place -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
Many of us experience our congregation as a place of peace, of memory and prophecy. It may be time to consider whether our Sunday meeting really is a safe space, and also to ask: How will we know?January 22, 2012 - Getting to Know You -- Richard Grzywinski
This well-known song from "The King and I" contains the following lyrics "...Suddenly I'm bright and breezy, Because of all the beautiful and new things I'm learning about you." How much do we miss out of life by not being receptive to learning about others, particularly strangers; their life stories, joys and tragedies. Is it possible to truly know ourselves without knowing others? Is the Buddhist practice of "deep listening to others" a key to understanding and compassion? From Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism: "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment."January 15, 2012 - Always Use Your Best China -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
The words of the prophet are written on the subway walls! But what does it mean? Pastor Charlie gives one answer... maybe you have another?January 8, 2012 - Bard in the UUSA Part Deux: The Muse of Fire Strikes Back -- Michelle Tomko
We will continue the review of our principles via Shakespeare's characters. In this, the second installment, the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large (Julius Caesar) and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all (Richard III) will be considered. To set the mood for our monthly theme, which in January is "Welcome," our Core of Fire dancers will perform the Trenchmore dance, popular in the 16th century, during the prelude.2011
Top of pageDecember 11, 2011 - Bring Many Names -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
Even in the 19th Century Unitarians were noticing that congregations diverged in their religious practices, but there were common threads running through the many beliefs. What was the "landscape of religion" like then, and what is the Unitarian Universalist landscape like today?December 4, 2011 - Lessons From My Youth - Bob Baum
In our youth we tend to accept things the way they are -- attitudes about race, lifestyle, and gender roles. Bob can remember events that made him question the rightness and wrongness of these attitudes. He'll share with us some of his stories of coming of age viewed through the lens of adulthood.November 27, 2011 - Poems to Honor the Earth - Penny Harter
In the Preface to her book Lizard Light: Poems From the Earth, Penny writes: "I have written these poems in response to Earth's geological and evolutionary history, its place in the cosmos, and our place as part of the whole . . . I am consistently aware that we are on a planet, and that it is alive . . . We need poems that speak of universal concerns and point out that all beings exist as integral and inter-connected parts of the larger community of the universe. Poems that affirm." She will share with us poems that sorrow for the harm we have done and continue to do to our planet, and poems that joyfully praise Earth's gifts to us and our deep connections with it and the cosmos.November 20, 2011 - We Gather Together -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
Don't forget the cranberry jelly... Yes, Thanksgiving is almost here, and it is a chance to reflect on our blessings.November 13, 2011 - Let It Be a Dance -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
The title, from a song by Ric Masten, assumes that life already is a dance, we just have to let it happen. Stop worrying about the upcoming holidays and come enjoy! Perhaps we will even get you up and moving!November 6, 2011 - Indifference and Complicity: Reflections on Kristallnacht -- Michael Cluff
Seventy years ago this week, the world watched while Nazis looted and vandalized Jewish communities throughout Germany, offering a glimpse of what was to become the Final Solution. Despite these horrors, the Nazis faced little resistance. In the spirit of "Never Again," we reflect on what might keep good people from doing the right thing.October 23, 2011 - Hell as a Tourist Destination -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
It seems reasonable, what with Halloween coming up, to talk a bit about the evolution of Hades/Hell, from the Zoroastrians to Universalists. What vision of "the Underworld" do you hold inside?October 9, 2011 - Association Sunday -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
This should probably be called "Associations Sunday", as it will be a reflection on how the professional associations for Ministers, Religious Educators and Musicians contribute to "Ministry" in our Unitarian Universalist faith. We have chosen to celebrate this on October 9th and include a second plate collection in support of UU Religious Professionals.October 2, 2011 - Serving With Grace -- Jack Miller
