Beyond Sunday: The UUCSB Blog
Reflections, Sermons, and the Monthly Newsletter
Rev. Lori With A Modern Parable of Readiness
“There once was a traveler who set out with nothing but a thin cloak and a determined heart. Whenever the winds changed, she gathered the cloak around her. When storms approached, she cinched the cloth tight at her waist so her hands were free—free to build, free to shield, free to lift others up. When asked why she always prepared herself so deliberately, she said, “The world is full of work that requires both strength and tenderness. I gird myself not for battle, but for love.””
Rev. Lori on letting go and dreaming forward at the new year.
“Two faces, one looking back, one forward—keeper of thresholds, guardian of beginnings. In one eye, memory: what shaped us, what we survived. In the other, possibility: doors unlatched, light not yet named….”
The Messenger: January 2026
“The theme for January is practicing resistance. We will explore and highlight our history and focus on the ways resistance shows up for us in in our lives and the life of the community right now. Resistance is often imagined as loud, confrontational, or defiant. And sometimes it must be. But more often, the most enduring form of resistance is quieter, steadier, and rooted in love. That is our mantra after all. What is love calling us to do in this moment and in all things.? To practice resistance through love is to refuse the stories that tell us we are alone, powerless, or disposable. It is to stand beside one another when fear would have us turn away. It is to show up—again and again—for those whose voices are dismissed, whose lives are made harder by systems that prize profit or power over people.”
Rev. Lori: What is Love calling us to do in this moment?
“…not all stories have readily available happy endings. There is sadness and brokenness that is highlighted and that may not ever have resolution. In this instance, it is not our place or character as a community to look away. We are obligated as UUs and people of faith to provide compassion, seek justice, and care for people. We are obligated to be a people of hope. We are also obligated to be in constant conversation about what our chalice and beacon is calling us to do. What is love calling us to do in this moment?”
Rev. Lori on Choosing Hope
“Choosing hope is choosing relationship—trusting that others will show up, that love will meet us again, and that the future is shaped not only by outcomes but by the spirit with which we meet the journey. In choosing hope, we commit ourselves to tending sparks of possibility wherever they appear, and in doing so, we become part of the light we long to see.”
The Season of Advent: Approaching Joy
“Today we focus on one movement within that season: Approaching Joy.
Not joy triumphant.
Not unshakeable joy.
But a joy we are moving toward—tentatively, courageously, honestly.
And maybe that’s the most faithful way to speak of joy in a world like ours.”
Rev. Lori: Joy is the Soft Glow on the Horizon
“Joy as a spiritual practice, is something we gird ourselves with as we approach the darker days. Joy is a choice even when happiness is not. It isn’t fake to find the spark that brings your light alive and choose to cultivate that spark.”
This Is My Song: An Anthem of Dreams for My Country
“I am a church kid and have loved hymns and sacred music all my life. I have always understood that the hymns teach us theology—or whatever word I understood early on. The organ and choir always fed me deeply. One song that stuck with me, and always brought tears to my eyes, was This Is My Song. I was born and raised a United Church of Christ kid, but the words of This Is My Song really captured my spirituality and perhaps were preparing me for the UU identity that was clearly in my bones. Or perhaps the Spirit was preparing me for another time—for this time. And preparing all UUs for another moment in time. This time.”
Rev. Lori: Gratitude in the Liminal Spaces
“Gratitude for the in-between spaces invites us to honor the pauses—the moments of not yet and no longer. These are thresholds where growth quietly happens, where we rest between what has ended and what is beginning. It can be tempting to rush past uncertainty, angst, pain, anger, fear or other uncomfortable feelings but gratitude teaches us to linger, to trust that these liminal spaces are sacred too.”
Rev. Lori: “Gratitude begins and ends with Love.”
“Gratitude begins and ends with love. When we feel thankful, it’s because we recognize the love that flows through our lives—love given and received in countless forms. Every act of kindness, every moment of connection, every breath of beauty is love expressing itself, reminding us that we belong to one another and to this world.”
Rev. Lori Offers a Samhain Ritual
“We are celebrating in word and ritual this week, the pagan holiday of Samhain. Samhain is the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time to honor ancestors, reflect on cycles of life and death, and embrace the mystery of transformation as the veil between worlds grows thin. “
Rev. Lori on How We Learn Compassion
“Close your eyes for a moment and think of those who first showed you what compassion means. It may have been a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, a neighbor, or even a stranger. Perhaps it was a gentle word when you felt small, a hand extended when you were lost, or a quiet presence that made you feel safe. These moments, though ordinary at the time, planted something in us. They reminded us that we are never alone, that kindness has the power to carry us through pain, and that to care for another is to give them life itself.”
Rev. Lori on Turning Compassion Into Action
“Action. Political action. Cultural action, Community action. Action. I think about that word a lot lately. I am constantly wondering what my part is in the world right now. I am compassionate towards most. I am an advocate for so many. And yet I wonder what is effective for me to participate in. Where will my limited energy even make a difference. I do believe a well of compassion must overflow to satisfy need or suffering. Whatever that means. I am confessing that it all has felt disheartening to me, so much so that I have had to step away from news feeds and social media as much as possible.”
Rev. Lori on the Intersection of Addiction and Compassion
“Addiction isn’t just about drugs or alcohol. It’s broader, and honestly, a lot more familiar than we like to admit. Most of us know what it’s like to chase a feeling—whether it’s the dopamine hit from social media, the comfort of a nightly glass of wine, or the mindless escape of binge-watching something when life feels a little too sharp around the edges. Addiction, in some ways, is about the stories we tell ourselves: “I need this to unwind,” “I’ll stop tomorrow,” or “It’s not that bad.” We all have a version of that narrative.”
Rev. Lori on Building Community Through Love in These Challenging Times
“These times will trigger our deepest fears and wounds and may cause us to default to our primal instincts, or unresolved hurts, childlike selves. Holding each other in community, even when we aren’t able to be our best selves is in fact the greatest call we have AND best example of what it means to be right relationship. That is what the world needs more than anything else right now.”