Archived Services

May 4: "The Pursuit of Self-Care" ( .pdf) The foundation of any spiritual growth program is taking good care of ourselves: from our bodies to our souls to our hearts and more. Indeed, the greatest gift we have to give to the world is our own holistic self-care. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Apr 27: No Sunday Service due to District Assembly

Apr 20: "Hopers Unite!" ( .pdf) The apostle Paul wrote: "Faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love..." Well, I would argue that they're all necessary and they're all great. Hope is the underrated dynamic of history and the energy of transformation. Hope is what gives you and me a passion for the possible. We simply can't make it individually or institutionally without a hefty dosage of hopefulness. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Apr 13: "Thomas Jefferson Deserves a Holiday!" (.mp3 .pdf) Jefferson is considered by Unitarian historian Henry Steele Commager to be 'the central figure in American history'. I find it hard to argue with that assessment. On his very birthday, I will make a case for Jefferson's relevance, indeed, his greatness. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Mar 30: "Flowers in the Desert" ( .pdf) A spiritual journey presented as Karl Weston shares a "This I Believe" and discusses deeply personal challenges and his embracing UU Principles and Sources to share love as he walks the path.

Mar 23: "The Healing Power of Natural Places" ( .pdf) On Easter Sunday, I will salute the holy forces of life-and-death. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Mar 16: "The Healing Power of Natural Places" (.mp3, .pdf) Our Fellowship is blessed to have a spacious outdoor site where we can worship amidst the magnificence of the cosmos. As spring launches, I will explore the healing power of natural beauty. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Mar 2: "On the Verge of Something Great!" (.mp3) In your exceptional ministerial search packet, chair Diane Masser-Frye has informed all potential candidates that UUFSD is on the verge of something great! I agree and want to explain why 2008 is truly a turning point in the life of your fine Fellowship. Rev. Tom Owen- Towle

Feb 24: "Love Can Build a Bridge" (.mp3, .pdf) Our American culture is geared to choosing sides and picking fights, as well as prone to ideological self-righteousness, especially as we round into the "heat" of the 2008 campaign. Unitarian Universalism counters this reality with our unswerving commitment to the way of dialogue and bridge-building. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Feb 17: "Nothing Dies That's Remembered" (.mp3) We will honor the early pioneers and past-Presidents of UUFSD on this 49th anniversary of the founding of the Fellowship. Our choir will sing. A Sunday not to be missed, as we cherish the past, celebrate the present, and chart the future. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Feb 10: "This I Believe (or rather) These I Believe" (.mp3, .pdf) Robin Mitchell is a onewoman ecumenical movement, actively participating in three very different religions. She reflects on her evolving understanding of how that's possible and why it's so important to her.

Feb 3: "The Positive Core of Unitarian Universalism" (.mp3, .pdf) Too often we religious liberals describe ourselves in negative terms, emphasizing what we deny or reject, when, in truth, ours is a positive religion, soaked in affirmations and possibilities. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Jan 27: "Religion and Social Justice - Successes and Failures" (.mp3) Rabbi Laurie Coskey, Executive Director of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, is our guest speaker for this Sunday's service. Rabbi Coskey shares her views on the responsibilities and obligations of religious organizations to participate vigorously in the secular life of our communities and nation.

Jan 20: "Martin Luther King, Jr.: An Inconvenient Hero" (.mp3, .pdf) King was a moral-spiritual giant, and his legacy continues to transform our American soul and society, particularly when we're willing to engage the inconvenience of his message. Generosity Sunday. Our choir will sing. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Jan 13: "To Forgive or Not Forgive" (.mp3, .pdf) To forgive or not forgive is perhaps the trickiest religious question of them all. Over time, I've modified my views on forgiveness due to public events, personal soul-searching, and ministerial counseling. I offer the findings of my heart. Pacific Women's Chorus will perform. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Jan 6: "Greater than the Name of God!" (.mp3, .pdf) Every world religion declares one virtue to be more crucial even than divinity itself. What is it? Come and learn the answer, as we launch this most important year in the life of partisan San Dieguitans! Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Dec 30: "As Time Goes By" (.mp3) Our traditional year-end service features Fellowship members, Karen Bullette, Dianne Graham-Weaver, Jay Vreeland, Karl Weston, Jill Ballard, Elaine Lewinnek sharing their thoughts on the passing of time.

