Sermons from Unity Church Unitarian, in Saint Paul, MN
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Religion is the driving force behind much of what happens in the world today -- particularly when it comes to the "big three" religions -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Religious differences have and continue to spark wars, create nations, and spawn ongoing conflict down through the centuries. No matter what religion you adhere to (or even if you claim that you don't adhere to any religion at all), you need to have a basic understanding of the world's religions in order to understand wha ...
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Whose Are We? Rev. Lara Cowtan, September 22, 2024
24:36
24:36
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This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Meg Arnosti. The ancient question, “Who am I?” inevitably leads to a deeper one: “Whose am I?” because there is not identity outside of relationship. You cannot be a person by yourself. To ask, “Whose am I?” is to extend the question far beyond the little self-absorbed self, and wond…
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Who Belongs? Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, September 15, 2024
27:00
27:00
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27:00
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Anna Newton. Unitarian Universalists are rightly proud of width and breadth of our institutional welcome. But who decide who is welcomed? Who belongs? What are the systems that we can either critique or build to deepen our understanding of welcome?…
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Water Flows Downhill, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, September 8, 2024
14:56
14:56
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Rev. Sinclair offers a reflection on belonging, and how we are drawn to faithful life in community, sometimes in spite of ourselves.
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Labors of Love, Rev. Lara Cowtan, September 1, 2024
28:00
28:00
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28:00
Is making a meal or baking or creating art or music an expression of your love? Let us lift up the many labors that go unsung, the under appreciated and maybe uncompensated work of people for others that enrich our lives in priceless ways. This podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Lorelee Wederstrom.…
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Old Ships and New Traditions, Matt Meyer, August 25, 2024
14:41
14:41
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We’ll explore the depth of tradition and the benefits of renovation through a journey at sea.
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What's Trust Got to Do with It?, Rev. Karen Hering, August 18, 2024
23:03
23:03
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In the uncertainties of our times, our mistrust — of the future, of ourselves and one another — might be justified. But we are called, as people of faith in a liberating love, to cultivate greater trust. Let’s explore how to become more trusting and more trustworthy in the face of change. Rev. Karen Hering…
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A Time for Every Single Thing, Rev. Victoria Safford, August 11, 2024
20:00
20:00
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The life of the spirit is all about triage: attending to this thing and then that thing, each in its time, with care. But the planet spins beneath our feet, sometimes careening wildly, and our days are disjointed and dizzying. When the known world flies apart, what holds you in place? Join us for pancake brunch after the service.…
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The Danger of a Single Story, Sara Ford, August 4, 2024
16:54
16:54
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There were some audio issues with this recording. The audio gets better at the 30 seconds mark. We are all familiar with the story of Henry David Thoreau and his two-year experiment on a plot of land owned by his teacher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. We are less familiar with the story of Harriet Jacobs, Thoreau’s contemporary, who also, alone, entered a s…
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Queer Migration, Rev. Laura Smidzik, July 28, 2024
29:38
29:38
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As hostile laws are adopted across the county, queer families and individuals are making their way to states like Minnesota. We will paint a picture of what is happening, how Unitarian Universalists are connected, and supporting the effort to find safety and sanctuary for those who are migrating to Minnesota.…
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The Road to Joy, Sara Ford, Kevin Ward, Jess Goff, Sunday, July 21, 2024
36:45
36:45
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This service begins with a reflection by Sara Ford followed by Kevin Ward and Jess Goff. What happens when a book changes your life? You buy copies for your friends? Or maybe you talk about it in a summer service. In 2016, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote The Book of Joy. Some of their ideas are weird and unattainable (like — Can yo…
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Hoy por ti, mañana por mí /Today you, tomorrow me, Rev. Lara Cowtan, July 14, 2024
29:05
29:05
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This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Chris Russert. In a consumer society focused on limited resources and rugged individualism, many are left feeling estranged from one another and numb. How might we move from a culture of scarcity towards abundance, understanding the power of sharing, and embracing our human vulnerabi…
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Encountering Herr Buber and Mr. Douglass, LauraSue Schlatter, July 7, 2024
22:58
22:58
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What does it mean to have a conversation or an encounter with another human that invites the divine into relationship? When we talk about “going deep quickly” and knowing each other “in all our fullness,” what do we mean? Why are these things important? And what do Herr Buber and Mr. Douglass have to teach us about all this?…
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Spiders in the Moss, Nelson Moroukian, June 30, 2024
21:24
21:24
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This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Caswell Burr. There is a great, interconnected web of existence, a great and entrancing mystery, and we are starting to see more of the effects of our neglect for that interdependence. How can our UU faith and principles help guide us through the growing imperative to change our rela…
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Accidental Blessings: What Remains, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, June 23, 2024
24:14
24:14
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This Sunday reflects on the milestone events since Rev. Kathleen’s arrival at Unity Church in September 2022: successes, missed opportunities and work that is still in the making.
