UU Church of Annapolis Podcast

Rev. John answers the question:  What is a real man?  In this sermon he will focus on an Oprah endorsed book, "You Throw Like a Girl" written by a former pro athlete, Don McPherson, who tells the story about his blind spots as a cis-gendered male athlete raised with many stereotypical biases. Rev. John will offer his comments as well as his own personal narrative about his growth and struggles aro...

Awake or Woke?   Reverend Kathleen C. Rolenz, Interim Minister UUCA adopted the 8th Principle in April 2018 – a move which has called the entire congregation into a journey to counter racism and oppression. Building Beloved Community (BBC) created the 8th Principle Practice Series in response to this commitment with the hope that all 381 members of UUCA take the class at least once as part of waki...

Reverend Kathleen C. Rolenz, Interim Minister   On any given Sunday morning, the worship services should (ideally) address diverse needs. Worship needs to not assume unanimity in our theological, cultural, gender/affectional orientation, social location, racial, neurobiological orientations. The one category that is often overlooked in creating church and planning programs is the introverts!   Thi...

In this brief message, Rev. John uses the UU Soul Matters theme of Resilience to show how the African American story in history epitomizes the word; and offers some brief advice for anyone needing to be reminded why they are alive today--in this time of social change.  

On UUCA's inaugural Science Sunday (aka Darwin Sunday) Rev. John continues his message about why we are both/and not either/or people and uses quantum entanglement as his proof.  This was a wonderful multigenerational service so there are beautiful kid voices in the audio.  We need that level of innocence and curiosity to move our thinking forward...  Enjoy.

Rev. Kathleen Rolenz All of us are aging, and all of us are dealing with the realities of our aging in different ways. This sermon will reflect on the various life stages, with a particular focus towards the last 1/3 of life—on its challenges, its gravitas, and its grace.   

Leika Lewis-Cornwell, Intern Minister "I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body," the old joke goes. But what about when it's the body itself doing the remembering? This sermon will examine the ways our bodies and minds manifest our environment and history, and explore what that means for how we build resilient communities together.  

The late Rev. Martin L King Jr.'s arrival as a leader and messenger of peace marked the apex of a repeating paradigm shift in America; a pattern that Rev. John believes occurs every 50 or so years.  Obama/Trump is part of this historical pattern as we reconcile our original sin from 1619 when the first blacks arrived to the New World (which of course wasn't "new").  In this sermon, Rev. John gives...

Ten Rules for Living Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, Interim Minister   Happy New Year! If you're like most, you see the new year as a fresh start; a chance to break an old habit and start a new one.  Jean Vanier, a spiritual leader of the L'Arche communities was asked the secret of life and by way of response, he provided "ten rules for living." Let's start living!  

Rev. John shares his findings and response to the wonderful book by Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, After the Good news, which asks are liberals really progressing or just in a delusion of conscience? What happens if you give up on the idea of progress?  What comes after?  And, how does Rev. John see progress and the karmic patterns of history?  Check this important message out...

Reverend Kathleen Rolenz, Interim Minister December's Soul Matters theme is "awe" - a theme which invites us to reflect on the places which we find awe-inspiring. At the same time, the daily  news  brings one alarming and distressing reality after another. Couple that with the fact that the holidays are not always awe-some, how do we find awe and wonder? The answer may surprise you.

Join Revs Kathleen and John as they discuss the past, present and future of our congregation.  Rev. Kathleen begins with honest dialog about her experience at UUCA; while Rev. John shares his personal vision for the congregation.

Join Rev. John as he explores part 2 of a sermon where he analyzes the primary and secondary religious stories that undergird our lives.  In this message he states that we must move from linear to non-linear thinking--toward quantum thinking.  He says that the West is in the midst of a major paradigm shift that will lead us to the world we dream about.    

The Sum of All the Parts Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, Interim Minister   While in between churches, I spent a year serving as a full-time Chaplain Resident at the University of Virginia Medical Center, covering the oncology, emergency room and psychiatric unit. It was there-- in the midst of life, death, chaos and healing I learned of the importance of paying attention, and had the experience of losing f...

"The end is near!"  What does it all mean?  In this sermon, Rev. John tackles old ideas with new insights to tackle the hard topic of fundamentalism and symbolism as the primary and secondary story, respectively, of humankind.  He shows us that the world we seek is inside of us.  "The Kingdom we seek is within and manifests inside before it does outside" he says.

Listen to guest minister, Rev. Keith Kron, from the UUA Transitions office, as he describes what a T-Rex named Penelope, Pittsburgh, and a theologian can teach us about the future of religion and our commitment to equity and justice .  

Rev. Kathleen Rolenz, Interim Minister Robin DiAngelo's best selling (Beacon Press) book "White Fragility" has continued to stay on the Washington Times Best Seller List for weeks. For those who identify as white, it can be a challenging but illuminating read, as we begin to see the many ways in which white defensiveness about race keeps us from fully engaging in the work of dismantling racism. Bu...

  Leika Lewis-Cornwell, Intern Minister asks, " What is the cost of life freely lived?"    This message will explore the stories of those who have been asked to live hidden--to "pass" in race, gender, and/or sexuality.  We will consider, together, the price they paid to fit in, and the space we create to belong.  This is an auction sermon purchased by Carrie Kotcho,  and will be in observance of N...

In this message, Rev. John discusses Atonement, the Brotham Jean case, and how to change the world through forgiveness.

Rev. John Crestwell How can a personal journey through illness to wellness transform a life? How does love emerge when faced with life-changing circumstances? Learn more about Rev. John's story surrounding  www.thedayoflove.com  and why he believes a new paradigm has emerged to tell a new story about humanity's movement toward love.  

Join Rev. Kathleen as shed discusses our monthly theme Faith from a UU context.  What does it mean to lose your religion and find it again?  Tune in to this podcast...      

It's taken us a long time to realize our value and our worth. It's easy to forget how a social justice movement can forget or simply fail to acknowledge the other. When UUs raise our Black Lives Matter banners, this sermon will give a voice to the forgotten.    

  It is time to open our minds to the messages our bodies get through music, all aspects of music-major/minor key, rhythm, timbre, volume, and their changes-that can help to develop our spiritual expression. Music frees us from the confinement of thought that bogs us down and keeps us from moving forward in life.  

American Zen teacher Bernie Glassman developed Street Retreats to push his students to give up their fixed ideas and pay attention to life around them. We go out without money, sleep on sidewalks, and beg. Back in 1991 when Bernie first started his street retreats, folks would ask him: How much money do you bring to the people on the street? And he would say: "No money." Clothes? Blankets? Extra s...

We have rituals for many occasions in our lives. We live by them and they are important. We need to honor rituals and create new ones to satisfy our continued lives.