Sermons Archive
You can view Beacon’s recorded services at our YouTube Channel: “Beacon UUC”
“Climbing the Decision Tree”
With significant decisions in Beacon’s near future, we’ll explore the multi-layered process of how we make decisions. Is there a benchmark anymore for “good judgement,” and if so, what does that mean? We’ll explore a well-respected model called the “Decision Tree,” and edge out onto some of the branches of that tree that impact decision-making– ethics, morality, practicality, self-discipline, and the so-called “paradox of choice.” Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Nancy Paxton. Music from Austin Shaw and Andrez Alcazar. Social Justice Witness from Frank Moraga of Coconino Children and Youth.
Climbing the Decision Tree (pdf)
“Good Gifts Keep On Giving”
Many of us have been re- gifted a “keeper” item along the way (and yes, sometimes a clunker). Or, we’ve scored a treasure at a White Elephant or Yankee Holiday swap. Sometimes, good gifts do keep on giving, both the tangible and intangible kinds. As we launch our 2023-24 annual stewardship campaign, we’ll explore the enduring impact of the gifts we offer to our families, friends, our congregation, and the wider world. As we lean into abundance during this time of promise and transition, we’ll also consider the gifts that Beacon UU has bestowed on us and on the community, and how our grateful support of our beloved congregation allows those gifts to be renewed and amplified. Beacon is a “keeper” and we can keep it going strong as we keep on giving. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Lise Breakey. Music from Andrez Alcazar and Austin Shaw.
Good Gifts Keep On Giving (pdf)
watch the Youtube recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1rARVjuBiI
“How Our Quiet Got Stolen”
With the Lenten season ahead of us (February 22 is Ash Wednesday and Easter is April 9), we’ll explore how we might join a worldwide Christian community in a practice of intentional contemplation and reflection. Given the wordiness of our religion, we’ll explore how we might grow from cultivating more silence in our lives, especially with the incessant chatter of social media and the deafening dissonance of modern life. The service will include a longer period of silence than usual and a guided meditation. Worship Associate Mark James will share original poetry in the service. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with music from Andrez Alcazar and Austin Shaw.
How Our Quiet Got Stolen (pdf)
“Hang A Thousand Ribbons: The Legacy And Poetry Of Phillis Wheatley”
In honor of Black History Month, we’ll explore the complicated, tragic and triumphant story of Phillis Wheatley, an African-American, formerly enslaved young woman, who published a groundbreaking book of poetry in 1773. For decades, a white woman’s memoir shaped our understanding of America’s first Black poet. Recently, her legacy and her work has been rediscovered and un-whitewashed. Who tells our stories? Who tells the stories of African Americans in history? Selections of Wheatley’s poems will be read (with commentary) by Worship Associate and former NAU professor Nancy Paxton. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching. Music from Austin Shaw and Andrez Alcazar.
“What Haunts The Land? Supporting Native Sovereignty”
“What Haunts The Land? Supporting Native Sovereignty” Climate change. Environmental degradation. Poverty. Addiction. Forced relocation. Voter suppression. Cultural shaming. Government neglect and regulations. All of these factors haunt the lands of our indigenous neighbors. Especially in light of Beacon’s adoption of the 8th Principle, how can we be effective allies and advocates to the Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff (ICF) and other groups in supporting Native sovereignty and long overdue reparations? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Cora Maxx-Phillips, Darrell Marks, and Robert Breunig from the ICF. Music from Austin Shaw and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Andrez Alcazar.
“Love Is The Enduring Force That Holds Us Together”
What does it mean to evolve as a religion in the modern world? This past year, the UUA has drafted Article II, which recasts our long-held Seven Principles and Six Sources as “Purposes and Covenants” such as Justice, Interdependence, and Generosity. The document begins with the words: “Love Is the Enduring Force That Holds Us Together.” For the first time, these overarching values within our progressive denomination include the words “beloved communities.” How might this new framework for Unitarian Universalism support and transform us in our individual spiritual journeys and as a congregation? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle, and music from Austin Shaw and Andrez Alcazar. Social Justice Witness from Deborah Harris of the Southside Community Association.
Love Is the Enduring Force (pdf)
“Antisemitism and the Meaning of Hanukkah Today”
Antisemitism has never truly been dormant in Western society, but now it has landed center stage again throughout the world. A popular rapper praises Hitler, a former President dines with a notorious white supremacist, synagogues are mass murder sites, a neo-fascist group plots to overthrow the German government, Twitter abounds with the conspiratorial trope about Jewish global domination, and pedestrians are assaulted on Brooklyn street corners. How can we grapple with and fight antisemitism in our personal and communal lives? And how might the ancient heroic story of Hanukkah inspire us in 2023? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Nancy Paxton. Music from Austin Shaw, Andrez Alcazar and members of the Beacon Choir.
Antisemitism and the Meaning of Hanukkah Today (pdf)
“Luminescence: Welcoming Light, Honoring Darkness”
A service for Advent Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. Music from Austin Shaw and Andrez Alcazar. The service includes a community candle lighting ritual.
“Noah Built An Ark Before He Had Water”
How do we lean into abundance and hope when we have no guarantee of the outcome? Why is the story of Noah and the ark, mythological though it is, an ideal fable for this congregation in search? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with original poetry from Worship Associate Lise Breakey. Music from Austin Shaw and the Beacon choir, under the direction of Andrez Alcazar.
Noah Built an Ark Before He Had Water (pdf)
“Yes, And…Improvising A Life”
The ideal topic for us freethinking UUs. How do we get the balance right between practical planning and necessary routines in our lives and some creative space for spontaneity and improvisation? How can practicing improvisation lead to more creative thinking and better communication? Come and explore this theme with Rev. Robin and the “Shawtet” Jazz Combo. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching. Social Justice Witness from Khara House.
Yes, and…Improvising a Life (pdf)
“Dolly, Indivisible: Reaching Across the Cultural Divide in America”
She’s an icon. A queen of country music, an author, entrepreneur, a voice for working class women, and a philanthropist. She’s Dolly Parton, seemingly beloved by folks of all stripes in our increasingly factionalized country. How does she do it and what can we learn from her “Dolitics” about reaching across the cultural and ideological divide that is ever widening in America (especially as we face a crucial midterm election)? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. Andrez Alcazar and Austin Shaw will perform “Nine to Five.” Don’t miss it!
“To Not Make A ‘Big Noise’: A Sermon Towards Authenticity”
In one of her poems, May Sarton writes: “Now I become myself. It’s taken time, many years and places; I have been dissolved and shaken, Worn other people’s faces…” Is Sarton describing the process of becoming “authentic,” or is the paradox that when we think we are “authentic,” we may actually be a carefully curated version of ourselves? What is this fabled state of being we call “authenticity,” and how does it pertain, in particular, to the ministry? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Nancy Paxton. Music from Austin Shaw and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Andrez Alcazar.
“The Possum Experiment and the Choice to be Good”
During the Days of Awe, the Jewish High Holidays that begin with Rosh Hashanah on September 26 and end with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) on October 5, the Book of Life is open as we are asked to consider our behavior, our transgressions and how to turn towards reconciliation. Are we born to be mild? If so, what turns us towards unkindness? If not, what motivates us to be good and what entices us to be cruel? Has a coarsened society set our gremlins loose on our better angels? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle and music from Austin Shaw and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Andrez Alcazar.
“Standing Knee Deep In Life”
As we enter our final year together in Interim Ministry and embark on your search for your next Minister, what might it mean to get beyond that shivering dread of “knee deep” and plunge fully into the waves? We’ll explore this theme through two fascinating concepts – YES (A Year of Experimental Space) and Adrienne Maree Brown’s paradigm of “Emergent Strategy.” Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg, and music from Andrez Alcazar and Austin Shaw.