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God Was Not Your Father, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, June 16, 2024
26:55
26:55
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Fatherhood has changed a lot since the first celebration of Father’s Day in 1910, as have ideas about masculinity. Worship associates Charlie Caswell, Chris Russert, and Isaac Fried will reflect on their own experiences of fathers, and the joys and the challenges of navigating maleness amidst a culture that insists on binary thinking. …
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Cultivating a Climate of Care, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, June 9, 2024
20:10
20:10
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We are well aware of the realties of climate change; we see evidence of the changing earth on an almost daily basis. Yet climate fatigue — the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness is also evident. How do we cultivate a sustainable level of energy and care for the environment when our own resources are often thin? How is that climate of care pra…
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An Ode to Joy, Rev. Lara Cowtan, June 2, 2024
17:08
17:08
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Beethoven was completely deaf when he embarked on his masterpiece, Ode to Joy, and it’s a tragedy that he never heard a single note of it except inside his head. At many times in our lives, finding joy may seem impossible. Life can seem painful or tragic, and joy completely out of reach. Not ignoring the truths of the tragedies and challenges of ou…
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Mercy Without End, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, May 26, 2024
28:58
28:58
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Ukraine. Israel and Palestine. Haiti. Eritrea. Ethiopia. There are so many places around the globe where violence and the war that follows results in an endless cycle of retaliation and devastation. On this Memorial Day Sunday, we honor those who have died in past wars, while maintaining the hope that we can learn the things that make for peace.…
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Beauty Crowds Me, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, May 19, 2024
10:17
10:17
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A flower celebration Sunday homily.
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Mother of a Thousand Orphans, Rev. Lara Cowtan, May 12, 2024
22:41
22:41
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This sermon podcast begins with a reflection from worship associate Sara Ford. On this Mother’s Day, amidst rising conflicts near and far, let us lean into inspiring stories from our global Unitarian community and ancestors, including Dr. Lotta Hitchmanova, a Jewish journalist from Prague who spoke out against the Nazis and then dedicated her life …
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Plunged into the Luminous Dark, Rev. KP Hong, April 28, 2024
24:59
24:59
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Coming of Age Sunday celebrates the signature year-long journey of our ninth grade youth, transitioning from the inherited faith of childhood to the adult journey of faith, and marked by youth sharing their statement of faith or credo.
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The Voluntary Church, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, April 21, 2024
28:11
28:11
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Good Bones, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, April 14, 2024
28:06
28:06
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This sermon begins with worship associate Ari Giles reading "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith.
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The Music of the Spirit, Rev. Justin Schroeder, April 7, 2024
23:39
23:39
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There is a voice within you which no-one, not even you, has ever heard. Give yourself the opportunity of silence and begin to develop your listening in order to hear, deep within yourself, the music of your own spirit. — John O’Donohue, Anam Cara In a world full of distractions, screens, video bingeing, and climate unraveling, paying deep attention…
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When Jesus Woke, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024
23:42
23:42
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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.…
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Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts Into Tears, Rev. KP Hong, March 24, 2024
24:02
24:02
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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, red…
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Life Is a Thistle Bush, Barbara Hubbard, March 17, 2024
16:54
16:54
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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.
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Color and Fragrance, Rev. Lara Cowtan, March 10, 2024
20:13
20:13
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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…
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Known, Unknown, and Everything In Between, Rev. Jessica Clay, March 3, 2024
15:50
15:50
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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.
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, February 25, 2024
23:47
23:47
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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.
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Love Is a Choice, Rev. Lara Cowtan, February 18, 2024
19:24
19:24
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"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 ou…
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If It's Not One Thing, It's Another, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, February 11, 2024
26:35
26:35
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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…
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The Blessings of Congregational Conflict, Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley, February 4, 2024
20:03
20:03
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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 U…
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There Be Dragons!, Rev. Lara Cowtan, January 28, 2024
19:16
19:16
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We can do hard things. Facing our fears and charting a pathway forward.
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The Call to Racial Justice from our Theological Heritage, Rev. Dr. Andrea Johnson, January 21, 2024
15:43
15:43
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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.
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The Courage to Be Accountable, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, January 14, 2024
25:08
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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 ev…
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Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown, Rev. Lara Cowtan, December 31, 2023
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22:49
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This podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Merrill Aldrich.
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On the Road with a Hidden God, Rev. Lara Cowtan, December 17, 2023
12:31
12:31
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Homily delivered on Christmas Family Sunday.
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Who's Human? Who's Right?, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, December 10, 2023
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This sermon is written by Rev. Kathleen Rolenz and delivered by Rev. Wayne Arnason.
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The Future of Religion, Rev. Keith Kron, October 29, 2023
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28:27
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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 cour…
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Sorry, Not Sorry; The Subtle Art of Apology, Rev. Lara Cowtan, October 22, 2023
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Because we’re human, we hurt each other, we get hurt, and there’s a way through that, but that way through depends on the ability to deliver and accept a powerfully meaningful apology. Healing and repair of broken relationships doesn’t happen on its own. This sermon podcast begins with a reflection written by Sara Ford and read by Peggy Lin.…
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Confess and ReDress, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, October 15, 2023
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Reparations for systemic racism and attempted genocide is now part of our national conversation, yet confession, without making attempts to redress harm, is nothing more than virtue signaling. We’ll explore the complex question of reparations through the lens of those most harmed, with a particular focus on indigenous justice.…
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Let Hope Become Courage, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, October 8, 2023
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The second Sunday in October is typically an opportunity for you to reflect on your financial support of the church in the year ahead. This year, our Executive Team will confess some hard and hopeful truths about the current state and future of the church as we prepare to enter our 2024 fiscal year. This podcast from Stewardship Sunday begins with …
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I Confess, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, October 1, 2023
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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 F…
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Let the River Run, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, September 10, 2023
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Rev. Rolenz offers a reflection on how the various streams of our faith meet, merge, nourish and sustain us for the year ahead.
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To Boldly Go Where..., Rev. George Anastos, September 3, 2023
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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 ti…
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Lessons for Future Ancestors, Matt Meyer, August 27, 2023
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Matt Meyer 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, …
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Choosing to Be Chosen, Rev. Andrea LaSonde Anastos, August 20, 2023
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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 …
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Keeping the Sabbath, Jim Mulvey, August 13, 2023
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“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 …
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Little "t" Truths, Merrill Aldrich, July 30, 2023
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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 nami…
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