Upcoming Worship Services - Soul Matters

Upcoming Worship Services

September 21, 2025 “Why Do We Gather?” Nicholas D’Agosto

What kind of statement are we making when we show up for church? What opportunities for justice are we creating? What does it mean to have a "spiritual home," and what role do conflict and vulnerability play in making that home a loving one?

Septermber 28, 2025 “Taking The Risk of Belonging” Tess Baumberger

The warm and witty Rev. Tess Baumberger is Minister of the Unitarian  Universalist Church  of Essex, Massachusetts. As a once young single mother who was going through a divorce,  alone  and “allergic” to words like "God"and "Prayer", took “The Risk” to join a church that gave her a family and community to heal and grow as she raised her  young son. She calls herself a professional  listener and  poet, who loves creating worship in  order to serve the health of the congregation and the cause of justice in the wider community. As a contributor to Soul Matters, she has generously updated this sermon for our service this Sunday.  We  are grateful for her and her story. 

October 5, 2025 “Expanding Our Perspective” Mary Ruth Velicki

Brief Description: Our lives are a short and precious opportunity to experience and create. However, not all of this creation is conscious. We all have subconscious patterns that influence our perceptions and behavior. Some of these patterns have been inherited as part of our human nature and others have been developed in response to our life experiences. However, when we appreciate the lens we look through, it becomes possible to set it down and widen our perspective. To facilitate this type of introspection, Mary Ruth uses personal stories to describe common features of our human mindset and ways our perspective can expand.

October 12, 2025 “The Courage to Love” Tess Baumgarten

The legacy of our faith is radical love, and radical love reveals itself in having compassion for ourselves, our friends and family, and yes, even those we disagree with. Join us as we examine the roots of our transformative religion and consider the importance of practicing compassion in our regular, everyday lives. 

Launching Our Theme-Based Ministry, 2025-2026

Our church belongs to the Soul Matters Sharing Circle, a network of Unitarian Universalist congregations who commit to connecting with monthly spiritual themes. Beginning in September, our worship services and religious exploration program will becentered around the Soul Matters themes. You will also notice our themes popping up in other places -- the marquee sign out front will have monthly themed welcome statements connecting our neighborhood with what is inspiring us that month and via our newsletter, our minister Rev. Megan will invite you to explore spiritual practices connected to the themes.

Listed in the graphic below, these themes offer us an opportunity to go deeper into our practices of Unitarian Universalism as a whole UUCSC community. One goal of the Soul Matters themed ministry is “to get us out of our heads and into our lives.” Whether you are new to Unitarian Universalism or a long-time UU, these offerings provide a variety of paths to connect to our faith and one another from week-to-week.