Standing Knee Deep in Life (pdf)
“Wear it On Your Sleeve”
In a time of death threats and divisive ideologies, what belief or conviction are you willing to proclaim on your clothing, bumper sticker, or home? What brave UU exemplars can show us the way? You are encouraged to wear a T-shirt, hat, pin or other item (or bring a banner or sign) that proclaims your Social Justice commitments. During the service, Rev. Robin facilitates a talk back discussion, and members of the Social Justice Allies speak about their individual Social Justice passions. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle, and music from Austin Shaw.
“The Thrift Shop Angel and the Power of Memory”
“The Three Faces of Eve”
We take a closer look at three distinct and interconnected faces of the Bible’s first acknowledged cis-gender female. They are the face of the temptress, the face of the wise woman goddess, and the face of the homemaker and mother – each offering us something valuable about women, even if we need to strip off the waxy build-up of misinterpretation, blame, misogyny and shame to find it. In an era of “Me Too” and gender fluidity, what can we learn from Eve’s story and the changing paradigms for women that have risen in her wake. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Linda Ochi. Music from Bailey Cunningham and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos.
“A Profession Is Not A Personality”
Back in 1884, in his essay entitled “Estranged Labor,” Karl Marx argued that workers are objectified and made into miserable shells. Whether or not you agree with this assessment, in our current world of work, too many people who strive for success self-objectify as excellent work machines. This has only been made worse as we’re increasingly chained to laptops or subjected to Amazon warehouse-style productivity metrics. Our colleagues are often two-dimensional avatars. And yet, the allure and growth of gig work, self-employment and personal branding has blurred the lines between identity and profession. Are we what we do? Is “job” a noun or a verb for you? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg offering a personal reflection and music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw.
A Profession Is Not A Personality (pdf)
“Dreaming God or God Dreaming”
In our society, and especially in the political sphere, we hear subtle and not so subtle claims to being “Godly.” Has any religion cornered the market on “godliness?” In this morning’s service, our launching pad is a provocative theological question posed by a 14-year-old UU some years ago in his Coming of Age Credo statement: “Are we dreaming God during our waking hours or is God dreaming us while He/She/They is asleep, or neither?” On this Easter Sunday ( coinciding with Passover and Ramadan), we’ll ask: How does the typical UU humanist begin to unravel such questions as we undertake a “free and responsible” search for Holy Week? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle, musician Austin Shaw and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos.
Dreaming God or God Dreaming (pdf)
“Shards in the Ark: Of Passover and Promises”
In the Exodus story, Yahweh makes four promises to the Israelites: “I will bring you out of Egypt,” “I will deliver you from slavery” “I will redeem you” and “I will take as my people.” Yet, when Moses ascends Mt Sinai, the Passover pilgrims falter and construct a golden calf, causing their leader to smash the 10 commandments against the rocks. These shards were placed in the ark of the covenant along with the second intact tablets to remind the “chosen people” of the power of a sacred vow and the consequences for breaking it. In this post-modern, maybe-I-do, loaded-with-options world we live in, what can we learn from this foundational religious story about why we make promises, why we should keep them, and why we may be tempted to break them. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Lise Breakey and recorded musical selections.
“Two Copper Coins: A Sermon Towards Effort”
In the Parable of the Widow’s Mite, an impoverished woman tosses two copper coins (“leptons” in Ancient parlance) into the Treasury. Is this meager or substantial? Can we applaud her contribution, or do we view it as insufficient? Is it enough to create a feeling of abundance and gratitude? This morning, in the midst of our Stewardship campaign, we will explore the topic of “effort” and how the attitude with which we toss in our two cents is worth its weight in gold. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Mark James and music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw.
“Angels with Broken Wings”
In a human life, joy and sorrow are ever woven fine together. In this service marking two years of the COVID pandemic , we’ll explore how we might we move through suffering in our lives and arrive at gratitude instead of bitterness. After these two years of unexpected separation, communal and individual loss and grief, what resources might we turn to in our brokenness in order to heal “broken open?” Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Lise Breakey and music from Austin Shaw, Jason Drahos, and members of the Beacon Choir.
Angels with Broken Wings (pdf)
“Sliding Doors and the Lives We Didn’t Live”
Have you ever noticed that all of the stories in our lives that we re-write tend to have happier endings, sometimes even mythic? What is the allure of imagining do-overs of glory? As we round the corner to one year of pandemic reality (and colliding with Daylight Savings Time and the Ides of March, to boot), we’ll explore how the very modern preoccupation of imagining alternate selves can be fuel for fantasy and escape, but also fodder for regret and despair. We’ll ask: “How can we reckon with and make peace with the lives we have led and are living now without gazing into a murky “what if” crystal ball? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. We’ll hear our Beacon choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos, and piano pieces from Austin Shaw.
Stewardship Kickoff! “You Were Never Not Coming Here”
As we launch into our 2022 Stewardship Campaign, “Our Open Door,” we’ll explore what brings come-outers from other religions to 510 N. Leroux St, and how their lives have been expanded and enriched by belonging to this beloved and vibrant community. Did you find religion a long way from home, too? Are you on that journey now? Come walk through our open door. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg, “popcorn-style” testimonials from members, new and longstanding, and recorded musical selections.
You Were Never Not Coming Here (pdf)
“Preaching Peace…in the Name of Humanity”
With destruction and casualties mounting in Ukraine, a ground war with grave global consequences, we’ll ask ourselves some questions this morning: why should we care about wars happening 1000s of miles from us, especially when we are compassion fatigued by COVID, domestic concerns, climate disasters, and local politics? What is our imperative to activate our 6th principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all” and how can we do that? What is Non-Violent resistance, the third way between the outdated concept of “Just War” and pacifism, and is it viable against Russian tanks? A “talkback” style discussion will take place after the sermon. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Cheryl Austin, and piano pieces from Austin Shaw.
“Unjudge Someone”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with recorded musical selections.
In cities throughout the world, individuals are “checking out” real live people in a program called “Human Libraries.” The goal is to encourage us to engage with others in one-on-one conversations to break down stereotypes and the judgement that comes with focusing on the “cover” and not the “book.” What have participants gleaned from their Human Library encounters and what can we learn about why we judge others, sometimes just on the basis of how they look or our embedded scripts?
“Giving Birth to Justice: Preserving Reproductive Choice”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with recorded musical selections.
On Jan 22, 1973, The US Supreme Court recognized the constitutional right to have an abortion. Since then, states have passed thousands of restrictions that make it much harder for a woman to exercise their reproductive choices. Most recently, Texas has pushed through laws that restrict access and even criminalize miscarriages. That is why today, and every day, we need to witness to and engage in reproductive justice, locally and nationally.
Giving Birth to Justice: Preserving Reproductive Choice (pdf)
UU Soup: Season To Taste
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with recorded musical selections.
In Unitarian Universalism, our birthright or adopted tradition, I often wonder (even, fret) about the degree of communal memory or the level of familiarity with the UU “recipe.” Critics both inside and outside of our movement suggest that we are a smorgasbord of side dishes with no main course; a “salad bowl religion,” or worse, a twice-warmed Sunday supper of leftovers. In reality, I believe that we are a more akin to a soup base that has simmered for centuries, rich in its integrity, courage, and faithfulness. Just as the word “religion” itself implies a “binding together, ” our UU soup blends cabbage from Transylvania, sausage from Poland, corn from the Iowa Sisterhood, fine wine from the Enlightenment, and a meaty bone from the New Englanders. “Eat this in remembrance of me,” calls out Michael Servetus, William Ellery Channing, Olympia Brown. How shall we answer them as post-modern, open-minded freethinkers, as we mix in morsels from our own religious recipes?
