Sermons: Recent Episodes
Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Below is a list of past sermons given at The Fellowship. Once you find the sermon you'd like to listen to, just click on the sermon title listed, and it will open that sermon in a page with the options to listen to it via the web, to download the MP3 for listening offline, or to open the transcript of the sermon to read.
Reflection by Mark Marnocha Sermon by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy The hymn "We Laugh, We Cry" sings of the many stages of life, and it concludes with the great truth, "To question truly is an answer." Join us for our annual celebration of questions and answers, when our senior minister will do her best to answer your submitted questions "on the fly.
Reflection: 9 (bands) for (Mile) 9, by Scott Peeples Presentation by Christopher Gold Find A Place, performed by Christopher Gold
As the Fox Cities prepares to throw its annual four-day musical party (Mile of Music 9), no one’s better equipped to weave the web of the joy of playing live than Christopher Gold, a man who's brought his original songwriting and folk music chops to every festival since its 2013 debut. Known as much for his humor and storytelling, Gold now has his own weekly radio show, aptly titled, “Backstories,” on 91.1 The Avenue. On this Sunday, Gold will share his thoughts on the magic of the music and help us appreciate why it resonates with so many of us. And he’ll play a few original songs for us, too. We’ll also preview nine of the 130-plus musical artists coming to Appleton so you’re ready to venture out on College Avenue when the Mile of Music takes place August 4 through 7 in Downtown Appleton.
Reflection by Alex Frantz Sermon by Rev. Taizan Alford Cultivating a heart of compassion in the midst of suffering is not an easy thing. You might be wondering what good this might be in our modern world. The Boddhisatva vows in Buddhism point us towards living life remembering we are all in this boat of life together. Soto Zen priest, Tai Alford will explore how pointing ourselves in the direction of freeing all beings might just be the answer needed for personal freedom from suffering. He will share stories, practices, and songs.
Guest speaker Tai Alford is a long-time member of the Fox Valley UU Fellowship along with his husband Tom Pynenberg. He is an ordained Soto Zen priest in training at Clouds In Water Zen Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. He hopes to train in Japan in the next year or so. The focus of his practice is how suffering can be alleviated in daily life through living the precepts wholeheartedly with compassion.
Reflection by Beth Belmore Sermon by Rev. Dr. Sydney Morris In each of us lives our ancestors, the cohort group of the present, and all who will come after us. It's a good time to ask, who is "we". For we are elected now by time, this is the moment to carry the flame of progressive, liberal religion.
Rev. Dr. Sydney Amara Morris was raised in the Unitarian Universalist First Church of Chicago. After working in social services, counseling and organizing, she received her ministerial education at Harvard Divinity and Meadville Lombard Theological schools.
She has served UU congregations since 1981 and has been a hospice chaplain. Sydney has two grown sons and two granddaughters who are 4 and 6 years old. She enjoys her cockerpoodle, hiking, canoeing, and reading.
Reflection by Scott Peeples Sermon by Joshua Long Myths, narratives, and stories create the shared culture of a society. The United States is no different. However, which stories we tell, which stories are true, and which stories are folklore have become blurred. How we tell our stories matters not just for historical accuracy, but because real communities are either liberated or harmed depending on which narratives are upheld. Join guest preacher Joshua Long as we explore our shared myths, how they impact our society, and what Unitarian Universalism has to say about them.
Joshua Long is the Director of Music Ensembles at the UU Church of Annapolis, Maryland. He is also a student at Wesley theological seminary working on an M.Div with a specialization in Public Theology. He has participated in different climate justice events and has served on the board of directors for the UU Ministry for Earth. His heart for faith, climate justice, and social change is made clear in both his music and ministry. Josh lives with his wife Tabitha, their infant son Elijah, and cat Calypso.
