The Sunday Sermon Podcast from First Universalist Church of Minneapolis

September 29th, 2024 - River of Life: Blue Boat Home (part of the UU Climate Justice Revival)

This Sunday, we’re part of something bigger—the first-ever UU Climate Justice Revival. The Earth needs us, now more than ever. In cities, on streets, in homes, we’re feeling the effects: air pollution, extreme weather, water crises. What’s our response?
We’ll gather to talk about how our everyday choices—whether we organize, create, or simply care—can help turn the tide. No more waiting. No more business as usual.
The question isn’t whether we can make a difference. It’s how much we’re willing to do. Will you show up?

September 22nd, 2024 - The F-Words: Formation Against Fascism, Faith as a Force

What happens when fascism creeps into the spaces between us? When disconnection takes hold—relationships fray, truth slips away, and isolation deepens—what then? Gathering more facts won’t close the gap. We need to meet face-to-face, to get in formation, to resist together. Beyoncé’s call to "get in formation" is a matter of survival, a reclamation of our power from the forces pulling us apart. The question isn’t whether we know enough. It's this: Will the future know us by our fear and frenzy in the face of the fascism of our days? Or shall we get our faith in formation and slay?

September 15th, 2024 - Whole Self In: Beloved Community in Practice

August 25th, 2024 - Backpack Blessing

September 8th, 2024 - Water Communion

August 11th, 2024 - The Grace You Can Imagine

Rev. Jen's message from the August 11, 2024 worship service. 
Service Description:
Imagination is an essential part of our spiritual lives, and it doesn’t necessarily involve losing ourselves in an otherworldly work of art, though I highly recommend that, too. Sometimes practicing imagination means letting in ideas that on their surface make no sense to us. Sometimes it’s about play or wonder or beauty. Sometimes it’s about imagining the worst possible scenario as preparation. Sometimes practicing imagination is as simple as paying attention to what already is and believing that more of it is possible. More love, more hope, more acts of care and kindness for not only each other, but the animals and plants and earth all around us. This Sunday, we’ll explore the role of imagination in our spiritual lives, and strengthen it together, too.

August 4th, 2024 - Interdependence and Getting Home Together

What does it mean to need each other? Not just in our heads and our theories, but in ways we can feel and perceive, even awkwardly and resentfully?
The Disability Justice movement teaches us the wisdom of interdependence, or, in other words, the truth that we need each other. Disabled folks live out interdependence every day. Interdependence doesn’t have to be scary or complicated: it’s as simple as driving each other home, or cooking each other comfort food. It’s as straightforward as soaking in each others’ bathtubs to ease our chronic pain, or playing with each other’s children so their parents can go to therapy. 
This Sunday, we’ll explore interdependence in one all-ages worship service at 10 a.m. Join us to sing, share, and wonder, bringing what we need and sharing what we have. Because the truth is we do need each other – even and especially when we don’t want to. Come, help us tell that truth together. 

July 28th, 2024 - Art and Soul Sunday: What We Have Learned

This Sunday we will celebrate the many gifts of growing old, the inevitable resetting and resettling of our hearts and bodies as we experience the physical and mental transitions of aging. Elders in our church will share experiences, insights, challenges, and the joy, sometimes with humor (an essential ingredient in the aging process) of this journey we all are on. There is not only one story–we are as different from each other at 80 as we were at 18, and our effort is to look forward even as we look back. As one wise woman said, “The goal is to get old,” so let’s all learn to celebrate it as we strive to age with acceptance, courage, and, yes, joy.

July 21st, 2024 - Art and Soul with Glen Thomas Rideout, Aimee K Bryant, and John Steitz

What hidden stories do photographs reveal? This Sunday, I invite you to join me, and John Steitz as we explore “See and Say” in the final week of our annual Art and Soul series. John, our talented sound engineer and celebrated photographer, will share his journey and the profound moments he’s captured through his lens. Together, we’ll ask: How does photography reveal hidden truths and balance power? What unseen details become visible through the lens? How do images evoke deeper connections and understanding? How can those without sight experience the essence of photography?
We’ll delve into how photography can deepen our understanding of social justice, environmental stewardship, and personal connection. Through John’s lens, we are invited to see the unnoticed, to feel the unspoken, and to connect with the world in new ways. This service promises to be a visual and reflective journey, inspiring us to look closer and appreciate the art in everyday life.
I also encourage you to visit the Social Hall to view an exhibit of John’s work. This exhibit features powerful excerpts from his documentary collection of George Floyd Square. It captures moments of resistance and relationship in the wake of tragedy.
Be inspired to see the world through a new lens. Together, let’s explore how photography can help us give, receive, and grow the beloved community.

July 14th, 2024 - Art and Soul with Glen Thomas Rideout, Caren Stelson, and Selina Alko

Imagine life as a giant, ever-changing canvas, where colors shift and blend, sometimes beyond our control. This Sunday, as part of our “Art and Soul” series, we will explore this theme in our service titled “The Rest is Still Unwritten.” We’ll learn how to take life’s unexpected twists and turns and turn them into something beautiful. Our guest artist, Adam Podd, a talented pianist and music director from Brooklyn, will join us to share his experiences of making music a shared, communal joy, even during challenging times. We’ll also hear from Caren Stelson, an award-winning children’s book author, and Selina Alko, a gifted illustrator. They will share their insights on telling important historical stories to young ones with sensitivity and care, despite having completed their work independently. Through music, storytelling, and reflection, we’ll discover how to embrace the unexpected and create harmony from life’s dissonance. Join us for a family-friendly service filled with creativity, inspiration, and the promise that our story is still being written.