A pastoral sermon offered at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula. A friend or family member has lost somebody close. Now what? Sometimes feeling helpless and not knowing what to say is the best you can do. Even without the right words, presence and attention can provide powerful consolation. If you'd like to watch the whole service, please visit: https://fb.watch/2XmZj_rigY/

This is a reflection I offered at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara on the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about riots. What he calls "the language of the unheard." I apologize for misnaming George Floyd once in the video (@4:41), a serious mistake I didn't notice until later but one from which I'm not hiding. His name and life matter. Black Lives Matter.

For the last service I led as an intern at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, in a month with the theme of Thresholds, I thought it would be cool to reflect on thresholds in dialogue with USSB member and high school senior, Maggie Dobson. Like me, Maggie was on the threshold of closing one major chapter of her life story and moving on to the next. The conversation was filled with hope and also grief; as we were both exiting these big moments of our lives much differently than we expected because of the impact of Covid-19. Hopefully you'll find some meaning in our shared reflection!