UU Soup: Season To Taste (pdf)
“Some Assembly Required: On Becoming A Self”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with recorded music selections.
It’s New Year’s Resolution time! Again? (sigh) Yet, in the wake of the pandemic, what might we “resolve” when our confidence in the lives we’ve planned has been so irrevocably impacted? Have we become more tender towards ourselves, more flexible with others? “Now, I become myself,” writes the poet May Sarton, “it’s taken time, many years and places. I have been dissolved and shaken, worn other people’s faces.” This morning, we’ll explore what it might mean to view our imperfections and “areas of improvement” with compassion, honesty, and humor, as we embrace the ever-evolving process of becoming fully an authentic “Self.”
“Oh Jesus, Is It You, Again?”- On Holy Hospitality
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching. Worship Associate Lise Breakey will offer an original poem, and the choir will sing, under the direction of Jason Drahos.
We can never be certain who might knock at our door, seeking shelter or comfort or simple acceptance. At one monastery, committed to welcoming the stranger, the Abbot was known to see a prodigal coming up the road and mutter, “Oh Jesus, is it you, again?” Despite his weariness, the response captures the essence of holy hospitality, a practice of welcoming all travelers who cross our threshold seeking beloved community and treating them as sacred and worthy. Curiously, the Greek word, “xenos,” means both guest and host, stranger and friend. A colleague describes hospitality as “our most basic religious need to know and be known.” How might we, at Beacon, embody this duality of relationship as those who begin as “other” become “us” in an ever-widening circle of love and trust?
“Oh Jesus, Is It You, Again?” – On Holy Hospitality (PDF)
Ted Lasso, Maccabees, and the Miracle of Hope
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle offering a personal reflection on hope. Music from the Beacon choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos, with accompanist Austin Shaw.
To deny that life has its share of disappointments, frustrations, losses, and setbacks (especially after our shared pandemic experience), would be unrealistic and ultimately, counterproductive to our personal growth and well-being. Coach Ted Lasso, the folksy protagonist of the hit TV show, doesn’t deny it. Even so, he posts “Believe” signs around the locker room and asks his English football team at a pivotal moment, “Do you believe in miracles? Hope is a miracle.” As we meet this morning during the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah, with miracles abounding within its story, we’ll explore our fascination with miracles and how embracing “tragic optimism” opens us to gratitude, joy, and possibility.
Ted Lasso, Maccabees, and the Miracle of Hope (PDF)
Staying Afloat In the Bog
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with music from Jason Drahos, Rebecca Prizznick, Kim Angelo and Austin Shaw.
In a culture of distractions, possessions, and expertise, how might we cultivate spaciousness and a “beginner mind” amidst all that “fullness?” We turn to the humble cranberry (a Thanksgiving favorite) and the Japanese practice of Oryoki (“just enough”) for inspiration on how to stay afloat in the bog of modern life. The service includes an extended guided meditation and special music.
Staying Afloat In The Bog (PDF)
Bread, Not Stone: Hunger and Homelessness in the Land of Plenty
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Char Tarashanti. The choir will sing, under the direction of Jason Drahos, with accompanist Austin Shaw.
Mohandas Gandhi once speculated that with so many hungry people in the world, when God next comes to earth it will be in the form of a loaf of bread. My guess is that this loaf will be a simple one, as close to the integrity of wheat and water as it could be. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, a holiday associated with hearth and feasting, how can we bring shelter and nourishment, both literally and figuratively, to those who are hungry and homeless? How might we invite the sacred (whatever its form) to come to us and act through us, in the shape of the most unpretentious bread with the most common ingredients –the water of humility and the grain of compassion, kneaded by our justice-seeking hands, activated by the yeast of love, and baked in an oven of grace and gratitude.
Bread, Not Stone: Hunger and Homelessness in the Land of Plenty (PDF)
Patching Chindis: On Brokenness
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw.
Among the multitude of Hindu deities, there is one named “Akhilandeshvari” – the “Never Not Broken Goddess.” She is anything but frail, though – she carries a trident and rides in on a crocodile! As humans, we are also “never-not-broken,” yet how do you relate to our brokenness? Do we despise it? Embrace it? Feel empathy for it? Want to soothe it? Do we allow ourselves to experience its intense pathos and pain and seek to transform it? In this service, we’ll ride along with Akhillandeshvari, as we explore these questions through an Eastern spiritual lens. We’ll also experience Kirtan chanting (a beautiful devotional singing practice originating in India) and engage with Rev. Robin in a ritual of healing.
Patching Chindis: On Brokenness (PDF)
Faithful Democracy
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg. Music from Austin Shaw and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos.
With an uptick in voter suppression and the American experiment more fragile than ever, it may be time to ask if tribalism, conspiracy theories, and extreme theologies have corrupted the underpinnings of our nation. Can belief play a role in our democratic process in 2021, or have ideology and secularism replaced faith as the driving forces in politics? Is religion good for democracy? Our UUA General Assembly affirmed democracy as a vital but corrupted ideal in 2019. How do we “uncorrupt” democracy before it’s too late and ensure full access to voting in Arizona in the coming elections?
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg. Music from Austin Shaw and the Beacon Choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos.
“Being A Good Relative” – A Special Service Honoring Indigenous People’s Day
Hosted by Rev. Robin Zucker, with Cora Maxx-Phillips, Annette McGivney, and Hilary Giovale.
Cora is a Navajo Nation Human Rights Commissioner and a member of the Indigenous Circle of Flagstaff. Annette is the author of “Pure Land” and the founder of the Healing Lands Project. https://healinglandsproject.com Hilary is a ninth generation settler who is committed to reparations: http://www.goodrelative.com All three speakers are deeply invested in truth and reconciliation, engendering respect and support for indigenous communities, and fighting for Native sovereignty.
I, The Creator!
Looking around our Beacon Sanctuary, you’re likely to think: “Wow, these artists are so creative.” And, yes, they surely are. However, creativity lives within each of us and extends beyond the visual, literary, or performing arts. In this service, Rev. Robin will explore where creativity originates, how it is sparked and unleashed, and how it can support us in our lives.
One of our newest members, Cheryl Austin, will also offer a personal reflection on the topic. Music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw.
Cornerstones Sticky With Grape Jelly: The Power Of Covenant
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Linda Ochi and music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw.
In a classic “Peanuts” cartoon, Charlie Brown is marveling at his hands and all they can accomplish. Lucy peers over and quips, “They’ve got jelly on them.” Charlie and Lucy are both right! We start by recognizing that our hands are covered with jelly, and they always will be. But they are what we have and they are amazing instruments for building and sustaining community. In this sermon introducing an “All In” initiative, we’ll explore how our hands, sticky with the grape jelly of covenant can establish the cornerstones of a meaningful and engaged life for ourselves, our families, and for Beacon.
Cornerstones Sticky With Grape Jelly: The Power Of Covenant (PDF)
It’s Hard To Keep A Clean Shirt Clean
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with the Beacon UU choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos, and pianist Austin Shaw.
During the Days of Awe, the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jews are expected to focus on confession, forgiveness and atonement. This process requires the cultivation of character. In honor of these high Holy Days, universally valuable to us all, we’ll explore what it mean to develop and embody character, and whether this essential virtue is waning in an increasingly coarse and corrupted culture.
It’s Hard to Keep A Clean Shirt Clean (PDF)
Returning To The Well
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Nancy Paxton. Music from our new Choir Director Jason Drahos and Accompanist Andrew Attilio.
The Church of Not Being Horrible
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle and recorded musical selections.
