First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

April 14, 2024- Youth Sunday

This Sunday marks a special journey led by our high school youth group, as they invite us into an exploration of abundance and collective growth. They’ve crafted an interactive service that promises not just to engage but to weave our vibrant community energies into a living tapestry of action and shared dreams. With each of us contributing to a communal symbol of unity, we’ll reflect, give thanks, and envision a humanity grown in the spring of our collective efforts. Under the inspired guidance of our youth, we are sowing seeds of hope to nurture the garden of our gathered dreams.

Singing to Gather- Woyaya- Paolo Dubuque (:33)

Words of Welcome- Allison Connelly-Vetter (2:07)

Call to Worship- Willa Maynor (3:19)

Singing Together- Lean on Me by Bill Withers (7:57)

Story for All Ages- Henry at Home by Megan Maynor- Max and Bobbi (11:47)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Isla Mysenburg and Rev. Jen Crow (17:12)

Offertory- Paolo Dubuque (25:32)

Prayer and Meditation- Isla Mysenburg and Rev. Jen Crow (29:30)

Poem and Blessing- We Need Each Other by m jade kaiser- Rasana Mamdani (34:33)

Planting Together- Rasana Mamdani (41:44)

Singing Togther- Blue Boat Home (44:06)

Benediction- Rasana Mamdani (47:00)

March 31, 2024- Narratives of Renewal

This Easter, what if our affirmations served not only as testaments to our capacity to instigate meaningful change but also as prompts to engage deeply with every soul we encounter. Can we mine our shared experiences for tales of resilience or resignation? Will we amplify the echoes of triumph, or will we underscore the moments of faltering? This selection process crafts the larger narrative of our existence. In this season of reflection and renewal, what narratives will you choose to elevate? How will you demonstrate your belief in the boundless potential for peace, love, and justice in our world?

Opening Song- Allelujah- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Congregation (:34)

Story and Words of Welcome- My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart Rev. Arif Mamdani (4:21)

Singing Together- Sing and Rejoice! - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Congregation (14:54)

Time for All Ages- Allison Connelly-Vetter (19:17)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Ashley Harness (29:28)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Jen Crow (36:17)

Offertory- I Am Light by India.Arie- Glen Thomas Rideout (38:20)

Reading- Mark 16:1-8- Mark Caswell (41:32)

Message- Rev. Jen Crow (43:49)

Singing Together- Sanctuary- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Congregation (53:53)

Benediction- Rev. Jen Crow (56:06)

Dec. 17, 2023- Listening Deeply: Inside Voices

Our minds are often full of thoughts, like a busy hive all abuzz? Have you ever wondered–Is meditation for me? What is meditation really? What if I am not doing it right? Here’s a revelation – meditation isn’t about making those thoughts disappear. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Our minds, much like our ears, are always receptive, picking up on myriad stimuli even when we aren’t consciously aware. Imagine if we didn’t fight against these thoughts but just listened to them and learned to live amidst them. That’s the real beauty of meditation. Together, we will delve into different techniques for meditation. This journey, like an enlightening expedition, leads us towards understanding ourselves better.

Oct. 22, 2023- Your People Are My People

Each week we sing, “Where you go I will go, Beloved” to end our worship service and send each other back into the world remembering we do not go alone. This week we’ll dig a little deeper into that song: how do we actually travel with each other as Beloveds and make real the idea that “your people are my people?" In this multigenerational service, we’ll experiment with building a spiritual practice of solidarity that begins with listening to our own bodies’ stories and moves outward playfully and meaningfully into family, church and wider and wider circles of community.

