J. Sylvan - "Forget the Alamo: Reckoning with False History as UU Texans " How do we look at history as UUs? As Americans? As Texans? Drawing from the book Forget the Alamo by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford, transplanted northerner J Sylvan will stumble through some observations and aspirations regarding their new home and its relationship to the past.

J. Sylvan - "Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are: Meditations on LGBTQ Identity for National Coming Out Day" LGBTQIA+ identities continue to evolve. Join J Sylvan as they reflect on their life as a queer religious person, and celebrate the many queer folks in our communities, regardless of whether they choose to come out.

J. Sylvan - "The Anthropocene Apocalypse: Climate Change and Why Elon Musk is No Noah" Wildfires, floods, extreme hot and cold temperatures -- the weather these days sometimes seems downright Biblical. Plus, the news about Climate Change is rarely rosy. Where do we find hope in the Anthropocene Epoch? Join J Sylvan as they look at humanity's relationship with the planet that bore us, and how we might begin to heal that relationship now and in the future.

J. Sylvan - "How to be Wrong: Overcoming Perfectionism in Service of Justice" We love to be warriors for justice when we know we're in the right, but what happens when, despite our best intentions, we find out we ourselves have caused harm? Perfectionism can block us from connecting with others and acting compassionately. This week, J will discuss how perfectionism can show up for us as UUs, and ways we can overcome it in order to better serve our world.

J. Sylvan - Abortion and the Bible" Transitional Minister J Sylvan will look at what the Bible does and doesn't have to say about parenthood and choice, and what about it is relevant and irrelevant for us as we fight for reproductive rights. This service will be held live in the church Sanctuary. It will also be broadcast live on YouTube.

J. Sylvan - "Through the Wilderness: Endings, Transitions, and Beginnings" Come celebrate our community and meet our new Transitional Minister! On September 12th we will officially welcome J Sylvan with our modified-for-Covid hybrid Water Communion ceremony. J will preach on the topic “Through the Wilderness: Endings, Transitions, and Beginnings” as they begin their two-year position helping us rest and regroup before we find our next settled minister. Whether you are ready to participate in person (masked and distanced) or not, we hope you will join us for this meditation on togetherness and transitions.

"The Body Problem, The Body Miracle" - As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to healing our world through social justice. More and more science confirms that healing, spiritual and otherwise, must begin in the place where wounds and trauma wordlessly reside, that is, in our bodies. If we take the time to acknowledge our physical Selves, to realize that we are indeed spiritual beings having human experiences, we can have greater connection to the struggles of others, to the world at large, and to ourselves. Guest speaker Cathy Vance has been a member of Bay Area UU for three years. A writer and a teacher, she was recently accepted into the Clinical Pastoral Education chaplaincy program at MD Anderson Hospital.

"Life Lessons from a Car, a Friend, and an Art Project" - Guest Speaker Rabbi Deborah Schloss Journey with us as we gather wisdom from one another and a couple of unconventional places. Rabbi Deborah Schloss has served Temple Beth Tikvah in Clear Lake since 2009 and is also a clinical chaplain at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and the Memorial Herman Healthcare System. She is the author of two poems in the book Prayers and Blessings for Healthcare Workers published August 17, and available through Amazon. She loves joining us at BAUUC.

Our Choir Director Beth Jordan and our Music Director Cheryl Marcum will lead this special summer music service. Join them in exploring the diverse sources that inform and inspire our Unitarian Universalist tradition with wonderful songs and musical performances from talented members and friends of our church community.