First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

This Sunday, we’re part of something bigger—the first-ever UU Climate Justice Revival. The Earth needs us, now more than ever. In cities, on streets, in homes, we’re feeling the effects: air pollution, extreme weather, water crises. What’s our response? We’ll gather to talk about how our everyday choices—whether we organize, create, or simply care—can help turn the tide. No more waiting. No more b...

What happens when fascism creeps into the spaces between us? When disconnection takes hold—relationships fray, truth slips away, and isolation deepens—what then? Gathering more facts won’t close the gap. We need to meet face-to-face, to get in formation, to resist together. Beyoncé’s call to "get in formation" is a matter of survival, a reclamation of our power from the forces pulling us apart. Th...

We come together from one body, each of us bringing what we can to create the Beloved Community—a place free of hate, poverty, and oppression, where all can thrive. As we push back against fascism, we practice love in action, standing strong in shared ministry. It’s not enough to put a hand or a foot in—we’re called to put our whole selves into this work, because building a world where everyone be...

This Sunday, August 25, is our 10 a.m. Summer Camp Sunday and Backpack Blessing worship service! At this special service, our campers will be leading us in song, story, play, and art created during our week together. We will also celebrate our annual Backpack Blessing. At this service, as we do every year, we will bless our students, teachers, staff, and all who are headed back to school and will...

Our annual Water Communion service is a ritual tradition we share with UUs around the world. The Water Ritual was created by leaders in the UU feminist movement more than four decades ago. Lucile Schuck Longview and Carolyn McDade (also the composer of our beloved song Spirit of Life) made this practice with water (an inclusive symbol of women’s spirituality), to help us all remember how deeply we...

Imagination is an essential part of our spiritual lives, and it doesn’t necessarily involve losing ourselves in an otherworldly work of art, though I highly recommend that, too. Sometimes practicing imagination means letting in ideas that on their surface make no sense to us. Sometimes it’s about play or wonder or beauty. Sometimes it’s about imagining the worst possible scenario as preparation. S...

What does it mean to need each other? Not just in our heads and our theories, but in ways we can feel and perceive, even awkwardly and resentfully? The Disability Justice movement teaches us the wisdom of interdependence, or, in other words, the truth that we need each other. Disabled folks live out interdependence every day. Interdependence doesn’t have to be scary or complicated: it’s as simple...

This Sunday we will celebrate the many gifts of growing old, the inevitable resetting and resettling of our hearts and bodies as we experience the physical and mental transitions of aging. Elders in our church will share experiences, insights, challenges, and the joy, sometimes with humor (an essential ingredient in the aging process) of this journey we all are on. There is not only one story–we a...

What hidden stories do photographs reveal? This Sunday, I invite you to join me, and John Steitz as we explore “See and Say” in the final week of our annual Art and Soul series. John, our talented sound engineer and celebrated photographer, will share his journey and the profound moments he’s captured through his lens. Together, we’ll ask: How does photography reveal hidden truths and balance powe...

Imagine life as a giant, ever-changing canvas, where colors shift and blend, sometimes beyond our control. This Sunday, as part of our “Art and Soul” series, we will explore this theme in our service titled “The Rest is Still Unwritten.” We’ll learn how to take life’s unexpected twists and turns and turn them into something beautiful. Our guest artist, Adam Podd, a talented pianist and music direc...

Father’s Day gives us a chance to reflect on the wisdom that often comes wrapped in humor from those who fill the roles of mentors, guides, or fathers. As we explore the lighter side of life, we’re reminded of the broader roles these figures play. Their playful approach teaches us resilience and reveals the human spirit in everyday moments. It shows us how, sometimes, the deepest wisdom is shared...

This Sunday, we explore how ordinary people can create extraordinary change. Retelling the stories of Norbert Čapek and Waitstill and Martha Sharp, as well as the village of Le Chambon, we’ll reflect on the profound impact of simple acts of courage and compassion. By examining historical and modern examples of collective action and resilience, we’ll see how our community can support and inspire ea...

