Listening Well
In our current era of discord and strife, empathic understanding and loving-kindness seem to be in short supply. How can we develop these qualities and help share them with others? And how can deep listening help us get there?
Services
Unity and Progressivism
Unitarian Universalists and other religious progressives tend not to conform to orthodox views and practices. How then can we expect to unite? This sermon will explore this question and others having to do with moving from a culture of identity to one of solidarity.
Love and the Immovable Stone
Sometimes it seems that there is an immovable stone on the path before us, blocking the way toward any progress. Yet even the largest, most daunting barrier can be shifted, given enough patience, practice and leverage. How might we harness the power of transformative love to move the immovable obstacles before us?
UU Values: Love at the Center
At this year’s UUA General Assembly, a major change in our bylaws included a new articulation of our “UU Values” that supersedes (and includes language from) our UU Principles, including the 8th Principle that our congregation ratified. This service looks at our central UU Value: love.
Invitation to Joy
Sometimes we dwell so much on the challenging and difficult aspects of our lives that we forget about all the joy that is available to us. In a world often filled with despair, struggle, and heartbreak, how can we hear and respond to the invitation to joy that the world offers?
Despair and Possibility
It often seems as though we are living in an era of despair. There are signs of despair all around us—including increased self-harm rates, soaring rates of addiction in various forms, and a general sense of weariness and foreboding. What are the alternatives to despair, and how might we make the turn from despair to … Continued
We Will Get There
In the words of the Ghanaian song “Woyaya,” “We will get there. Heaven knows how we will get there. We know we will.” This sermon explores how to navigate a journey when you don’t know all the twists and turns of path or even what the destination might look like.
UU Elevator Speeches
Because it is a creedless tradition that encompasses many different ways of believing, Unitarian Universalism is not easy to explain in just a few sentences. This sermon explores how we might articulate a UU “elevator speech”–a personal description of what UUism means to you that can be shared in the time it takes for an … Continued
Delight, Connection, and Peace: Gifts of the Forest
Barb completed the sermon writing class taught by Rev. Jim Magaw this spring. Delight, connection with ourselves and other beings, and peace can seem elusive in troubled times. Yet all are freely offered to us when we slow down and notice the gifts of the forest.
What is the Issue? Social Justice
Rick completed the sermon writing class taught by Rev. Jim Magaw this spring. In his sermon, Rick reflects on the concept of social justice, what it means, and how it might best be approached if we are to be successful in our social justice efforts.