Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation's Podcast

Reflection delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on November 19, 2017. 20th century Unitarian Universalist theologian James Luther Adams used to say that "Church is a place where you get to practice being human." We all – all of us – have to practice being human, because none of us – not even the grown ups – have it all figured out. The theme for November is what it means to b...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on November 12, 2017. Reflecting on the inspiring story Jose Antonio Vargas, Rev. Alan Taylor shares explores the implications of living with the kind of hope and courage exhibited by this Pulitzer prize winning journalist who is undocumented—and highly public about it. The theme for November is what it means to be a people of abundance. To read...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Nathan Hollister on November 5, 2017. Rev. Hollister, board member of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), speaks to why he, as a lifelong proponent of culture change, believes the UUSC embodies our Unitarian Universalist values and is especially effective in meeting the needs of some of the most marginalized people all over the world. Rev. Hollister leads...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on October 29, 2017. Rev. Taylor shares poignant stories of delayed grief, immediate grief, the significance of grief, and the maturity that comes over time in coming to accept the losses that we have incurred. The theme for October is how to be a people of courage. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Colin Bossen on October 22, 2017. W. E. B. DuBois posited that the United States faced a choice between abolition democracy and white supremacy. As part of the UUA-wide teach-in on white supremacy, we'll explore how the quest for abolition democracy is connected to our religious journeys as Unitarian Universalists. A text version of this sermon can be found on Colin's blog...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Scott Aaseng on October 15, 2017. The times we live in are difficult, distracting, troubling. Yet our faith is grounded in deep roots which enable us to not only withstand the storms, but to become stronger by living into the solidarity of interdependence. As Clarissa Estes puts it, we are indeed made for these times. Rev. Aaseng was a musician, a community activist, and a...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on October 8, 2017. Rev. Taylor explores what it means to be a people of courage and connects it to how we are called to give of ourselves generously, sometimes even when it feels like a sacrifice.  The theme for October is how to be a people of courage. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-devel...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray on October 1, 2017. Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, the newly elected first woman president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), shares her vision for the UUA, of which Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation is a vibrant part. Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray was elected as the President of the UUA on June 24, 2017. Previously, she was the Mi...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on September 24, 2017. Exploring the wisdom of the Jewish High Holy Days, Rev. Taylor acknowledges how easy it is to forget who we really are and invites us to reflect on where we need to seek forgiveness and restoration in our relationships.  The theme for September is how to be a community of welcome. To read about our theme-based ministry, pl...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development ev. Emily Gage on September 17, 2017. "It makes me think of each of us, walking through the door here, sometimes bearing gifts or our lesson plans or supplies or cookies, but mostly just offering our presence to one another. We don't always do it as well or as kindly or as smoothly as we would like to (I certainly know this is true of myself), but...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on September 10, 2017. In this time of hurricane relief and the loss of security for DACA residents, Rev. Taylor reflects on the sacred call of sheltering one another. Would you harbor me? Would I harbor you? How can we protect one another? The theme for September is how to be a community of welcome. To read about our theme-based ministry, pleas...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie C. Kelly on September 3, 2017. On this Labor Day holiday, Kellie shares the stories of 3 Unitarians whose hard work made our religious movement more welcoming and justice-seeking: Rev. Joseph Tuckerman, Dorothea Dix, and Francis Ellen Watkins Harper. The theme for September is how to be a community of welcome. To read about our theme-based ministry, pleas...

These reflections were given by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on August 27, 2017, the official first Sunday of the 2017-18 church year. In a worship for all ages celebrating Homecoming Sunday, Rev. Taylor shares his love of the water communion and his growing awareness of how to live into the question: "Who are you to think that you can change the world?" The theme for August is how to be a com...

During the '16-'17 program year, our congregation was part of a program entitled Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity. In this podcast from the August 20, 2017 service, some of those participants share their reflections on participating and what they learned. Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage first gives a brief overview of the program. This is followed by reflectio...

Reflections offered by congregant David Llull and Intern Minister Kellie Kelly on August 13, 2017. As part of the Unity Temple Mental Health Awareness Team service (MyHAT), David and Kellie both share how mental illness has touched their lives in the hopes that sharing their stories will help reduce the stigma and increase our understanding. The theme for August is how to be a community of connect...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Brian Chenowith on August 6, 2017. Brian is a lifelong Chicagoan with roots in the South Side. His spiritual upbringing was Catholic and Anglican though he came to Unitarian Universalism in middle school. It was there, in that UU church where he spent his formative years, that he heard the call to ministry most clearly. He earned his degree in Theology & Religion from Elmh...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Karen Mooney on July 30, 2017. Forgiveness, redemption, and atonement are concepts​ we wrestle with in our everyday lives. When someone is imprisoned, this cycle is truncated by systems built to thwart any real reintegration. Separated from community, there is little opportunity for reparation. Our ministry in prisons and jails is based on the radical notion that every per...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Clare Butterfield on July 23, 2017, in which an octopus goes for a walk with Daniel Kahneman and Shylock. Clare Butterfield is the Program Director for the Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF), helping to originate and manage the grants function since 2013. She brings to ISEIF her background in grassroots environmental education around Illinois and wid...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie C. Kelly on July 16, 2017. One of the greatest myths in American culture is that vulnerability is a weakness. Kellie shares three teachers who have helped her model a wholehearted and courageous life. The theme for July and August is what it means to be a community of connection. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie C. Kelly on July 2, 2017. For most Americans, socioeconomic class is one of the last taboos. Unitarian Universalists aren't all that different. Kellie shares her class story and invites us to consider what a class-inclusive religious movement might look like. The theme for July and August is what it means to be a community of connection. To read about our...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on June 25, 2017. "It was a stormy week in New Orleans both literally and metaphorically, as the Unitarian Universalist Ministers' Association gathered for their annual meeting...."   The theme for June is what it means to be a community of joy. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-d...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on June 18, 2017.  The theme for June is what it means to be a community of joy. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our website.

Homily delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on June 11, 2017. On our first Sunday back in our newly restored beloved worship home, Rev. Taylor reflects on what it means to continue the work of building a cathedral for the human spirit.  The theme for June is what it means to be a community of joy. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-devel...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on June 4, 2017. In our last service at our temporary home at United Lutheran Church, Rev. Gage reflects: "Especially in these days and times, it feels important – it feels essential to open ourselves up to being surprised by joy. Or by beauty. Or by some form of goodness."  The theme for June is what it means to be a community of j...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie Kelly on May 28, 2017. While our bodies take much abuse from living and aging in the world, we often inflict the most damage to our bodies ourselves. Kellie reflects on how we can learn to accept and love our bodies in their perfect imperfection. The theme for June is what it means to be a community of embodiment. To read about our theme-based ministry, p...