Dec 23: "The Birth Stories" (.mp3, .pdf) The four earliest recorded accounts of the birth of Jesus are markedly different, thus illustrating our bedrock diversity as religious liberals. Last time to hear our choir sing in 2007! Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Dec 16: "Staying Joyful During the Holidaze!" (.mp3, .pdf) My religious faith commits me to embody a life of “wholly joy”, but that’s easier said than done, especially given the recent wildfires and the “seasonal affective disorders” that insinuate their way into our holiday journeys. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Dec 9: "Music Sunday – Building Bridges" (.mp3 ) Three excerpts from our Fall Music Sunday service featuring the UUFSD Choir, Sally Husch Dean, Director: "Joy In Jerusalem"; "A Mirror From Another" Max Henkart, vibraphone: and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

Dec 2: "The Blessings of Darkness" (.mp3, .pdf) During December, as we naturally gravitate toward sources of light, we are also reminded to welcome, make that embrace, the subtle, oft-ignored seasonal blessings of darkness. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Nov 25: "Lucky to be Here in the First Place!" (.mp3, .pdf) Thanksgiving is one of the greatest of all our American holidays because it honors not military prowess but spiritual freedom. It affirms that authentic religion is born and lives in a state of gratitude. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Nov 18: "To Love and Be Loved" ( .pdf) Our religion is ultimately not about beliefs but behaviors, commitments over chatter, vows rather than creeds. And the central vow of human existence is loving and being loved. Our Choir will sing. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Nov 11: "What Makes America Good" (.mp3, .pdf) On Veteran's Day, my goal is to paint a balanced portrait of America. I will speak to three qualities that make our country good, not perfect or great but a good enough homeland. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Oct 21: "Knocking on the Gates of Heaven" (.mp3) Eileen Maurer from the Palomar Fellowship will give a sermon that explores ideas of life after death through Sufi and Hindu parables as well as thoughts from current American Jewish and Christian leaders and others.

Oct 14: "Spreading Our UU Gospel!" (.mp3, .pdf) Did you know that the word "gospel" simply means "good news", and no religion has the corner on that? This I know to be true: Unitarian Universalism delivers a life-affirming, hopeful message that enables us to deepen our daily lives and make a difference in our worlds. You bet it does! This "generosity" Sunday we will take a special offering to support our Pacific Southwest District that does so much to enable our Fellowship to flourish. Our Choir will lead us in song. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Oct 7: "The Deep Humanity of Prayer" ( .mp3, .pdf ) How do we reach the nourishing depths of gratitude and hopefulness while acknowledging the pitfalls of conventional prayer? On this Sunday, we will welcome new members. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Sept 30: "Children of Heresy" (.mp3, .pdf) To be a heretic literally means to be a choice-maker in matters of moral and spiritual importance. Our Unitarian Universalist heritage is loaded with card-carrying heretics. We proudly join their number. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Sept 23: "Art as a Spiritual Journey: Touching the Feminine Face of God" (.mp3) First UU Church of San Diego member, Diane Lowrie, will speak about the ways making art has deepened her connection to the Spirit of Life. Note: This recording begins about two minutes into the presentation.

Sept 16: "Growing the Beloved Community" (.mp3, .pdf) This is a foundational sermon for the entire year. I will wrestle out loud with what I deem the touchstone of healthy religious life. Bring water from summer travels for a co-mingling Water Ceremony this Sunday. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Sept 9: "Jewish New Year: The Art of Falling Forward!"" (.mp3, .pdf) A good jazz musician knows; the key to a satisfying life is making our mistakes mean something. As we welcome back our outstanding choir and celebrate Involvement Sunday, all UUFSD partisans will have a golden chance to find a job/joy with their name on it. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle.

Sept 2: "Making Your Work Holy" (.mp3, .pdf) This aspires to be an uplifting Labor Day sermon wherein I empower us to make our daily duties sacred, whether or not we engage in paid or volunteer labor or a combination thereof. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Aug 26: "Staying Awake" (.mp3) As you launch your concluding year of interimship and prepare for your new settled minister, I offer one major piece of counsel: stay awake, stay awake, stay awake to all the wondrous changes and possibilities that lie before you as stakeholders of your sacred enterprise called UUFSD! Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Aug 19: "Shaking Hands with our Dragons" (.mp3) By way of introducing myself as your "final, temporary shepherd", I will share central pieces of my life-odyssey and religious philosophy, garnered from 40+ years of serving the "second oldest" profession on record. I eagerly await our worshiping together as fellow Unitarian Universalists in-training. Rev. Tom Owen-Towle

Aug 12: "Because Someone Asked: A Life Shaped by A Response" (.mp3) The theme for my "This I Believe perspective is the role of community and how the greatest rewards and joys of my life have been shaped by the responses to others requests for help. UUFSD member, Wenda Alvarez.