In the words of liberal Christian minister, John Pavlovitz: “The Church of Not Being Horrible will gather every week to celebrate the inherent goodness of people. We’ll share stories of the ways we succeeded in being less than horrible to our families, coworkers, and strangers, and we’ll challenge ourselves to be even less horrible in the coming week. We’ll do this faithfully, repeatedly, and passionately, and hopefully we’ll begin to watch the world around us gradually become less angry, less bitter, less painful—less horrible.” This morning, in a follow-up to the August 8th service on Kindness, we’ll explore how Beacon UU can continue to be “the church of not being horrible” and open further to a broad and vibrant understanding of ministers, ministry, and congregational life.
The Church of Not Being Horrible (pdf)
Moved, No Forwarding Address: Where Do Old Friends Go?
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Char Tarashanti, who will share a personal reflection on the topic. Recorded music selections and videos.
Before social media, google searches, LinkedIn, and cell phones, we kept track of friends in paper address books, scratching out the old information and scribbling in the new. And when these friends moved, it could mean the end of that connection. There it would be, stamped in the envelope – “Moved, No Forwarding Address.” How do new and old friends, Facebook and face-to-face friends factor into our lives now? How and why has friendship eclipsed kinship for many people and how might we make lasting commitments to our friends as we connect again more fully after COVID?
Moved, No Forwarding Address (pdf)
A Curious Bunch! The Answer Is To Question
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. Recorded music selections and videos.
One of the most popular UU bumper stickers states “The answer is to question.” We are an inherently curious bunch. For decades, inquisitive researchers have been trying to figure out the science of our human “urge to know,” and to decipher the way in which questioning happens. They’ve discovered that what is unique about human beings is that at the heart of our DNA lies the necessity of freedom, the potential to become something not yet defined. This morning, we’ll explore the rewards and challenges in how we UUs embrace free inquiry over catechism. Rev. Robin will also answer some of your “burning questions” from the pulpit (materials will be provided, think of a burning question in advance, as possible).
A Curious Bunch! The Answer Is To Question (pdf)
Wishing Boats
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching with Worship Associate Andy Hogg.
As we move out of the heaviness of the last 16 months, do we still know how to engage in “wish-craft?” What is the difference between wishes and hopes and how might we recharge the rainbow connection of wishes, whimsey and summer’s simple firefly and shooting star magic?
Pride Sunday: The Rainbow Fish Keeps Their Scales
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, with Alexei Besser-Gilbert and inspiring music from the Virtual UU Arizona Choir and other recorded selections.
In the classic story of The Rainbow Fish, the shimmering swimmer makes friends by sacrificing their coveted scales to be accepted by their underwater peers. Some stories just need a rewrite, and Topher Payne gives us the ideal version for PRIDE, in which the Rainbow Fish keeps what makes them special and unique, rather than bending to the pressure to become ordinary and diminishing themself for the comfort of others. As the Fabulous Catfish tells us: “There is room enough in the sea for each of us to be amazing in our own way.”
The Rainbow Fish Keeps Their Scales (pdf)
Broken Hallelujah: The Theology of Leonard Cohen
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, in collaboration with Susannah Martin, Music Director at the Sedona UU Fellowship and members of that congregation.
He has been called a philosopher, a dark poet and a troubadour of truth for generations. Leonard Cohen, who died in 2016 at age 82, expressed a progressive theology with both Jewish and Christian dimensions in his sharply perceptive and heartfelt songs and poems about religion, politics, isolation, relationships, and community. In this service of music, spoken word pieces, silence, and reflection, we’ll explore the brokenness and the hope in Cohen’s enduring Hallelujahs.
Learning To Be Rescuers
Sandra Lubarsky, Guest Speaker. Hosted by Rev. Robin, Music from Stephanie Galloway and recorded selections.
Stories of moral agency exercised in turbulent times can help us become the kinds of people we want to be and do the good work we want to do in a world that is fast approaching ecological chaos. As surely as we need to know about the material aspects of the state of the world, we need to cultivate what the writer Terry Tempest Williams calls “an active heart.” Though victims, perpetrators, and bystanders are the standard roles assumed by people caught up in terrible world events, they do not exhaust the possibilities. Some people take on the role of rescuer. We can learn to be them.
Celebrating Life, Informed by Death
Mark James, preaching. Hosted by Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, with music from Stephanie Galloway and recorded selections.
As fellow travelers on this life journey, we are each charged with the challenge of preparing for our certain death. In gently holding that awareness, we may find a clearer appreciation for, and expression of, our living. This presentation explores how we might meet this event with intention and creativity.
Inside The Red Tent: Wisdom Between Mothers and Daughters
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching with Worship Associate Char Tarashanti. Music from Stephanie Galloway and recorded selections.
Since the dawn of humankind, mothers and daughters have shared wisdom, tensions, and a special bond of blood and tradition. In this sermon for Mother’s Day, Rev. Robin and Worship Associate Char Tarashanti will explore, with humor and reverence, the deeply spiritual and complex relationship that exists between mothers (of all shapes and shadings, of womb and of heart) and their daughters.
Inequality For All: The Immorality of The Wealth Gap In America
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching with Worship Associate Nancy Paxton. Music from Roomie Wood, Stephanie Galloway, and recorded selections.
Why should we care about other people’s lack if we have plenty? In a society where the 1% and the 99% have become increasingly polarized and a callousness has set into our culture, we are urgently called (now more than ever) to co-create “fusion coalitions” to combat inequality of all types. The Rev. William Barber and his Poor People’s Campaign provides us with an effective model of “intersectionality” across race, gender identity, class, and faith divisions. As religious progressives, how might we join this moral revolution and intersect with others who are passionate about economic justice?
Inequality For All: The Immorality of The Wealth Gap In America (pdf)
Inhabiting A Peaceful Kingdom: Our Relationship With Our Dinner Plate
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching with Worship Associate Mark James (offering a personal reflection). Music from Roomie Wood and Stephanie Galloway.
Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer has famously remarked that, “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” When it comes to our relationship with animals, how do we balance our seventh principle about interconnectedness with social norms that typically uphold the Biblical notion that humans hold dominion over all other creatures? Can we join the Farm Sanctuary movement and still eat chicken? Should we support the work of the UU First Principle project to change the wording of that principle to “affirming the inherent worth and dignity of all beings” (not just persons)? We’ll explore ways to expand our understanding of being in compassionate relationship with animals, especially those on our dinner plate. As a non-vegan herself, Rev. Robin will reflect on the challenges of this endeavor.
Inhabiting A Peaceful Kingdom: Our Relationship With Our Dinner Plate (pdf)
The Answer is “Everything!”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg, and music from Roomie Wood, Stephanie Galloway, Kim Angelo and Gabe Hernandez.
How do we move from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking when our lives feel stuck, we are ill or under duress, when we’ve been living a pandemic reality for 13 months, or the future looks bleak? In this sermon during the blossoming of Spring, we’ll explore with us the spiritual, physical and emotional benefits of answering “Everything” to the question: “What can I look forward to?”
The Answer is “Everything!” (pdf)
“Barefoot Believers: On Foot With Moses and Jesus”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Kim Angelo.
Did you know that Orthodox Jews like Moses are instructed to never go without shoes because it might lead them astray? Jesus, on the other hand, walked his lonesome valley mostly barefoot and no one seemed all that bothered. As religious freethinkers, we UUs are not keen on the idea of limiting our options. Essentially, we like the freedom within form that defines our way of being religious; for instance, whether to wear shoes or not (literally and metaphorically). Even so, we need to get beyond being tenderfoots religiously through a process of “converting to our own paths” as UUs. With Passover and Easter co-mingled, we’ll look at the steps involved in this unorthodox “conversion,” and along the way, consider the power of truly feeling “holy ground” beneath our feet as “barefoot believers.” Music from Roomie Wood, Stephanie Galloway and virtual choirs.
