John Muir began his trek by walking from Indiana to Florida and then hopping a steamer to Cuba with the intention of continuing to South America, reaching the headwaters of the Amazon and rafting its full distance to the Pacific Ocean. However, short of funds and recovering from fever picked up in Florida, Muir changed his plans and decided to spend a year or two in California and visit the fabled Yosemite Valley.
Read MoreWaiting is never easy whether it’s for your turn at the gas pump, the checkout counter, the post office, or the lab work results. Reaching the “destination” or receiving knowledge of the results seems to give a sense of relief, a sense of “control” over the situation.
Read MorePlacing her index finger over her lips, Darcy whispered to her son Alex, “Shhh, listen.” As he did so, he heard the soft, unmistakable call of the turtle dove. Contrast that with someone saying, “Shut up and listen!” Or, “Sit still, and stop wiggling!”
Read MoreThe art and journey of spiritual discernment is a lot like the art and journey of photography....
Read MoreIt’s interesting to me the way one day can seemingly run into another so that on some days we aren’t even sure what day of the week it is.
The world today is moving so quickly, and those of us who are concerned about what is happening can get so caught up in issues, people, our causes, our beliefs (and the list goes on), that we get overwhelmed and have to back away. How long we move away depends on our internal strength, our supports, and our faith.
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But here is the really good news, Beloved Community. No matter where we journey, or what adventures and changes we resist and embrace, our Still-Speaking God promises that She/He will be comforting us, giving us light and shade, a “pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.” God also promises to never leave us. God’s place is with us, and our place is in the presence of the Holy, whether the sun is blazing, the breezes are pleasantly blowing, or it is so dark we can’t see our hands in front of our faces.
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On the hill above church and just inside the gate to Garin Park are remnants of a rusty old tractor, its iconic yellow paint long gone, sitting in dry weeds among a collection of crumbling antique farm implements. It’s highly likely that my dad assembled or machined parts for its diesel engine early in his 47 year career at Caterpillar’s San Leandro factory and where I spent several summers in the 1950’s earning college tuition.
Read More"Sometimes we have to fight, move gently, love with vulnerability, ask for help, be still, and care for ourselves unapologetically so we can hear God's voice and feel God's unwavering presence over the chaotic din around us. We have to resist blaming. We have to resist lashing out. We have to keep our hearts open, even when we want to lock them away for safekeeping. For many of us, now is one of those times."
Read MoreI am numb. I know that my heart is aching for the victims and the families of the victims in Orlando. My heart aches for the family of the perpetrator of this horrible happening and for the perpetrator. Yet, I am stuck wondering how I can make a difference, how I can act such that these kinds of things will stop happening, how I can help others deal with the things in life that anger them to a point where something like this could happen.
Read MoreStanding empty-handed before a hungry crowd at the end of a long day, the disciples ask Jesus to disperse the multitude. Jesus has other ideas.
Read MoreMy grandfather lived near the corner of Lake Chabot Road and Seven Hills Road in Castro Valley from the 1930’s into the 1950’s where he operated a chicken ranch. Raising chickens in the valley began early in the century by Portuguese and Italian families and became a thriving business with dozens of ranches covering the rural countryside.
Read MoreI have a long history of doing spiritual retreats. I have retreated at monasteries in New Mexico, and on the Big Sur coast. I have retreated in Sedona, Arizona, and in the Great Smoky Mountains, of Tennessee. But the retreat I just took in the much less glamorous locale of Lafayette, California was in many ways more special than any of them.
Read MoreYears ago I came across this definition: “The Kingdom of God is God’s love at work in us and around us.”
Read MoreNearly every Sunday we enjoy gorgeous flowers from Betty’s garden planted by Betty and Harley more than 50 years ago. It’s no surprise that the original careful planning, years of loving care, Hayward’s temperate climate and the rich alluvial soil of our western side of the California coastal range produces such a huge diverse variety of splendid year-round color.
Read More"The great spiritual teachers of the world invite us to watch our own anger and reactions to people who are difficult for us- to watch the emotions that rise and fall in us- and to be present with them. Do this with the political candidates. Where are your values in conflict with what the candidate values? Ask God to help you be a more self aware, compassionate advocate and justice seeker. This is the work of our spiritual journey."
Read MoreSpecial effects and violence seem to be the criteria for some popular TV programs, movies, and events! Perhaps underneath it all is a cry for help – a cry to rediscover something we were born with, something discouraged by down-playing curiosity while emphasizing competition. What is this un-named something so deep within us that we hunger to find it again?
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If you listen very carefully about mid-way through worship on Sunday mornings you can hear the faint blast of the diesel horn from the Capital Corridor train as rail travelers make their way between San Jose to Sacramento just as they have for 150 years. -Bill
Read MoreI invite you—in the tradition of Jesus—punctuated by a reminder from our three year old Zen Master—to breathe in coming days. Breathe through whatever curves your life throws at you. Breathe through the fear. Breathe through the disbelief. Breathe through the separation and anger. Breathe through the joy and relief. And remember in all the breathing to put down whatever it is that is keeping you from being present (Examples: anything with a screen—including cameras, work, anger, worry, resistance, self-centeredness). Relationship and presence are gateways to holiness—to the Holy Spirit—relationship with God, with each other, and with ourselves. We all—even your Pastor—need to remember that.
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There’s a magical place on the Mendocino Coast where the beach sparkles with millions of multicolor glistening translucent crystals. A small sheltered cove tucked between eroding cliffs selfishly revels the treasure at low tides and following battering winter storms.
Read MoreThe United Church of Hayward is an open and affirming church that serves the Bay Area community.
We are glad you’ve found us!
When the Israelite people were in the wilderness, Moses invited everyone whose "hearts were stirred and spirits were willing" to offer their gifts, time, and talents so the people could gather, worship God and serve the community. They discovered they had everything they needed and then some! Is your heart being stirred to support our UCH ministries in the Hayward area? Click here to make a difference!
