UUMKE Sunday Service Podcast

“As a UU theologian, I am always asking myself what it means to labor for our faith. From our liberation Christian roots, we inherit the idea that faith comes through good works, an idea that we have expanded and refined over time. In these days we come together in the work for justice, and we lend our efforts to the work of the church. Yet it takes more to be shaped in community to become our bes...

Our past includes painful things as well as beauty. When we consider the gifts of our heritage, what do we do with the painful stuff? How do we hold and process the breaks in relationship, the harm, the cruelty, the trauma? On this Sunday before Indigenous People’s Day, join us for this worship service where we explore how to learn and heal from the past to repair the present and build a better fu...

In our Unitarian Universalist covenant, it says, “We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love.” What have we inherited from our past? How do we weave the gifts of the past into the present, building on the foundation of love? Join us for this service that explores how we can bring the best of our past into the present to create a better futu...

Rev. Tutu grew up in South Africa and has divided her adult life between the United States and South Africa. After years working as a development consultant, and race and gender activist, she finally accepted her call to ministry. Currently serving All Saint’s Episcopal church in Atlanta, Rev. Tutu writes about this service, “Both Jonah and the workers who worked all day want God to judge based on...

If Love is the currency of Unitarian Universalism, then welcome is one of the ways we exchange it. Giving welcome says, “your full self will be welcome here; you can be loved just as you are.” Receiving welcome says, “I am ready to be my full self here; I am ready to be seen and known.” Join us for this service that explores overcoming the obstacles to giving and receiving welcome, and remember to...

2023/09/10 ● The Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom ● Welcome is Not a Mat by First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee

In times of grief and sadness, joy can feel out of reach, muted, or even inappropriate. Allowing laughter or joy can open us to unexpected opportunities for healing and a deeper connection to ourselves and the world around us.

Throughout our lives we have many “last dances,” those times when we either choose or experience moments that are the last and final times we will have that experience. These monumental moments trace a roadmap of lives well lived. Today we will explore this idea with Jeff’s reflections at an age when there have been many “last dances” and how we can continue to live life to the fullest.

Annie will share what she’s learning as a recovering perfectionist and consider why allowing ourselves to arrive imperfectly cultivates courage, compassion, and connection. Life is too short to wait to show up until we have it all together. Join her on this exploration of the beautiful opportunities we have through our flaws.

Humans suffer from species loneliness, even though we are over 8 billion in number. How do we find our kin so we know we belong? How do we take care of one another, in kinship with earth and its creatures, to counteract endemic isolation? Michael V. McGinnis wrote, “Species loneliness in a wounded landscape moves us to want to restore our relationship with place and others; humanity yearns to rees...

The traditional notion of kinship is challenging, because it boxes us in with people who may not share mutual love and respect. What happens when we open the box and include kin who are beyond our family of origin? Father Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboys Industries in Los Angeles said, “Radical kinship is the only thing that mattered to Jesus. We are one, and we belong to each other.” Join us...

The more we open ourselves to the possibility of receiving the gift of grace, the more we notice it in the world around us and feel able to give grace to ourselves and others. How do we open ourselves to grace? There is a physicality to grace; it takes practice. Fred Astaire was a graceful dancer, but Ginger Rogers did it in heels and backwards! Join us this Sunday when we explore less intimidatin...

2023/07/23 ● Paul Kosidowski & Sally Lewis ● Everyday Poetry: Why poetry? Why now? by First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee

I love many things about public libraries, but one of the best things is the grace period given after a due date. Grace is sometimes defined as an undeserved favor, giving someone the benefit of the doubt whether they deserve it or not. What if we lived as if everyone deserved grace, even those we don’t want to forgive? Even ourselves?

Some believe that grace is for a chosen few, but its true expansiveness can be a life-giving revelation. Join us for Rev. Jim’s final sermon at First Church as he looks at grace both human and divine, and reflects on gratitude, one of grace’s many gifts.

How, why, and with whom we gather together matters. In what ways have gatherings, whether professional, personal, or spiritual, changed your life? What serendipities and other moments of grace occurred because of the ways we have come together in community?

Creating liberation takes many hands and continual effort to become a reality. Join us as we hear stories of people whose lives intersected with the Emancipation Proclamation through historical vignettes. We’ll explore what the proclamation meant for enslaved people at the time and follow the thread to the present-day annual Juneteenth celebration.

To help us celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month, Rev. Tony’s sermon will explore biblical references to homosexuality. You may be surprised by how few there are, and what they may have meant in context.

Today we will honor the 100th anniversary of the Unitarian Flower Ceremony, which began in the Unitarian congregation in Prague, Czechoslovakia in June 1923. Please bring a fresh flower from your yard, neighborhood or random roadside to contribute to our community bouquet. We will each receive a different flower to bring home! Our delight in the uniqueness of each flower and the beautiful bouquet...

As Unitarian Universalists, we hold Love at the center of our communities. It’s a Love that asks much of us, and offers immense possibility in return. Join us to explore the Love that breaks down walls, both within us and between us.

At its simplest, creativity is the bringing into being of something that didn’t previously exist, whether it’s a work of art, an experience, or a new human being. Join us for a Mother’s Day exploration of the ways we create and the influences, good and less so, on our creativity

As one of our movement’s few Hindu-identified Unitarian Universalist clergy, Rev. Manish brings a unique and fresh take on our faith, the impact it can have, and our struggles. Join us on this special Sunday as Rev. Manish shares his journey in our movement with us, inviting us to reflect on, together, the very best of what Unitarian Universalism is and can continue to be.

From “Don’t Say Gay” bills to the swath of laws criminalizing gender affirming and abortion-related care, attacks on bodily autonomy in the US are escalating at an alarming pace. And, this nation has always targeted certain kinds of bodies as less worthy of protection and freedom than others. How can our UU theologies of bodily autonomy and the sacredness of all bodies serve as an antidote? Join u...

Trying to find hope in this time of climate crisis can feel daunting and even impossible. Thankfully, many of the scientists and activists closest to the challenges we all face have found ways to live with integrity and joy while making a positive difference. Join us on this Earth Day Sunday when we will explore individual and collective possibilities to live up to our 7th UU Principle and approac...

For most of us, daily life goes on as before even as authoritarianism continues its creeping rise in our state, country, and world. And that’s part of the playbook, a veneer of normalcy as freedoms and democracy erode. The good news: Resistance is NOT futile. Join us as we explore what’s at risk and what’s working, and how we can live out our deepest values in these times.