Sermon Category: Rev. Anya

"Restoring a Stolen Saint"— led by the Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, senior co-minister.
Martin Luther King Day hurries us from 2026 back to 1963 to revel in a period of history where great strides for civil and human rights were made for black Americans. Rev. King's words are as relevant as always. They defend against the white supremacist sentiment that has regained a place in our social dialog, and nationalistic ethos. But what King are we remembering, when we use his words to speak to our own era? This service reveres a radical leader with a specific project who remained to the last, unbowed by the powers and principalities of hate.

"Rebellion as a Spiritual Practice"— led by the Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, senior co-minister.
The greatest crimes are not committed by people breaking the rules but by those who indiscriminately follow unjust rules. Our service invites us to incite rebellion internally against the chains that bind our spirits, and externally, against the powers that use our freedom to serve their own ends. We will also share in a Fire Communion - a way to release and prepare for the new year. January 4 2026 UUCM Worship Service

Today's service, which honors the Hanukkah season, is modeled around the hope that a single candle, a single light in the darkness can offer. This is not a hope of empty optimism, but an opportunity to see the darkness fully and honestly, while nurturing the light.

"Gratitude and Reciprocity"— led by the Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, senior co-minister. What can we give in return for all that has been given? Gratitude is a practice that can serve us throughout our lives. How do we not only receive but return what has been given?

"Looking for Something Larger than Myself"— led by the Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, senior co-minister. Unitarian Universalists express a desire to bring about a Beloved Community - a community without bias or oppression. We even commit to the work of undoing racism and righting systemic injustice with greater energy and clarity than most other faith communities. Why then does harm still occur? This service explores what we want, where we falter, and how to engage one another directly, through the many layers of complexity that can often force us apart.

"Walking Towards Trouble"—led by the Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, senior co-minister. Nonviolent Direct Action is the antidote to despair. In this, the first service in our month of compassion we work to understand a commitment to nonviolence as a pledge to ourselves, our community and our wider world.