All Souls Unitarian Church

The service was conducted on Sunday, June 8th, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar What if the disconnect in your closest relationships isn't about love lost, but about love spoken in a language you don't understand? Dive into a powerful exploration of how we can move beyond surface-level reactions and learn to truly hear one another—not just with ou...

The service was conducted on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar and All Souls Worship Team, with a special presentation by Krystal Reyes, Deputy Mayor of the City of Tulsa. DESCRIPTION: On the anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the congregation of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa remembers, recalls and recommits itself t...

The message was delivered on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Randy Lewis, Assistant Minister. DESCRIPTION What if the word "godless" wasn't a curse—but a catalyst? When love, justice, and honesty are branded as threats, who really gets to decide what's sacred? From quiet family exiles to courtroom crusades, this reflection cuts through the noise and...

What happens when love becomes not just a feeling but a way of leading? In a world that often rewards fear and force, one story shows the transformative power of presence, service, courage, and connection. From California Girls in a sanctuary to music that held space for both weddings and war, a legacy unfolds—not in accolades, but in acts of deep care. What if the most powerful leadership begins...

The message was delivered on May 11th, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk. What does it mean to truly let go, even as we hold on with all our hearts? In a world that asks us to prepare children for a future we cannot see, how do we nurture without control, and love without possession? Drawing from the timeless words of Khalil Gibran and the chaotic grac...

What if the truths we cling to are just fragments of something much larger—something we can only glimpse through others? When misperception feels as real as fact, and confidence masks misunderstanding, how do we move beyond argument or avoidance to real connection? From the story of the blind men and the elephant to the quiet revelations of a marriage, this exploration uncovers how truth, love, an...

The message was delivered on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Sophia Cross, Charles 'Chaz' Hall, Graciela 'Max' Moreno and Eliana Peluso-Verdend DESCRIPTION: What happens when a young life shaped by community, challenge, and personal discovery faces the vast unknown of adulthood? Through the highs of new friendships, the pain of unexpected loss, and the...

The message was delivered on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk. DESCRIPTION: A foggy morning, a missing horse, and an unexpected miracle—what can a moment like this teach us about fear, hope, and the quiet beauty that surrounds us? In a world often overwhelmed by noise and urgency, what does it mean to truly pay attention? From a sun...

The message was delivered on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION What if the story you believed in shattered before your eyes? What if resurrection wasn't a spectacle—but a quiet decision to hope again? As a world once caught between betrayal and belief teetered toward despair, something unexpect...

The message was delivered on Sunday, April 13th, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar. What if a fleeting note of music or a silent statue could say more about grief, love, and transcendence than words ever could? Explore the quiet power of mythos—the stories, sounds, and symbols that reach where logic cannot. From concert halls to ancient texts, from...

The message was delivered on Sunday, April 6th, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by 19 of our all Souls 9th graders. Remarks by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar. What if the search for meaning isn't about choosing the "right" path, but understanding the many ways people find purpose? How does belief—or disbelief—shape how we live, love, and leave a legacy? Through raw honesty, humor...

The message was delivered on Sunday, March 30th, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar. What does it mean to take a stand when the stakes are high? One man, faced with corruption and intimidation, chose integrity over compromise, setting a powerful precedent for generations to come. His story, rooted in the fight for justice and equality, remains eeril...

IN A WORLD THAT NEVER STOPS TALKING, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TRULY LISTEN? A SWELTERING SUMMER WEDDING, AN UNEXPECTED MISUNDERSTANDING, AND A PROFOUND LESSON IN SILENCE UNDOLD IN WAYS NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED. WHAT IF THE KEY TO DEEPER CONNECTION, INNER PEACE AND EVEN HAPPINESS LIES NOT IN SPEAKING, BUT IN THE SPACE BETWEEN WORDS? EXPLORE THE POWER OF SILENCE, THE RICHNESS OF LISTENING, AND THE UN...

The message was delivered on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Randy Lewis, Assistant Minister. DESCRIPTION What does it mean to remember? And what does it mean to forget? In a world where history is being rewritten, censored, and erased, we must ask: Who holds the pen? From the echoes of prayers at the Western Wall to the solemn silence of Dachau, t...

WHAT IF THE VERY THING WE'VE BEEN CONDITIONED TO SEE AS WEAKNESS IS ACTUALLY OUR GREATEST SOURCE OF POWER? IN A WORLD THAT GLORIFIES PRODUCTIVITY AND ENDLESS HUSTLE, REST IS OFTEN TREATED AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT-SOMETHING TO BE EARNED, DELAYED, OR SACRIFICED. BUT WHAT IF REST IS MORE THAN JUST SLEEP? WHAT IF IT'S A RADICAL ACT OF RESISTANCE, A WAY TO RECLAIM OUR HUMANITY FROM THE FORCES THAT SEEK TO GR...

