Episodes
12 hours ago
12 hours ago
Join us for a transformative service led by our 8th-grade OWL youth, their advisors, and the worship team, as we explore the impactful journey through Our Whole Lives (OWL) program. “Embracing Humility, Fostering Love: Our OWL Journey” promises a heartfelt glimpse into the courageous conversations and learning experiences that shape our community’s approach to sexuality education. Celebrate the insights, growth, and stories of our youth, reinforced by the dedication of our OWL facilitators, embodying the values of respect, relationships, and responsibility.
Opening Hymn- Come And Go With Me- Aimee K. Bryant, Paolo Dubuque (:33)
Call to Worship- (4:34)
Words of Welcome- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Allison Connelly-Vetter (8:03)
Story for All Ages- This or That- 5th grade OWLs (14:14)
Singing Together- Make Channels for the Streams of Love- Aimee K. Bryant, Paolo Dubuque (16:22)
Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Jen Crow (18:00)
Practice of Stewardship, Giving, Receiving- Rev. Jen Crow, Sarah Heuser, Jack Daniels (24:33)
Offertory- Kiss! by Prince- Aimee K. Bryant, Paolo Dubuque (30:33)
Anthem- People Help the People by Birdy (35:31)
Reading- The Masturbation Song by Claire Tralle (40:17)
Reflections- Jill Ferris, Claire Tralle, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (44:29)
Benediction- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (1:04:24)
Song for Going- Where You Go, I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab
Monday Mar 11, 2024
March 3, 2024- The Lost Art of Sacrifice
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
This Sunday, Rev. Rolenz will lead us in contemplating The Lost Art of Sacrifice, a timely reflection as we navigate the solemn periods of Lent and approach Ramadan. In a world often driven by the quest for instant gratification, Kathleen invites us to reconsider sacrifice as a source of spiritual nourishment and unexpected joy. Drawing on her experiences from serving in diverse communities and her profound understanding of liturgy, Kathleen’s sermon promises to be a compelling journey through the complexities of faith, community, and the sacrifices that bind them.
Join us in welcoming Rev. Kathleen Rolenz and immerse yourself in a service that promises not just to explore the depths of humility and sacrifice but also to celebrate the communal spirit that defines our congregation. Let’s gather together to discover the joy and enrichment that humility can bring to our lives and our community.
Music for Gathering- Woyaya- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:19)
Story for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, Nanette Stearns (4:03)
Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (10:00)
Singing Together- Come and Go With Me (20:00)
Meditation and Prayer- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (22:19)
Practice of Sharing and Receiving- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Karen Heegaard, Nanette Stearns (33:06)
Offertory- Barbara Brooks, piano (45:49)
Poem- Altar by Deborah Leipziger (47:45)
Message- The Lost Art of Sacrifice- Rev. Kathleen Rolenz (49:59)
Singing Together- Make Channels for the Streams of Love (1:09:34)
Benediction- Rev. Kathleen Rolenz (1:11:08)
Outgoing Song- Where You Go, I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Feb. 25, 2024- Unshackling the Chains of Numbness
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
This Sunday at First Universalist, we invite you to a special service, “Awakening Presence: A Journey From Numbness to Engagement,” as we explore the transformative power of reconnecting with our emotions and each other. Dive deep into the essence of presence, overcoming the barriers of emotional numbness that hinder our personal growth and communal vitality. Engage in a meaningful exploration of how mindfulness and empathy can not only enrich our personal journeys but also empower our collective commitment to justice and compassion.
As we continue our stewardship campaign, remember that your support breathes life into the heart of our community, helping to revive the emotional nerve endings of our congregation. Join us in fostering a vibrant, engaged, and empathetic community, ready to embrace the full spectrum of life’s experiences together. Your presence and contribution are the keys to unlocking a more present, connected, and lively congregation.
Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:24)
Story for All Ages- Adaptation of a story by Leo Tolstoy- Em Herman-Johnson and the congregation (4:15)
Singing Together- Come and Go With Me and What Wondrous Love is This?- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (16:35)
Community Prayers- Katherine Harrell (23:00)
Invitation to Give and Receive- Rev. Ashley Harness and David Leppik (30:37)
Offertory- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free by Nina Simone- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (36:18)
Greeting One Another- Em Herman-Johnson (38:38)
Reading- Go to the Limits of Your Longing by Rainer Maria Rilke (40:48)
Message- Unshackling the Chains of Emotional Numbness- Rev. Ashley Harness and Dick Young (42:41)
Benediction- words by David Gate in memory of Nex Benedict (57:45)
Closing Song- Where You Go, I will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
February 11, 2024- The Love We Make
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
How does love find voice breaking from silence and unmasking its truer self? This Sunday, we delve into “Expression of Love: From Silence to Vulnerability.” Through twists and turns of human emotions, the burden of societal norms, and the lens of our digital existence, we explore. Posed with questions of love’s ferocity and authenticity, we ponder even further: How can those of us, unversed in the language of vulnerability, learn to speak it?
