Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation's Podcast

Sermon delivered by Rev. Darrick Jackson on July 29, 2018. How do we survive in this changing world? What gives us the strength to keep going, to fight for justice, to be better human beings? Rev. Darrick Jackson is the Director of Education of the UU Ministers Association. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Meadville Lombard Theological School and one of the authors in the book "Centering: N...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on July 22, 2018. Rev. Gage shares that if you're paying attention at all to the news these days, it's hard not to feel disoriented. To me, anyway, it feels like so much is in question. So much is up in the air. Sometimes I get overwhelmed. And sometimes I try and remind myself of that Sun Tzu saying about how in the midst of chaos,...

Reflections offered by congregants Emma Farrell and Alice Ocrey and Rev. Kellie Kelly on July 15, 2018. As part of this Unity Temple Mental Health Awareness Team (MyHAT) service, Emma, Alice and Kellie share how mental illness has touched their lives in the hopes that sharing their stories will help reduce the stigma, increase our understanding and encourage support. The theme for July is what it...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Meg Riley on July 8, 2018. Some stories comfort us with familiarity; others surprise us as they evolve before our eyes. Improvisation, which may appear to go "anywhere" is governed by consistent guidelines which allow evolving stories to be strong, focussed and interesting. How could those practices serve us in everyday life? Meg Riley currently serves as Senior Minister o...

Sermon delivered by Unity Temple congregant and lay leader Chuck Ruth on July 1, 2018. Becoming more conscious is the spiritual imperative of our time. Chuck shares what this means for us and the wider world. The theme for July is what it means to be a people of story. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our websit...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Amy Shaw on June 24, 2018. Unitarian Universalism has a message of good news for the world, and it is too big not to share. Come and join Rev. Shaw as we explore hope and agency in troubled times, and our role in spreading the Word. Rev. Amy Shaw is the settled minister at Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church in Hartland, WI. She was born and raised in Kentucky, and...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Kellie Kelly on June 17, 2018. Rev. Kellie Kelly serves as our Sabbatical Pastoral Care Minister. Many of us live in the future, thinking that we can make time to be joyful once this big stressor, crisis, or change is over. Rev. Kellie reminds us to come back to the present and make time now - make time to savor the mess, to celebrate the mess, to enjoy the mess - to bless...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson on June 10, 2018. The 1960s introduced many cultural changes that still influence us today as we continue to struggle with issues of freedom, equality, peace and love. What can we learn from this era about the challenges of creating a culture based on Unitarian Universalist values and principles? The Rev. Dr. Dorothy May Emerson is a semi-retired Unitar...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on June 3, 2018. Rev. Gage says, "Once I start thinking about what some of my favorite things are, the easier it is to think about other ones. That's one of the great things about noticing your blessings: Once you start practicing, you get to be better and better at it. Kind of like most things. There are always, always blessings al...

Sermon delivered by Dr. Michelle Lattanzio on May 27, 2018. Dr. Lattanzio is currently serving as a Hospice Chaplain and Spiritual Care Coordinator in Skokie, IL. Michelle is in Preliminary Fellowship with the UUA and is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School. She holds a PhD in English from the University of South Florida and taught undergraduate classes at USF. She frequently present...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on May 20, 2018. The tricky part about parenting (or just working with young people) is that it involves other people. People who have their own ideas about who they are and how they want to be in this world. Which is all fine and good and all that. That's the way it should be. Except that sometimes those ideas aren't the ideas that...

This service from May 13, 2018 was created and presented by the high school youth group and celebrates the seniors who are "bridging" to adulthood. The podcast begins with an introduction and reflections from Heather Godbout, UTUUC's Youth Coordinator. Following that, the seniors present their bridging talks written for the service. In order, they are Declan Cawley, Kelsey Libert, Joey Pintozzi, C...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on May 6, 2018. And this is why we are here, isn't it? Because we are better together than apart. Because we need one another to deepen the meaning and experiences of our lives, even though being together is as challenging as it is rewarding. Because, let's face it: we're a little quirky. We're a little human. We're a little differe...

This worship service from April 29, 2018 was created by participants in our Coming of Age program. These ninth graders spent the year exploring their Unitarian Universalist identity, history, spirituality, their feelings and their beliefs. Their work culminates in this worship service where each delivers a personal credo statement that they have developed. Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Brian Sauder on April 22, 2018. In this Earth Day sermon, Rev. Sauder lifts up a Tillichian theme of mutual priesthood by sharing his journey as the President of Faith in Place. Our faith traditions provide the tools of emergence for personal spiritual transformation. It is this spiritual transformation that further allows people of faith to lead the environmental movement...

This Choir Sunday from April 15, 2018 features a performance of the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré. UTUUC Music Director Marty Swisher offers an introductory reflection and conducts the Unity Temple Choir with soprano soloist Henriët Fourie Thompson, a UTUUC member, and baritone soloist Jeffrey Ray. They are accompanied by UTUUC organist/pianist Peter Engel Storms on organ and Chicago area orchestral mu...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on April 8, 2018. In his last sermon before a sabbatical, Rev. Taylor highlights some of the defining moments in the congregation's past few decades. He encourages members to continue their spring "emergence," blossoming as a community, to unleash courageous love. The theme for April is what it means to be a people of emergence. To read about ou...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on April 1, 2018. On Easter morning, Rev. Taylor reflected on the faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the teachings of Jesus interpreted by Dr. King's mentor, Howard Thurman, affirming love as the most durable power in the world and the function of religious community to make paradise tangible. The theme for April is what it means to be a...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Scott Aaseng on March 25, 2018. Working for justice can sometimes seem like a matter of giving up what we want and acting entirely for the sake of others. But is there a way of looking at action for justice as something in which we have a stake in what happens – with our own skin in the game? Rev. Aaseng was a musician, a community activist, and a Lutheran pastor (among ot...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on March 18, 2018. Taking his family on a hike, Rev. Taylor stumbled on the metaphor of "the narrow ridge" for the faith journey. Drawing wisdom from Howard Thurman and Rabbi Martin Buber, this sermon provides a provocative perspective on the theme of balance.  The theme for March is what it means to be a people of balance. To read about our the...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on March 11, 2018. Do you struggle with staying centered? Reflecting on the Buddhist teaching of the Bamboo Acrobat, Rev. Taylor shares challenges and fruits of cultivating a sustained spiritual practice.  The theme for March is what it means to be a people of balance. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple....

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on March 4, 2018. All our lives we focus on balance whether we think about it or not. In the very beginning we master sitting up, standing up, walking -- they are, in part, all a matter of balancing. Later in life, it's often this kind of balance we focus on again, as we lose some of those abilities and need help. When the balance o...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on February 25, 2018. Reflecting on the #MeToo movement as a call for justice, Rev. Taylor explores how it is also a men's issue: how women and men willing to honestly address the painful reality of toxic masculinity can together change our culture by actively promoting the inherent worth and dignity of all.  The theme for February is what it me...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie C. Kelly on February 18, 2018. In our own personal lives and in our communal work for social justice, the ability to persist and persevere is an important skill to build and strengthen. Sometimes, it is the only type of courage we need.  The theme for February is what it means to be a people of perseverance. To read about our theme-based ministry, please...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on February 11, 2018. What are the gifts and sacrifices that come with being who you really are and embodying your values? Rev. Taylor reflects on the journey of the Guatemalan man in our care, the story of the founder of the first LGBTQ human rights organization in Guatemala, and the role that severe depression played in the life of Martin Luth...