Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation's Podcast

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on February 19, 2017. Albert Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." What kind of religion is Einstein talking about? One similar to that of his contemporary, Unitarian minister A. Powell Davies who said, "The world is now too dangerous for anything but the truth and too small for anything but [love]...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on February 12, 2017. Audre Lorde wrote, "It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate our differences." As Unitarian Universalists, we are prone to minimizing differences among us. But our faith, at its best, calls us to cultivate integrity and claim who we really are as individuals and live...

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on February 5, 2017. "Exactly" says Dumbledore, " It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. It is our choices, I would venture to say, that make us strengthen and shape our own abilities. What are the new choices we...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on January 29, 2017. Rev. Taylor prophetically addresses our nation's current crisis, calling us all to use our voices, drawing from the wisdom of Audre Lorde and living into the call of James Luther Adams: "The prophetic liberal church is the church in which all members share the responsibility to attempt to foresee the consequences of human be...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed on January 22, 2017. Rev. Morrison-Reed shares a reflection on riding the Green Line as a youth from Chicago's south side in the 60s, as a seminarian, and now as a retired minister—and his awareness of the function of the church and our larger need for community. Mark Morrison-Reed served for 26 years as co-minister with his wife, Donna, in Rochester N.Y...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on January 15, 2017. In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Taylor reflects on what it means to be a Community of Prophecy, especially in light of the current transition of the United States government. The theme for January is what it means to be a community of prophecy. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://w...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Booker Steven Vance on January 8, 2017. Rev. Vance joined Faith in Place in February 2015 as the Policy Director working to promote renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Illinois' implementation of the EPA's Clean Power Plan. He seeks to communicate a vision for environmental justice for all communities by affecting change at the policy level. Originally from H...

Sermon by Intern Minister Kellie Kelly on January 1, 2017. Kellie shares sources of inspiration that will help us become our own prophets in this new year of resistance and courage. The theme for January is what it means to be a community of prophecy. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our website.

Reflections for this service from December 25, 2016 are given by Matt Meyer and Intern Minister Kellie Kelly. Matt reflects on a time when he found "Improbable Hope" and Kellie shares her journey to "Improbable Faith." Matt Meyer works professionally as an itinerant UU musician and preacher, having lead hundreds of services for UU congregations around the country. He is a founding member and Direc...

Sermon delivered on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016, by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor who reflects on the meaning of Christmas in this time and place. The theme for December is what it means to be a community of presence. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our website.

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on December 18, 2016. Emily says, "I believe, at our core, we are people of resistance. We are people of faith and hope. We are people who rise up and do what needs to be done even when there's always some reason not to. We show up and we are there." The theme for December is what it means to be a community of presence. To read abou...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on December 11, 2016. Rev. Alan Taylor explores what it means to be emotionally present to others especially when anxiety is in our midst. The theme for December is what it means to be a community of presence. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our website.

This podcast showcases the Unity Temple Choir under the direction of Music Director Marty Swisher. The choir performed Dietrich Buxtehude's "Magnificat anima mea" and other pieces on December 4, 2016. They were accompanied by Peter Storms on piano; Becky Coffman, Karen Nelson, and Meg Lancer on violin; Naomi Hinder on viola; Franscisco Moleskin on cello; and Dominic Azkoul on double bass. The Magn...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie Kelly on November 27, 2016. Kellie asks us to reflect on the parts we play in our own stories and to consider rewriting our stories with courage and hope. The theme for November is what it means to be a community of story. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our website.

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on November 20, 2016. It is preceded by a reflection on the Unitarian Universalist principles by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor. "How lucky we are to be alive right now," says Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the smash musical, "Hamilton." Lucky because life is a gift, and we keep on seeing these wonderful things around us even when...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on November 13, 2016. With the presidential election just behind us, Rev. Taylor provides a reflection on hope, love, and resilience. For this is a time to grieve and connect with others to ward off bitterness and cynicism. The theme for November is what it means to be a community of story. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  h...

Sermon delivered by Rev. Scott Aaseng and Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on November 6, 2016. Our 3rd UU Principle calls us to both accept each other and encourage each other to grow spiritually. How do we call each other -- including those who oppose our values -- to be our best selves after this election? Rev. Aaseng was a musician, a community activist, and a Lutheran pastor (among other thin...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on October 30, 2016. Given there is nothing intelligent to say in the face of death, what is an appropriate response? Rev. Taylor shares how his family grieved for a recent loss and explores how to respond sensitively to those in grief. The theme for October is what it means to be a healing community. To read about our theme-based ministry, plea...

Sermon delivered by Intern Minister Kellie Kelly on October 23, 2016. Anger cannot be buried -- it must be healed. Yet, this simple truth is hard to achieve. In order to heal our anger, we must practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and the world. The theme for October is what it means to be a healing community. To read about our theme-based ministry,...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on October 16, 2016. Rev. Taylor reflects on what it means to be a healing community, both as a congregation and joining with others who share our commitments. The theme for October is what it means to be a healing community. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on o...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on October 9, 2016. Rev. Taylor explores the healing wisdom of the Jewish High Holy Days and the role of forgiveness in the spiritual life.  The theme for October is what it means to be a healing community. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit  http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections  on our website.

Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on October 2, 2016. Emily doesn't think it's an overstatement to say that in some ways, we have fallen into divisions so deep that we don't even know how to engage in conversation. We're so busy thinking of people in particular categories as "other" that we can't hear their stories or truths or experiences. All that does is create m...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on September 25, 2016. The sermon is preceded by a reading given by Membership Director Tina Lewis. Creating healthy beloved community takes a lot of work. There is much to learn from the ministry and leadership of Thomas Starr King, a 19th century preacher who held together not only congregations struggling with abolition but also the nation. T...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on September 18, 2016. What binds us together as a community? There's a lot to criticize about the early Puritans. But their notion of covenant has been at the heart of who we are as a faith community and, for many, as Americans. The theme for September is what it means to be a community of covenant. To read about our theme-based ministry, pleas...

Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on September 11, 2016. This was homecoming Sunday and the beginning of the 2016-2017 church year. What does it mean to live in covenant with others? This is a fun and poignant response by Rev. Alan Taylor as he addresses a worship for all ages. The theme for September is what it means to be a community of covenant. To read about our theme-based...