Sermons 2005

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2005
December 11, 2005 Spiritual But Not Religious, or The Separation of Church and Faith, Part II Rev. Elizabeth Lerner	This service is a continuation of the theme introduced last month, with further reflections on the challenges and opportunities offered our faith by considering the role of the language of reverence in our movement. Reverent Liz recaps elements of her November sermon, and raises some interesting questions: What would language of reverence look like or not look like? What would it draw on or borrow from? How would it enhance our faith tradition while still reflecting our religious diversity?
November 13, 2005 What Can UUs Learn from St. Francis of Assisi? Megan Foley	Do you think of St. Francis fondly as a lover of animals? Are you a little wary of Catholic saints? Have you never thought about Francis at all? Learn a little more about this fascinating medieval character and see how he can inform your UU faith.
November 6, 2005 Spiritual But Not Religious Rev. Elizabeth A. Lerner	The president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Bill Sinkford, has spoken and written about his hope that UU'ism would maintain what he called "language of reverence" as part of our tradition. What does this mean to a movement with many participants who define themselves as "spiritual but not religious?" Reverend Liz explores this issue in our movement and what the language of reverence offers or damages or requires -- depending on how we look at it.
October 23, 2005 Blessing of the Animals Rev. Elizabeth A. Lerner	Each year UUCSS members and friends bring our dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, guinea pigs, and other pets to the sanctuary for a special blessing of the animals service.
October 16, 2005 Go West, Young Church, and No Stopping! Rev. Elizabeth A. Lerner	Reverend Liz asks some probing questions about the reach and effort of the UUCSS's annual canvass. Among them: "Is it time to begin to work beyond the bounds of our walls and our faith community? What deserves that we reach very high, and dig very deep? What are we not doing already that is imperative to create for the future? What does our faith, in action, impel us to do or create, for ourselves and for the larger community?"
September 18, 2005 Lessons Learned Rev. Elizabeth A. Lerner	Just back from her sabbatical, Reverend Liz talks about the many different things that she learned in her time away -- some expected, some not.
August 21, 2005 Are UU? An Arts Ministry Collective Michael Relland	Through bibliodrama, music and meditation, you are invited to "find yourself" in your UU faith. Other religions offer faith-informed identity as a key element to spiritual enlightenment. Is it possible for us?
August 14, 2005 The Male Human Animal William Hartung	The differences between Male and Female Human Animals has been a hot topic recently, but intelligence is not really at the heart of the differences between the sexes. Learning about the neurological, physiological, and psychological differences is much more significant.
August 7, 2005 The Sacred in Unexpected Places Amanda Poppei	Sometimes little moments of transcendence surprise us by appearing in the most unlikely places. But what happens when you wish they appeared somewhere else?
July 31, 2005 After the Welcoming Congregation, What?	Over ten years ago, UUCSS became an official "Welcoming Congregation" to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) persons. In many ways we have fulfilled the promises we made then, but there is more to be done -- in UUCSS, in our denomination, and in the wider world until full equality is reached. What more should LGBT and straight people be doing?
July 24, 2005 Music as Worship Michael Holmes	Music can allow people to search for deeper meanings in their general artistic expressions, and thus it can transcend, in its own mysterious way, even words (lyrics), visual arts, and dogmatic religions.
July 17, 2005 The Leaf's Perspective Megan Foley	How is our world view affected by our status as human beings? How would it be different if we were, say, a leaf? One of our congregation's ministers-to-be brings us together to look at leaves, humanity, children's literature, and the meaning of life.
July 10, 2005 Words and Images that Guide our Lives Gwyn Rowland	Our life's journey will take many twists and turns along the way. Some of these paths seem illuminated while others are shrouded in darkness. How do we know which way to go? Sprinkled throughout our daily lives, we can find meaning and encouragement by tuning in to what seems to be just life -- the songs, words, images -- which can sustain us if we are open to their presence and power.
July 3, 2005 Bringing Peace and Justice to the World: A Jewish Perspective Josh Ruebner, Jewish Voice for Peace	Peace and justice are intimately interconnected in the Jewish religious and moral traditions. How can this concept be applied to some of the challenges of the day?
June 26, 2005 The Longest Day and Shortest Night: Summer Solstice	At the peak of its summer glory, the sun stands still for a moment at the apex of its astronomical point before moving on toward shorter day. The congregation stands still to bask in the beauty of the present moment -- something that most of us don't do often enough.
June 19, 2005 Annual UUCSS Poetry Service Michael Relland and Phyllis Ryder	The annual poetry service is a time to connect with the power of words that carry us through difficult times and lift us up to joyful places and that connect us to each other. At the Poetry Service, members of the congregation have an opportunity to share poems that move them.
June 12, 2005 Flower Communion Sunday	One of our most beloved Unitarian Universalist traditions, this intergenerational service sends us into summer with flowers, words, and music.
June 5, 2005 Frames and Tables John Lynner Peterson, The Interfaith Alliance/The Interfaith Alliance Foundation	"Frames and Tables" -- the solitary outward spiritual journey and the shared communal experience. How do we experience the world and what we bring to our lives together? What are your frames and who is at your table?
May 29, 2005 When Your Religion Works Rev. Fred Muir	Most of us were not raised Unitarian Universalist. For those who have been UU all your lives, the likelihood is that your faith has changed (as UUism has). It's no different in the Philippines where the vast majority of UUs are from other traditions (largely Roman Catholic). And they are UU's for the same reasons you are. Rev. Muir shares insights from a recent trip to the Philippines and explains how it has shaped his understanding of how our religion works.
April 24, 2005 Freedom and Beyond: A Passover Celebration Rev. Linda Olson Peebles, Mandy Keithan, and Michael Holmes	The story of Passover encourages us all on our journey to freedom and beyond, in our lives and in our society.
April 17, 2005 Cultivating peace Rev. Paige Getty	The concept of peace is a complex one. As Unitarian Universalists we are committed to the "goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all." But how do we get there? Especially as we recognize the recent second anniversary of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq (March 20), the question is timely.
April 10, 2005 Going to the chapel Rev. John P. Manwell	"Our door has not always been as wide open as our theology demands. But through struggle and prayer, we have continually broadened our understanding of what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do not ask, whom must we love? We ask instead, how can we learn to love all people?"
April 3, 2005 The nature of laughter Rev. Roger Fritts	Studies show that children laugh about 400 times a day, but that adults do so only about 18 times a day. Why do we laugh, and what role does laughter play in religious communities?
March 20, 2005 The Passion story revisited Bob Hirshon	Reflections on the Passion of Christ from a self-proclaimed skeptic who says there's much that's truly inspiring about this story.
February 27, 2005 Being Bobo Rev. Elizabeth A. Lerner	Does conservative columnist David Brooks' book, Bobos in Paradise, have any lessons for Unitarian Universalism?