All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

All Souls Unitarian Church

Religion EN ↓ 1020 episodes

A weekly sermon podcast from All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a Unitarian Universalist community rooted in Love Beyond Belief. These messages explore progressive spirituality, social justice, compassion, and personal growth—offering thoughtful perspectives on life, meaning, and what it means to be human. All Souls is an affirming, inclusive community where people of all beliefs—and no belief—come together to learn, grow, and make a difference.

Author

All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Episodes

'SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO' - A sermon by Steven L. Williams 03.09.2017 23:00

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 3, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Steven L. Williams, Pastoral Care Chaplain. SERMON DESCRIPTION Twelve years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina changed our world and my life. Whether it's a hurricane, a divorce, or the loss of something precious, we all have to weather storms in our lives. Having something sturdy to hold onto...

'THE GIFT OR GUILT OF IMPERFECTION' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 27.08.2017 43:22

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 27, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Perfect: the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. Something most of us never fully experience. I don't know anything or any person who is perfect. This includes random fant...

'TOTAL ECLIPSE: HOW LITTLE THINGS CAN BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT' - Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar and Rev. Barbara Prose (Humanist Service) 27.08.2017 38:24

The message was delivered on Sunday, August 27, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar and Rev. Barbara Prose at the Humanist Service. SERMON DESCRIPTION The recent eclipse has our ministers thinking about how sometimes something small, in relative terms, keeps us from feeling the warmth and light of the one thing that makes our life possible. We especi...

'SPIRITUAL DISOBEDIENCE' - A sermon by Rev. Barbara Prose (Contemporary) 20.08.2017 40:46

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 20, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION Christianity, the Enlightenment, and Transcendentalism are the three major tributaries that flow together to create the liberal religious tradition we call Unitarian Universalism. Henry David Thoreau, who became famous only...

'CHARLOTTESVILLE: IT'S NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE' - Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar (Humanist Service) 20.08.2017 28:56

The message was delivered on Sunday, August 20, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister at the Humanist Service. SERMON DESCRIPTION Reverend Lavanhar speaks frankly and personally about the impact of the Charlottesville protests on him as a person with a Jewish heritage and an African American child. He lifts up a sophisticated and moral...

'CHARLOTTESVILLE: IT'S NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE' - A sermon by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar 20.08.2017 26:11

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 20, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Reverend Lavanhar speaks frankly and personally about the impact of the Charlottesville protests on him as a person with a Jewish heritage and an African American child. He lifts up a sophisticated and morally nuanced critique of th...

'SPIRITUAL DISOBEDIENCE' - A sermon by Rev. Barbara Prose (Traditional) 13.08.2017 26:12

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 13, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION This summer is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Henry David Thoreau, who said, "The fact is I am a mystic, a transcendentalist, and a natural philosopher to boot." Friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson and inspiration to the c...

'PECCADILLOS' - A message by Louie Rojas 06.08.2017 43:17

The message was delivered on Sunday, August 6, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Louie Rojas, Guest Speaker. MESSAGE DESCRIPTION Religion in American has been a dynamic experience. For many of us it can become an unhealthy experience. In our desire to be good sons and daughters we can lose ourselves, our dreams, and our loves. I will be sharing how I was saved by the one m...

'THE CONSTITUTION & THE GIFT OF IMPERFECTION' - A sermon by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar 06.08.2017 23:13

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 6, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION We continue our Summer Series titled "This American Faith" with a new theme for the month of August: "The Gift of Imperfection". When the founders gathered 230 years ago this month in Philadelphia to draft a Constitution for this new...

'CHANGING THE WATER' - A sermon by Rev. Gerald L. Davis 30.07.2017 40:14

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 30, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION One of the beautiful points of departure, Ware Lecturer Brian Stevenson gave us at UUA General Assembly was to change the narrative. Changing the narrative is not as easy as changing the water in a fish bowl. But that metaphor is appro...

'JOHN ADAMS: THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENCE' - A sermon by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar 30.07.2017 26:09

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 30, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION It is said that after the Battles of Lexington and Concord John Adams became the voice for independence at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. As we finish a month of messages on the gifts of independence and American faith...