What if your committee work could offer spiritual rewards as potent as working with your hands, creating art, or a meditation practice? What would that feel like? Would we still accomplish what we need to do?September 25, 2011 - Platform Diving -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
No, not the Steel Pier, but an examination of the founding document of Congregational Polity. The Cambridge Platform, a document from 1649, defines how our congregations work together and govern themselves -- Seventeenth Century decisions which still influence us today, and guide us into the future.September 11, 2011 - Thirsting For Community - a Water Ceremony -- Pastor Charlie Dieterich
This intergenerational service will include commemoration of 9/11/01 and also celebration of community, for joy and sadness are often intertwined. Bring about an ounce of water in a reusable or recyclable container.August 21, 2011 - The Journey Through Loss and Healing - Penny Harter
By sharing her poems, Penny will share her journey through various kinds of losses: the sorrow of divorce, the grief of losing her both parents in 2003, and most recently, the death of her husband in 2008 after thirty years together. She will talk about how writing can help one confront and transcend pain and sorrow, and move into healing and light. She feels that her losses have cracked her even more open to empathy and unconditional love, and she wants to bring you both, along with hope for healing from your losses.August 14, 2011 - Truth or Consequences - Richard Grzywinski
In our “free and responsible search for truth and meaning,” would we Unitarian Universalists recognize “Truth” when we encounter it? Is our search for universal truth a necessary journey or a “fool’s errand?” Do we mold truth to fit our own reality? How can we tell right from wrong, or good from evil, when something as seemingly concrete as the truth is yet so elusive? Perhaps reason alone is inadequate, and our search tools must include transcendence and spirituality.A reprise and expansion of Richard's previous talk on Truth in September 2009.
June 5, 2011 - Living Love: Radical Selflessness and Universalism - Michael Masters, guest speaker from Murray Grove
“Radical selflessness” and Universalism ultimately come down to the same thing: love, the only source of real meaning in human life. How do you find meaning? Live love.May 29, 2011 - Death as a Spiritual Journey - Richard Grzywinski
Benjamin Franklin said “...in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Now that the tax season is behind us, perhaps it’s time to look at that other certainty, death. Why does it consume our culture and, in particular, the world’s religions... will we cross the river Styx or be greeted at the pearly gates, or enter into a world of nothingness? Maybe we all harbor a haunting belief that perhaps we haven’t lived as well as we should have. Welcome to the world of the macabre.April 24, 2011 - The Sermon on the Mount: Jesus' Political and Moral Discourse - Richard Grzywinski
In the era of Roman domination and Jewish religious elitism, Jesus Christ reached out to the commoners with his message of love and hope. Do the Beatitudes contained within his “Sermon on the Mount” as described in the Gospels still have relevance 2,000 years later? The Hindu leader Mohandas Gandhi reportedly said to the British Viceroy, “When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount, we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries but those of the whole world.” Focusing on the Beatitudes, we’ll look at what is considered by many to be the most important religious message of all time.April 17, 2011 - The Last Week - Margaret Rea
This Sunday is, in the Christian calendar, Palm Sunday... the day that commemorates the arrival of Jesus and his followers in Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover, just a few days before (according to tradition) his execution. Margaret Rea, a member of this congregation, will draw on the book, The Last Week, by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan to suggest that the events of what is known among our Christian family, friends, and neighbors as Holy Week can as easily support the thesis that Jesus' death was the result of anti-imperial political activism as they can the more traditional thesis that the Jewish religious authorities felt threatened by the words of an itinerant preacher.April 3, 2011 - Who Do You Think You're Fooling? - Jack Miller
Despite the fact that "playing the fool" is easy and natural for most of us, we still tend to leave the role to be played by the experts as often as we can. Is anyone thinking "I bet this Sunday's speaker is going to make a fool of himself?"March 27, 2011 - Commitment Sunday - Paul Utts