THIS SERMON WAS GIVEN ON SUNDAY MARCH 3RD BY REV.DR. MARLIN LAVANHAR WHAT IF THE THING HOLDING YOU BACK ISN'T YOUR PAST, BUT YOUR GRIP ON IT? WE ALL CARRY BURDENS-GRIEF, ANGER, REGRET-BUT ARE WE HOLDING THEM, OR ARE THEY HOLDING US? SOME THINGS CAN BE RELEASED, BUT OTHERS MUST BE CARRIED DIFFERENTLY. HOW DO WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? AND WHEN WE CAN'T LET GO, HOW DO WE ENSURE THE WEIGHT DOESN'T DEFIN...

A visionary leader, a faith reimagined, and a movement ahead of its time. In the face of racial and theological barriers, Lewis McGee forged a new path-one that embraced reason, human dignity, and the fight for justice. From a fateful discovery of Unitarianism to the creation of a groundbreaking, multiracial congregation, his journey was one of courage, conviction, and a relentless pursuit of high...

SERMON BY MARY KATHERINE MORN, GUEST MINISTER AT ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH FEBRUARY 16TH, 2025 AMIDST OPPRESSION AND UNCERTAINTY, A VISION FOR JUSTICE AND RESILIENCE EMERGES. FROM THE EMBATTLED STREETS OF BURMA TO COMMUNITIES RESISTING TYRANNY ACROSS THE GLOBE, PEOPLE ARE DEFYING SYSTEMS THAT SEEK TO ERASE THEIR DIGNITY. WOMEN WHO HAVE ENDURED DECADES OF VIOLENCE STILL GATHER IN PURSUIT OF DEMOCR...

IN TIMES OF CHAOS AND UNCERTAINTY, HOW DO WE STAY GROUNDED WITHOU BECOMING NUMB? HOW DO WE TAKE ACTION WITHOUT BURNING OUT? DRAWING FROM THE WISDOM OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, AND THE RESILIENCE OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, THIS POWERFUL EXPLORATION REVEALS FOUR ESSENTIAL PRACTICES THAT CAN HELP US NAVIGATE INJUSTICE, FIND STRENGTH, AND STAY ENGAGED. WHETHER COOLING THE FIRES OF...

History is rarely as simple as heroes and villains. What happens when those we admire-family, leaders, even icons of progress-also hold beliefs or take actions we find deeply troubling? Through personal ancestry and historical figures, this exploration reveals the complexities of legacy, the weight of contradictions, and the uncomfortable truths we must face. Can we honor the good while acknowledg...

The message was delivered on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION What does it mean to truly be part of the "family of things"? This message takes us on a journey to explore our profound connection to the cosmos, our role in sustaining the only planet we call home, and the sacred interplay between ener...

HWOW DO WE NAVIGATE THE TENSION BETWEEN CHAOS AND COMMUNITY? REFLECTING ON THE WORDS OF LEADERS LIKE DR.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., THIS EXPLORATION BY REV. DR. MARLIN LAVENHAR DELVES INTO THE INTERSECTIONS OF DEMOCRACY, EQUALITY AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRULY PARTICIPATE IN SHAPING A GOVERNMENT 'OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE"? AS THE DIVIDE BETWEEN WEALTH AND OPPORTUN...

THIS REFLECTION, DELEVERED WITH HEARFLET GRATITUDE AND VULNERABILITY, CENTERS ON THE THEME OF GRACE AND THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF RELATIONSHIPS. PHIL HANEY OPENS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED AND SHAPED HIM THROUGHOUT LIFE.

THIS REFLECTION BY CHAD JOHNSON ON BOARD OF TRUSTEES SUNDAY EXPLORES THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF GRACE, DEFINED AS UNMERITED FAVOR, LOVE, AND FORGIVENESS. GRACE IS PRESENTED AS A FORCE THAT HEALS BROKENNESS AND REVEALS BEAUTY IN THE WORLD. CHAD EXAMINES GRACE THROUGH THREE LENSES: CHRISTIAN TRADITION, EXISTENTIAL PHILOSOPHY, AND GREEK MYTHOLOGY.

The message was delivered on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Randy Lewis, Assistant Minister. DESCRIPTION In a world consumed by noise, division, and a relentless demand for judgment, where can we find hope? Beyond the headlines and viral moments lies something quieter, yet infinitely powerful—grace. Grace doesn't scream for attention; it whispers...