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| Title | Presenter | Church | Date presented |
| Surprised by Joy In a world full of obligation, complexity and even grief, how might we find ourselves surprised by joy? Overwhelmed by beauty? Taken aback by the sheer wonder of being alive?! |
Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd | Bull Run Unitarian Universalists, Manassas, Virginia | 09/30/2007 |
| Narrow Words, Broad Minds Often in our religious circles we get lost in the words others use to communicate their means of spiritual being. We want others to speak in ways that make us comfortable -- but should the burden be on the other to make us comfortable, or should it be on us to listen in new and deeper ways? |
Rev. John Cullinan | The Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico | 09/30/2007 |
| Defending Atheists |
Rev. Mary Katherine Morn | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA | 09/30/2007 |
| Gather the Spirit This is our fifth and final service of our series focused on the elements. We will be exploring that less tangible element of Spirit. In Native American spirituality, the center is the Spirit, it is the metaphysical other, that invisible essence that lives and moves throughout all life. Join us as we look at ancient and modern wisdom teachings about spirit and how it informs our understandings of our lives and our world. |
Kelly J. Crocker and Karen Gustafson | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/30/2007 |
| Michael Vick and Us What kind of a society and culture shapes a person like Michael Vick? Ours does. Is this to say that if he is guilty we are all guilty? We all bear some responsibility for his actions? |
Fred Muir | Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis | 09/30/2007 |
| Grand Canyon Testament Unitarian Universalists are continually urged to work on our own, evolving credos--our personal statements of belief. In the middle of a six-day raft trip on the Colorado River, Jean found a statement which suits her, and upon which she'll elaborate. |
Rev. Jean Wahlstrom | May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, Syracuse, NY | 09/30/2007 |
| Living Faithfully What does faithful living look like? What does faithful living feel like? It must have to do with living aligned to our values. What questions should we be asking ourselves? How can we most usefully serve one another in living faith-filled lives? Rob, Janne and worship associate, Estelle Brouwer will each offer reflections on these essential questions. |
Rob Eller-Isaacs & Janne Eller-Isaacs | Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul, MN | 09/30/2007 |
| Why Not Health Care For All? "How are you doing?" someone asks. "As long as I’ve got my health, I can’t complain," you might respond. In many ways we recognize that good health is at the heart of living well, yet our society has created a health care system that too often fails to support the well-being of too many. |
Rev Art Vaeni | Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Olympia, WA | 09/30/2007 |
| Exploring the Jesus Mysteries As the meaning of the many alternative gospels are explored and expanded following discoveries of ancient scrolls and texts, where do we place the central story of Christianity in the context of similar religious mystery stories? |
Rev. Dr. Randolph W.B. Becker | Unitarian Universalist Fellowshop, Key West. FL | 09/30/2007 |
| Practice This summer I set aside a half-hour daily to practice playing my alto recorder. I'll share with you some observations I made about the practice of practice, instrumental and spiritual. |
Rev. Margie Allen | The Unitarian Church in Westport | 09/30/2007 |
| Toward Ending the War — Within Families The war in Iraq is not the only war we are fighting; there is a war in our own families. We have our "Silent Witnesses" outside to remind passing motorists of the horror of domestic violence. Inside we will talk of the other war, the one called domestic violence. |
Rev Art Severance | East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirtland, OH | 09/30/2007 |
| Animal Blessings | Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie | Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA | 09/30/2007 |
| Orthodoxy & Paradoxy: Consistency & Contradiction | Rev. Chris Buice | Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville | 09/30/2007 |
| Strengthening and Sustaining the Beloved Community | Dr. Helen Bishop | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta | 09/30/2007 |