The opportunity has come again, as it has for a century (to say the least), for the flowers to remind us of the audacious beauty of collective action; to remind us to love differences that define and distinguish us; to keep our faith in the call of love in common. Worship Leaders: Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Mark Caswell, Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Rev. Ashley Harness, Barb Brooks Opening Hymn...

What rituals and practices help us remember and bring care to the grief and loss we know as individuals and communities? How might we move it through our bodies, and what roles do beauty and singing and laughter have to play? How might we hold multiple stories and experiences within and among ourselves all at once? Join us on Sunday for shared song and story and searching as we explore the origins...

Share in a celebration of life’s meaningful moments this Sunday at First Universalist. As we proudly honor our high school graduates moving forward into new adventures, we also widen our embrace to acknowledge all the transitions our community members are navigating. We welcome back the soul-stirring music of Ellis Delaney, to grace our gathering with stories sung to life. Big or small, each chang...

This Sunday, we are Navigating Transitions: From Loyalty to Legacy, a gentle exploration of the threads that connect one generation to the next. As we honor the voices of our Coming of Age youth and pause to lift up those who love and guide us as mothers of all kinds, we’ll weave together the timeless stories of loyalty and the quiet, steadfast acts that shape our stories. Come, be part of craftin...

This Sunday, First Universalist joyfully celebrates New Member Sunday, a testament to our community’s growth and resilience. Worship Leaders will guide us through a reflective conversation on the essence of openness. They invite us to examine how vulnerability, grace, and kindness are more than spiritual practices—they are vital for deepening our communal bonds. This service challenges us to disma...

This Sunday, we kick off a four-week Season of Gratitude, and immerse ourselves in the rich languages of love and gratitude. We warmly invite everyone to join us as we explore how these sincere expressions deepen our bonds and strengthen the fabric of our community. It’s an ideal moment to celebrate the diverse ways we can express our appreciation for each other’s efforts within our beloved commun...

On Earth Day, we come together for a service developed in collaboration with our Environmental Justice Team. This day, we reaffirm our sacred bond with the Earth, confronting the environmental crisis with courage, creativity, and collective action. Stories of resilience from communities around the globe will guide us in redefining our relationship with the planet. This service is an invitation to...

This Sunday marks a special journey led by our high school youth group, as they invite us into an exploration of abundance and collective growth. They’ve crafted an interactive service that promises not just to engage but to weave our vibrant community energies into a living tapestry of action and shared dreams. With each of us contributing to a communal symbol of unity, we’ll reflect, give thanks...

We gather as a community, each of us a unique thread, ready to weave a tapestry that embodies our theme for the month: “Investing Together.” Imagine a morning where every one, young and old and in between, help us make a masterpiece. We’ll share stories with each other, sing melodies that weave through our shared spaces, and create a living mosaic of our collective spirit. This isn’t just about th...

This Easter, what if our affirmations served not only as testaments to our capacity to instigate meaningful change but also as prompts to engage deeply with every soul we encounter. Can we mine our shared experiences for tales of resilience or resignation? Will we amplify the echoes of triumph, or will we underscore the moments of faltering? This selection process crafts the larger narrative of ou...

In the heart of our journey towards Easter, we turn to the second chapter in our three-part series, inviting you into a contemplative exploration of dying and the profound lessons it imparts on communal living. This service weaves together thought, music, prayer, and story, reflecting on our shared human experience and the bonds that sustain us through life’s transitions. Join us in this reflectiv...

As we embrace this month’s theme of humility, we are called to reflect on our individual needs within the vast expanse of community life. Join us at First Universalist this Sunday for a journey that promises to deepen our collective wisdom, cultivate understanding and love, and reinforce our community’s bonds. This series is not just a retelling of age-old stories but a dynamic engagement with the...

Join us for a transformative service led by our 8th-grade OWL youth, their advisors, and the worship team, as we explore the impactful journey through Our Whole Lives (OWL) program. “Embracing Humility, Fostering Love: Our OWL Journey” promises a heartfelt glimpse into the courageous conversations and learning experiences that shape our community’s approach to sexuality education. Celebrate the in...