Sacred-ish

Send us Fan MailThere is an oft-repeated statistic that more people today are spiritual but not religious. This group, also known as the "Nones" is actually a target audience for UU congregations. Pastor Joshua explores what spirituality means – to him at least.

Send us Fan MailOur current government blames the ills of society on immigrants, DEI, transgender people, people of color, liberals, "Woke" and whatever other bogeyman they can conjure up. Pastor Joshua considers who is truly to blame by thinking about the very idea of blame itself.

Send us Fan MailOn this Easter Sunday which falls during Passover, Pastor Joshua talks about Liberation theology though the story of Jesus’ righteous anger as a model for challenging oppressive systems.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talks about saving the moments in time that are meaningful to extend periods of hope that comes from witnessing awe.

Send us Fan MailThe number forty has oodles of significance in the bible. Both Jesus and Moses fasted for 40 days. The Jews traveled in the desert for 40 years from Egypt to the promised land. In fact, 40 is a significant number, even beyond its Biblical importance. As Lent, Ramadan, and the Lunar New Year coincide, Pastor Joshua discuss estheir collective connection to Forty-tude -- strength in numbers.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua shares the Japanese art of Kaizen - literally "change for the better."

Send us Fan MailHumans, especially in the "first world" take self-centeredness to an extreme by ignoring anything we do not experience directly. In order to successfully embody resilience, we must practice perspective, beginning with acknowledgement that the world does not revolve around us.

Send us Fan MailJanuary 14th was "Global Belly Laugh Day" when the health benefits of laughter are recognized. It was created by Laughter Yoga teacher Elaine Helle to highlight laughter's power to connect and its benefits for mental, physical, and social well-being. Let's have some fun together in what Pastor Joshua hopes will be an annual humor service.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua preaches on January 18th, 2026 about Identity.

Send us Fan MailThis was a talk I gave in 2022 at the Chautauqua Institution in their Hall of Philosophy as a guest of the UU Fellowship of Chautauqua. It was originally called "Freedom and Other 'Ineffable' F Words”, but the Fellowship preferred I change that title. The recording does not include the entire service. It begins with a reading of a poem I wrote entitled "A FEW MILES FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM: A Semi-autobiographical Poetic Regret and Reset" and the continues with the sermon at about marker 4:37.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talks about curating one's life.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talks about hope in his first sermon of 2026.

Send us Fan MailChristian Nationalism is in disharmony with Christianity. Pastor Joshua will talk about the egregious co-opting of Christianity by many in our country including and especially in our government who are ignoring and actually contradicting the lessons Jesus actually taught. 

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talks about the cycles of life and grace during the trying times.

Send us Fan MailNovember 9th is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a German state-coordinated series of violent attacks against Jews. The lessons of that history, including the normalization of hatred and the danger of inaction, resonate profoundly today. Pastor Joshua will look to his secular and religious Jewish roots seeking inspiration to fight fascism today.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talks about the moment we are in with it's authoritarian creep as well as the new programming the Unitarian Universalist Association has introduced to "Meet the Moment."

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talked about the Universalist Heritage of Unitarian Universalism and how it connects through social justice work into the 21st Century.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua talked about belonging at a church in Michigan a few years ago.

Send us Fan MailPastor Joshua preached this sermon at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica in 2024. He combines the UU principle of "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part" and the UU value of love at the center. 

Send us Fan MailThis was one of my first professional sermons preached at Unitarian Universalist Church of East Liberty in Michigan in 2019.

Send us Fan MailThis was an interview I did back in 2020 for an earlier podcast I had. It is with Abby Stein, the transgender activist, author, speaker, and scholar.