Sun, 29 December 2019
Rev. John shares his findings and response to the wonderful book by Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, After the Good news, which asks are liberals really progressing or just in a delusion of conscience? What happens if you give up on the idea of progress? What comes after? And, how does Rev. John see progress and the karmic patterns of history? Check this important message out... |
Tue, 17 December 2019
Reverend Kathleen Rolenz, Interim Minister December’s Soul Matters theme is “awe” - a theme which invites us to reflect on the places which we find awe-inspiring. At the same time, the daily news brings one alarming and distressing reality after another. Couple that with the fact that the holidays are not always awe-some, how do we find awe and wonder? The answer may surprise you. |
Mon, 9 December 2019
Join Revs Kathleen and John as they discuss the past, present and future of our congregation. Rev. Kathleen begins with honest dialog about her experience at UUCA; while Rev. John shares his personal vision for the congregation. |
Sun, 1 December 2019
Join Rev. John as he explores part 2 of a sermon where he analyzes the primary and secondary religious stories that undergird our lives. In this message he states that we must move from linear to non-linear thinking--toward quantum thinking. He says that the West is in the midst of a major paradigm shift that will lead us to the world we dream about.
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Tue, 19 November 2019
The Sum of All the Parts Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, Interim Minister While in between churches, I spent a year serving as a full-time Chaplain Resident at the University of Virginia Medical Center, covering the oncology, emergency room and psychiatric unit. It was there-- in the midst of life, death, chaos and healing I learned of the importance of paying attention, and had the experience of losing faith and finding hope. This sermon was born out of that chaplaincy and won the Richard C. Borden Sermon Prize of $10,000. Come see if you think the sermon was worth it! |
Mon, 11 November 2019
"The end is near!" What does it all mean? In this sermon, Rev. John tackles old ideas with new insights to tackle the hard topic of fundamentalism and symbolism as the primary and secondary story, respectively, of humankind. He shows us that the world we seek is inside of us. "The Kingdom we seek is within and manifests inside before it does outside" he says. |
Mon, 4 November 2019
Listen to guest minister, Rev. Keith Kron, from the UUA Transitions office, as he describes what a T-Rex named Penelope, Pittsburgh, and a theologian can teach us about the future of religion and our commitment to equity and justice.
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Mon, 21 October 2019
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Tue, 15 October 2019
Leika Lewis-Cornwell, Intern Minister asks, "What is the cost of life freely lived?" This message will explore the stories of those who have been asked to live hidden--to "pass" in race, gender, and/or sexuality. We will consider, together, the price they paid to fit in, and the space we create to belong. This is an auction sermon purchased by Carrie Kotcho, and will be in observance of National Coming Out Day. |
Mon, 7 October 2019
In this message, Rev. John discusses Atonement, the Brotham Jean case, and how to change the world through forgiveness. |
Tue, 24 September 2019
Rev. John Crestwell How can a personal journey through illness to wellness transform a life? How does love emerge when faced with life-changing circumstances? Learn more about Rev. John’s story surrounding www.thedayoflove.com and why he believes a new paradigm has emerged to tell a new story about humanity’s movement toward love.
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Wed, 18 September 2019
Join Rev. Kathleen as shed discusses our monthly theme Faith from a UU context. What does it mean to lose your religion and find it again? Tune in to this podcast... |
Wed, 4 September 2019
It’s taken us a long time to realize our value and our worth. It’s easy to forget how a social justice movement can forget or simply fail to acknowledge the other. When UUs raise our Black Lives Matter banners, this sermon will give a voice to the forgotten.
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Wed, 28 August 2019
It is time to open our minds to the messages our bodies get through music, all aspects of music-major/minor key, rhythm, timbre, volume, and their changes-that can help to develop our spiritual expression. Music frees us from the confinement of thought that bogs us down and keeps us from moving forward in life. |
Wed, 28 August 2019
American Zen teacher Bernie Glassman developed Street Retreats to push his students to give up their fixed ideas and pay attention to life around them. We go out without money, sleep on sidewalks, and beg. Back in 1991 when Bernie first started his street retreats, folks would ask him: How much money do you bring to the people on the street? And he would say: “No money.” Clothes? Blankets? Extra shoes? And he would say: “None of these. We bring ourselves.” |
Tue, 6 August 2019
We have rituals for many occasions in our lives. We live by them and they are important. We need to honor rituals and create new ones to satisfy our continued lives. |
Tue, 6 August 2019
The Fourth Source of Unitarian Universalism is Christian and Jewish Teachings calling us to love. In the aftermath of 2 mass shootings, we will reflect on how the book of Leviticus in the Hebrew Scriptures can inform us how we can change, atone, and act for justice in these difficult times. |
Tue, 6 August 2019
We Americans swim in the waters of a gun culture that increasingly threatens our well-being as well as our lives. Can we keep from drowning? How can we respond effectively? |
Tue, 6 August 2019
The intentional deepening of our faith can benefit not only us but also future generations. Let's explore how living in a purposeful multi-generational community can be fulfilling and also an act of social justice. |
Wed, 3 July 2019
Scotland, Silicon Valley, and Jesus Christ--Or, How Unicorns Got Their Stripes with Intern minister Leika Lewis-Cornwell
Cishet, pansexual, genderqueer, aromantic... As a Welcoming Church, we invite people to bring their full selves, but the spectrum of beautifully diverse identities can sometimes feel confusing to allies and some members of the LGBTQ+ community alike. This sermon will use the Gender Unicorn, a graphic by Trans Student Educational Resources, to explore identity, expression, and attraction. |
Mon, 24 June 2019
In late 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned the world that we have only 12 years to prevent catastrophic damage to the Earth. Let’s take a realistic look at climate justice and why choosing hope is our way forward. |
Sun, 16 June 2019
Why do we sleep? Why did Arianna Huffington leave her job to devote her life to teaching people to live healthier lives through sleep and intentional self-care? Here's why we sleep and why we must prioritize it in our lives.
