Alec has been a practicing UU for 23 years, raised in a UU church chosen by his father, raised Quaker, and his mother, raised Jewish (though both Humanist in practice). Alec studied natural science at Creighton University, a Jesuit institution, and is now completing his Ph.D. at UC Riverside while serving as chair of the Worship Committee here at UUCR.
Service video We generally think of our personal choices as be either aesthetic or moral choices: Do I wear blue or green today? Do I donate my dollar to the children’s hospital or the homeless shelter? We think of the appeals to what is “good” morally and what is “good” artistically as being independent: A … Continue reading “Aesthetics and Morals: Making Poetic Principles,” by Alec Peck
Service video According to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Beloved Community happens when everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger, and hate. To feel accepted is not only for our uniqueness to be respected by those around us; it is also feeling that it is good and right that you are who you are … Continue reading “Beloved Community,” by Alec Peck
Service video The author of today’s reading writes: “We all share the need to feel we exist, and that we are safe—we need to feel both present and secure. I am convinced that these very basic emotional needs lie at the heart of all kinds of behaviors.” The way we seek to fulfill these needs … Continue reading “Odd Arrangements and Funny Solutions,” by Rev. Dr. Helen Lutton Cohen
Service video The Water Communion is one of only a few UU traditions which has been celebrated for forty years. After the hot summer, we share some of the water, the source of life, we have saved from our journeys this year. We combine our waters here in the desert as a symbol of our … Continue reading “Water Communion,” by Alec Peck
Service video Most of us may agree that we seem to be more than the sum of our material, physical selves. The Rev. Dr. Wayne B. Arnason writes in today’s reading, Care of the Soul : “Our lives, our values, our sense of being at home in the world, have been created, not only by … Continue reading “Choice, Life and Soul,” by Alec Peck
Service Video Where did we all come from? What does it mean to be human, and what is the human place in the universe? How does our perception of The Divine impact the practical life of people in our society? What’s up with all the snakes? These deeply fundamental questions and more are often found … Continue reading “Neighboring Faiths: Nüwa, Goddess of Humanity,” by Alec Peck
Service Video The Flower Ceremony, sometimes referred to as Flower Communion or Flower Festival, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Capek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Maya Capek, Norbert’s widow. In this … Continue reading “Flower Communion,” by Alec Peck
Service Video The Passover Seder is one of the most important celebrations on the Jewish calendar. Even Jews that are not religious the rest of the year will attend a Seder. Seders also have a universal appeal because of the values being celebrated: freedom, striving against oppression, and the enhancing of liberty for all. These … Continue reading “Passover: A Hope for Freedom,” by Alec Peck
Service Video Unitarian Universalism is currently taking a profoundly important step in committing to work as an entire body, a Beloved Community, against white supremacy. In order to make this commitment as effective as possible, it is important to reflect on the internal struggle that we who are white may undergo as we come to … Continue reading “White Supremacy and Beloved Community,” by Amanda Udis-Kessler
Service Video UUs all believe in different Gods, and sometimes no Gods at all. UUs aren’t required to do certain rituals or practices, except the ones which speak to their spirit. UUs demand we take personal and communal responsibility for spiritual growth, not look to a church authority for our Salvation. So… what exactly do … Continue reading “Why Are We Here (At Church)?,” by Alec Peck