Barefoot Believers: On Foot With Moses and Jesus (pdf)
“Reading Camus in the Time of COVID”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Dreissen-Knittle. Music from Roomie Wood, Stephanie Galloway, Gabriel Hernandez, and recorded selections.
In his classic, The Plague, written in 1947, Albert Camus laments: “How hard it must be to live only with what one knows and what one remembers, cut off from what one hopes for.” As we mark one year since we entered the COVID experience, we’ll explore what our pandemic tales teach us, what we’ve learned from being unexpectedly “alone, together,” and what we might now hope for and how our priorities may shift, as we enter a new phase of healing and re-entry. Our service will include a sermon, poems and songs of love grief and comfort.
Reading Camus in the time of Covid (pdf)
“Love Me Like A Rock: A Sermon Towards Devotion”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Kim Angelo. Music By Roomie Wood and Stephanie Galloway
Wirth Valentine’s Day upon us (heart-shaped candy boxes and all) we’ll explore what it might mean to be “devoted” to those we currently love and to those we might love in the future, especially in our “maybe-I-do” world. Is “unconditional” love really possible between humans? And when it comes to those we have loved in the past, how might we strive (when possible) to remember the mile, savor it well, and allow this old love to inform us in most intimate connections.
Love Me Like A Rock (pdf)
“Planting Seeds in the Hard Ground: A Sermon Towards Hope”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg. Music By Roomie Wood and Stephanie Galloway
“Nevertheless, She Persisted (Esther and Kamala speak)”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Nancy Paxton. Music By Roomie Wood and Stephanie Galloway
“Whooshing Up: Can America Be Moral?”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching With Worship Associate Mark James. Music By Roomie Wood and Stephanie Galloway
“Shove Over!: A Sermon Towards Imperfection”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching With Worship Associate Linda Ochi. Music By Roomie Wood and Rebecca Prizznick.
“Choose Something Like A Star:A Sermon Towards Integrity”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching. Music By Roomie Wood and Rebecca Prizznick.
“Blessings Come”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching. Music By Roomie Wood and Rebecca Prizznick.
“The 23rd PsaIm: I Shall Not Want”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. Music By Roomie Wood and Rebecca Prizznick.
“Can We Make Merry in a Suffering Season? How Laughter Helps Us Endure”
December 6th, 2020: Some enlightened doctors and therapists have a prescription for helping us get through this demoralizing pandemic and a less than “ho-ho-ho” holiday season: Try a little laughter (a trait unique to humans). Surely, some things are just not funny. Yet, we can still find outlets to unleash the physical and psychological benefits of a good chuckle. Is it ok to crack a joke these days? Bring your sense of humor and find out.
Can We Make Merry in a Suffering Season? How Laughter Helps Us Endure (pdf)
“Spirit of Life, Come Unto Us”
November 8th, 2020: It is safe to say that Hymn #123, Spirit of Life, is as close to a UU “theme song” as we have in our tradition. The hymn resonates. UUs seem to “get” this song and the inner conversation it invites with whatever we each identify as the Spirit that moves us, sings within us, roots us, sets us free. In this post-election reflection, we’ll discover the inspiration behind Carolyn McDade’s “simple prayer of a hymn,” and how this broader knowledge infuses Spirit of Life with even greater power and depth as we strive to revive the dispirited soul of our Nation.
Spirit of Life, Come Unto Us (pdf)
“Go Set a Watchman: On Radical Honesty”
November 1st, 2020: The publication of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird prequel, Go Set A Watchman, unleashed a torrent of befuddlement about the recasting of Atticus Finch from paragon of white virtue to an emblem of deep south racism. Mary Louise goes home as an adult and sees a different shade of Atticus than she had seen through the adoring young eyes of Scout. In this sermon the Sunday before Election Day, we’ll explore “radical honesty” and the disturbing, empowering, and liberating ways our lives, our world, and the people in it, become more real when we are willing to “declare what we see” through unblinking adult eyes. In this age of truthiness and alternative facts, how do we reconcile the beautiful with the ugly, the vile with the just, the fondness we have for friends and family when it is sullied by expressions of prejudice? And what will we do with the truths we see?
Go Set a Watchman: On Radical Honesty (pdf)
“Passages from India”
October 18, 2020: “Memories, Morals, and Divali Lamps “The famed poet, Rabindranath Tagore reminds us that “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” Why do we travel and how do we grow from these journeys? In the sermon of reflections of her time in community in Jabalpur India in October 2018, Rev. Robin will share a journey of heart, spirit, and service. Oil lamps, surprises, joys, sorrows, and blessings await.
“We’ve Know Rivers: On the Constancy of Change”
October 11, 2020: A sage once remarked that “you can never step into the same river twice,” meaning that life, like a river, is ever-changing and forever flowing downstream from its Source. There have been changes that have carried us around river bends to uncharted tributaries, some currents have mostly floated us safely along, while others have swamped the very craft we had trusted to be buoyant and sturdy. The truth is some of us are better at challenge and change than others, more comfortable with the unpredictable ways of the river. There are those amongst us who might even embrace change and look forward to it with relish! In this service, we’ll launch our boat down the rushing river, lean into some rocks, and find strategies to let go into the flow.
“A Tale of Two Tattoos: A Sermon Towards Forgiveness For the Days of Awe”
September 20, 2020:The Days of Awe, those ten days between Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year on Sept. 19) and Yom Kippur (the day of atonement), offer each of us (Jewish or not) an opportunity for “teshuva,” or turning. But, turning does not come so easily. It takes an act of will for us to make a turn. It means breaking old habits. It means admitting that we have been wrong, and this can be challenging. It may mean losing face. It means starting all over again. And this can be painful. It means saying I am sorry and I forgive you. In a sermon wrapped around a poignant tale of redemption, we’ll explore the terrain of confession and forgiveness as The Book of Life opens again.
“A Day in the Spiritual Life”
September 13, 2020: Brushing your teeth, sweeping the kitchen floor, a bedtime story, swimming, bringing in the mail, driving the car, meeting on Zoom (!) – when done mindfully, each of our “run-of-the-mill” daily activities can be small spiritual practices. In this Reader’s Theater presentation , we’ll share short readings by well-known authors, haiku, meditation and music to take us through A Day In the Spiritual Life.
“Happyish: The Upside of Negative Emotions”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching with Pia Driessen-Knittle as Worship Associate
August 16, 2020: At a time when we are under extraordinary duress, “putting on a happy face” seems almost suspicious, and yet, social media keeps churning out perky family BBQ snapshots and “think positive” pep talks. Subscribing to the “positive psychology” gospel these days requires us to reject our so-called “negative emotions” when they might naturally arise. In fact, we force faux happiness so much in our culture that it breeds unhappiness and curated contentment. In this sermon, we’ll explore the upside of the shadow side and how these darker emotions can help us navigate over life’s sometimes bumpy terrain.
“I’m Nobody: Who Are You?”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
August 9, 2020: Famed Unitarian minister Ralph Waldo Emerson once remarked “A great man is always willing to be little.” In this sermon, we’ll explore the topic of “humility.” Rev. Robin will ask: What does it mean, or might it mean to be a “somebody” and a “nobody” in the age of YouTube channels, fake news, reality TV, and salacious political scandals? How do we balance healthy self-esteem with mature humbleness? We’ll also consider: Did Jesus or the prophets promote their own “specialness” (or is that reliigous PR?) Do the “meek inherit the earth” in 2020, or does Kanye?