Aug 5: "Some Mistakes of Moses" (.mp3) Joan Kantar, former President of Coronado UU Church, will give us a sermon entitled "Some Mistakes of Moses". This is the intriguing title of a book she found in her father's library as she was helping him move out of the family Massachusetts home. Written in 1897, by Robert J Ingersoll, Joan was surprised to find thoughts very familiar to UUs of today, but truly iconoclastic when written more than a century ago! A fascinating look at one of the early humanists who was influential in our movement.

July 29: "The World View of a Little Rascal" Fellowship member Lola Larson was one of the original "Little Rascals", known as Li'l Caroline. For our children she will recount some of her experiences as a child actress. For the adult presentation, Lola will reflect on the subsequent eighty years, sharing her perspective on life through the prism of Unitarian Universalist values. Unfortunately, this presentation was not recorded. We apologize for the inconvenience.

July 22: Liz Barr and Jeff Harris (Liz and Jeff Barris) — "Living Life Not Worried About Time or Money" (.mp3) Liz and Jeff say, "While we'll touch on the trip highlights and different religions we saw — devout Tibetan Buddhists, Hindus in Varanasi, Muslims in Agra, etc. the outlook on being content with their lives rather than trying to constantly advance is something that was striking."

July 15: Betty Brink "From Who Am I to I Am" (.mp3) Fellowship member Betty Brink invites the congregation to walk with her on her spiritual journey, as she marks the events of her life and learning that have brought her to this time and place. Susan Hahm is Lay Leader.

July 8: Kathryn Sturch's "This I Believe" (.mp3) Kathryn Sturch's "This I Believe" is about her Buddhist journey and The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma.

July 1: "To Kiss the Joy" (.mp3, .pdf) On this, my final Sunday with you, I'll talk about how to say goodbye. Rev. James E. Grant.

June 24: "What Really Happened in July 1925" (.mp3) What really happened in July 1925 when the State of Tennessee put John Scopes on trial for the crime of having taught evolution to his high school biology class? Fellowship members Chuck Hahm, Greg Brown, Don McEvoy, Miles Anderson, Ed Washington, Dan Ness, Richard Anderson, and Jeff Severinghaus will enact the roles of the major participants in this event. William Jennings Bryan, Clarence Darrow, presiding judge Raulston, journalist H.L. Mencken, and others will describe the proceedings as they perceived them. Written and directed by Don McEvoy. Susan Hahm is Lay Leader.

June 17: "YRUU Bridging Ceremony" (.mp3) A celebration of the bridging of two of our High School Youth. It is a very exciting time for our YRUU! Highlights from our high school youth's annual Sunday service presentation.

June 10: "The Eye of the Target" (.pdf) The Search Committee has led most of you in "focus groups" focusing on the kind of Minister you want the committee to find for the Fellowship. Now it's my turn. I talk about the good and not so good as the center of all the focus. Rev. James E. Grant

There is no audio file of this sermon. This PDF file can be read on line, or downloaded to your computer.

June 3: "Going for Baroque" (.mp3) It's the UUFSD Choir's Spring Music Sunday featuring music by Henry Purcell, George Frederic Handel and others. Choir Director Sally Dean conducts our choir and chamber orchestra.

May 27: "What do Ministers Do and Why?" (.pdf) The Search Committee is hard at work to find just the right Minister for this Congregation. I want to share some insights about ministry. Rev. James E. Grant

There is no audio file of this sermon. This PDF file can be read on line, or downloaded to your computer.

May 20: "Question Box Sermon" (.mp3) Jim Grant answers penetrating questions submitted by congregation members. Rev. James E. Grant

May 13: Real Family Values" (.mp3) We've heard too much talk about, but not much support of what I believe to be the real value of families, which has nothing to do with same-sex unions, etc. Rev. James E. Grant.

