First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

June 4, 2023- Flower Communion

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 7, 2023- A Flame that Burns

Universalism calls us to become flame carriers in apocalyptic times. In community, with souls on fire, we reconstitute the world. Join us for worship with special guest and candidate for UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt as we begin our May worship theme, Carry the Flame.

Opening Hymn- This Little Light of Mine- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:33)

Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (4:05)

Story for All Ages- Rev. Arif Mamdani and Rev. Jen Crow (9:11)

Singing Together- Building a New Way- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (21:00)

Prayer and Blessing- Rev. Ashley Harness (24:11)

Practice of Giving- Rev. Ashley Harness (30:15)

Offertory- Franco Holder, piano (34:37)

Reading by Rupi Kaur- Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt,  (36:25)

Anthem- Franco Holder (37:59)

Message- A Flame that Burns- Rev. Sofia Betancourt (40:54)

Hymn- The Fire of Commitment - Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (58:46)

Benediction- Rev. Jen Crow and Rev. Sofia Betancourt (1:02:00)

April 23, 2023- Hot for Climate

The Environmental Justice Team from First Universalist Church leads us through an Earth Day service that invites us to consider what it is that we love in this natural world, and why and how we might get more involved in fighting for it. Join us this Sunday as the team ministers to us through music, story, and personal narrative, and helps chart a pathway of hope for how we might more fully live into our interdependence with the web of existence of which we are a part.

Opening Hymn- For the Beauty of the Earth- Aimee K. Bryant and Franco Holder, piano (:30)

Words of Welcome- Rev. Arif Mamdani (2:53)

Land Acknowledgement- Susan Keller (9:16)

Call to Worship- Bob Freidman (10:39)

Time for All Ages- Cathy Geist (13:53)

Singing Together- Wake Now My Senses- Aimee K. Bryant and Franco Holder, piano (20:59)

Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:33)

Invitation to Give- Stan Sattinger (31:02)

Message- Hot for Climate- Alix Dvorak (32:56)

Closing Hymn- The Oneness of Everything- Aimee K. Bryant and Franco Holder, piano (55:11)

Benediction- Alix Dvorak (59:10)

Outro Music- Where You Go Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab

 

 

April 16, 2023- Only We Are Earthseed

62 years ago this week, the first human being went to outer space! Our perspective as Earthlings has never been the same. Life on Earth is the part of the cosmos which relentlessly resurrects. How can we become more responsible stewards of the seeds of Life, both on and beyond Earth? This Sunday, April 16, We invite you to bring the seed paper and annual giving commitment cards which you received in your annual giving campaign packet to share blessings and aspirations!

Opening Hymn- Blue Boat Home (:18)

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Lóre Stevens (1:31)

Time for All Ages- Rev. Arif Mamdani and Lauren Wyeth (6:09)

Hymn- This Little Light of Mine (18:03)

Silence and Prayer- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (21:07)

Practice of Giving and Receiving (28:55)

Offertory- by James Williams; Franco Holder, piano (29:46)

Hymn- Rising Green (31:49)

Message- Only We Are Earthseed- Lóre Stevens (34:42)

Hymn- Touch the Earth, Reach the Sky (49:05)

Benediction- Lóre Stevens (51:26)

April 9, 2023- Easter Sunday

With and without our permission and participation, life is forever seeking resurrection. Relentlessly, life finds a way in the harshest of circumstances, and even out of death comes new life. How might we join with this turning toward life? And how might we rebuild and resurrect ourselves, our relationships, and even this church in the shape of beloved community through our everyday actions? Join us on this multigenerational Sunday as we lean into these questions through story, song, and ritual.

Opening Hymn- Morning Has Come- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (:30)

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Rev. Ashley Harness (4:40)

Singing Together- Allelu, Allelu- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (10:07)

Meditation and Prayer- Rev. Ashley Harness (16:45)

Invitation to Give and Receieve- Rev. Ashley Harness (19:23)

Offertory- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (20:22)

Ritual Stations- Rev. Jen Crow, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, and Aimee K. Bryant (23:52)

Benediction- from The Book of Delights by Ross Gay- Rev. Jen Crow (46:16)

Postlude- Where You Go I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab (

 

April 2, 2023- Trusting Life

As we make the sometimes slow and halting turn toward spring and the emergence of new life, we continue our journey of pausing to pay attention. Together, we pick up the practice of noticing and naming the changes and losses among us and tentatively begin to trust again the turning and motion that life offers. This Sunday, April 2 we join each other in the collective practice of letting go as we do our part to make room for all that is about to emerge.