I’m Nobody: Who Are You? (pdf)
“Listening To Your Heart”
Andy Hogg
July 19, 2020: In these challenging times, it is especially important to listen to your heart. Dr. Andy Hogg will provide some practical information on how to listen to, and value, emotions. Our emotions tell us the meaning of the events of our lives. Our emotions can give us personal and spiritual guidance. Listening to your heart tells you what is true for you. The service also includes a telling of the classic story of The Little Prince and the fox.
Listening To Your Heart (pdf)
“Your Loyalties Are Your Life”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
July 12, 2020: “We have to recognize that there can not be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence.” – Cornel West. As the pandemic rages and a wedge is plunged deeper into our cultural, religious and political divides, to whom or to what are you loyal? Family? Friends? A cause? Beacon UU? Does conscience trump loyalty? Does blood trump conscience? Or, in the end, should we strive to be loyal to loyalty itself, “a willing, practical and thoroughgoing devotion?”
Your Loyalties Are Your Life (pdf)
“An Atheist for President?”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
July 5, 2020: When Thomas Jefferson debated his landmark Statute of Religious Freedom in 1786, could he have foreseen the troubling state of rampant official “Godliness” in our current political system? On this 4th of July weekend, 5 months shy of the next Presidential election, we’ll explore how the President’s religious behavior has taken on new and surreal meaning in a White House rife with endorsed evangelical zeal. Rev. Robin will reflect on the progress of secular politics in a society where the “Godless” are often still demonized as candidates without a prayer. And yet, in an age when more and more people are unaffiliated or claim to be “spiritual but not religious,” we’ll ponder whether an atheist (or humanist) President may not be a pipe dream.
An Atheist for President? (pdf)
“The Art of Meaning”
Rev. Kimberley Debus and Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
June 21, 2020: Art has power to move us and change our lives. But what is it about the arts? We’ll examine the ways viewing, performing, and making art helps us make sense of our lives, re-center our spirits, and energize our call to side with love.
“Learning to Fly, Learning to Fall: On Fear and Courage”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
June 14, 2020: How does a world locked down and at risk, cope with fear, embrace uncertainty, and grow wings of hope and courage? As one psychologist noted: “A nation that is terrified of uncertainty is in big trouble. We can’t be terrified.” Some say we should “keep busy,” but I tend to agree with Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, who counsels us to become intimate with our fears, rather than endeavor to pound them into some sort of submission. “This intimacy and this courage,” Pema tells us, “serve us well when things fall apart and we let ourselves be nailed to the present moment.” In this sermon, we’ll explore the notion that fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth and that falling into our fear is where we find the flexible and sturdy wings that enable us to fly.
Learning to Fly, Learning to Fall: On Fear and Courage (pdf)
“We Will Make Them Feel Us: On Allyship to People of Color”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
June 7, 2020: The COVID-19 virus, the killing of George Floyd, dog whistle politics, deadly racism and tribalism, a nation in despair. What does it mean to be an “ally” to people of color in an America enflamed by fear, fury and division? We will listen humbly to their voices and reckon with the honest replies we hear within our own hearts and minds.
We Will Make Them Feel Us: On Allyship to People of Color (pdf)
“Solitude and Grief in the Time of COVID”
Worship Associate Mark James
May 31, 2020: The challenges inherent in living through this time of Covid-19 demand sufficient time for solitude; time without human obligation. Wendell Berry declares this is best found in wild places. But refuge can also be found in quieting of the mind, in meditation. In these quiet spaces inner voices become audible. There, both joy and grief may reveal themselves and inform our compassion. Let’s visit them, both together and in solitude.
“The Rumi Prescription and the Sacred Heart of Islam”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
May 17, 2020: In recognition of Ramadan, the holy period of ritual fasting for Muslims between April 23 and May 23, we will clarify the essence of Islam, dispel damning myths, and explore the mystical core of this often misunderstood religion. The service includes poetic interludes by beloved Sufi poets, Rumi and Hafiz, whose words remain wise, ageless, and healing resources for this manic, modern, and currently besieged world.
The Rumi Prescription and the Sacred Heart of Islam (pdf)
Watch the YouTube recording
“Stubborn Flowers with the Wisdom to Survive”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
May 10, 2020: We have been conditioned, dare I say, brainwashed, to appreciate and cultivate only the well-bred members of the botanical family — the fine roses, the graceful lilies, the amusing black-eyed Susans, the elegant peonies. Weeds such as the kudzu, the clover, the ubiquitous dandelion…well, as Hugh Johnson sneers in his book, The Principles of Gardening, they are “plants in the wrong place.” In a homily for Flower Communion Sunday, we’ll consider the metaphor here for our spiritual lives. Are weeds the sages in our lives (pun intended), these stubborn, sturdy flowers with the wisdom to survive (especially now)? How might we accept (and even be grateful for!) the quirky beauty of the scraggly work-a-day weeds which dot our personal landscapes and seem indestructible at times?
Stubborn Flowers with the Wisdom to Survive (pdf)
“Truly, Madly, Deeply: Why Do We Work?“
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
May 3, 2020: Whether it’s for a paycheck, to pursue a passion, or to fulfill one’s highest purpose, work consumes enormous swathes of our time, energy, and focus. It can make us feel alive, put food in our bellies, and it can wear us down to a nub. In this May Day sermon honoring our labors, from gritty, sweat-inducing toil to white-collared high-tech, we’ll explore the question: “Why Do We Work?,” especially in a societal context that applauds us for skipping out on hundreds of thousands of paid vacation days per year. How has our perception of work been altered and impacted by the coronavirus lockdown and loss of employment or workplace interaction? Come and ask yourself: “Why (and How) Do I (or Did I) Work?”
Truly, Madly, Deeply: Why Do We Work? (pdf)
“We Are The Blue Boat Home”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
April 26, 2020: All across the planet, human beings are experiencing what some have called “The Great Pause.” As we shelter indoors, we read reports that skies are clear in Los Angeles, fish are visible in the canals of Venice, and wildlife are roaming freely in high-traffic National Parks (and in urban areas, too!). Even so, the climate crisis across the globe is not “healed” and the need for environmental stewardship remains as crucial as ever. In this service to celebrate Earth Day, we’ll explore how we can resist a return to “the ways things were” and build on the unexpected silver lining we’re witnessing now.
We Sre The Blue Boat Home (pdf)
“Flunking Sainthood”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
April 19, 2020: In her wry memoir, Jana Reiss shares a year-long quest to become more saintly by tackling 12 spiritual practices, including fasting, centering prayer, Sabbath-keeping, gratitude, and generosity. Though she begins with the question, “How hard could this be?” Reiss finds to her growing humiliation that she is “flunking sainthood.” In this sermon exploring the myth of enlightenment and the rigors of real spiritual growth, we’ll examine how we might quest for, and even be satisfied with a bumpy process-oriented path. Do you believe you need to “improve” yourself or be “productive” during this quarantine time? “Rock this pandemic?” Toss your halo, keep your wings, and come discover the benefits of “failing better.”
Flunking Sainthood (pdf)
“Faithful Over A Few Things”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
April 12, 2020: Blind faith? Leap of faith? Free faith? How does the word, “faith” strike you? For some, it is a poke in the eye, an uncomfortable vestige of a rigid religious past. For others, it remains a positive, re-imagined resource for moving through the joys and sorrows of life. What does it mean to be “faithful?” — not to everything or to what we are told to be faithful to; but rather, “faithful to a few things” that truly matter to us. We are a creedless religion, but there are still things we would “give our hearts to” (the true meaning of the word “credo”). Is “faith” a word you might reclaim on your own pilgrim path? On Easter Sunday, we will explore this fertile terrain together.