Sermon by Rev. Karon Sandberg A provocative title, I know. But admit it, it is something we have all experienced in the last couple of years. As Unitarians, we are called to believe in the inherent worth and dignity of each individual. But does this mean people who believe in conspiracy theories or act in ways that we may find unethical? We have become a very divided nation. Is it even possible to find our way back to one another? Join us as we look at our principles, our religious history, and the advice of a great Rabbi to see if they might be lifelines to help us heal.
Rev. Karon is a retired hospice chaplain that often shares the lessons her patients taught her about how to live. In retirement, she has been working on a book about these lessons as well as finding new ways in which to stretch herself and use her gifts. She speaks monthly at various UU congregations in our area and in other states. She and her spouse, Joel, enjoy hiking, biking, and kayaking around our beautiful state and maybe you've seen them at live music venues in town. Their children, Derek and Claire are adulting in ways that seem pretty cool in Chicago and Washington, DC.
Reflection by Ali Peters, Assistant Minister Sermon by Greg Weaver Out of the blue one day, Greg's eight-year-old daughter asked if her Daddy believed in God. To a former Christian turned unaffiliated atheist turned UU agnostic it wasn't all that obvious how to answer. But her simple question sparked a loving conversation and deeper reflection on how we find meaning in our lives.
Greg has undergrad degrees in Biblical Studies and in Accounting from Goshen College and a Masters in Tax from Golden Gate University. He did tax, estate, and charitable planning work for 35 years. He found the UU's in the Yellow Pages in the 1980s
Reflection by Beth Belmore Sermon by Rev. Dr. Sydney Morris Our journeys through these times can feel like an ordeal. Or a quest. On the path there be dragons, and jewels of wisdom. Bearing the banner of openhearted curiosity, let's hitch a ride on the vehicle of theological inquiry and travel afar.
Rev. Dr. Sydney Amara Morris was raised in the Unitarian Universalist First Church of Chicago. After working in social services, counseling and organizing, she received her ministerial education at Harvard Divinity and Meadville Lombard Theological schools. She has served UU congregations since 1981 and has been a hospice chaplain. Sydney has two grown sons and two granddaughters who are 4 and 6 years old. She enjoys her cockerpoodle, hiking, canoeing, and reading.
Reflections by Pangur Bán Quick, Annika Urness, and Nick Schiller Special Music - Breathe in Love, written and performed by Mia Miller The Story of the Flower Communion - Ali Peters, Assistant Minister
As we enter into the summer, we celebrate together our annual Flower Communion! Bring a flower to share (even if you're joining online!) and hear again the story of this powerful UU tradition. We will also celebrate our high school seniors who are bridging to young adulthood.
Reflection by Dr. Stephen Sieck, Music Director Sermon by Dr. Elías Ortega We gather for worship as a central act of our communal lives. We tell our story through worship. Ours is a story connecting us to others who, like us, come to rest and draw sustenance in a free religious community to live our values in the world.
Dr. Ortega serves as President and Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Leadership at Meadville Lombard Theological School. As a lay leader, he has served our larger UU faith in various volunteering capacities, among them as a member of the Commission on Institutional Change and the Religious Educators Credentialing Committee. He enjoys knitting and long nature walks.
Special Music - On the Theme of a Journey, written and performed by Adrian Sieck Introduction by Kim Hartman, Director of Religious Education Credos by Nate Murton, Tanis Gee, Dustin Sherer, Camdyn Guevera-Derber, Ian Bruce
Our annual tradition of celebrating our teens who have completed their mentorship year of coming of age continues! We will hear from our second-year BATs (Being a Teen) students as they share their wisdom through their credo statements.
Reflection by Marti Wheeler Sermon by Marie Luna
Marie Luna is finishing her ministry as Director of Congregational Life after almost 17 years of being on staff here at the Fellowship. She is following her call to work as an independent consultant with Unitarian Universalist congregations, bringing the knowledge and skills she has learned in this position. At this service, she will share the story of how she found the Fellowship, and the impact this community has made on her life. We will also recognize the ending of her ministry with a community ritual.