Vulnerability is the spiritual theme of the month. Too often many of us have protective shells, which separate us from others. Anger, jealousy and pride can all serve as shields, which prevent us from opening up. How can you put down your shield in order to share some of your life story with others? How can you expose […]
Category Archives: Sermons
8.18.13, 40 Days! Rev. Kent Matthies
From June 23-July 31 congregations all around Philadelphia will fast, pray and take action for Immigration Justice. We fast to call the attention of elected officials and to Pennsylvania residents of the impact of unjust immigration laws, we meditate and pray on the loss of deported family and community members, and to build our spiritual discipline for a […]
8.11.13 Buried Treasure, The Bible as a sacred text for divine reading, Alan Windle
UUs long ago stopped looking to the Christian Bible as a source of insight or inspiration, and for good reason. There is much about this text that is confused, irrelevant to our lives today, or just plain wrong. But in spite of these barriers it can be a wonderful source for lectio divina (divine reading), if approached with the […]
7.28.13 To Grow a Soul, Rev. Rebecca Froom
Unitarian minister A. Powell Davies said, “Life is just a chance to grow a soul.” Whether we call it religious education, faith formation, or spiritual growth, the search for truth and meaning is one of the cornerstones of our Unitarian Universalist tradition. As a religious community we have the opportunity nourish one another as growing […]
Vision from Quiet, Rev. Kent Matthies
Vision is the spiritual theme of the month. In order to allow a vision to well up from inside of us we often need quiet. Extraverts often dominate our social interactions. Extraverts, like the minister, can talk too much and not allow for quiet time, which our souls crave. Let’s give ourselves a break and feel […]
Power To Say No, Rev. Kent Matthies
A healthy church supports people to say no. We should stand up and say no to abuse in all its forms. We should also be empowered to say no when a certain activity doesn’t fit with our core values or ethics. Because we are a liberal religion some people think that in Unitarian Universalism anything […]
The Power of Play, Rev. Mara Dowdall
Plenty of research tells us that having time for play in our lives is not only a desirable, but actually an essential condition for human flourishing. Through this service, we’ll explore the important role play plays in our lives, how it contributes to our spiritualjourneys, and what gets in the way of embracing it. Rev. Mara Dowdall grew up at USG, […]
Coming Home, Debbie Ward
If we’re all on our own spiritual journeys, what happens when we return home? Debbie will explore the dynamic of individual pursuit of truth and meaning in the context of spiritual community. This is a repeat of a sermon first presented at USG in January of 2009. Debbie has been a member of USG for three […]
Sex and the Church, Rev. Kent Matthies
Unfortunately, the historic church has not earned a positive reputation in terms of how it promotes or participates in our sexuality. From repressive theologies to abusive clergy, too often the church has fallen short and failed. It does not have to be that way. We are sexual beings for our entire lives. With education, care and respect […]
What Starts with Choice and Ends with Justice? – Rev. Rob Keithan
Sunday worship service at USG: This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States. While much has changed in 40 years, disagreements about contraception, abortion, and sexuality overall are still hotly contest in culture and politics. What’s going to move us forward, and what’s religion […]