First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

February 23, 2020- Building Hope

Every Sunday we come together to remember who we are, revisit and affirm our values, understand our history, and practice the collectivity of building hope. This Sunday, we open our Annual Giving Campaign with messages of resilience, memory, and envisioning from our beloved Minister Emerita, Rev. Kate Tucker, senior minister at the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), Rev. Meg Riley, youth worship associate, Monroe Chumklang, and our Board of Trustees Treasurer, Keven Ambrus. With a sanctuary full of song and spirit, we join together to say, “We build hope!”

Call to Worship- Monroe Chumklang (:31)

Reflection- Rev. Meg Riley (3:31)

Reflection- Keven Ambrus (11:04)

Reflection- Rev. Kate Tucker (14:53)

February 16, 2020- When Things Fall Apart

At the heart of despair is a sense of alienation and meaninglessness. What is the alternative to despair when the flames of hate are fanned, when ecological realities are ignored, and suffering deepens? What are the practices of hope and transformation we can learn from each other? How do we lift our gaze and act for the future? How do we participate in hope that is real and faith that is relevant? This Sunday, we explore the place of Universalism in the ongoing cycle of things falling apart and coming back together.

Wisdom Story- Seth Matz (:31)

Sermon- Rev. Ruth MacKenzie (4:28)

February 9, 2020- Got Idolatry?

The energy of breaking down and building up is an important part of our UU theological legacy. As we unpack what this means, we’ll explore the idea of God and how we might relate to it in the world we live in today. This Sunday, Arif Mamdani, Director of Membership and Adult Ministries, and Pastor Stephanie Vos help us enter more fully into February’s theme of “Breaking down and Building up.”

Call to Worship- Pastor Stephanie Vos (:21)

Reflection- Pastor Stephanie Vos (2:17)

Sermon- Arif Mamdani (9:36)

February 2, 2020- Surviving the Wilderness

In a society of increasing inequality and cruelty, it can feel overwhelming and beyond our ability to forge communities grounded in fairness and opportunity. How should we understand ourselves in this moment and how might we reflect on our purpose. Eric K. Ward, author of “Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism” and executive director of Western States Center will explore wrestling with antisemitism, democracy, and identity in our current world. 

Please note: both of Eric's sermons- 9:30 and 11:15- are included on this podcast. 

Wisdom Story- read by Lauren Wyeth (:29)

9:30 Sermon- Eric Ward (8:32)

11:15 Sermon- Eric Ward (28:47)

January 26, 2020- Living in the Layers

Every Sunday, we are invited to bring our whole selves into worship, to bring our joys and our sorrows, giftedness and woundedness, the smooth and the rough edges. This is a profoundly counter-cultural invitation. So often we are asked to prove the text our lives- that is, to only focus on the passages, the feelings, and the events that prove a point or justify a particular framing of our theology or worldview. What if we actually took our faith community up on its invitation and sat with the whole of our lives in the company of faithful companions? What if we “live in the layers, not on the litter” of this precious life?

Call to Worship- Daryn Woodson (:31)

Reading- The Layers by Stanley Kunitz (6:30)

Sermon- Living in the Layers, Rev. Ruth MacKenzie (9:08)

January 19, 2020- Radical Imagination

On this Dr.King Sunday, we hear a Wisdom Story and a sermon from Rev. Jen Crow.

Wisdom Story- Sue Searing (:30)

Reading- In the Spirit of Martin, by Nikki Giovanni (7:28)

Anthem- Rise Up, featuring Anoka-Hennepin Community College musicians Thomas Yoder, Danny Thompson, and Maddy Stoeckmann (10:50)

Sermon- Radical Imagination, Rev. Jen Crow (14:10)

January 12, 2020 - Reading the Story of Your Life

This month’s theme invites us to view our life as sacred text. What exactly does that mean? And how might we go about doing it? Arif Mamdani and Worship Associate Shawn Neel open up this question and explore how this theme might come alive in the text of our lives.

Call to Worship- Shawn Neel (:30)

Readings- Arif Mamdani (4:19)

Sermon- Arif Mamdani (6:02)

January 5, 2020 - Remembrance Sunday: The Cure for Sorrow

Remembrance Sunday is an annual service that is a time to remember and reflect on our losses over the past year and to honor those we love who have died. This service can also be a time to mark other significant losses in the life of your family, such as a separation or divorce, saying goodbye to friends who’ve moved away, or any number of other things. 

Wisdom Story- Lauren Wyeth (:29)

from the Cycle of Life, Rev. Ruth MacKenzie (4:55)

Readings (8:32)

Sermon, Rev. Jen Crow (10:08)

December 29, 2019 - Ending a Decade

Ten more years of the century have passed. What have we learned about ourselves, our church, and our country?

Call to Worship- Arif Mamdani (:22)

Wisdom Story- Arif Mamdani and Rev. Karen Hutt (2:03)

Sermon- Rev. Karen Hutt (8:13)

December 22, 2019 - Home: Blessing and Belonging

In this season of darkness, we are invited to rest and be at home in the stillness and winter quiet, trusting that the light, birdsong, and blossoms will return. As the season turns, the darkness at this threshold moment holds both blessing and belonging. As we rested in such a moment, we welcomed our guests from Families Moving Forward, offered a blessing for Rev. Justin, Rev. Jen, and the entire congregation as they collectively prepared for Justin’s 6-month sabbatical. This Sunday, we readied ourselves for love to be born again in the world, and to be surprised and delighted by what the New Year brings. 

Call to Worship, Monique Wentzel (:21)

Reflection, Bryana French, (3:20)

Reflection, Rev. Justin Schroeder (7:43)

Sabbatical Blessing, Rev. Jen Crow (20:34)