Faithful Over A Few Things (pdf)
“All Roads Lead to Where We Stand”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
April 5, 2020: It’s been famously said that “All who wander are not lost.” On this morning, as Palm Sunday and Passover converge, we meet at the crossroads to explore how the wanderings of Jesus and Moses reflect our essential human journey from the source of who we are and back again. In what ways can our wanderings feel like a walk in a labyrinth rather than a frustrating journey through a maze? How might we retain the wellspring of our identities when we are in the wilderness, awaiting manna or gazing down from mountaintops? And how does this relate to our current “social distancing” limitations on “wandering” in the world?
All Roads Lead To Where We Stand (pdf)
“You Will Be Found: The Need to Belong and the Power of Tribes”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
March 29, 2020: What does it mean to “belong” to a tribe, a community, a family, a congregation? One of the most rewarding aspects of belonging is the sense of having found a home and in turn, of being found, supported, and accepted as we are. In this sermon, we’ll explore the illusion of “utopia” and the various ways we become visible and known to one another when we allow ourselves to be found, even during this time of being “together-apart.” Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with music from Gabe Hernandez and Rebecca Prizznick.
You Will Be Found: The Need to Belong and the Power of Tribes (pdf)
“Waiting For The Ice Cream Truck –
On Living Deliberately in a Random World”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
March 22, 2020: Do things really happen “for a reason?” In a message, tailor-made in the wake of the fabled Ides of March and a global pandemic, we’ll explore the challenge of living deliberately in an often-random world. When our lives tilt in directions we had not expected and fault lines open under our feet, how might we strive to loosen our grip on the “shoulds” and embrace the “real” with as much humor, courage, and grace as we can muster? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with music from Gabe Hernandez and Rebecca Prizznick.
Waiting For The Ice Cream Truck-On Living Deliberately in a Random World (pdf)
“Evangelism in a Liberal Key”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
March 8, 2020: Is it any wonder that the word “Evangelism,” which means literally “preaching of the gospel,” has an uncomfortable ring to many religious liberals? For many reasons, some valid and some stereotypical, we tend to associate evangelism with religious bullying and intolerance, with corruption and hucksterism, with rigid creeds and finger-pointing. In some cases, this is accurate. Yet, at its best, evangelism is about proclaiming “good news,” sharing a vision, helping others to heal and grow, and giving public voice to a dream. And in this very best sense, we, too can become evangelists under a billowing, open-air, distinctly liberal UU tent. Come join the revival!
Evangelism in a Liberal Key (pdf)
“Living Churches”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
March 1, 2020: In this sermon to kick off a “20/20 Visions” Stewardship campaign, we’ll explore one of the strangest passages in Hebrew Scripture. The prophet Ezekiel comes upon a valley of dry bones and Yahweh (God) asks him a profound question: “Can these bones live?” The story is full of metaphors for us to ponder as we explore the lifeblood, the sinew, muscle and breath that animates our congregation. How might we answer our callings and arise from whatever “dry valleys” we encounter as good stewards of a “living church?”
Living Churches (pdf)
“The Path #3: Walking the Path, Ritual
and ‘The Half That Makes Us Whole'”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
February 16, 2020: How are we made whole? The “1/2” in this sermon stands as a symbol of our incomplete natures, and the need for our human bodies to be made whole in relation to something beyond the physical. This may be something deep and meaningful, or something rational or something mystical involving a ritual or practice. This morning, on the edge of the contemplative period of Lent, we’ll explore and take inspiration from the five objects (stones, incense, drums, religious symbols, and bread) that have helped pilgrims and seekers find their “other ½” for millennia. Drumming will punctuate the service.
The Path #3 Walking the Path, Ritual, and ‘The Half That Makes Us Whole’ (pdf)
“The Path #2: Keeping to the Path, or How to Steer Clear of Spiritual Bypassing-A Sermon with Zen Tales”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
February 9, 2020: In the early 1980s, psychologist John Welwood coined the term “spiritual bypassing” to refer to the use of practices and beliefs to avoid confronting uncomfortable feelings, unresolved wounds, and fundamental emotional and psychological needs. In the years that have followed, many well-meaning seekers have fallen under the thrall of bogus “gurus” who have reinforced these ideas and have supported the “bypassing” of the challenging experiences that venerable Zen masters have stressed that we humans need most to develop wisdom and self awareness. We’ll explore how we might keep to an authentic path in this sermon with Zen tales interspersed throughout.
“The Path #1: Clearing a Path to Heartfulness”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
February 2, 2020: In a world overrun with words, thoughts, noise and conflict, how might we clear a path to a more heart-centered life? The poet Rilke advises us: “The work of the eyes is done. Now go and do heart-work.” We’ll explore new paradigms for setting deeply-felt intentions towards “heartfulness.” The service includes a guided meditation for opening the heart chakra and meditative song from The Flagstaff Threshold Choir.
The Path #1: Clearing a Path to Heartfulness (pdf)
“Failure to Quit: Rallying Our Consciences”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
January 19, 2020: Years ago, at an anti-war protest rally, educator/activist Howard Zinn was arrested and charged with “failure to quit.” He wore that charge like a badge of honor and remarked in the book he wrote of the same name that “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.” This morning, in the spirit of Zinn and Martin Luther King, we will explore these questions in the current societal context: “How do we act, how will we act, even if we are weary and fearful, as we enter this crucial election cycle? How can we “UU the Vote” locally and nationally, by activating for progressive candidates who reflect our values?”
Failure to Quit: Rallying Our Consciences (pdf)
“Letterboxing: Getting Lost and Found in the New Year”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
January 5, 2020: Letterboxing is a quirky hobby combining orienteering, puzzle solving, journaling, and treasure hunting, dating back to the 1850’s in Dartmoor, England. As we begin 2020 with our well-intentioned resolutions in tow, we’ll explore Letterboxing as a spiritual metaphor for getting lost (in healthy ways) — stepping off the well-worn paths of getting from here to there in our lives, and getting “found” in unpredictable territory. For those feeling lost in a murky moor, this sermon will offer some compass points for blazing new, intentional trails into the clearing.
Letterboxing: Getting Lost and Found in the New Year (pdf)
“The Baby With The Bathwater: Celebrating the Humanitarian Jesus”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
December 15, 2019: In the advent of Christmas, we might grapple with whether we’re entitled to celebrate, admire, and even love the babe in the manger if we’ve chosen along the way to pour off the filmy bathwater of Christian doctrine in which that babe has soaked for two millennia. This morning we ask: Should we, and how can we, claim or reclaim the human Jesus on our own terms as Unitarian Universalists?
The Baby With The Bathwater: Celebrating the Humanitarian Jesus (pdf)
“All Around Us is Shekhinah”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
December 08, 2019: Like many other holiday classics, there aren’t a lot of female standouts in the Hanukkah story. As far as we know, there were no Lady Maccabee warriors (although, they could have been in disguise). Nevertheless, as they descended from the hills to wage battle and reclaim the Temple, the guys at the center of the Hanukkah saga were surrounded by the divine feminine in Judaism known as “Shekhinah.” This morning, we’ll meet a number of the feisty female role models in Judaism (some of whom are affectionately known as “the bad girls of the Bible”). We’ll also explore the naturalistic and mystical origins of Shekhinah, and how it/she can inspire and support us spiritually, regardless of gender or religion
All Around Us is Shekhinah (pdf)
“Praise It!”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
November 24, 2019: Have you ever noticed how often criticism or judgment gets in the way of our gratitude? In this sermon in anticipation of Thanksgiving, we’ll explore how we might soften the critical impulse and free ourselves from the tyranny of judgement and the suffering it creates. We’ll ask: As we go through our daily rounds, how can we increase opportunities to “praise it” rather than raze it? How could this expand our capacity for joy and deeper connections?
