Ucdsm Sermons

Rev. Mark Stringer October 23, 2016Listen to the Audio (MP3) Watch the Video (YouTube link) Download the Text (PDF)Celebrant Reflection: "To be a Family Man" by Garrett McGuireListen to the Audio (MP3) Watch the Video (YouTube link) Download the Text (PDF)

Rev. Erin Gingrich October 16, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3)One in three women and one in four men are sexually violated at some point in their lives, with the majority of transgressions occurring before the age of 12. This means we have either experienced this ourselves or know someone who has.

Rev. Mary Katherine MornOctober 9, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)Mark Morrison-Reed reminds us that the “central task of religion is to unveil the bonds that bind each to all.” The unveiling is, in and of itself, a healing—of disconnection, loneliness, alienation. We will explore the practice of unveiling these bonds in our shared life and our individual spiritual practice.

Rev. Mark Stringer October 2, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3) Download the Text (PDF) Celebrant Reflection by Lyra Halsten Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3)To download the text, click the PDF link above

Rev. Rob Eller-Isaacs, Co-Minister of Unity Church-Unitarian in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSeptember 25, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)Rather than asking that you be bound to a set of specific beliefs, Unitarian Universalism invites you “to dare to love God without mediator or veil.”  Our community invites you into a way of being religious that centers on the covenantal question; what shall we promise each other and in what interest? 

Rev. Mark StringerSeptember 18, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)While we don’t necessarily share a common creed as Unitarian Universalists, we do share a common faith--a faith in covenant.  We’ll consider together the challenges and benefits of such a faith and why it matters.

Rev. Mark Stringer September 11, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3) It has been suggested that the question “Who am I?” will inevitably lead to a deeper question: “Whose am I?”  To whom do you belong?  To whom are you accountable?

Rev. Mark StringerSeptember 4, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)

Rev. Brian Eslinger, Community MinisterAugust 28, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)

Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink, Minister of Membership and Adult Ministries at First Universalist Church of MinneapolisAugust 21, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)The poet Wendell Berry reminds us that the spiritual journey is not a journey of miles, but the journey of one inch "by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home." What would it look like to resist the cultural scripts and guidelines that are fed to us and learn to be at home in o...

Rev. Mark StringerAugust 14, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)Download the Text (PDF)Mark returns to the pulpit following his sabbatical with a meditation on what it means to be human as the world seems to be going awry.

Rev. Jay Wolin, UU Congregation of the Quad Cities in Davenport, IAJuly 31, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)In Douglas Adams book the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe and Everything" is 42. In multiple interviews, Adams has said it was a joke, and he just made up the number.

Rev. Kent McKusick, UU Fellowship of AmesJuly 24, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)Whenever I return to my home state of Maine, I remember tall tales and folk stories my grandfather told, some of them even true! His stories made me laugh, and many were passed from generation to generation.

Rev. Steven Protzman, UU Society of Iowa City July 17, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3) It is said that we often listen to reply rather than understand.  What does it mean to truly listen and how can we cultivate the spiritual practice of listening?

Rev. Erin GingrichJuly 10, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)Rev. Erin reflects on some of the ideas and books she is engaging during her study leave.

Maria Filippone, D.O., memberJune 26, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)Listen to the Audio (MP3)Member Maria Filippone shares her experiences from a medical delegation trip to Gaza this past January. Hear the stories she was lucky to bear witness to and get a glimpse into the lives of the beautiful forgotten people of Gaza. Your heart will burst wide open.

Jon Royal, member June 19, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3) Download the Text (PDF) As we celebrate Father's Day, Jon explores and reflects on the role and challenges of modern fatherhood. In today's world fatherhood can be reduced to the role of sperm donor or elevated to the level of primary care giver; regardless it is critical in all of our development.

Rev. Linda Barnes & Rev. Erin GingrichJune 5, 2016Watch the Video (YouTube link)2016-6-5 Question Box Service.mp3

Rev. Linda Barnes May 29, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3) Download the Text (PDF) We all struggle to know ourselves honestly and fully. Join Rev.

Rev. Erin Gingrich May 15, 2016 Watch the Video (YouTube link) Listen to the Audio (MP3) UU minister Jaco ten Hove writes, "I may lift up and articulate well the principle of interdependence, but then live out of an exaggerated independence. To the extent that any of us are able to ask for help, we invite that life-giving spirit to join us on our path when the going gets rough.” How might we lean into our beliefs through our actions?