![First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/fs1/user-site-dist/assets/frontrow3-banner-lignht.jpg)
Episodes
![June 2, 2024- Flower Communion](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
June 2, 2024- Flower Communion
Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
The opportunity has come again, as it has for a century (to say the least), for the flowers to remind us of the audacious beauty of collective action; to remind us to love differences that define and distinguish us; to keep our faith in the call of love in common.
Worship Leaders: Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Mark Caswell, Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Rev. Ashley Harness, Barb Brooks
Opening Hymn: Come Sing a Song With Me (:23)
Words of Welcome and Call to Worship (3:12)
Singing Together: We Would Be One (8:35)
Flower Communion Ceremony (11:26)
Offering Intro and Collection (22:42)
Offertory- This Little Light of Mine (26:16)
Flower Communion, continued (30:37)
Prayer and Cycle of Life (39:54)
Benediction (48:07)
![May 5, 2024- A Community of Practice](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Monday May 13, 2024
May 5, 2024- A Community of Practice
Monday May 13, 2024
Monday May 13, 2024
This Sunday, First Universalist joyfully celebrates New Member Sunday, a testament to our community’s growth and resilience. Worship Leaders will guide us through a reflective conversation on the essence of openness. They invite us to examine how vulnerability, grace, and kindness are more than spiritual practices—they are vital for deepening our communal bonds. This service challenges us to dismantle the barriers that often lead to isolation, making every interaction a profound connection. As we celebrate this enriching occasion, reflect on your journey: What is your next step toward deeper engagement in our community? Join us for a transformative experience.
Worship Leaders: Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Meleah Houseknecht, Rev. Jen Crow, Liz Farmer, Matt Keller
Opening Hymn- Building Bridges (:27)
Call to Worship and Words of Welcome (4:37)
Wisdom Story (10:39)
Singing Together- Come and Go With Me (20:14)
New Member Welcome Ritual (21:41)
Prayers and Cycle of Life (28:50)
Practice of Giving and Receiving (37:17)
Offertory- If You're Out There by John Legend (43:07)
Reading- Safety Net by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer (46:06)
Anthem- Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) by Diana Ross (47:18)
Message- A Community of Practice (49:35)
Closing Song- Love Will Guide Us (1:08:06)
Benediction (1:10:00)
![April 28, 2024- Count the Ways](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Monday May 06, 2024
April 28, 2024- Count the Ways
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
This Sunday, we kick off a four-week Season of Gratitude, and immerse ourselves in the rich languages of love and gratitude. We warmly invite everyone to join us as we explore how these sincere expressions deepen our bonds and strengthen the fabric of our community. It’s an ideal moment to celebrate the diverse ways we can express our appreciation for each other’s efforts within our beloved community.
Worship Leaders: Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Rev. Ashley Harness, Rev. Arif Mamdani
Singing to Gather- Morning Has Come (:18)
Call to Worship and Welcome (1:44)
Singing Together- Oh, We Give Thanks (12:15)
Community Prayer (13:23)
Stewardship Update (20:18)
Celebrating Volunteers (27:46)
Offering and Offertory (32:35)
Readings- from All About Love by bell hooks and What is Love? by Haddaway (36:23)
Message- Count the Ways (38:14)
Singing- Make Channels for the Streams of Love (54:29)
Benediction (56:08)
![Nov. 19, Staying at the Table Starts with Grace](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Monday Nov 20, 2023
Nov. 19, Staying at the Table Starts with Grace
Monday Nov 20, 2023
Monday Nov 20, 2023
This Sunday’s ‘Staying at the Table: Starts with Grace’ celebrates the joy of embracing new members, showcasing the grace that defines our community spirit across our whole lives long. As Thanksgiving approaches, bringing its complex weave of anticipation and anxiety around encounters with all kinds, we invite you to a service that rekindles the essence of connection through the simple, yet profound act of sharing grace.
Opening Hymn- Gathered Here - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:31)
Call to Worship and Welcome- Sherry Merriam (5:04)
Time for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (13:10)
Welcoming New Members Ritual- Jeff Snyder, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Liz Farmer (19:53)
Prayer- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (28:38)
Giving and Receiving- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (36:01)
Wisdom Story- The Parable of the Lost Spoons- Sherry Merriam (40:31)
Amthem- Building Bridges- Paolo Dubuque and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (42:02)
Message- Staying at the Table Starts with Grace- Rev. Arif Mamdani (46:04)
Singing Together- Love Will Guide Us - Paolo Dubuque and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (1:00:56)
Benediction- Rev. Arif Mamdani (1:02:57)
![June 4, 2023- Flower Communion](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Monday Jun 05, 2023
June 4, 2023- Flower Communion
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Monday Jun 05, 2023
This coming Sunday, June 4, we’re celebrating Flower Communion, and we could use your help! Bring a flower to share with the community (don’t worry: we’ll have more flowers available if you don’t have one). We’ll make a beautiful arrangement with whatever flowers come! At the end, we each get to take a different flower with us as a gift and reminder of beauty in our unity and difference. This special ritual has been performed for years here at First Universalist. And this year marks the 100th anniversary of the very first Flower Communion ever!
Singing to Gather- Come, Sing a Song with Me- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:29)
Call to Worship- Rev. Jen Crow (2:26)
Introduction to Flower Communion- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (7:07)
Hymn- We Would Be One- (10:35)
Flower Communion Ritual- Rev. Arif Mamdani (14:57)
Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Jen Crow (36:33)
Celebrating Lauren Wyeth- Revs. Jen Crow and Arif Mamdani (41:55)
Practice of Giving and Recieving- Rev. Arif Mamdani (47:29)
Offertory- This Little Light of Mine (52:18)
Benediction- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (55:03)
![May 14, 2023- Generation to Generation](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Tuesday May 16, 2023
May 14, 2023- Generation to Generation
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote that “Love, like a carefully loaded ship, crosses the gulf between the generations.” This Sunday, love will make its way across the generations as we dedicate our children, welcome the wisdom of our Coming of Age youth, and care for each other in times of celebration and grief.
