All Souls Unitarian Church

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 8, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION As science continues to discover a universal story of how life came to exist, that story has the potential to become the unifying human story of creation. Such a unifying story could help humanity transcend our religious conflicts a...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 1, 2017, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION As we enter into another year of anticipated struggle amidst surprising joy, it is imperative that we consider a human condition demands certain undeniable responses. Come join me on Sunday as we gird our loins and put on our armor t...

The homily was delivered on Sunday, December 25, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Joseph Boyd, Intern Minister. HOMILY DESCRIPTION The first words spoken by God in the Hebrew scriptures are: "Let there be light." What meaning can we make from these simple words? This time of year, combined with the first words spoken by God, teach us an important lesson; out of darkness c...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 18, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. It is not good for man to be alone, the only one,...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 18, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Solstice represents the darkest time of the year and comes with the promise of hope being born out of that darkness. Today, people all over the world are witnessing atrocities and war crimes of unbelievable proportions in Syria th...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 11, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION In the farthest reaches, regions, and rhythms of consciousness there is a reality and intelligence people like to call God. If, in fact, God is infinite (without end), then how can we who are finite (with limitations and a per...

The message was delivered on Sunday, December 11, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. MESSAGE DESCRIPTION Our national social justice campaign declares, "We Are Standing on the Side of Love." But how is it done? How do we counter hatred and stay calm? How do we fight racism and remain friends? How do we meet our enemy and e...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 4, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to go on living our lives. Other times it takes courage to change course. Where does this courage come from? How do we rise above the everyday circumstances we find ourselves in and act in the fa...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION My favorite scriptural covenant is recorded as something Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke 10:27, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"; and "Love...

The homily was delivered on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Joseph Boyd, Intern Minister. HOMILY DESCRIPTION Joseph Boyd, intern minister, along with his wife Jennifer Ruth Boyd, and members, Elizabeth Arnett & Deborah Fritts camped at Oceti Sakowin when they answered the Call to Clergy to pray and support Standing Rock earlier this month. Joseph and...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 20, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION A few times a year, all three distinct Sunday services join together in a single unforgettable celebration. All Souls held one service for all at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate Thanksgiving. This special service included music from five...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION What now? With 50% of the people celebrating and eager, and another 50% of the people grieving or protesting, how do we find our own center? Jesus called his disciples and followers to create family with people who were d...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION When my plane touched down in the United States on Wednesday night, it was a different country from the one I left. I was in Frankfurt, Germany for the European Unitarian Universalist conference as the keynote speaker. After a pre...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Covenant is about agreement and agreement inevitably involves negotiation and even concession. You can actually agree to disagree and still be in covenant, or enjoy commitment and comradery. We don't have to go along to get alo...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION A ticket to a baseball game costs $17 and a hot dog costs $2, but the experience of the game, is priceless. This election season has had many costs, including a loss of faith in the political process, doubt about the stren...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Because I have always had low vision, being able to see became part of my identity. Thick glasses suggested a bookish countenance which meant I was expected to know something. It was only in my course of development did I realize kn...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION In the Broadway musical Wicked, we find a new twist on the old classic, The Wizard of Oz. It turns out the "good" witch is not so good after all and the "wicked" witch, well, she ain't so bad. In this delightful tale the complexiti...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Adam and Eve were free to eat from any tree in the Garden … except from the tree which separated good from evil, the forbidden tree. Do we ignore or embrace that duality today? And how do we do it? What might be the consequence...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION At the first summit on religion and race, Moses and Pharaoh were the two main participants. Moses said, "Let My people go." Pharaoh replied: "I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go." Our world and wo...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Joseph Boyd, Intern Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION This is a season of ghost stories. Have you ever seen a ghost? Maybe you have, and never knew it. Come this Sunday, and find out. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 WATCH THIS S...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 9, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION According to the old testament biblical narrative Genesis 2:16-17, Adam and Eve were free to eat from or live off any tree (or truth) in the Garden, except the one that separates or distinguishing good from evil. That is called...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 9, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION There are moments in life when we can feel as if we are part of history. Events like seeing the first African American President's inauguration or witnessing the World Trade Towers disintegrate into ashes are the kinds of potent mom...

The Community Forum was held on Thursday, October 6, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. DESCRIPTION The forum was to educate people about racism, inspire people to take action, and encourage them to engage in the second civil rights movement that is taking place, right now, in our city, and in our nation. We invite white people, and our friends of color, to listen to African A...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION When we confront deep challenges and crises we also are presented with great opportunities. In Christian language, such times are called, "Kairos" time. The idea is that God is fully present to us in these times. In Kairos times, wh...

The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION There is no better way to conquer an enemy than to divide them—thus the expression, "divide and conquer." For hundreds of years, religion has used the threat of being divided in the afterlife—go to heaven or go to hell—as a...