In eleven short years we have built a community that nourishes our individual souls. Together, with remarkable generosity, we have built a vital center for religious exploration and social justice, having fun and making connections along the way. Are we finished? Not quite. On this Commitment Sunday Paul Utts will share his recollection of our journey, building a community that strengthens our hearts and minds. Now we must reach out and bring our message of peace, love and environmental responsibility to the community at large. How do we turn up the volume?March 6, 2011 - The Great Dissent Tradition - Guest minister Rev. Manish K. Mishrah
Unitarian Universalism prides itself on being a “dissent tradition,” one that has stood apart from conventional understandings of religion. While this is true to a degree, how does that understanding both shape and limit our religious understanding of ourselves? In what ways is being a dissenter a strength, and in what ways does it hold us back?February 6, 2011 - The Legacy of Transcendentalism - Richard Grzywinski
"We are a club of the like-minded... no two of us think alike." This statement, and others like it attributed to the American transcendentalists of the early 19th century, could very well describe our own congregation today. How has transcendentalism shaped our UU faith? As we begin our search for a new UUCSJS minister, what can we learn from those early Unitarians like Emerson, Fuller, and Thoreau that can help us understand our challenges and shape our expectations?2010
Top of pageNovember 14, 2010 - Adventures of a UU Buddhist - Cynthia Grzywinski
Cynthia discusses how Buddhism has affected her spiritual and emotional growth by exploring Buddhism and many of its themes manifested in literature and art. She will describe how drawing on and applying some of Buddhism’s basic facets such as mindfulness (aka “being in the moment”), acceptance of impermanence, seeking one’s own truth, universal compassion, and meditation have helped her more fully experience the wonder of life.November 7, 2010 - The Sermon on the Rock - Richard Grzywinski
How can we find solace at times of sorrow and despair - those “dark moments of the soul”? Can the “Creation Story” as told by modern-day scientists offer inspiration and a possible answer? Let's pause a moment and reconsider the extraordinary events that created “us”. Perhaps the Christian Bible provides a clue… must we really be “born again?”October 17,2010 - Changing the World One Neuron at a Time - Guest speaker Dr. Keith Coleman
Why does the brain get wired into certain beliefs (literally)? This process makes it difficult (but not impossible) to be open to new beliefs. Dr Coleman will talk about the process (called brain plasticity) in which we can cultivate a new attitude and a brain that is willing to be open to new ideas and beliefs through meditation and mental focus.July 25, 2010 - A Letter From Your Minister - Guest minister Rev. Libby Smith
Using the format of a letter to a fictional congregation (one that looks a lot like UUCSJS!) , Rev. Smith explores the joys and and the challenges of part-time ministry. Following the service, she will facilitate a congregational discussion about ministry, answer questions about her own half-time consulting ministry, and help us seek clarity about our needs and expectations.March 14, 2010 - All Creatures Great and Small, or Things You Can Learn From Your Dog - Richard Grzywinski
Are you become increasingly overwhelmed by issues regarding animal rights? How should you respond? What is the proper ethical relationship between human and non-human animals? Better yet, why should we even trouble ourselves with this question? Can reason and philosophy provide the answers, or must we reach within to our own spirituality?March 7, 2010 - Unitarian History: World War II Footnotes - Bill Felix
The subject of the sermon is the WWII activities of three Unitarians. Charles Rhind Joy and the Rev and Mrs Waitstill Sharp. These three helped hundreds flee the Nazi regime.February 28, 2010 - There Be Dragons Here - Guest minister Rev Dr Len DeRoche
Early European maps marked the end the world as they knew it with the statement, “There be Dragons here.” Locations where people had never gone or returned from, were thought to contain dragons; so it is with our inner lives. Len looks at looking in these dark places.2009
Top of pageDecember 6, 2009 - Unitarian Universalist History Series: Part 2 -- American Steppingstones - Jon Luoma
In the late 18th century through the late 19th century, uniquely American forms of Universalism and Unitarianism blossomed and, as always, continued to evolve. Even back then, two separate U and U strands showed signs of intertwining commonality. (Central theme: Dogma Aren’t Us.)September 20, 2009 - Into the Valley of the Shadow -- On Death and Dying - Stephanie Garrett