This Sunday, we invite a transformative exploration of love unabashed and free. Amidst this interconnected landscape, we collectively weave a tapestry of honest and vulnerable expressions of love. Let’s journey together in search for understanding. What we discover will surely challenge us to open our hearts and free our hands. Love keeps calling us anyway. Joy is waiting.
Opening Hymn- Lean On Me (:30)
Call to Worship and Welcome- Rev. Arif Mamdani (2:20)
Time for All Ages- Rev. Arif Mamdani (8:44)
Singing Together- Love Will Guide Us- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout & Paolo Dubuque (15:44)
Community Prayer- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (18:05)
Practice of Giving- Rev. Arif Mamdani and CT Neal-Herman (30:13)
Offertory- Paolo Dubuque (37:13)
Poem- by Gwendolyn Brooks- Rev. Arif Mamdani (41:35)
Message- The Love We Make- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (43:14)
Singing Together- Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire (56:28)
Benediction- Rev. Arif Mamdani and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (58:42)
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Feb. 4, 2024- 'Tis a Gift to be Present
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
In a world too often transactional, we’ll explore the transformative power of a gift economy, where joy is the currency we trade and presence is our shared and most precious commodity. When we choose joy, our lifted spirits are just the first palpable sine of a wave that ripples outward in a wash of positive change throughout our whole community and far beyond.
Together, we’ll delve into the sacredness of intentionality in worship, the heartbeats that synchronize when shared narratives bind us, and the art of presence that turns a gathering into a congregation. This service is an invitation to experience the profound joy that arises when we offer our talents, time, and love as gifts to one another—gifts that nurture our communal well-being and empower us to co-create a church that transcends the ordinary. Come, be part of this joyous communion, and let us journey towards a more empathetic and collaborative world, one heartbeat at a time.
Opening Hymn- Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee- Aimee K. Bryant (:33)
Welcome and Call to Worship- Rev. Arif Mamdani (5:11)
Time for All Ages- Aimee K. Bryant (12:59)
Singing Together- Love Will Guide Us (23:48)
Prayer and Cycle of Life- Nanette Stearns (25:49)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Arif Mamdani (34:41)
Offertory- 'Tis a Gift to be Simple- Aimee K. Bryant and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (44:22)
Reading from Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer- Nanette Stearns (48:03)
Anthem- His Eye Is On the Sparrow by Civilla Durfee Martin- Aimee. K. Bryant and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (52:59)
Message- Tis a Gift to be Present- Rev. Ashley Harness (56:19)
Hymn- Make Channels for the Streams of Love (1:15:19)
Benediction- Rev. Ashley Harness (1:16:56)
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
January 28, 2024- When Voices Dare to Make Visions
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
In the crucible of community, the unique vision of each individual not only reshapes our common goal but experiences a transformation itself. Picture a mosaic, where every piece is indispensable to the whole. Our shared dream materializes as we each offer a piece of our hearts, contributing to a greater design. This dance of unity within individuality beckons you to unearth your unique strengths, to learn how they can enliven our visionary aspirations. It’s about the breathtaking tableau we craft when we are harmonized in purpose and spirit, and how this sense of purpose threads through the tapestry of our everyday existence and builds through us a greater tomorrow. This is our collective mosaic–a pulsing, resonant manifestation of our faith community’s future.