Singing to Gather- Gather the Spirit- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Franco Holder (:29)
Call to Worship and Words of Welcome- Lauren Wyeth, Rev. Jen Crow, Lóre Stevens, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (4:11)
Hymn- Come, Sing a Song With Me- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Franco Holder (8:43)
Child Dedication Ceremony- Lauren Wyeth, Rev. Jen Crow, Lóre Stevens (12:14)
Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Jen Crow (15:24)
Chant- I Will Be Your Standing Stone- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (21:31)
Coming of Age Spiritual Statements- Lóre Stevens, Max, Isla, Rasana, Rev. Jen Crow (26:38)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Lóre Stevens (46:25)
Offertory- Franco Holder, piano (49:52)
Singing Together- Make Channels for the Streams of Love- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (52:32)
Benediction- Rev. Jen Crow (54:29)
Music for Going- Where You Go, I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab
![April 30, 2023- All Beginners Here](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Tuesday May 02, 2023
April 30, 2023- All Beginners Here
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
The Zen practice of shoshin calls us each to bring a “beginner’s mind” to every day we live. This Sunday, as we celebrate how our community has grown with new members, we are reminded to bring this same spirit to our relationships with one another. We can know each other more deeply with fresh curiosity. We can deepen our bonds with fresh compassion. We can build a stronger “we” when each of us takes every opportunity to “tell our story from deep inside and listen with a loving mind.”
Opening Hymn- When Our Heart Is In a Holy Place - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:27)
Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Rev. Ashley Harness (2:59)
New Member Welcome- Come, Come, Whoever You Are- Liz Farmer, Matt Keller, Daryn Woodson (9:04)
Singing Together- Turn the World Around - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (22:03)
Meditation Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (26:28)
Message- All Beginners Here- Liz Farmer (35:54)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Jen Crow (45:31)
Offertory- Franco Holder (47:28)
Singing Together- The Fire of Committment - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (49:17)
Benediction- Liz Farmer (52:38)
Song for Going- Where You Go, I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab
![November 20, 2022- Becoming Together: Child Dedication Sunday](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Monday Nov 21, 2022
November 20, 2022- Becoming Together: Child Dedication Sunday
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Monday Nov 21, 2022
This Sunday, Nov. 20, we will celebrate the miracle that is at the center of our larger story and the cycle of life. We will welcome, name, and dedicate ourselves to the care of children in our congregation through a Child Dedication Ritual. Together we will discern and practice the spiritual work of committing ourselves to the care of our youngest and making room for the people they will become over the course their lives.
Singing to Gather- Come, Come Whoever You Are
Words of Welcome- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (2:21)
Child Dedication Ritual- Lauren Wyeth, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Rev. Ashley Harness (7:47)
Silence, Meditation, Prayer- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (15:09)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Ashley Harness (22:46)
Offertory- Glen Thomas Rideout (25:36)
Message- Becoming Together- Rev. Ashley Harness (26:56)
Benediction- Rev. Ashley Harness (42:13)
![November 13, 2022- The Company We Keep](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
November 13, 2022- The Company We Keep
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
We are members of many things: families, gyms, affinity groups, and faith communities. Our culture likes us to think of “membership” as an administrative task: a series of tasks that lead us to checking off a box. This Sunday, November 13, we welcome and celebrate the commitment of our newest members of First Universalist, and invite you into reflecting on- and participating in!- membership as a creative, relational process, one in which we change and by which we are changed by the company we keep.
Hymn for Gathering- Morning Has Come- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:29)
Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (7:52)
Time for All Ages- The Messiah Lives Among You- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (14:46)
Hymn- Woyaya- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (20:37)
Prayer, Meditation, Cycle of Life - Rev. Jen Crow (25:49)
Offertory- What Wonderous Love is This- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (35:27)
New Member Ceremony- Liz Farmer, Rebecca Slaby, Daryn Woodson (38:35)
Singing Together- Come and Go With Me- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (45:24)
Homily- The Company We Keep- Liz Farmer (48:12)
Singing Together- Be Thou My Vision- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (57:04)
Benediction- Liz Farmer (1:03:02)
![September 18, 2022- Belonging to Beloved Community](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/4274/logoshield_300x300.jpg)
Monday Sep 19, 2022
September 18, 2022- Belonging to Beloved Community
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Monday Sep 19, 2022
The dream has been alive for years – Beloved Community. A place, a people, a moment in time when we might truly be, as our Visionary Goal proclaims, “a multi-racial, multicultural, and intergenerational faith community of mutual caring and support where people bring all of who they are and welcome each other with joy. Our sense of who we are as a community of faith is ever expanding.” What does it mean to belong to that Beloved Community, and what will be required of us as we unlearn soul-killing patterns of oppression and practice liberating, life-sustaining ways? What does it mean to belong to this Beloved Community?
Music for Gathering- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:19)
Words of Welcome- Rev. Arif Mamdani (3:42)
Call to Worship- To Be of Use by Marge Piercy- Lóre Stevens (16:18)
Story for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (18:26)
Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Arif Mamdani (26:11)
Practice of Giving- Rev. Jen Crow (33:28)
Celebrating Rev. Jen's Ten Years- Rev. Sara Smalley and the Team (37:17)
Message- Belonging to Beloved Community- Rev. Jen Crow (44:30)
Music for Going- Love Will Guide Us (1:03:05)