Unity Church Sermon Podcasts

Building on the work of Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, how can we possibly yoke ourselves to joy in times like these? What happens when we let our grief for a broken world direct the plow? Resiliency and creativity are not only tools of the joyful, but are also honed by what we've lost.

For the last several years, Unity's Board of Trustees has been considering the work of reparations as a moral imperative, partnering with the Saint Paul Reparations Commission and other activists in the community to imagine how the church can engage in work to address historic harms. This Sunday we'll consider where that work has led us, and what might come next. ​ This service begins with a refle...

On Celebration Sunday we begin Unity's annual pledge drive with a reflection on joy. What does it mean to choose to be yoked to joy, to commit ourselves to institutions and ways of being in the world that call us to deeper meaning, rather than transient happiness?   This podcast begins with a reflection by Worship Associate Ollie Stocker.

This Sunday we welcome Unity's 2025 Hallman Ministerial Intern, Amy Brunell, to the pulpit. The podcast begins with a reflection offered by Worship Associate Dick Buggs.

What toll does it take on our souls when words are used against us? What grief cripples us, stops us from letting go of, or reclaiming, dangerous words? Only in naming, in dialogue with, in expression of our grief and hurt and anger can we fully embrace the power our words have in the world – and freely learn to (again) to use dangerous words. This sermon podcast begins with a reflection from Wors...

2025 is a dangerous time in the world. When the foundations of so many of institutions and assumptions shake, we embrace the power of words to heal, as well as to harm. Even as we recognize the danger in language used to hurt, we use our own dangerous language to imagine a different way of being.    This service begins with a reflection by worship associate Veronica Nordeng DeVillez.

We begin our congregational year joined by representatives from our partner church in Homoródszentpéter. Together we reflect on the long journey from our first meetings to now, and look forward to what comes next in our friendship.  This podcast begins with a reflection by Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair and is followed by a refelction from Rev. Kinga Réka Székely, the minister of Unity's partner church i...

A hot cup of coffee. A firm handshake. A sincere conversation. As we continue to wade in the waters of polarization and binaries, the temptation to let our differences keep us apart is strong. Yet our Unitarian Universalist roots ask us to continue rethinking and reimagining what Beloved Community can and should look like. Could being foolishly vulnerable and honest with each other provide us with...

In the last of our series on membership at Unity Church, we consider our work beyond the congregation, as we ask each other to "let the compassion that rises from doing your work within and among lead you to bless the world." In this anxious age, what does it mean to be a blessing?   This sermon podcast begins with a reflection from Worship Associate Ollie Stocker.

The second expectation of membership at Unity Church is that our members will "develop the skills of small group intimacy that let you go deep quickly with strangers." Among this community, the skills of connection deepen our ties and begin to connect our personal practices and lives with the broader world.   This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by Worship Associate Sarah Cledwyn.

Members of Unity Church are asked to "develop a personal practice that helps you find and keep your balance." What is it about practice that improves balance? Is there value to these practices outside of an instrumental result? How does personal practice set up the rest of our lives together as a community?

What does it mean to be Unitarian Universalist in this moment? In an anxious age, it is not sufficient for us to retreat from the world into intellectual contemplation. Instead, our faith calls us to engage, fully, with our souls, each other, and the world around us.

Alana Howey | Anna Newton | Lisa Burke Unity's Act for the Earth Community Outreach Ministry Team With chaos all around us, action grounded in spiritual practice can help us move forward. Anna Newton, Alana Howey, and Lisa Burke, members of Unity's Act for the Earth Team, will share their approach to this work.   This service begins with a reflection by Anna Newton which is followed by a collage o...

The question we need to be asking in our justice efforts is what are we building together, not what are we doing. Weaving relationships, growing capacity, grounding in our values — these are what build power and make a difference over the long-haul of change. Rev. Terri Burnor (she/her) is Executive Director of MUUSJA (the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance). She also serves...

As the world around us changes at a rapid and discouraging pace, how do we keep ourselves grounded and continue to build resilience for the years ahead? What practices both spiritual and otherwise do we need to establish and maintain in order to continue to live lives of integrity, service, and joy?

This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by Worship Associate Dick Buggs.   Most summer Sundays, Peggy Lin can be found at "dirt church": digging around in the dirt in her home gardens. Called two winters ago by Act for the Earth to overwinter pollinator perennials, she hasn't looked back. This Sunday, she'll reflect on the spiritual practice of noticing what you notice and how that practice c...

It is no secret that mainline churches are rapidly losing members. In fact, research shows that, religiously speaking, the only category where there is growth is among the "Nones" — those who have no church affiliation and don't want one. Yet Unity Church–Unitarian is growing. What are we doing that is different? What are we offering that people want to join with us?   This sermon podcast from Rev...

This sermon podcast is a reflection on Father's Day through a series of stories by Worship Leader Ari Giles and Worship Associate Veronica Nordeng DeVillez.   Find the whole service on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/ZyPcmo-d_3w?si=3jhjHdkr3TlFC6j3

At Rev. Lara Cowtan's final worship service as Unity Church's Minister of Congregational Care, we gather to reflect on her ministry in Saint Paul, to celebrate community and care, and to practice opening to what comes next.   View the whole service on Unity's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/Cf2KCcHW0qk?si=vDNdJG5fIHqX3IlY

Meg Riley serves as co-moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Chief Governance Officer of the Association. Come hear how the practice of improv has shaped her service, and become a spiritual practice. Watch the full service on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/_RmTQBA4-GE

This sermon podcast begins with a reflection offered by Worship Associate Sarah Cledwyn.  Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, as school graduations start and Unity Church moves to a single service on Sunday mornings. This morning we'll explore the holiday's origins as Decoration Day, a ritual of remembrance created in the aftermath of the American Civil War.​ Complete Sunday services are o...

This podcast begins a reflection by Worship Associate Dick Buggs, continues with excertps from Unity's All Our Fullness project, and concludes with a homily from Rev. Oscar. Unity's annual Flower Ceremony was developed over a century ago by Unitarians in Prague, who created a ritual to affirm the beauty and diversity of community in a time of rising authoritarianism and fear. At Unity Church, we a...

This podcast begins with a reflection offered by worship associate Veronica Nordeng DeVillez. The sermon is delivered by Rev. Lara Cowtan. The promotion of gender equality was woven into the fabric of the United Nations from its beginning in 1946 with the establishment of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The CSW is instrumental in promoting women's and girls' rights, documenting the re...

Arthur Foote Music Sunday will include selections by Francisco Guerrero, Osvaldo Golijov, Ernani Aguiar, Johann Sebastian Bach, Craig Hella Johnson, Abbie Betinis, and Alysia Lee. To hear the music please visit our YouTube channel . This podcast is the reflection offered by worship associate Lorelee Wederstrom.  Complete Sunday services are on Unity's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@unity...