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Sun, 16 June 2019
Every day we hear about a new crisis arising; whether the threat to women’s reproductive freedoms, measles outbreaks, looming tensions in the Middle East, asylum-seeking families being cruelly separated or deported, white supremacy asserts itself at every term, glaciers melting – it’s a Hot Mess! Every day we must practice a few core principles of our faith which allow us to persist and resist. Buy Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd’s new book: After the Good News: Progressive Faith Beyond Optimism for some advance reading!
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Wed, 29 May 2019
In this Memorial Day sermon, Interim Minister, Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, gives a compelling and riveting message on the racial and controversial events in Charlottesville, Virginia last year over the removal of the Confederate statue of General Robert Lee. Rev. Kathleen asks "What if the narrative you are telling yourself is a lie?" and boldly shows why one's personal stories can create false narratives that lead to war and violence. What can we do differently? Listen to this message. |
Wed, 22 May 2019
Fear and love are powerful motivators. Some say fear is more potent while others say love is the thing that links us all. We will examine curiosity, fear, fight and flight and show that we must do what the author Susan Jeffers says, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” |
Tue, 7 May 2019
On May 5, 1819, The Reverend William Ellery Channing preached a controversial sermon at the Unitarian Church of Baltimore. Channing's sermon went "viral" and quickly established the Unitarians not only as religious liberals - but theological radicals. |
Sat, 27 April 2019
On Easter morning, the women disciples of Jesus came to the tomb, only to discover that he wasn't there. Fast forward some 2,000 years, and we'll discover a Jesus whose message of radical hospitality and inclusiveness is still very much alive and still in need of our purposeful engagement. |
Thu, 18 April 2019
As your interim minister, Rev. Rolenz has been on this journey of transition several times. There are certain experiences that are common to all churches in transition; others are unique to specific congregations. Rev. Rolenz will reflect on the journey of UUCA towards the next chapter of its life, with some help from the five spiritual touchstones which can frame our life's journey.
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Thu, 18 April 2019
Freedom is not a single destination, but a series of roads we journey on together as we seek wholeness for ourselves and our world. This service will reflect on the lessons of Passover and the ways in which the journey of the Exodus still speaks into our own lives as we embrace and uplift freedom. |
Tue, 9 April 2019
How do you choose to do or NOT do a certain thing? When or how do you know that your choice was the right one? In this message, Rev. John will utilize the social science scholarship of author Jonah Lehrer as he explores the intricate processes and decisions involved in finding and living in wholeness and happiness.
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Tue, 2 April 2019
In celebration of Women's History Month and the commitments we make together to justice, this sermon explores epic journeys in myth, history, and our own lives. |
Tue, 19 March 2019
What happens when we die? Today I examine spiritualism, reincarnation and life after death using some personal transcendent experiences, history and current writings, Rev. John explores the mystery of death and the afterlife. |
Mon, 11 March 2019
Unitarian Universalists generally believe that we are autonomous, independent individuals who have the right to do with our lives whatever we wish-including the right to end it. This sermon was inspired by the book Stay by Jennifer Michael Hecht who argues that suicide violates not a moral law but a human ethical imperative to stay alive with and for each other. Trigger Warning: This sermon contains sensitive content on suicide and discussion around mental health. Please be advised with children listening and seek help if you are having thoughts of depression or suicide. Ministers are available for Pastoral Care and can direct you to proper mental health agencies. |
Mon, 11 March 2019
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was an African-American abolitionist, suffragist, poet, teacher, public speaker, and writer. She was active in social reform and was a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which advocated the federal government taking a role in progressive reform. Her writings, poetry, and theology all leaned towards Universalism. Within her powerful life story, we may find lessons for our own to encourage, challenge and inspire us. |
Mon, 4 March 2019
We talk of our journey to the beloved community all the time. We aspire to create a place that is diverse and welcoming to ALL. What does that look like when it is realized? How will we know when we get there? In this service, Rev. John will share his vision for the UUCA congregation, in particular, and Unitarian Universalism, in general, with great hope, and determination. |
Mon, 18 February 2019
Who do you trust? Why do you trust them? Have you lost trust in someone or something? How do you get trust back? In this interactive service, Rev. John will lead you through some of the Soul Matters materials to get to the heart of the matter: Trust but verify! |
Wed, 6 February 2019
The theme for February is "Trust" and there are many ways in which trust can be both eroded and built. The Ministry Team will reflect on the role of vulnerability, forgiveness, and mercy as it is experienced in the hard work of building relationships, dismantling oppression, and working for justice in our community.
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Mon, 21 January 2019
It is said that old wounds fester. Could it be that we are still fighting the Civil War in America? Is it possible that the Civil Rights Movement was a continuation of a quintessentially American story about tribe, race, resources, and power? In this message, Rev. John looks at history and suggests that we are fighting a war for civility.
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Fri, 4 January 2019
From the cold vacuum of space to the lush wilds of earthly jungles, Wanderers have been heading out to explore the unknown since the dawn of time. No matter how intrepid these explorers, though, some of the small-some might say silly-reminders of home have traveled with them on their journeys. This multigenerational service will examine the ways we strike out to know mystery, and the things that keep us grounded on the way. |