Sermons

We have retained the name “Pacific Unitarian Church,” so let’s talk about Unitarianism. This week is the anniversary of the signing of the Edict of Torda which officially recognized Unitarianism in 1568 in Transylvania. It declared there is no one way to be religious or to be free.

January 14th was “Global Belly Laugh Day,” when the health benefits of laughter are recognized. It was created by Laughter Yoga teacher Elaine Helle to highlight laughter’s power to connect and its benefits for mental, physical, and social well-being. Let’s have some fun together in what Pastor Joshua hopes will be an annual humor service.

Eco-philosopher Val Plumwood reminds us that we are “animals, positioned in the food chain.” Many humans arrogantly ignore this, forgetting our own animality and ecological vulnerability. We cannot successfully confront the future of our planet and our species without acknowledging that we are not only predators but also prey.

The inspiration for this service came from the music the choir will be singing. Some of the lyrics include “You gotta a right to be angry at a system that has failed to honor all its people. You gotta right to be heard so rise up… . I’ll rise up. I’ll rise unafraid. I’ll rise up. And I’ll do it a thousand times again.” The fact is, we must be activated as much by our love as others are by their hate.

You’ve probably heard of or seen the movie, “My Octopus Teacher.” Well, there is another amazing creature in the oceans from whom we can learn many lessons, the seahorse. Pastor Joshua will share how this amazing animal can teach us about or UU values.