| Pulled From the Wreckage I have found myself in several situations over the past month recommending the film Crash to many of you. This film is about humanityâs attempts to make meaningful contact with each other and the world, sometimes even through desperate means. The film grapples with the intense human desire to move beyond the facades of everyday politeness in order to interact with that which really matters: our yearnings, our pain, our hopes, our desperation, and the core of another person. A character in the film says "Weâre always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something." Those of us who have been touched by substance abuse are familiar with this sort of interpersonal wreckage: when those we love cannot stop themselves from drinking or using drugs. I have yet to meet a person who has not been affected by substance abuse, whether directly or through a friendship or family member. Tragically, fear and misunderstanding â the stigma we are all so familiar with â keep people from seeking care, limit public support for expanded services, and make it difficult for individuals to rebuild their lives once they are well. I believe that addiction is a disease and that the human experience in modern culture perpetuates a desire to make real contact with others and only offers cheap substitutes for that meaningful contact: drinking, drugs, shopping, video games, television. The holes in our soul cannot be filled by the idols our culture offers to us. Join me this Sunday as I explore the stigma of substance abuse and our common need for contact. |
Rev. Tamara Lebak | All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa | 09/30/2007 |
| Immigration, Assimilation, and Amnesty | Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael | Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, VA | 09/30/2007 |
| Merits of Older Age | Rev Bill Darlison | Unitarian Church Dublin | 09/30/2007 |
| A Path of Spiritual Discipline: The Route to Work | Gary Smith | First Parish in Concord, MA | 09/23/2007 |
| Puritan Heritage This year’s sermon series will be called "Religion in the United States of America," and will focus on different aspects of the uniquely American religious experience. This sermon will begin at the beginning, with the intersection of European Puritan traditions and those of America’s native people. |
Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd | Bull Run Unitarian Universalists, Manassas, Virginia | 09/23/2007 |
| Sacred Work: On the Slow, Hard Turning Yom Kippur, the high holy day of the Jewish year, invites the faithful to tshuvah, turning the heart and mind to more virtuous life. This is, in fact, the work of the religious person and the religious community. Hashivenu, Adonai eilecha vena tshuvah. (Turn us toward You, and we will return.) Have you ever tried to turn from dysfunction toward wholeness? Have you ever tried to change a character defect? Why is it so hard? |
Rev. Victoria Weinstein | First Parish Church, Norwell, MA | 09/23/2007 |
| Why I'm A UU Evan Rose introduces Joe and Michelle Bianconi and Mark and Kimberly Petersen to share there stories of why there are Unitarian Universalists. |
Bianconi and Petersen Families | The Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico | 09/23/2007 |
| Defending Religion |
Rev. Mary Katherine Morn | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA | 09/23/2007 |
| Dwell Together in Peace | Covenant Group Facilitators | Second Unitarian Church of Omaha | 09/23/2007 |
| It's a Natural Gas I’m not a chemist but the 18th century British Unitarian minister Joseph Priestly was and he deserves credit for some of the most important early discoveries about the composition of the earth’s atmosphere. In our fourth in this series on the Elements we’ll learn more about this fascinating figure, as well as the connection humans have routinely made between air and spirit. |
Rev. Dr. Michael A. Schuler | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/23/2007 |
| A Life of Questions Nearly every religious faith has a doubting tradition. Questioning, as we learn from revelations regarding the saintly-like life of Mother Teresa, is part of living for nearly everyone. A reading from our hymnal states: "Doubt is the handmaiden of truth." How do you mix faith and doubt? |
Fred Muir | Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis | 09/23/2007 |
| Observing the Fall Equinox A shrewd and constant observer of the world around him, 19th century Unitarian Henry David Thoreau can still guide us in deepening our relationship to the "web of existence." |
Rev. Jean Wahlstrom | May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, Syracuse, NY | 09/23/2007 |
| What is Faith What is the role of faith in a noncreedal religion that is so attractive to skeptics? In what ways is faith different than belief? Janne and worship associate Don Brunnquell will examine the role of faith in todayâs world. |
Janne Eller-Isaacs | Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul, MN | 09/23/2007 |
| Faith Without End Some years ago, James Fowler proposed a theory of faith development in which he suggested that people often move through established stages of faith. What can we learn from this about the nature of faith, and our capacity to create a faith that evolves as our understanding of ourselves and life grows. |
Rev Art Vaeni | Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Olympia, WA | 09/23/2007 |
| Holding Our Lives In the Balance On the occasion of the Autumnal Equinox, an exploration of balance. Should life be lived with by keeping a balance between the good and the bad, by seeking a balance through moderation, or something more essential and visionary? |
