Hope Unitarian Church Podcast

Sunday, May 26th, 2024 Rev. Gary McAlpin

We are the stories we tell. Not just the stories we tell of ourselves but also the stories we tell about one another. This narrative is made up of perspectives that  we form from the experience of both joy and our sorrow. It is easy to forget that the world we see, though real, is perceived only through our senses, the eyes, the ears, the hands. That there are colors and sounds that we will never...

 It is our tradition to celebrate Mother’s Day at Hope Unitarian Church with a flower communion. Flower communion itself though held at different times of the year in different churches dates to Prague in 1923 and was created by Norbert Čapek and was brought to the United States by his wife Mája Čapek following World War II. This tradition gives us an opportunity to focus on the beauty of the worl...

 Pluralism is seldom understood by those who do not value it, yet these are the people who generally define it. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal, pluralistic religion. It is important for us to define and understand this value for ourselves. Come and learn about it this Sunday. 

 Tulsa CARES helps to transform the lives of clients and serve as the leading voice of HIV and Hep C in the community. 

By Steven Leigh Williams Sunday April 28th, 2004  Wyrd, in Norse pagan and related traditions, is essentially the woven fabric of reality, and each being/power in Existence has a thread in it. This service, we're going to get a little wyrd and explore how everything, everywhere, is connected and concurrent, from mycelial networks to star nurseries to you and me and our neighbors across the wo...

 In Ancient Egyptian Mythology the heart of the dead is weighed against Ma’at, the goddess of harmony, justice, and morality. Ma’at is represented by a feather and the heart must be lighter than Ma’at’s feather if the spirit wants to pass into the afterlife. Though we may no longer fear this judgement, we still come to one another with heavy hearts, loaded down with the baggage of resentments. Whe...

 The Learning Center at Euchee Butterfly Farm helps improve the lives of Native people, plants and pollinators through innovative community-based programs that emphasize capacity building, cultural preservation, and sustainability. 

Sermon by Justin M. McCreary  APRIL 14TH, 2024 - 11:00 AM Last week, I laid groundwork for my sermons on interdependence and the human need for connection by exploring suffering and the human condition. This Sunday, I will explore the Importance of interdependence during what Douglass Adams calls, “The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul.” 

Rev. Gary McAlpin

 The Gospel of Subversion: Liberation in a Liberal Context  REV. JUSTIN M. MCCREARY   FEBRUARY 11TH, 2024 - 11:00 AM  You might notice the similarity in titles between this week and last week’s sermon. Last week I focused in on the theme of Justice and Equity through the idea of, Gospel meaning Good News. This week I will continue with this theme, expounding on the idea of preaching good news to t...

  Liberating Love Part 2: Throwing Stones (A Redux)   JANUARY 21ST, 2024 - 11:00 AM   REV. JUSTIN M MCCREARY   This week I will be preaching the sermon I prepared for last week when we got snowed out. I did change the title because there will be no soup this coming week. Love can be complicated, and it has many dimensions. This past week we talked about the importance of Joy and Romantic Love. Thi...

Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia  Dr. Garrett from Tulsa’s Branch of the Alzheimer’s Association.  Speaking at Adult Forum on Feb. 2nd. Feb Generosity Recipient.

 Liberating Love Part 1: Embrace REV. JUSTIN M MCCREARY JANUARY 7TH, 2024 - 11:00 AM As a faith, Unitarian Universalism centers itself theologically around Love. This might sound simple; however, the meaning and expression of love is often debated. From Romantic Comedies to heartbreaking ballads, love is characterized as one of the simplest and most complicated concepts in the human collective unc...

Podcast information about our generosity recipient for January 2024 Wild Heart Ranch.

Burning Bowl Ceremony Readings Celebrating Endings and Beginnings

 What the Dickens   This Sunday, Christmas Eve morning we will be celebrating one of Unitarian Charles Dicken’s most powerful stories, A Christmas Carol. Please join us for this live action retelling of Charles Dicken’s classic with special Hope Unitarian Zing!!! This live action service will be one you don’t want to miss. 

Yule Meditation by John Swoboda Meditation in Light for Yule  This Sunday you will be invited to explore the changing of the seasons and shortening of days through ritual and celebration while we pray for prosperity in the year to come. 

Hope Singers and thoughtful readings to celebrate the Holiday Season.

Our Generosity Recipient for December is LIFE Senior Services LIFE Senior Services specializes in home and community-based services that promote healthy aging and aging-in-place for seniors, as well as services and support for family caregivers who play a critical role in helping their loved ones continue living at home. Learn more or donate at the link below: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/w...

 Hope Unitarian Church and the Mystery of The Mysterious Message  BY REV. JUSTIN MCCREARY DECEMBER 3RD, 2023 - 11:00 AM      When I was a child I read Encyclopedia Brown, the Hardy Boys’, and watched Nancy Drew Mysteries I always appreciated the title. The Mystery of the (Fill in the Blank). It was always something that could be solved, figured out, or made sense of. I still love mystery TV shows...

11/26/23   JoAnn Hause     The Attitude of Gratitude we can cultivate for the Holiday Season can show us the best way to make new and wonderful memories. It is only when we accept that we cannot control anything but ourselves that we can truly move forward to holiday joy.

 Divine Generosity  BY REV. STEVEN WILLIAMS  NOVEMBER 26TH, 2023 - 11:00 AM      In a world of seemingly relentless strife, war, and division, generosity can be a challenging attitude to take towards humanity. What might God(de/ss)(s) tell us about such a posture? How can our divine nature help us meet each other with open and generous hearts? 

 By the Grace of God: An Auction Sermon  REV. JUSTIN MCCREARY  NOVEMBER 19TH, 2023 - 11:00 AM       Welcome to this year’s Auction Sermon. Rebecca Jones, the auction winner, offered me a quote from an old UU World Article. The quote, by Rev. Sarah York, says, “Some people might say of those they serve at a soup kitchen, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ I think what they really mean is, ‘Ther...

 Resting in an Interdependent Web: A Sermon About Gratitude BY REV. JUSTIN MCCREARY NOVEMBER 12TH, 2023 - 11:00 AM        When I heard the phrase, “Let’s give thanks,” as a child I knew we were about to pray. Giving thanks was a holy practice, it was a sacrament, it was the moment when we communed with the almighty before something else happened. Thankfulness was a precursor to eating, asking for...