Siding with love, every day.
Cultivation and propagation: these two words describe my theology and how I express it through worship and ritual. I cultivate relationships; the Beloved Community is the action of making meaning through shared experience of the Sacred. I grow connections between people who can learn and support one another, just as I am a gardener who prepares a space wherein something new can be generated and tended.
My theology is heavily informed by earth-centered spirituality and religious naturalism, Buddhist and Taoist practice, and a humanist understanding of the importance of our interconnection. I embrace the teachings of many theological traditions, just as I embrace the science of humans and our world. Wonder, joy, beauty, as well as lamentation and grief, all form part of my understanding of the Holy experience.
Congregational Voices
“Your sermon, I loved it! Regarding the 2020 year it was a president's mess with emotional hardships while attempting to cope the lies. virus, and the election. Thankfully communities of family, friends, and UU ideals maintained a healthy attitude (not all the time) while knowing it just has to get better. It was your sermon that brought back lots of memories of reasons for optimism”
— Roger B., Congregant, The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, Illinois
“Omega's warmth, empathy and kindness always shine through even while worshiping virtually. It was wonderful to have such a capable leader during Matthew's sabbatical.”
— Neita W., Congregant, The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, Illinois
Embracing Beauty in the Worship Experience
We come together in worship to create the ritual of Sacred Interconnectedness. Music, art, poetry, movement: these are all ways we access and explore our spiritual selves.
I took this photo of the altar that was created for a sermon I gave in June, 2019 at the Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The worship team created this lovely space for our time together. I added the thistles, one of my favorite plants of early summer.
Rites of Passage that Celebrate and Honor
Photo by J.R.
Photo by Carlee Secor
Worship in Spanish
We must be radically inclusive; our Unitarian Universalist theology asks this of us.. Our Spanish-speaking Unitarian Universalist community is a vibrant and important part of our congregation. Languages—the ultimate symbol of cultural ways of knowing—are an important way for us to consider who is included and who is not, and help broaden our understanding of the beauty and complexity of our world.
Since First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego strives to be a bilingual worship environment, I create meditation videos and other media in Spanish. This “video-poema” was created for our service in the fall of 2022 that celebrated and honored our ancestors.
Click the title above to view the video.
Worship team for a Spanish-language worship service at MLTS