Unity Church Sermon Podcasts
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This podcast begins with Merrill Aldrich reading Luke 24:13-32. What really happened on that Easter morning? A resurrection? An awakening? No one can say for certain, but we can say this — Jesus of Nazareth’s life after his death changed the world. On this Easter Sunday, it also has the power to change us. Come find out how.
In his essay of the same title, the Hungarian cultural critic László Földényi stages an encounter between Dostoyevsky and Hegel, between our creaturely sense of transcendence as finite-limited-mortal beings and radical Enligthenment's belief in unbounded progress and mastery. In a world mediated through switches, buttons, credit cards, screens, redlined neighborhoods and land as commodity for ownership, what do we mean by the sacred? In this moment of climate change and degradation of life, when the wounded world seems "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," how do we remain attentive to the sacred song of life itself, to claim a deeper sense of belonging to the earth, shared history, and to each other? Worship associate Nancy Dilts and Rev. KP Hong amplify the work of honest storytelling, asking us to more creatively name this sacred life and work against its degradation.
Who among us really expected life to be a bed of roses? Barbara Hubbard will speak about how the Unity Church community has inspired, shaped and transformed her life’s journey.
Many Unitarian Universalists find a spiritual connection with Nature (yes, the N is writ large intentionally!). Having just experienced the warmest winter on record and rising concerns about our planet’s climate, what is our spiritual and theological response? Where can we find the individual and collective strength to clearly face the truth of the climate emergency, mourn the damage being done to our blue planet and inspire ourselves and others to action? Spiritual Ecology and Eco-Spirituality look beyond our sense of justice and connect more deeply with how we engage with nature on a person and spiritual level. Let us explore the sacred thread that weaves the essence of humanity into the tapestry of all creation, and then re-engage with the world from this awareness.
Join Rev Jessica Clay as she returns to Unity and reflects on her years of parish ministry since she was the Hallman Ministerial Intern in 2016-2017. She will explore the place creativity has in faith, community, and life.
Sometimes in life we are faced with seemingly impossible choices. This sermon will pick up on the themes introduced on February 11 and take them even further into the spiritual, theological, ethical and moral realms of our daily living.
"We respond to the call of love because it is our common theological core. It is what can and does motivate us and illuminates our deepest commitments to each other.” These words are from the UUA Board in their Charge to the Article II Study Commission. This Sunday we will consider how our Unitarian Universalist faith and values are expressed in our lives and in our religious communities as we consider the proposal from the Article II Study Commission that deepens and expands the language of the Seven Principles to include commitments and actions, with love at the center.
* Saturday Night Live comedian Gilda Radner made famous the phrase “If it’s not one thing, it’s another...it’s always something!” And isn’t that true? We are constantly called to choose one person or one thing over another; often accompanied by conflicting feelings about those choices. This Sunday we’ll dive deeper into the February theme of choosing, and the role chance, choice, free will and determinism play in our lives. * * This podcast begins with a reflection offered by Ari Giles, worship associate.
Anyone who has endured messy and bitter conflicts in a congregation may not be able to see how there could be an opportunity of a blessing in the midst of the pain. But conflicts will inevitably occur and it is possible to learn new ways of approaching them that can allow for growth and learning, and even transformation. Rev. Cooley is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist and has served as a minister for over 30 years in both congregational and denominational settings. She is an Accredited Interim Minister and faculty of the Interim Minister’s Network, and currently serves as the Developmental Minister at the First UU Church of Columbus, OH.
We can do hard things. Facing our fears and charting a pathway forward.
What calls you to work for justice in the world? This sermon will explore both the historical and contemporary call to justice that arises from our Unitarian Universalist theological heritage.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, and Bayard Rustin’s commitment to non-violence was a powerful and effective strategy because all those involved in the Civil Rights Movement were committed to practicing the disciplines of non-violence as expressed in Beloved Community in action. What wisdom can we learn from King and Rustin as we move towards ever increasing levels of accountability which require of us both courage and consistency?
This podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Merrill Aldrich.
Homily delivered on Christmas Family Sunday.
This sermon is written by Rev. Kathleen Rolenz and delivered by Rev. Wayne Arnason.
What purpose does religion serve now? What purpose can it serve? With membership declining and ministerial shortages in every denomination, what will the future of religion and Unitarian Universalism be? What could it be? We’ll explore these questions, and how we might learn from our past, those around us, and the moment we’re in to consider a course for the future of religion. Rev. Kron is the Transitions Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection written by Sara Ford and read by Peggy Lin.
This podcast from Stewardship Sunday begins with a reflection by worship associate Betsy Hearn.
Unitarian Universalists long ago abandoned confession as part of their liturgical tradition, believing that such a practice was in direct opposition to our First Principle of “covenanting to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of all persons.” Rev. Rolenz will explore whether the ancient practice of confession is antithetical to our First Principle, or actually a vehicle for deeper self-reflection? This sermon podcast begins with Peggy Lin reading an excerpt from by Danya Ruttenberg.
Rev. Rolenz offers a reflection on how the various streams of our faith meet, merge, nourish and sustain us for the year ahead.
Over the years we have developed myriad ways to navigate this world. We learn how to make our way from place to place. We learn habits to accomplish routine tasks. We learn problem solving techniques to tackle difficult situations. There are times, however, when we have no maps or when a problem surpasses our knowledge base. There are even those times when we know what we need to do, but don't know if we can muster the strength and resolve to move forward. This service probes the spiritual underpinnings of making our way through those wilderness times, those events and challenges when we find ourselves feeling lost, helpless and directionless.
Matt Meyer https://www.rhythmrevelations.com/ is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist with a long background as a musician and worship leader for UU congregations. He lives in Boston but travels as an itinerant worship leader, bringing the good news of Unitarian Universalism to hundreds congregations all over the country. Matt serves as the Director of Operations for Sanctuary Boston, a contemporary UU worship community with rockin’ music and engaging worship that meets on Wednesday evenings online and in-person. Matt’s children’s story “Desmond Gets Free” was published last year as a book by Skinner House Press. It just recently won a Nautilus award for social justice in children’s fiction.
A substantial number of us prefer ‘choosing’ to ‘being chosen.’ It’s all about the power. But as most of the great spiritual leaders have taught, power is not at the center of love, justice, sustainability, equity, or joy. Do we want the power? Or a whole and holy life? This sermon podcast begins with a reading of Luke 4:16-21 by worship associate Jess Goff.
“Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8 To the ancient Hebrews to sanctify and to make holy meant to set something apart. After laboring six days to create the world, the Hebrew god created the Sabbath as a day free from work, a day free from doing. It was created as a time for being. What are some of the ways we can keep Sabbath by separating ourselves for a day from the world and all of its busyness and constant doings? By keeping Sabbath we choose to ignore daily demands of production and consumption and make the time to just be. Sabbath time can become a time of countercultural resistance. Sabbath can become a time to rest and restore the soul. This sermon podcast begins with a reading of Deuteronomy 5:14 by Rev. Kathleen Rolenz.
Explore how specific, even ordinary, encounters can be a powerful window to spirit or to universal truths. Historically, both Unitarianism and Universalism come from theological arguments that had a certain level of abstraction, but more recently we seem to have a more grounded definition for these terms. They are no less powerful, though, for naming little "t" truths.
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection offered by worship associate Carol Mahnke.