Rev. Dr. Randolph W.B. Becker | Unitarian Universalist Fellowshop, Key West. FL | 09/23/2007 |
| The Art of Aging We all do it, whether we like it or not, whether we're prepared for it or not. The title is from Sherwin Nuland's book but the content will be from my own experience. |
Rev. Frank A. Hall | The Unitarian Church in Westport | 09/23/2007 |
| Jefferson’s Bible and Yours | Reverend Stephen Shick | Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson (MA) | 09/23/2007 |
| Faith vs. Truth |
Emily DeTar | East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirtland, OH | 09/23/2007 |
| Fretting | Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie | Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA | 09/23/2007 |
| Cleaning Out the Soul’s Closet | Rev. Chris Buice | Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville | 09/23/2007 |
| How to Have Difficult Conversations | Rev. Anthony David | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta | 09/23/2007 |
| Wine or Water |
Rev. Marlin Lavanhar | All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa | 09/23/2007 |
| Burdens We Can Lay Down | Rev. Kathy Schmitz | Pathways Church, Southlake, TX | 09/23/2007 |
| What Will Be Said What could King David have been thinking when we came dancing (nearly naked) into Jerusalem (II Samuel: 18)? Approaching life with a David-like attitude is one way to do it, but is it the best way? Join me on this Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as I reflect on this revealing text. |
Fred Muir | Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis | 09/16/2007 |
| In Praise of Doubt | Tim Temerson | First Parish Lexington Unitarian Universalist | 09/16/2007 |
| The End of Faith The title is taken from Sam Harris’s book of the same name. Both Dr. Harris and Richard Dawkins who wrote, "The God Delusion," challenge not only commonly held religious perspectives but the wisdom of tolerance for those perspectives that are held by so many people |
Rev Art Vaeni | Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Olympia, WA | 09/16/2007 |
| Looking Into the Distance Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, provide an important opportunity to 'clean the slate' of any old resentments or sense of failure -- to move beyond blame, to forgive ourselves and one another, in order to begin a new chapter...together. |
Rev. Frank A. Hall | The Unitarian Church in Westport | 09/16/2007 |
| Community Matters | Reverend Stephen Shick | Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson (MA) | 09/16/2007 |
| Bridge Over Transitional Waters Gail Sheehy is her book, Passages, talks about the almost predictable ages when we are most susceptible to crisis, even depression. But there’s good news; we can survive, even thrive! It sounds to me very much like the life stages of churches! "We are not unlike particularly hardy crustacean… With each passage from one stage of human growth to the next, we too must shed a protective structure. We are left exposed and vulnerable-but also yeasty and embryonic again, capable of stretching in ways we hadn’t known before, of equilibrium regained." |
Rev. Arthur G. Severance | East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirtland, OH | 09/16/2007 |
| Foregiveness The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the Days of Awe, when practicing Jews repent and seek to reconcile with those they wronged. Mary Katherine Morn reflects on the lessons of these holidays and the larger meaning of forgiveness. |
Rev. Mary Katherine Morn | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA | 09/16/2007 |
| The Chalice as a Beacon | Dr David Edelman | Unitarian Church Dublin | 09/16/2007 |
| Balancing The Books For people of the Jewish faith, the Days of Awe are a time for renewal and reconciliation, wherein the book of one's life is opened before the eyes of God for review. It is also the beginning of the Jewish calendar year. With the beginning of our church year coming so close to the Days of Awe, it seems only fitting that we explore how we open and balance the books of our own lives. |
Rev. John Cullinan | The Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico | 09/16/2007 |
| Heat, Light and Life From the metabolic processes that take place in the tiniest of human cells to the nuclear reactions that bathe our planet with life-giving solar energy, we encounter (literally, if not metaphorically) the ancient element of Fire. The ancient Zoroastrians worshiped it and the flame continues to be symbolically significant for both Unitarian Universalists and Christian Pentecostals. Join us for the third in our series on the classic elements.s |
Rev. Dr. Michael A. Schuler | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/16/2007 |
| Being Settled The director of the UUA's Settlement office (recently renamed Transitions) closed his emails with a sentence from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "People wish to be settled: Only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them." What does it mean to be settled? |
