First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

February 27, 2022- Humanism is Black

The first humanists in the United States were people of African descent. They brought with them a philosophy that is rooted in every attempt America has made to envision a more perfect union. This Sunday, we will explore two moments where explicit and implicit humanist constructs informed the movement of human dignity.

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:20)

Community Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (7:53)

Interlude- What's Going On? by Marvin Gaye- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (15:03)

Message- Humanism is Black- Rev. Karen Hutt

 

February 20, 2022- black magic

BlackLivesMatter. Self-care. Intersectionality. The Underground Railroad. Fractal world change–the power in communities of communities. “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” pleasure activism. Warrior poetry. Stonewall, and the countless other times a drag queen gets her life, and saves another.

Women are powerful and dangerous, Audre Lorde writes.

Thank goodness.

We’re conjuring a joyful celebration of the million ways black female and trans pioneers make justice and love more real, every day and night.

 

Prelude- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (:29)

Words of Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Rev. Arif Mamdani (2:10)

Call to Worship- Rev. Arif Mamdani (4:33)

Story for All Ages- Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (8:48)

Interlude- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (18:13)

Community Prayer and Cycle of Life- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (22:35)

Message- black magic- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (29:10)
Dr. Rideout's message was interspersed between clips from this video. 

Offering- Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism- Rev. Arif Mamdani (41:21)

February 13, 2022- Murmurations

In Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown invites us to imagine a future in which we humans have gained the ability to move akin to a flock of starlings, each of us attuned to those around us, able to shift and move in concert with the community(ies) of which we are a part. This Sunday, February 13, we wonder about the wisdom of starlings and how they might inform our lives, and we’ll celebrate and lift up those in the community who volunteer their time and energy in the multidimensional dance of church, making this community the vibrant and radiant place that it is.

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (:30)

Wisdom Story- Lauren Wyeth (7:43)

Ritual of Community Acknowlegement (12:19)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (17:20)

Homiy- Murmurations- Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:17)

Piano throughout- Franco Holder

 

February 6, 2022- Here We Are (Again)

Join us this Sunday for a service of prayer and renewal led by Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Rev. Karen Hutt, Lauren Wyeth, and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout.

Prelude- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:21)

Words of Welcome- Rev. Karen Hutt (1:31)

Interlude- In My Soul- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (11:52)

Time for All Ages- Lauren Wyeth (12:55)

Interlude- More Love- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (19:00)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (20:34)

Poetry by Langston Hughes- Rev. Karen Hutt (31:17)

Homily- Rev. Jen Crow (34:00)

Singing Together- lead by Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (43:32)

January 30, 2022- Mental Health Sunday

Guest speaker Vicki Elliott, Executive Director of Mental Health Connect, joins our team of worship leaders this week to talk about her own journey with mental health, how it’s impacted her family, and why it matters that faith communities work to destigmatize mental illness and ensure that everyone has access to the mental health care resources they need.

Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30)

Call to Worship- Rev. Karen Hutt (9:42)

Blessing for Spiritual Growth- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (18:21)

Paryer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (21:22)

Message- Vicki Elliott, E.D. of Mental Health Connect (27:09)

Vocals throughout- Aimee K. Bryant and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout

January 23, 2022- Where the River Meets the Sea

The poet, Audre Lorde, is famous for saying, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Building on this truth, we’ll explore how caring for each other – and allowing ourselves to be cared for by others – can help us expand our ideas of survival and joy beyond the individual and into the community.

Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30)

Story for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (9:38)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (15:31)

Message: Where the River Meets the Sea- Rev. Jen Crow (24:50)

 

piano and voice- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout

January 16, 2022- What the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Taught Us

This Sunday, join Rev. Ashley Horan and Julica Hermann de la Fuente for a conversation about the lessons and ongoing challenges in our racial justice work, discussed through the lens of MLK’s legacy. As we once again meet online only to help each other and our broader community stay safe, we will leverage the chat in Zoom and talk with each other about this important work. In the first half of the message, Julica and Ashley will have a conversation with each other, and then you will be invited to share questions via the chat. Children and youth will also have a chance to share their thoughts during the time for all ages. Join us on Zoom for this interactive service as we continue to center the liberation and joy of Black and Brown people.

 

Words of Welcome- Rev. Arif Mamdani (:29)

Call to Worship- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (3:46)

Time for All Ages- Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Rev. Ashley Horan (6:42)

Song- We Are- Aimee K. Bryant and Franco Holder (15:23)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (17:52)

Question Box Message - Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Rev. Ashley Horan (24:49)

December 19, 2021- What does UUism Say to Our Suffering?

This Sunday, December 19, we enter into the heart of this question: what does Unitarian Universalism have to say when it all hits the fan? How can our faith and the commitments we hold in common help us to hold together when it all feels like it’s falling apart?

 

Words of Welcome and Calling Our Ancestors- Rev. Jen Crow (:30)

Story for All Ages- Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch- Rev. Arif Mamdani (8:19)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:11)

Message- What Does UUism Say to Our Suffering?- Lauren Wyeth (34:52)

 

voice- Aimee K. Bryant; piano- Franco Holder

 

 

 

December 12, 2021- Community that Holds it All

In these tender times, we turn to our communities to help us hold it all. This Sunday, Lena K. Gardner, Executive Director of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), joins Rev. Jen Crow in leading our service as we practice being and building the world we dream about.

 

Calling Our Ancestors- Rev. Jen Crow (:20)

Hymn- Lift Every Voice and Sing- Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (7:06)

Prayers and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (8:52)

Message- Community That Holds it All- Lena K. Gardner (20:13)

Holiday Giving- Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism

 

December 5, 2021- Soft Heart, Open Hands, Clear Boundaries

As we turn into the longest nights of the year, what commitments will shine like stars, helping us navigate through these troubling times? What if we aimed to keep our hearts soft, our hands open, and our boundaries clear? Together we’ll explore how these ways of being might help us live in alignment with our Universalist faith in the spirit of love and hope.

 

Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30)

Story for All Ages- Lauren Wyeth (8:35)

Anthem- A Christmas Round by John Tavener- First Universalist Choir, Dr. Randal Buikema, conductor (12:49)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Karen Hutt (14:42)

Message- Soft Heart, Open Hands, Clear Boundaries- Rev. Jen Crow (20:57)

piano throughout- Franco Holder