Please join us to hear a UU’s perspective on death and dying. Based in part on Rev. Forrest Church's last book Love and Death: My Journey through the Valley of the Shadow (he announced in 2008 that he has terminal cancer), Stephanie’s will share her own thoughts and experiences.August 16, 2009 - Sacred and Profane: The Common Roots of Theater and Worship - Pam Hendrick
As far as historians and anthropologists have been able to discern, religion has existed in all human societies. The same is true for public performance. In many cultures these two phenomena were at one time inseparable, and in some cultures they still are. Most forms of worship contain elements of performance, but do elements of the sacred still reside in our many forms of public performance?July 5, 2009 - One Unitarian’s View on Religion - Carl Benner
Carl Benner will present his view on God, organized religions and their prophets. If you hear echoes of The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine, no one will be surprised.June 28, 2009 - Patriotism and Social Conscience: The Stars & Stripes, or The Chalice? - Richard Grzywinski
While we frequently oppose our nation’s engagement in wars, or decry its social policies that we view as inconsistent with our UU principles, can we (and should we) endorse or participate in acts of “patriotism?” Is patriotism somehow contrary to the idea of the oneness of humanity because it promotes separateness and highlights group differences? Ideas to consider before another Fourth of July.March 22, 2009 - Unitarian Universalism: What’s Love Got to Do With It? - Lay leader Richard Grzywinski
From the perspective of a “devout spiritual humanist,” and with a little help from Shakespeare and a morning poem, we will explore the meaning of love, its spiritual roots, its consistency with our UU Principles, and why it is so important to our emotional well-being.”2008
Top of pageNovember 16, 2008 - Fourth Source: Jewish and Christian Teachings Which Call Us to Respond to God's Love by Loving Our Neighbors As Ourselves - Michael Cluff
Michael will provide his own insights into one of the Bible's Prime Directives.October 19, 2008 - Second Source: Prophetic Words & Deeds of Women & Men - Mariann Davis Maene
Who are these prophetic women and men which "challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love?" And should we get involved, or just let them handle it?September 28, 2008 - Fifth Source: Humanist Teachings - Richard Grzywinski
The fifth source from which Unitarian Universalism draws is “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.”April 20, 2008 - Fourth Principle: With Freedom Comes Responsibility - Michael Cluff
In the spirit of the fourth principle and its promotion of a "free and responsible search for meaning," many UU congregations welcome everyone from Agnostics to Zoroastrians -- and a whole alphabet soup of isms in between. We UUs probably have a handle on what it means to have a free search for meaning. But what does it mean to undertake a responsible search for meaning?April 6, 2008 - Third Principle: Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth - Bob Gillies
Are these principles mere platitudes? What does the third principle really mean? Is it one principle, or two? And are the two redundant? Bob will try to tease apart the interrelated third principle.February 3, 2008 - 2nd principle: Justice, Equity, and Compassion in Human Relations - Richard Grzywinski
What do we really mean by "justice," and can it exist without equity and compassion? Join us in a slalom course through historical justice as we push off with Plato, Aeschylus and Aristotle, hurdle over Hammurabi, tumble through the Testaments, call out to Immanuel Kant, study the Semai of Malaysia, cavort with five female capuchin monkeys, and, with a blatant secular bias, find the meaning of justice within ourselves.January 20, 2008 - The First Principle - Jack Miller
When we say we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of each person, we see that the words are few, the idea is clear, but the practice is unbelievably difficult. How do we honor this principle in our everyday life, at work, at home, at play, and at UUCSJS?2007
Top of pageOctober 7, 2007 - Even Atheists Need Ritual - Richard Grzywinski
As Unitarian Universalists, we thrive on the use of reason in our “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” We characterize ourselves as free-thinkers, unconstrained by absolutism or dogma. Yet in our Sunday services, we do incorporate stylized customs, symbols, and repetitive acts reminiscent of traditional faiths. Are these elements important to our “faith,” or are they mere artifacts of our Judeo-Christian origins? How and why do they affect us so deeply? Perhaps we can enrich our spiritual growth through a greater understanding of our ritual practices and the mechanisms which engender positive feelings.Return to top of page