May 6: "Coming of Age Ceremony" (.mp3) The COA ceremony is the Unitarian equivalent of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Sweet Sixteen Party and/or Quinceanera. This year represents a commitment of study by the students and has taken hard work, diligent questioning and an active pondering of religious ideals. Participants include: Natalie Allen, Christina Bortnick, Ben Burgoon, Haley Cynar, Lydia Friedman, Alexi Foster, Jake Kelso, Katy Kelso, Jordan Lamp, Nick Lyon, Sean Milmo, Sammy Ness, Alex Savage, Ulysses Savage, Katie Scott, Zach Solomon, Allison Steitz, and Annie Tarabini.

April 29: "Why should I respect your position rather than just ‘tolerate’ it?" (.mp3) Fellowship members Greg Brown, Niel Lynch and Allan Sohl tell us about a religious belief or political position that is important to them, and give some answers to this question. Allan Sohl, Lay Leader.

April 22: "Earth Sunday" (.mp3) Members of the Green Sanctuary Action Committee Anne Larocca and Raf Muilenburg speak about Deep Ecology. Proponents of Deep Ecology believe that the Earth does not exist as a resource to be freely exploited by human, and that the entire earth system is superior to any of its parts.

April 15: "Less Well Known Saints" (.mp3) Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, noted by most Jewish Congregations. I will share the story of the righteous people of Le Chambon and what their story can mean to us. Rev. James E. Grant

April 8: "Easter, Communion and Flower Communion" (.mp3) What is the message of Easter for Unitarian Universalists? Note: This audio file begins in the middle of the first sentence. Rev. James E. Grant

April 1: "The DRUUMM Ya YA Spring Summit" (.mp3) The DRUUMM Ya YA Spring Summit is being held this week at First Church in San Diego. DRUUMM is the organization for UU people of color. It stands for Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Ministries. Several people from this group tell us about their program.

March 25: "Youth Homelessness in San Diego" (.mp3) As UU congregations across the United States observe "Justice Sunday", our guest speaker, Laura Beadles, will address the injustice of children forced to live on the streets of our cities, as national leaders praise our country's ability to create wealth and abundance. Karl Weston will be our lay leader.

March 18: We Are (or Become) Who We Celebrate" (.mp3) By the time you hear this sermon all the hype about Anna Nichole Smith, a tragic figure, will we hope have ended. The tabloids have a field day with "celebrities", which may say more about us than about the celebrity. Rev. James E. Grant

March 11: Accentuate the Possible" (.mp3) One of the things I've noticed about some people at UUFSD is the tendency to talk about this Congregation in negative terms such as "what we can't do". This is an excellent Congregation with great possibilities. Let's "accentuate the possible"! Rev. James E. Grant

March 4: Giving From the Heart" (.mp3) Today will be the "kick off" for our Annual Pledge drive. The title of this sermon comes from an article in a recent New York Times about charitable giving. Rev. James E. Grant

February 25: "Beyond Categorical Thinking" (.mp3) A service to inspire and inform the Congregation in the value of inclusive thinking during the process of ministerial search and selection. Everardo Aguilar leads this service.

February 18: "Memory Informs Imagination and Vice Versa" (.mp3) Our memories are at once good and bad. Good because without memories we would be amnesiacs; bad because memories can be skewed. Rev. James E. Grant

February 11: "Spiritual Teachings of Earth-Centered Traditions" (.mp3) Only too gradually our Western culture is learning the truths of some of the earth-centered traditions, whether of ancient Celtic or traditional Native American peoples. Rev. James E. Grant.

February 4: "The Counsel and Warning of Humanism" (.mp3) Unlike most other western religions, one source of our UU liberal religion is humanism which helps us claim our responsibility to create a better world. Rev. James E. Grant.

January 28: "Called to Respond" (.mp3) In addition to world religions, we UUs have a tradition which grows out of Jewish and Christian teachings. Rev. James E. Grant.

January 21: "Wisdom from the World's Religions" (.mp3) One important, if not essential source for our search can be the wisdom which comes from other world religions. Rev. James E. Grant.

January 14: "Challenged and Inspired" (.mp3) On Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend we will reflect together about how prophetic people have both challenged and inspired us. Rev. James E. Grant.

January 7: "Transcendant Mystery and Wonder" (.mp3) The first in a series of sermons interpreting the Unitarian Universalist Sources of the Living Tradition, this sermon deals with personal experience through reflection of a reasonable religion. We are encouraged to take time to meditate or reflect about life as one way to be in touch with the wonder of Mystery. Rev. James E. Grant.

For recordings of specific services, please contact our Congregational Administrator, Patricia Weld at 858-755-9225 or email office@uufsd.org

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