'MANAGING THE DIS-EASE OF CO-DEPENDENCY... RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP!' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 23.07.2017 40:27

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 23, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Part of the so called "gift" and sometimes guilt of independence is a certain unavoidable trait of co-dependency, that should not go unnoticed or without mention. Among the core characteristics of codependency, a common trait is a...

'THE AMERICAN CREED' - A sermon by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar 23.07.2017 26:42

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 23, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION It's been said that the United States of America is a nation that was founded on a secular creed. Rooted in the Declaration of Independence and echoed throughout our history are certain commonly held truths. As we continue our July th...

'THE SACRED EGO AND EFFORTS OF INDEPENDENCE' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 16.07.2017 46:34

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 16, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Independence, basically means un-dependent, not dependent or not a pendant. A pendant is a piece of jewelry that hangs from a chain worn around the neck, in fact the word pendant comes from Old French, meaning literally to hang or...

'SHE SAID WHAT?' - A sermon by Rev. Gerald L. Davis 09.07.2017 37:42

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 9, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Rev. Gerald Davis speaks on topical issues from a free and respectful pulpit. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 WATCH THIS SERMON ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/lAiDcsPkW...

'THE GIFT OF INDEPENDENCE ISN'T A GIVEN' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 02.07.2017 44:13

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 2, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION The gift of independence, is in many ways an illusive fantasy that takes imagination, effort, and creative work. A gift, something willingly given without being earned, can be taken back. Talent, something we're born with is natura...

'WHEN SPEECH IS NOT FREE' - A sermon by Rev. Barbara Prose 02.07.2017 29:13

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, July 2, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION Our words are powerful - beyond belief. We have felt the power of a friend's kind words to lift our spirits. And many of us have experienced how the words from a loved one can be crushing. How do we assure we are speaking the...

'THE GIFT OF DOUBT IN THE AMERICAN FAITH' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 25.06.2017 30:02

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, June 25, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION What if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Romans 3:3) The America faith is traditionally as much in its majority Judeo/Christian God as it is in its constitution, bylaws, American c...

'FAITH AND DOUBT, FRATERNAL TWINS!' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 18.06.2017 40:43

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, June 18, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Newton's third law is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Faith is a reaction or response to doubt. Faith is also one of the nine spiritual gifts recorded in the scriptures of the New Testament. Faith is im...

'DOUBT AND DEMOCRACY' - A sermon by Rev. Barbara Prose 18.06.2017 21:12

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, June 18, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION Last week, in honor of Rev. Dr. John Wolf, we talked about how doubt is essential to deepening our liberal religious faith. My father's faith was planted firmly in the American democratic process. One could say he practiced a...

'THE GIFT OF DOUBT' - A sermon by Rev. Barbara Prose 11.06.2017 25:36

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, June 11, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION Doubt was a central theme in the ministry of the Rev. Dr. John B. Wolf, our minister emeritus. He wrote extensively about this theme in his book, The Gift of Doubt. Doubtless, many of us are struggling today - with doubts abo...

'WHY SO ANGRY?' - A sermon by Rev. Gerald L. Davis 04.06.2017 26:42

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, June 4, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION As I reflect on the nexus of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, the not guilty verdict of Officer Betty Shelby and Memorial Day, I question how anger fuels a painful heart. I intend to explore the consequences of unexamined pain. Our part...

'AMERICAN MYTHS & MONUMENTS' - A sermon by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar 04.06.2017 25:50

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, June 4, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Monuments and historical celebrations create a sense of public memory, and what we remember matters. The celebrations we offer and statues we erect help shape a shared narrative of our history and our public identity. These communal ac...

'LOVE WHERE WE ARE' - 2017 Commencement Address by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar 02.06.2017 21:52

This Meadville Lombard Theological School 2017 Commencement Address was delivered seven weeks after the unprecedented resignation of the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Peter Morales. His resignation was a direct result of a public conversation and controversy regarding ongoing influences and impacts of racism on the hiring practices and culture of the UUA. Other senior...

'GET THE HELL OUT OF MY BIBLE' - A sermon by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson 28.05.2017 56:18

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, May 28, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Mercy is not just allowing escape from hell. Authentic mercy would be completely extricating the concept of eternal damnation from our belief system and articles of faith. The English word hell doesn't appear anywhere in the origin...