Opening Hymn- I'm On My Way - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Barbara B., piano

Call to Worship- Emberly Herman-Johnson (4:29)

Singing Together- There Is a Love- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Barbara B., piano (11:38)

Wisdom Story- Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney (15:12)

Prayer and Settling into Our Bodies- Rev. Ashley Harness (18:49)

Sharing and Perspective Taking Practice/Message- Rev. Ashley Harness (24:48)

Singing Together- Where You Go, I Will Go, Beloved (39:57)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (40:59)

Offertory- Barbara B., piano (47:12)

Singing Together- Woyaya (51:23)

Benediction- Rev. Ashley Harness (54:06)

Singing- Where You Go, I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab

September 3, 2023- Lessons for Future Ancestors

“Let us measure success by how many of us can say: I am living a life I don’t regret. A life that will resonate with my ancestors…” -adrienne maree brown. This Sunday, we reflect on heavy suitcases, surprise turning points, and opening to welcome, even when the people are complicated and the path is unclear.

 

Singing to Gather- Enter, Rejoice, and Come In and Bright Morning Star- Matt Meyer (:27)

Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (7:28)

Reading- by adrienne maree brown - Matt Meyer (12:09)

Singing Together- Wake Now My Senses- Matt Meyer (13:03)

Story for All Ages- Redefining Success- Matt Meyer (17:06)

Singing Together- Anthem, words by Leonard Cohen - Matt Meyer (24:37)

Community Prayer- Rev. Arif Mamdani (28:24)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Arif Mamdani (35:37)

Offertory- Not Heavy by Faya Ora Rose Toure- Matt Meyer (37:08)

Reading- What You Missed That Day You Were Absent in Fourth Grade by Brad Aaron Modlin- Rev. Arif Mamdani (40:40)

Homily- Lessons for Future Ancestors- Matt Meyer (44:04)

Benediction and Closing Songs- We Are the Ones by Bernice Johnson and Where You Go I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab (59:19)

 

August 27, 2023- Backpack Blessing

As summer comes to an end, don’t miss our annual Backpack Blessing and worship service this Sunday, Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. The multigenerational service will offer children, youth, and adults of all ages the opportunity to reflect upon how we might carry the love of our church community and the tools of our faith with us wherever we go.

Singing to Gather- I'm On My Way (:31)

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (5:19)

Singing Together- Oh We Give Thanks (10:33)

Story for All Ages- The Invisible String by Patrice Karst- Allison Connelly-Vetter and Willa (12:08)

Community Prayers - Rev. Ashley Harness (20:51)

Homily- I Carry Your Heart- Rev. Jen Crow (27:34)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Ashley Harness (34:20)

Backpack Blessing- Allison Connelly-Vetter and Rev. Jen Crow (37:46)

Singing Together- You've Got a Light (44:53)

Celebrating and Saying Goodbye to Franco- Rev. Jen Crow and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (48:19)

Singing Together- Where You Go I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab (52:06)

 

August 20, 2023- Lake Harriet Worship

Rev. Ashley Horan, Aimee Bryant, and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout lead worship with you at the bandshell at Lake Harriet. By the waters, we’ll embody the joy and talk the truths of willful change we can make to the ways we do community. We’ll live a little of love’s post-pandemic, not-far-along-enough-yet call. Truth be told, it has more to do with play and laughter and loving yourself than we’ve often understood. And the possibilities, when we’re willing to untether from the needful, are more wonderful even than we could have dreamed.

Singing to Gather- Rev. Ashley Horan, Aimee Bryant, and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:30)

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (3:55)

Singing Together- Morning Has Come (7:03)

Poem- I Thank You God - e. e. cummings (8:07)

Singing Together- Morning Has Come (10:23)

Singing Together- Breathing In, Breathing Out (14:42)

Reading- Building a Common Life by Elea Kemler- Allison Connelly-Vetter (22:39)

Community Prayer- Rev. Ashley Horan (28:55)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Ashley Horan (40:09)

Offertory- Light of a Clear Blue Morning by Dolly Parton- Dr. GTR (42:45)

Reading- Touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou (47:07)

Anthem- Home by Diana Ross- Aimee K. Bryant and Dr. GTR (48:36)

Message- To Change What We Know- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (52:06)

Singing Together- We Are the Ones (1:02:35)

Benediction- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (1:06:50)

May 14, 2023- Generation to Generation

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

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 13, 2022- The Company We Keep

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)