Opening Hymns- Come, Come, Whoever You Are and Guide My Feet (:19)
Time for All Ages- Allison Connelly-Vetter (10:48)
Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Ashley Harness (24:49)
Call to Worship- Deb Keller (31:22)
Reading- To Know Someone Deeply by Mark Nepo- Deb Keller (37:47)
Anthem- When the Storms of Life Are Raging, Stand by Me by Rev. Timothy Flemming- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (40:01)
Mosaic of Voices- Rev. Arif Mamdani, Rasana Mamdani, Jeanne Guignon, Rev. Ashley Horan (43:47)
Closing Hymn- Be Thou My Vision (1:04:14)
Benediction- Rev. Arif Mamdani (1:07:16)
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023- Thresholds
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
“No threshold need be a threat, but rather an invitation and a promise. Whatever comes, the great sacrament of life will remain faithful to us, blessing us always with visible signs of invisible grace. We merely need to trust.” – John O’Donohue
Join us as we cross the threshold of the new year together. We will slow down to greet the invitations and promises awaiting each of us with ritual stations. We’ll have opportunities to release what no longer serves us, remember our original belovedness, receive healing blessings and seek our next chapters of becoming with trust.
Music for Gathering- I Know This Rose Will Open- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:30)
Call to Worship and Chalice Lighting- Mark Caswell (2:42)
Singing Together- Dona Nobis Pacem- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (10:21)
Community Prayer- Rev. Arif Mamdani (14:45)
Reading- Thresholds by John O'Donohue- Mark Caswell (21:30)
Intro to Ritual Stations- Rev. Ashley Harness (26:08)
Ritual Stations (38:01)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Ashley Harness (41:25)
Benediction- Rev. Ashley Harness (46:45)
Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
Tuesday Dec 12, 2023
As we move through the sacred season, marked by the enduring light of Hannukah and the burgeoning anticipation of Advent, we’re invited into a unique space where the realms of time and eternity intersect. Here, every moment becomes an encounter with infinite potential. Amid the whirlwind of holiday activities, the understated power of rest emerges as a counterintuitive path to liberation, offering us a sanctuary within time itself. Taking a step back, we find ourselves attuned to the subtle, beautiful harmonies of our communal existence, appreciating the transitions and transformations that shape our collective journey. In the dance between who we are and who we aim to be, we see success as a delicate balance between progress and patience. Each Sunday becomes a vibrant heartbeat in our relentless pursuit of growth and spiritual elevation, and as the nights lengthen, our collective resolve only strengthens. We invite you to join us on this journey – to pause, reflect, and celebrate the sacred story we’re composing together.
Opening Hymn- Turn the World Around - Belafonte (:25)
Call to Worship and Words of Welcome- Deb Keller (6:52)
Chant- Be Still and Know- pagan chant (12:38)
Time for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (15:32)
Singing Together- Come and Go With Me (27:01)
Prayer and Meditation- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (28:09)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Jen Crow (37:02)
Offertory- Paolo Dubuque (38:42)
Poem- Mother to Son by Langston Hughes (40:59)
Anthem- Paolo Dubuque (42:24)
Message- Still in Motion- Rev. Jen Crow (45:22)
Singing Together and Benediction- One More Step (1:03:28)
Music for Going- Where You Go, I Will Go by Shoshana Jedwab
Tuesday Dec 05, 2023
Dec. 3, 2023- Whispers in the Dark: Embracing Advent’s Transformative Stillness
Tuesday Dec 05, 2023
Tuesday Dec 05, 2023
This Advent, let us gather with intention, embracing these ancient narratives not as tales of dread but as prompts for introspection and growth. Together, in our sacred space, we shall seek out the divine amidst the shadows and find within ourselves the ember of transformative hope. Through our listening and reflection, may we uncover that within the darkness, there is not an ending, but the hushed promise of new beginnings.
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Nov. 12, 2023- Scooching Over
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
As a kid and now as a parent, the word “scooch” carries at least two meanings. It can mean scooch, as in move along and get out of here, and it can also mean scooch, as in scooch over and make room for whoever might be joining us. This Sunday, we’ll explore the spiritual practice of scooching over to make room as one way of embodying our Unitarian Universalist belief in the worth and dignity of every person.
Music for Gathering- We Are Creators- Paolo Dubuque (:26)
Call to Worship and Welcome- Katherine Harrell- (6:38)
Singing Together- We All Do Better- Paolo Dubuque (17:21)
Time for All Ages- Rev. Jen Crow- (21:01)
Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Ashley Harness (25:51)
Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Ashley Harness (32:10)
Offertory- Give Yourself to Love by Kate Wolf - Paolo Dubuque (35:26)
Poem- by Joy Harjo- Rev. Jen Crow (39:37)
Message- Scooching Over- Rev. Jen Crow (42:06)
Singing Together- Love Will Guide Us (1:02:31)
Benediction- Rev. Jen Crow (1:04:36)