Rev. Jean Wahlstrom | May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, Syracuse, NY | 09/16/2007 |
| Faith Above All Fear In Jewish tradition the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called "the Days of Awe." That awe is inspired by the sure knowledge that you and I can move beyond our brokenness, beyond our dissolution and begin again. Each year we celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days in a service, which culminates with a "Litany for Atonement." Rob Eller-Isaacs will offer a sermon on faith. Jean Olson will serve as worship associate. |
Janne Eller-Isaacs | Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul, MN | 09/16/2007 |
| To Know the Place For the First Time T.S. Eliot wrote: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." What does this have to do with religious exploration and spiritual journeys? |
Rev. Dr. Randolph W.B. Becker | Unitarian Universalist Fellowshop, Key West. FL | 09/16/2007 |
| Misteaks | Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie | Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA | 09/16/2007 |
| Is God a Humanist? | Rev. Chris Buice | Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville | 09/16/2007 |
| An 'Awe'some Sermon: Psalm 23 for Today' | Rev. Dr. Joshua Snyder | Second Unitarian Church of Omaha | 09/16/2007 |
| Healthy Relationships: A Spiritual Practice for Life | Rev. Anthony David | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta | 09/16/2007 |
| Becoming a Heretic | Rev. Kathy Schmitz | Pathways Church, Southlake, TX | 09/16/2007 |
| Pray for Me | Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael | Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, VA | 09/16/2007 |
| Beginner’s Mind | Rev Bill Darlison | Unitarian Church Dublin | 09/16/2007 |
| This Good Earth This is the second in a five-part series focused on the four classic elements (Water, Earth, Fire and Air) and a less tangible fifth element (Spirit). For the first time in my ministry at FUS, September activities in the children’s religious education program will complement the themes of adult worship. Join us as we revisit ancient wisdom teachings on the five elements, explore new information and deepen our appreciation and understanding of the world about us. |
Rev. Dr. Michael A. Schuler | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/09/2007 |
| Water Ceremony We mark the transition into fall by mingling waters from places we have been this summer to affirm the richness of community they represent. |
Rev. Jean Wahlstrom | May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, Syracuse, NY | 09/09/2007 |
| Into the Water | Reverend Stephen Shick | Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson (MA) | 09/09/2007 |
| Homecoming: Ollie, Ollie, In Free Come on back to church and a new school year. Remember when each year and grade seemed so different? We start a new church year as well, with a new minister and a new chapter of East Shore’s history. What part will you play? |
Rev. Arthur G. Severance | East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirtland, OH | 09/09/2007 |
| In Gathering & Water Communion Annual In Gathering and Water Communion. |
Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, Rev. Bill Welch, R.E. Minister Natalie Fenimore and the Lay Ministers | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA | 09/09/2007 |
| The World Where We Want to Live | Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie | Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA | 09/09/2007 |
| A Community for the Creatively Maladjusted | Rev. Chris Buice | Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville | 09/09/2007 |
| Democracy and the New Media | Rev. Dr. Joshua Snyder | Second Unitarian Church of Omaha | 09/09/2007 |
| Homecoming 2007 - Got Vision? |
Rev. Marlin Lavanhar | All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa | 09/09/2007 |
| The Art and Science of Community | Rev. Kathy Schmitz | Pathways Church, Southlake, TX | 09/09/2007 |
| Gather at the River | Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael | Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, VA | 09/09/2007 |
| Stringing Beads | Pamela McCarthy | Unitarian Church Dublin | 09/09/2007 |
| Merging of the Waters |
Janne Eller-Isaacs | Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul, MN | 09/09/2007 |
| Recalculating! | Gary Smith | First Parish in Concord, MA | 09/09/2007 |
| The Human Dilemma |
Rev. Frank A. Hall | The Unitarian Church in Westport | 09/09/2007 |
| Living a Liberation Story | Rev. Anthony David | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta | 09/09/2007 |
| This Good Earth This is the second in a five-part series focused on the four classic elements (Water, Earth, Fire and Air) and a less tangible fifth element (Spirit). For the first time in my ministry at FUS, September activities in the children’s religious education program will complement the themes of adult worship. Join us as we revisit ancient wisdom teachings on the five elements, explore new information and deepen our appreciation and understanding of the world about us. | Rev. Dr. Michael A. Schuler | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/09/2007 |
