First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

December 23, 2018 - Spiritual Survival

Creating and finding sanctuary are spiritual survival skills. In this time when so much is broken and so many of us feel broken, how can we create sanctuary for ourselves and others? Come and know again the light that can shine through the broken places in us all.

Call to Worship: Janell Hill

Sermon: Rev. Jen Crow

Piano: Franco Holder

December 16, 2018 - Gloria, by Antonio Vivaldi + Stories of Sanctuary

First Universalist Choir, directed by Dr. Randal Buikema, lead this worship service with a performance of Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi, with "Stories of Sanctuary" in between movements.

Hidden inside this seasonal classic is a story of sanctuary. Vivaldi wrote Gloria for Ospedale della Pieta’, a charitable institution established in the 14th century to house and care for orphaned and abandoned children. To support its mission of providing sanctuary for children, the Pieta’ formed a girls orchestra and choir, which became well known throughout Europe. Their most famous teacher and concert master was Vivaldi. You might say that he wrote Gloria to provide sanctuary for forgotten children.

 

December 9, 2018- The Sanctuary Is Burning

Sanctuary is a holy refuge, a place of worship, and a hiding place for migrants.
But what if you keep looking for sanctuary and you can’t find it?
What if sanctuary is elusive to you? What if your sanctuary is on fire? Where do you go for safety?

Call to Worship: Leila Ambrus

Sermon: Rev. Karen Hutt

Piano: Franco Holder

 

December 2, 2018- Finding Sanctuary In Each Other

As we witness migrants in crisis on our southern border and within our own community,
As we witness the myriad ways that humans are in need of safety and greater wholeness,
As we remember the times that we have needed sanctuary ourselves—which may be this very moment-
We ask ourselves: What does it mean to give and receive sacred refuge?
How do we practice sanctuary?

Wisdom Story: Lauren Wyeth

Sermon: Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink

Piano: Franco Holder

 

November 25, 2018- The Big Non-Negotiable

All month we’ve been exploring the non-negotiables in our lives. We end this month’s theme by turning to “The Big Non-Negotiable,” that thing that every human being shares as an ultimate non-negotiable, no matter age, gender, race, culture, class, religion, or education. On this Sunday, facing our own mortality, we will fully immerse ourselves in the present moment of life.

Call to Worship: Juliet Ali-Caccamo

Sermon: Rev. Justin Schroeder

Piano music: Franco Holder

November 18, 2018 - Whole, Holy, and Worthy

Our Universalist faith is grounded in the belief that each and every person is born whole, holy, and worthy. This means that your dignity and worth (and everyone’s dignity and worth) are non-negotiable. What does it mean for us to live into this truth individually and as a community?

Call to Worship by Suzan Klein, Sermon by Rev. Jen Crow

November 11, 2018 - And Isn't That Enough?

In her poem, “A New National Anthem,” the poet Ada Limon writes, “Perhaps, the truth is, every song of this country has an unsung third stanza, something brutal snaking underneath us as we blindly sing the high notes with a beer sloshing in the stands hoping our team wins.” Over these past two years, the veil has been pulled back on the ugliness that is a part of our country and its founding – racism, anti-semitism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and white nationalism – all of which have been given oxygen by the words and rhetoric of the leaders of our country. It’s enough. It’s enough to destroy our democracy. Enough to destroy our moral compass. It’s enough, and it’s time to sing a new song.

Call to Worship by Daryn Woodson, Sermon by Rev. Justin Schroeder

November 4, 2018 - A Heart That Beats Loudly

What do you say when asked what Unitarian Universalism consists of, what defines us as religious people? Does Unitarian Universalism matter in the face of rising authoritarianism and nationalism? In this month we tackle the non-negotiables, those things that are the bedrock of our faith, the soil in which we grow our souls and the foundation on which we aspire to create a just and whole world for all.

Call to Worship: Prayer for Living in Tension by Rev. Joseph Cherry, read by Liv Dalby; sermon by Rev. Ruth MacKenzie

October 28, 2018 - The Boundaries of Our Hearts

First Universalist is a multi-racial, multi-cultural, and intergenerational faith community of mutual caring and support where people bring all of who they are and welcome each other with joy. Our sense of who we are as a community of faith is ever expanding. These words cast a vision of who we are and who we are becoming. Join us as we do the spiritual work of learning to expand the boundaries of our hearts and our community.

Call to Worship by Emily Murphrey, sermon by Rev. Jen Crow

October 21, 2018 - Making Room

It’s easy to talk a good talk about welcoming, hospitality, and inclusion at church. After all, this ancient practice still lives at the core of our tradition. However, the Rev. Karen Hering poses a good question, “Are we accountable to people we do not know?” As we deal with the complications, hardships, and commitments of our lives from day to day, why should we prioritize welcoming the stranger? Is it possible to live a whole and wholesome life in the comfort of what/who we currently know? Join us for an exploration of hospitality, the stranger, our deepest yearnings, and the life-saving wisdom of Universalism.

Call to Worship by Daryn Woodson, Sermon by Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink