Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Mendocino Coast Past Services

Here are some past service topics. We link to this page from our Services page to give you an idea of what we talk about. It is easier to show you "eclectic" than to spell it.

The Meaning of Life
Rick Childs, October 18, 2009
While philosophers (and Monty Python) may grapple with what the meaning of life is, we can well benefit from exploring what we’re doing that makes our own life meaningful ... and more importantly what we might consider changing to make it more meaningful.

Pilgrimage to Santa Rosa
Entire Congregation, October 4, 2009

We went to to Santa Rosa, where we joined up with all the other North Bay UU congregations - Santa Rosa, Marin, Napa, Lake County, and Petaluma - to celebrate our UU heritage, community, and message.

Palestine: Experience and Teacher
Rick Childs, September 20, 2009
Rick spent summer as a peace activist in Palestine. He shared his experiences and impressions about why the Mideast conflict seems so difficult to resolve, what he believed would work, and some general and spiritual lessons about life that he learned in the concentrated and intense atmosphere there.

A New Direction
Entire Congregation, September 6, 2009
Nothing in life, they say, is constant except change. And that's now happening to our Fellowship. The Board decided to reduce Lay Leader Rick's workload and salary by half to reduce expenses so we can stay afloat. After a short mini-sermon discussing the importance of service in our lives, our service was open to sharing ideas on how to make this happen.

Fellowship Sunday
Entire Congregation, June 21, 2009
This was be our final service before our summer break: a coming-together and deeper connecting of our lives and spiritual gifts. We shared a special spiritual experience, insight, or lesson learned this past year.

More Spiritual Moments
Rick Childs, June 7, 2009
So much of our life gets lived on "automatic pilot." Unitarian philosopher John Dewey observed that virtually all our daily life is predictable and routine. Constrained by habitual activities, reactions, and even thoughts, we likely get very few inspired, expansive moments. Rick explored some.

One Mountain ... Many Paths
Rev. Chris Bell, May 17, 2009
Rev. Bell writes: "In all the world's religions, we are taught that there are many paths, but one mountain. I believe this image is both useful and accurate. It honors the sanctity of our own individual experience while encouraging our tolerance and support of others. It also boldly affirms a common firmament under us, and a shared view from the summit. This service will consider some of the universal truths of the spiritual journey, and encourage us forward on the path we choose, a path we need not walk alone."

Our Relationhips: Understanding Them ... Nurturing Them
Liz Irwin, May 3, 2009
Ms. Irwin writes: "Our relationships are probably the most important part of our lives. I want to explore their dynamics - the meaning they give us; why certain ones help us and others don't; and how they wind up becoming an entity of their own - the way they begin, grow, change, and often end. Of course, if we want a relationship to survive, we have to always work at it, so I'll share some thoughts on what nurtures them and keeps them growing."

Ahhh ... Spring!
Rick Childs, April 19, 2009
Rick spoke about watching the earth blossom into its verdant rich beauty, our own rebirth of joy and aliveness and our inspiration for new growth. We concluded with our annual Flower Communion.

Search for Meaning: The "Urantia" Book
Clayton Roberts, April 5, 2009
Fellowship friend Clayton Roberts discussed his lifelong search for meaning and value in life. He shared his life struggles with atheism, agnosticism, and theism. He introduced the Urantia Book and described its importance in developing a personal religion.

The Interface of Art and Science
Walt McKeown, March 15, 2009
Taking off from his "Man and the Cosmos" February sermon, Walt offered his thoughts on some of the interesting ways that these two disciplines interact, support, and complement each other. Walt has a deep connection with both, as a scientist and a musician.

Loving Yourself
Rick Childs, March 1, 2009
Think of all the ways you love the person that you most love in life ... the kind of deep caring, acceptance and respect, and support you give? How well do you treat yourself by that standard?