| Water Communion Our ingathering service. Come welcome Rev. Cullinan, celebrate the new year, and meditate on where we've come from and where we are going together. |
Rev. John Cullinan | The Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico | 09/09/2007 |
| Om Pah Pah | Rev. Alex Riegel | Universalist Unitarian Church of Farmington, Michigan | 09/09/2007 |
| Intimacy and Ultimacy Why do people go to church? I’ve spent a lot of time pondering that in the last week. I’m not sure I’ve come up with any perfectly satisfying answers. As Rev. Jack Mendelsohn says, "One of the chastening miseries of ministry is that eternal truths are not as easy to come by as they apparently used to be. |
Rev. Lisa Romantum Schwartz | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka | 09/02/2007 |
| Water Communion This is our end-of-the-summer celebration of that ubiquitous liquid that serves so many important purposes in our lives and the life of planet Earth. During this intergenerational service we "mingle the waters" of many places and enhance our appreciation for this liquid gold through stories, poetry, music and commentary. This recording includes two songs by singer/songwriter Josh Roth. |
Kelly J. Crocker and Karen Gustafson | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/02/2007 | Workers of the World - Unite(d) What does it mean to be a worker? Is work about achieving things or achieving self or achieving the commonweal? |
Rev. Dr. Randolph W.B. Becker | Unitarian Universalist Fellowshop, Key West. FL | 09/02/2007 |
| The Myth of Labor Day; Compassionate Capitalism Have you wondered what the difference is between "migrant workers" and "illegal immigrants"? Invoking the spirit of organizer C. Chavez for election issue. Lessons learned from San Antonio with a 60-plus percent Hispanic population. |
Rev. Arthur G. Severance | East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, Kirtland, OH | 09/02/2007 |
| Love's Labours Lost?-Labor Day Reflections A warm, touching sermon on Labor Day. |
Shelley Page | Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA | 09/02/2007 |
| Where Two or More Are Gathered Are you different in a group than when you are alone? Something happens when two or more are gathered together. We come face to face with how we want to live out our values, and with how to best support our own needs as well as the needs of the group. When two or more are gathered we face our own desire to be accepted, seen, heard, and understood and the gamut of emotions that prevent us from taking the risk. There has been much study about the way that human beings behave in a group: the compromises we make, the way we can be supported and strengthened to be more of who we are, and the synergy that can occur. Many groups however, are stuck in groupthink. Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. I have often said that we cannot be Unitarian Universalist alone. We need a religious community to hold us accountable to act out our values as we profess them to be. We need a place to test, analyze, and evaluate our beliefs. There is such a place. There is such a process. It is in the small groups of this church. Come and explore with me how you might try on a new process for being with one another. |
Rev. Tamara Lebak | All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa | 09/02/2007 |
| Wide Open | Rev. Kathy Schmitz | Pathways Church, Southlake, TX | 09/02/2007 |
| Seasons of Universalism | Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael | Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, VA | 09/02/2007 |
| Service and Simplicity | Rev. Bill Darlison | Unitarian Church Dublin | 09/02/2007 |
| The Heart of Our Principles | Leslie Becknell Marx | First Parish in Concord, MA | 09/02/2007 |
| How to Live the Full Life Living our lives to their fullest can be a challenge. What examples do we follow, who do we look up to, and how can we move towards a full life of meaning? For many people our heroes and heroines have shown us something about the world that we want to learn from. Join our Assistant Minister as she explores the lessons she has learned from her heroine about how to live the full life. |
Amber Beland | Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis | 09/02/2007 |
| Water Communion This is our end-of-the-summer celebration of that ubiquitous liquid that serves so many important purposes in our lives and the life of planet Earth. During this intergenerational service we "mingle the waters" of many places and enhance our appreciation for this liquid gold through stories, poetry, music and commentary. This recording includes two songs by singer/songwriter Josh Roth. | Kelly J. Crocker and Karen Gustafson | First Unitarian Society of Madison (WI) | 09/02/2007 |
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