Opening Hymn- Open the Window- Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (:22)

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Rev. Jen Crow (5:11)

Story for All Ages- Little Mole Finds Hope by Glenys Nellist (12:47)

Singing Together- There's a River Flowin' in my Soul - Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (17:09)

Poem- The Thing Is by Ellen Bass- Rev. Jen Crow (20:03)

Singing- A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke- Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (21:20)

Message- Trusting Life- Rev. Jen Crow (25:47)

Meditation and Cycle of Life- Rev. Ashley Harness (42:45)

Reflection on Giving- Kerstin Beyer Lajuzan (51:23)

Offertory- Franco Holder (59:32)

Hymn- Make Channels for the Streams of Love- Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (1:01:31)

Benediction- Rev. Jen Crow (1:03:06)

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

 

March 26, 2023- This Isn’t a Crisis; This is Your Life

This isn’t a crisis, this is your life.
These wise words arrived at my mental doorstep a few weeks back, and they stopped me in my tracks. How might I – and we – make space to breathe and reflect, to name and collectively acknowledge the losses and changes that have impacted us all in different ways over the last three years? 

Opening Hymn- Come Sing a Song With Me (:29)

Words of Welcome & Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (3:02)

Time for All Ages- Rev. Jen Crow (7:51)

Breathing Meditation- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (17:47)

Message- This Isn't a Crisis; This is Your Life- Rev. Jen Crow (23:11)

Meditation and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (52:28)

Reflection on Stewardship- Shelley des Islets- (57:14)

Invitation to Give and Receive- Rev. Ashley Harness (1:03:18)

Offertory- Light of a Clear Blue Morning by Dolly Parton- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (1:04:13)

Benediction- Rev. Jen Crow (1:08:51)

 

March 19, 2023- A Covenant with Mystery

As Unitarian Universalists, we make covenants all the time. Our relational faith is built on covenant. Join us as we explore what it means to make horizontal and vertical promises to each other and to the oneness of mystery.

Prelude- Seasons of Love, Franco Holder, piano (:23)

Opening Hymn- Gathered Here- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (1:14)

Words of Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Rev. Jen Crow (5:35)

Story for All Ages (11:40)

Meditation and Cycle of Life - Rev. Jen Crow (16:30)

Hymn- For the Earth Forever Turning (23:13)

Reflection on Annual Giving- Ginny MacAninch (26:16)

Practice of Giving and Receiving- Rev. Jen Crow (30:21)

Offertory- The Lovers’ Celebration by James Williams- Franco Holder, piano (32:03)

Reading- from The Sacred Depths of Nature by Ursula Goodenough (34:13)

Anthem- What Wondrous Love is This, setting by John Carter- Franco Holder, piano (37:05)

Message- Guest Minister (39:47)

Hymn- Woyaya (54:04)

Benediction (56:49)

Music for Going- Where You Go I Will Go, Beloved by Shoshana Jedwab

March 12, 2023- The Seeds We Plant

Robin Wall Kimmerer says that our deepest longing is to belong to each other and to belong to the larger community of life. She says that this longing is expressed in the idea of tending a garden, which is itself an expression of belonging on many different scales. There is a persistence in this belonging—one that speaks to us of our lives here, together at church, and of the audacity to plant seeds that will nourish the generations that come after us, knowing that we have been fed by work of the generations that came before. This too is tending a garden, and is itself an expression of belonging and extending belonging. As we continue with this month’s theme of persistence, we’ll journey with stories of planting and harvesting, wondering about which part of this collective garden we tend, and what seeds we’re planting for our future.

Music for Gathering and Opening Hymn- Gather the Spirit (:24)

Words of Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Rev. Arif Mamdani (4:18)

Story for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (10:26)

Centering Prayer and Meditation- from Robin Wall Kimmerer- Rev. Ashley Harness (15:40)

Singing Together- Morning Has Broken (19:18)

Annual Giving Reflection- Meleah Houseknecht (21:36)

Invitation to Give and Receive- Rev. Arif Mamdani (24:09)

Offertory- Garden Song by John Denver- Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (25:47)

Message- The Seeds We Plant- Rev. Arif Mamdani (29:12)

Singing Together- Blue Boat Home (44:43)

Benediction- Rev. Arif Mamdani (47:52)

February 19, 2023- Universal-ish

You may or may not know that there have been multiple flavors of Universalism, some with caveats or some that were questionable. We can learn a lot about our own flavors of Universalism through the stories from our spiritual ancestors. As First U decides who we become next, it can be helpful to reflect on who we have been. 

Singing to Gather- Lead With Love by Melanie DeMore (:22)

Call to Worship and Words of Welcome- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (7:40)

Story- Hosea Ballou and the Mud Puddle- Lóre Stevens (13:59)

Invitation to Visionary Goals Process- Ben Miles (21:20)

Prayer and Meditation- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (26:48) 

Invitation to Giving and Receiving- Lóre Stevens (39:18)

Offertory- I Need You to Survive by Hezekiah Walker - Glen Thomas Rideout (39:18)

Message- Universal-ish- Lóre Stevens (43:21)

Hymn- Love Will Guide Us (57:20)

Benediction- Wake Into Love by Saretta Morgan - Lóre Stevens (59:06)