Advertise on podcast: Sermons given at UUCB, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley September 27, 2026 Reading Sign Rev. Marcus Liefert Trackers learn to "read sign"—a bent blade of grass, a snapped twig—a script of the movement of creatures written on the world. An honest search for salvation asks us to pay the same kind of careful attention. How do we attune well enough to the soul's subtle signals to be aware of our own capacity for harm before it's already a trail?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley September 20, 2026 Crouching at the Door Rev. Marcus Liefert As we honor the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur, we begin a new worship series using The Hunt as a metaphor for the religious question of soteriology—the search for salvation. When the Hebrew Bible first introduces the questions of harm and repair, it suggests sin is a predator crouching at the door, desiring you. What if naming our own capacity for evil isn't the opposite of salvation, but instead where an honest search for it begins?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley September 13th, 2026 Days of Awe Rev. Kathryn Jay Sweetness and grief are woven fine. As we remember our individual and collective moments of joy and sadness, the kindness of strangers sometimes plays a bigger role than we expect. How can we small acts of kindness and tiny moments of grace help us break open our hearts to love?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley September 6th, 2026 Getting Comfortable with Capacity Rev. Marcus Liefert Modernity places hope in humanity's endless potential to grow—"Onward and upward forever!" as one of our spiritual ancestors declared in the Five Points of the New Theology. But overemphasizing our power and neglecting our limitations and vulnerability leaves us ill equipped to meet the challenges of our times. How do we hold a conversation that both honors our constraints and inspires us to build the capacity to achieve our purpose?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley August 30, 2026 The Faith Is In The Crossing Rev. Marcus Liefert Some traditions look out on the world and see people in need of conversion, lost souls who could be saved if only they are reached by the right message. Liberal religion holds instead a vision of pluralistic partnership. What kind of faith do we need to take the risk of crossing that chasm?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley August 23, 2026 Holding Under Pressure Rev. Kathryn Jay We cross bridges every day, trusting trusses, rivets, and beams to bear the heavy weight. We need communities that inspire that same kind of trust. How can we shore up the institutions of our common life to withstand the forces working to bring them down?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley August 2, 2026 The Power of Heartbreak Rev. Dr. Kathryn Jay Broken-heartedness is a fact of life. How can we grow and be transformed by the moments that break our hearts, making space for individual and communal healing in a world beset by loss and disappointment?

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley July 26, 2026 Rooted in Rich Soil Rev. Sheri Prud’homme From where do we draw our religious authority? Part of the answer is from the theological heritage of Unitarian Universalism. Ours is an open and evolving faith, and we are stewards of its unfolding. Knowing our theological roots grounds our resistance to authoritarianism, consumerism, militarism, and racism as well as our capacity to imagine a better way.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley July 12, 2026 Spiritual and Religious Intern Minister: Liesl Dees What does it mean to be both spiritual and religious? In this closing service of our series on Reclaiming and Reimagining Religion, explore how personal spiritual practice and shared religious community can deepen and sustain one another. Together, we’ll reflect on what is sacred in our lives, what is of lasting worth, and how we build beloved community rooted in love.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley July 5, 2026 Becoming What We Believe Intern Minister: Liesl Dees A religious life is not only about what we believe, but what we practice. We’ll reflect on the sacred work of living our faith beyond Sunday morning—shaping lives rooted in love, justice, and compassion.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley June 28, 2026 Reading The World Intern Minister: Liesl Dees What counts as a sacred text? As we continue our series on Reclaiming and Reimagining Religion, we’ll explore wisdom found not only in scripture, but also in literature, life, and landscape. Together, we’ll reflect on how we learn to read the sacred woven throughout our lives.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley June 21, 2026 Glitter and Grit Rev. Kathryn Jay

A Prophetic Imagination Rev. Liesl Dees Prophets are often imagined as lone figures predicting doom. But what if prophecy is really the courage to tell the truth, name what others refuse to see and call people back to relationship, justice, and compassion. Together, we’ll reclaim prophecy not as supernatural prediction but as the sacred work of imagining a more loving world.

Ministerial Intern Liesl Dees Prayer is often imagined as speaking into silence. But what if prayer is an exchange of longing, listening, wonder, and response? We continue our series on Reclaiming and Reimagining Religion by exploring prayer as a practice of attention, connection, and presence.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley May 31, 2026 Community in Bloom We celebrate our annual flower communion with the recognition that we bloom always in relationship. Like the interdependent community of flowers and pollinators, we depend on each other more than we know to express our unique and sacred beauty. Bring a flower to celebrate! Rev Marcus Liefert