Comedian Maria Bamford is a 43 year old who jokes about many things including her own mental illness. Her mission is to empower the public to stop pretending mental health problems don’t exist. Her mission is to proclaim it is ok for people to be their authentic selves. How do you use your distinctive gifts […]
Category Archives: Sermons
2.15.15, “Do You Believe in Magic?”, Rev. Morgan R. McLean
Myths, fantastical creatures, and tales of special powers have always shaped the human story. Over the last century, the worlds of Narnia, Middle Earth, and Hogwarts have enchanted children and adults alike, and brought religious themes into popular culture. What’s a Unitarian Universalist to do with all this magic?
2.8.15,Laughter- Balm For The Soul, Rev. Kent Matthies
King David danced before the Lord with all his might. It would have been good if he also had laughed. Laughter is a balm for the soul, a balm which too many people lack. Laughter can spread contagious blessings for the body, soul and mind. Got laughter?
2.1.15, Immigration: Remembering We Were Once Strangers, Student Minister McKinley Sims
Sometimes we forget to look back in our pasts to see what life used to be like. By telling stories of our past, we pass on humor, gain wisdom, and broaden our understanding of the Gifts of the Spirit. Unfortunately, in today’s world, some of our neighbors are treated as outsiders to those stories, with […]
12.27.15, A Christmas Without Collars, Tom Ott
I am a man who believes that symbols have enormous power, a power that multiples exponentially the more ingrained in our consciousness they become, for good and ill. In my homily for the Sunday after Christmas, a lapsed Catholic will explore his happy struggle to find faith through Unitarian Universalist non-doctrine. Tom Ott is […]
1.25.15, No Matter the Cost, Rev. Kent Matthies
As much as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life has often been reviewed it commonly remains misunderstood. He gave everything, no matter the cost for the values he cherished: universal justice, service and liberating love. Tavis Smiley has written a powerful new book “Death of a King”, which looks at King’s last year from his […]
1.11.15, Love Is Too Strong a Word, Rev. Libby Smith
As we seek to honor the differences among us, we often hear that we’re called to love our neighbor. But this sermon – inspired by an address of the same name by Kurt Vonnegut – explores the possibility that we might do better if we set our sights just a little lower. The Rev. Libby […]
12.24.14, Christmas Eve, Rev. Kent Matthies
Many of us love to give and receive gifts for Christmas. Of course it is also difficult to resist the pull of an overly materialistic Christmas. There are also situations where we feel torn between obligation and true desire to give gifts. Every year we sing Joy to the World: “Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat the […]
12.21.14, Kwanzaa Celebration
We will have a joyous time lighting candles, telling stories, and moving to the beats of African drumming. Storytellers will bring us on journeys not to be missed! We will celebrate the principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
12.14.14, Cannot Be Silenced, Rev. Kent Matthies, Mark Daugherty and Choir
After publicly declaring that females deserve education as much as males, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the face by an agent of the Taliban. Ms. Yousafzai survived her attack and went on to be an international voice for empowerment. She says that every day she and her movement strengthen around a common cause. In the […]