Praise It! (pdf)
“Taking it One World at A Time”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
November 03, 2019: When asked what he thought the afterlife would be like, the sage of Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau answered, “I’m taking it one world at a time.” As we explore how we relate to our inevitable finitude, we’ll consider how we might live deliberately in a somewhat random world without over-attachment to the past or a sense of anxiety or over-expectation about the future. Isn’t living deliberately in the one tangible world we have challenging enough for us humans?.
Taking It One World At A Time (pdf)
“Unitarian Universalism as Jazz: Freedom within Form”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
October 20, 2019: Jazz is a different drummer’s kind of music and Unitarian Universalism is a different drummer’s kind of religion. In fact, the parallels between the two are quite remarkable. Both have evolved from more strident and orthodox forms, and both have been shaped by numerous sources. More than anything, though, Jazz and UUism are each deeply personal, in that they ask the participant to seek and create with both freedom and integrity within a fixed but flexible framework. This morning, we’ll explore how UUism is a “jazz religion,” with special music and readings that syncopate with the theme.
Unitarian Universalism as Jazz: Freedom within Form (pdf)
“The Heartbeat of Trees”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
October 13, 2019: In his masterwork, Walden, Henry David Thoreau explained that he “went to the woods to live deliberately.” In this sermon to mark Indigenous People’s Day, we’ll explore what it might mean to live in a deliberate and conscious relationship with the sacred natural world. How do we and can we help Nature thrive and protect it through our activism and through our stewardship, as we walk in step with the heartbeat of trees?
The Heartbeat of Trees (pdf)
“Thank You for Being Such a Pain:
Spiritual Lessons We Learn from Difficult People”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
October 6, 2019: Whether we enjoy it or not, we learn valuable spiritual lessons from the difficult people in our lives – those whom we know and love, those we work with, attend church with, and those whom we encounter more randomly. This morning, we will explore the inherent presence of the “prickly” in our midst, how to discern whether we are, in fact, the “difficult” one for others, and how release, self regulation, and healthy congregational boundaries can be transformative for individuals and the communities they inhabit.
Thank You for Being Such a Pain: Spiritual Lessons We Learn from Difficult People (pdf)
“A Semi-Colon is No Place to Stay”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
September 29, 2019: The Days of Awe between the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur offer us all (Jewish or not) a yearly opportunity to reflect, consider our righteousness and our missteps, seek and offer forgiveness, and venture forth again in a positive, healing direction. Metaphorically, these days could be seen as a semi-colon; the juncture where one could choose to end a sentence, but decides instead to continue the story because there is more to say. We’ll explore, from a spiritual perspective, the ways in which a semi-colon is not a full stop, but rather a moment to pause, reckon, and reinvest in relationships, integrity, goodness, community, and life itself.
A Semi-Colon is No Place to Stay (pdf)
“Into-me-see”
Andy Hogg, Worship Associate
September 22, 2019: Intimacy should really be called into-me-see. It is something that we all want but it is difficult to hold in our hearts. Intimacy requires trust, tolerance, and relationship skills. We will explore intimacy as individuals, as couples, and as a congregation. We are an intimate congregation.
Into-me-see (pdf)
“Here Come the Love People”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
September 15, 2019: You’ve seen them everywhere – at peace rallies and Pride marches, on the Arizona border and at the Mall of America, in our pulpit and on members of the choir, on our children and our elders, at General Assembly – those vivid gold T-shirt radiating the phrase: “Standing on the Side of Love” (SOTSOL) or more recently, “Side With Love.” How do we interpret this call to “side with love?” And what might it mean to be one of the “love people” in your personal and communal life, in your relationships and in your activism, especially beyond your comfort zones?
Here Come The Love People (pdf)
“Autumn People”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
September 08, 2019: In the words of a colleague, “Autumn people slow down, enjoy a certain pace.” Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Most of us run around being bouncy Spring people year-round and 24/7, not looking very closely at much except our watches and our smartphones. Can you “remember the kind of September that’s slow and oh-so-mellow,” and if so, would you (could you) follow? Do you value rest? As we settle into Fall as a congregation, we’ll explore ways we might join the ranks of Autumn people in a sped-up, over-stuffed world.
Autumn People (pdf)
“The Voice of Deep Down Things: Considering ‘Prayer'”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
August 25, 2019: Some pundits quip that UUs either address their prayers “to whom it may concern,” or pray at most to one carefully curated God whom we consider on-call. I believe these self-effacing jokes and overly harsh critiques sell us UUs far short of who we are (historically and currently) and what we yearn for in our spiritual lives. This morning, we will explore the practice of “prayer” and how engaging in some form of this practice (whether it be spoken, silent meditation, Kirtan chanting, forest bathing, or sung Taize) requires us (like everything else about being a UU) to define our terms and explore the personal truth and meaning we might derive from it. Does prayer improve our health, as some researchers argue? How might “prayer” support us individually and communally? Come answer a hearty “Amen” to the possibilities.
The Voice of Deep Down Things: Considering ‘Prayer’ (pdf)
“Like Pearls on a Silken Cord”
Rev Robin Landerman Zucker
August 11, 2019: In the age of Facebook, Twitter, tribal politics, and gated communities, what does it mean these days to be neighborly and connected? What inspiring examples have popped up recently to remind us that we are all interconnected whether we realize it or not? Are we actively grateful for the connections we currently have? As she settles into our neighborhood, Rev. Robin will explore how we might grow in neighborliness, reach beyond our comfort zones to create community in a society where more and more folks are “home alone.”
Like Pearls on a Silken Cloud (pdf)
“Higher Education and the Environmental Crisis”
Marcus Ford, Guest Speaker
Mark James, Worship Associate
August 4, 2019: It is widely assumed that more education is part of the solution to the environmental crisis. But what if the “solution” is part of the problem? The modern university is a complex institution, and parts of it, tiny parts of it, are committed to addressing the great existential problem known as the environmental crisis. Unfortunately, most of the university is pulling in the opposite direction. The world is being destroyed by highly educated people.
“Trust, Vulnerability, and Freedom”
Nancy Paxton, Worship Associate
July 28, 2019: Nancy Paxton – How do you respond when someone betrays your trust? What are some positive ways to respond? Join us for a look back at “The Anatomy of Trust” workshops we held at Beacon last year and an update, including ideas from Brene Brown’s recent writing on vulnerability, courage, and freedom in our public and spiritual lives.
“Planting Gardens and New Beginnings”
Rebecca Riggs, Guest Speaker
July 21, 2019 In a world of cycle and seasons that bring inevitable changes, we will explore how we respond to these new beginnings and new challenges.
“The Spirituality of Being an Atheist”
Tom Begush, Guest Speaker
July 14, 2019: Unitarian-Universalists welcome all people interested in the search for truth. Join us for an exploration of religion and spirituality from one atheist’s point of view.
The Spirituality of Being an Atheist (pdf)
Watch the Video
“Interspirituality, Mysticism, and Everyday Life”
Char Tarashanti, Worship Associate
June 30, 2019: What is Interspirituality? How does it connect to Mysticism and what meaning do they bring to our UU understanding of religion and the world, and more specifically to our “ordinary” individual lives? So many questions! Some possible answers and a lot to think about as we live our lives day to day.
Poetry Service
Nancy Paxton and Jack Doggett, Worship Associates
June 2, 2019: A service on poems about goodbyes. May is often full of goodbyes: to friends, to teachers; to home; to lovers who left you, to lovers you left; to fathers or mothers, uncles or aunts, whose time has come; to places you’ve loved; to dreams you have given up; to ideas about yourself that have held you back. May is also the month we say goodbye to Rev. Kevin Lawson; we hope this service will give you a chance to reflect and say goodbye.