Finding Inspiration in the World Around Us
Danny Barca, February 15, 2009
Danny Barca, song-writer, tenor, and musician, gave another of his wonderful all-music services. Danny has been creating songs that capture the essences of spirituality, life, and love all his life. He offered songs he's written that were inspired by the beauty and wonder of the ordinary day-to-day world around us ... songs to remind us that when we pause and notice, life becomes that much more special.

Man and the Cosmos
Walt McKeown, February 1, 2009
Walt gave us a positively mind-stretching service. A man of deep and wide knowledge in many areas, Walt shared his expertise on the current state of the universe (including dark matter, extra-solar planets, and indications of extra-terrestrial life) and the current state of the earth (including climate change, population pressure, and religious wars).

Breathing and Unitarian Universalism
Siri Gian Khalsa, January 18, 2009
Siri Gian said, "Conscious breathing can change one's whole attitude and response to life. The sermon will primarily be experiential. I'll be teaching some easy-to-learn breathing techniques, which we'll all practice together, which can create exuberance, open our hearts, and spark our natural generosity. These create a natural fit with your 'UU Qualities of a Spiritual Life' - growth, love, and service."

Happy New Year!
Rick Childs, January 4, 2009
The New Year traditionally prompts us to deeper reflections of what's missing - or what we want more of - in our lives. Most of us, I think, make some form of "resolutions" to achieve those goals. Do you? ... a year from now, what would like to be saying that you accomplished in 2009?

Celebration of the Five Holidays
Rick Childs, December 21, 2008
A past favorite, almost now a tradition ... we celebrated the rich abundance of the season's holidays together: Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Years. Each has its own spiritual meaning. We spent time with each holiday's unique message for our lives, with readings, rituals, songs and carols. Each of us to shared our personal thoughts and/or past remembrances we have connected to these holidays.

The Fellowship's 25th Anniversary Celebration!
Chuck Rosene, December 7, 2008
Our UU District Administrator, Chuck Rosene, came up from Berkeley to lead a special service honoring not only what our Fellowship has done, but more importantly, the vital role we, as an integral part of this worldwide liberal religion, has in service to individuals, the community, and the world in the challenging times ahead.

Gratitude . . . Musically
Tim and Linda O'Laughlin, November 16, 2008
Our service included thoughts and forms of gratitude. The centerpiece was be Tim and Linda O'Laughlin's wonderful music . . . traditional Thanksgiving hymns songs, along with songs they've written that we sang together . . . fun songs that will allow us to share what we're grateful for.

These Very Troubling Times
Rick Childs, November 2, 2008
Rick first looked at just why this crisis is happening - economically, politically, and psychologically. But he focused on what we can do spiritually to make sure we (and our wider world) come through intact. Can we find ways to even come out "better?"

Overcoming Negative Belief Systems
Brigitta and George D'Amato, October 19, 2008
Brigitta and George D'Amato helped us understand how our negative belief systems got created, how we may not have been aware of them, how they sabotaged us and hold back our lives. Most importantly, they told us how we can access spiritual truths and techniques to get rid of them! George and Brigitta are certified clinical hypnotherapists. Visit them on the web: www.empowerments.net

Parenting ... It's a Spiritual Practice
Rick Childs, October 5, 2008
Our service looked at this ever-so-important part of life. Not a "how to parent" service, it explored the underlying spiritual principles of our important roles as parents.

The "Why" and "How" of Defeating Proposition 8
Brad Bergman and Rita Butterfield, September 21, 2008
Proposition 8, on the November ballot, would amend the California constitution to prevent gays and lesbians from getting married. Our UU church has historically supported gay rights and is actively working to defeat Proposition 8. We discussed tactics.

You may also want to read a Spirituality Essay. Our lay leader, Rick Childs, writes one a month.

Serving Albion, Caspar, Comptche, Elk, Fort Bragg, Gualala, Little River, Mendocino, Navarro, Philo, Rockport, Westport and inland Mendocino County.

For questions about our Fellowship or Unitarian Universalism, send e-mail to our lay leader,
Rick Childs:

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Ted Pack: