Unitarian Universalist Sermons and Conversations from First Unitarian Church of Dallas
553 episodes — Page 7 of 12
S5 Ep 19210.31.21.SEMON: "All Souls" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
Our annual remembrance of those in our church community we've lost in the past year.
S5 Ep 19110.24.21 SERMON: "Loving Enough to Forgive" ~ Rev. Beth Dana
What does love require of us when it comes to forgiving ourselves and others?
S5 Ep 190"It's Going to Get Messy"
Whenever things begin to open up in new ways, in church life, in our inner life, in our social justice work a kind of clumsiness ensues. We doubt ourselves. We fumble around. We know that perfectionism and urgency are sure fire ways to ensure nothing is learned and nothing changes, and yet it's hard not to succumb to those cultural norms. This Sunday we embrace the messiness of transformation and change.
S5 Ep 18910.10.21 SERMON: "The Spiritual Classroom of Discomfort" - Rev. Ruth MacKenzie
Why do Buddhists talk about learning to "stay" with our discomfort? Why did Jesus ask his followers to get uncomfortable with the dominant culture of the time and to live into the discomfort of really meeting our neighbor? What makes discomfort an important aspect of spiritual growth and deepening? This Sunday we explore our relationship with discomfort and what it can teach us.
S5 Ep 18810.03.21 SERMON: "God Doesn't Want Your Money" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
The thief said, 'Your money or your life,' what is your response? What is the theology of money that makes your life better?
S5 Ep 18709.26.21 SERMON: "To Have and to Hold" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
Lets talk about promises, covenants, how we honor each other with them.
S5 Ep 18609 19 21 SERMON: "Costly and Beloved" - Rev. Ruth MacKenzie
To cherish is more than holding something dear. It is accepting the cost of loving, and loving still, "consciously, conscientiously, concretely, constructively," as poet Marge Piercy writes. Together we explore what it means to cherish.
S5 Ep 18509.12.21 SERMON: "Cherished" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
As we come back together, what have we lost and gained, we explore what we cherish about each other, our faith community, and life.
S5 Ep 18409.05.21 SERMON: "Are You Saved?" - Rev. Beth Dana
Our Unitarian Universalist tradition responds "yes!" But what does it mean to be saved, and why does it matter?
S5 Ep 18308.29.21 SERMON: "Are You a Sinner?" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
William Ellery Channing forged the Unitarian response to this question and gave us much to ponder. What is sin? How do we fit into the traditional Christian story of sin and redemption? Does it matter? Why are we still so fixated on sin? How does this impact my life today?
S5 Ep 18208.22.21 SERMON: "In This Love" - Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
Dr. Parker will share a personal testimony about the spiritual destination her journey has led to, and will teach a simple spiritual practice to ground
S5 Ep 18108.15.21 SERMON: "This Present Paradise" - Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
Some seek a spiritual destination that transcends this world and this life…but what if our spiritual destination is to be discovered right here and now?
S5 Ep 18008.08.21 SERMON: "Why Vacation is Overrated" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
– Spiritual destinations are known in pilgrimage. Lets look where we are pilgrims of soul.
S5 Ep 17908.01.21.SERMON: "Our Affirmation" - Rev. Beth Dana
– How does the Affirmation of our church serve as a grounding and resting place for us on our spiritual journeys?
S5 Ep 17807.25.21 SERMON: "Beyond Whiteanity" ~ Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
– Untangling the complicity of religion with white supremacy and finding the yes to a deeper humanity for all of us.
S5 Ep 17707.18.21 SERMON: "The Greening of God" - Rev. Dr Rebecca Parker
– New spiritual and ethical understandings emerging from feminism and womanism as faith moves "earth ward" and we grapple with the false gods that have led to global climate change and ecological crises.
S5 Ep 17607.11.21 SERMON: "This Shining Night" - Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
– Dealing with the ways we use religion to defend ourselves against our experiences of pain or loss. How can we let go of those defenses to come in closer contact with life's realities and life's sources of grace and healing?
S5 Ep 17507 04 21 SERMON: "Saying Yes to America" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
– How to say 'yes' to America in all its complexity. What is the spiritual response to hope for our country? POSTLUDE: on Batiste playing the "Star Spangled Banner/Lift Every Voice and Sing" on NPR music Live Sessions hosted by WXPN
S5 Ep 17406.27.21 SERMON: "The Idolatries of America" ~ Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
American Idols are everywhere so we might ask, where is the place for critique as a spiritual responsibility?
S5 Ep 17306.20.21 SERMON: "The Sanctuary of Openness" - Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
– What happens after we say "No" to dangerous ideas about God? We begin a spiritual journey to a deeper "Yes."
S5 Ep 17206.13.21 SERMON: "Small Gods" ~ Rev. Beth Dana
What idolatries exist in our tradition today, which we must say "no" to in order to embrace a more meaningful experience of the holy?
S5 Ep 17106.06.21 SERMON: "What We Believe About God Matters"- Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
The power and importance of saying "no" to dangerous religious ideas about God.
S5 Ep 17105.30.21 SERMON: "Was Jesus a Closet Unitarian?" ~ Rev.Dr. Daniel Kanter
Christianity today is not what it was intended to be. What can we learn from it about who we are? Was Jesus actually a Unitarian? These questions and other blasphemies are uncovered in this sermon.
S5 Ep 17005.23.21 SERMON: "The Joy of Discovery" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
How when the world opens up to us, our small vision becomes a grand one!
S5 Ep 16905.16.21 SERMON: "Always Growing" - Rev. Beth Dana
Join us as we celebrate and bless 9th graders who have completed Coming of Age and youth graduating from high school. This Sunday we will explore the ways we grow throughout our lives, no matter our age.
S5 Ep 16805.09.21 SERMON: "Dear Mom, I forgive you." - Rev. Dr. Thandeka
Practicing love beyond belief on Mother's Day.
S5 Ep 16705.02.21 SERMON: "The Power of Story" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
We conclude our theme year looking back and forward at the stories of our lives and how this last year has taught us to live for the next.
S5 Ep 16604.25.21 SERMON: "The Power of an Illusion" - Rev. Beth Dana
Over the course of our lives we learn deeply impactful narratives about our own racial identity and the racial identities of others. How do we live and build community together knowing that race is a social construct, but racism is very real?
S5 Ep 16504.18.21. SERMON: "Can We Have Hope for Our Planet?" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
Earth day exploration of our present and future on this planet through a lens of UU values.
S5 Ep 16404.11.21 SERMON: "Made in What Image?" - Rev. Beth Dana
As we begin our sermon series on the stories we learn, unlearn, and rewrite over the course of our lives, we ask the question "in what image are we made?" How do the stories we learn from our family, our church, and our society shape the way we live in our bodies and express our sexuality?
S5 Ep 16304.04.21 SERMON: "The Life and Joy of Covid Easter Celebrators 2021" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
Easter is not the same but the message can nurture us even as we push through the pandemic.
S5 Ep 16203.28.21 SERMON: "The Genius of the Crowd"- Dr. Daniel Kanter
A Palm Sunday for Unitarian Universalists.
S5 Ep 16103.21.21 SERMON: " I love you, you're perfect, now change"~ Rev. Aaron White
"Ministers sometimes say they only really preach one sermon. This is mine" - Rev. White
S5 Ep 16003.14.21 SERMON: "Everyday Ministry" ~ Rev. Aaron White
- Each one of us has something that contributes to the beauty and life of the world. What's yours?
S5 Ep 15903.07.21 SERMON: "Strong in the Broken Places" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
How discipline in life is a blessing not a chore.
S5 Ep 15802 28 21 SERMON: "To Lose or Find Yourself" - Rev. Aaron White
How do struggle and challenge define you?
S5 Ep 15702.21.21 SERMON: "Life After Life" - Rev. Aaron White
There is hope after all the endings and death in life. How do we embrace it and find new life?
S5 Ep 15602.14.21. SERMON: "In Their Shoes" - Rev. Beth Dana
In this year of exploring the Stories of Our Lives, we turn to look at others' stories and how seeking to enter someone else's narrative grows our understanding, compassion, and empathy. Join us as we launch our Lenten Service Project with the UU Service Committee's Guest at Your Table Program and the North Texas Food Bank.
S5 Ep 15502.07.21 SERMON: "Superball Spirituality" ~ Rev. Kanter and Pastoral Care Director Jean Ann Powers
What happens when you bounce a superball around the church? The answer includes exploring how we care for each other.
S5 Ep 15401.31.21 SERMON: "The Breath of Our Ancestors" ~ Rev. Beth Dana
As we conclude our worship series on the Story of Unitarian Universalism, we will explore the stories of our religious ancestors and how they shape our present and future.
S5 Ep 15301.24.21 SERMON: "Care No Matter What" ~ Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
What is the heart of Universalism doing in our faith today?
S5 Ep 15201:17:21 SERMON: "The Prize is Right" ~ Rev. Aaron White
As we approach MLK Day, our second week in "The Story of Unitarian Universalism" series asks what the true reward is for doing what's right.
S5 Ep 15101.10.21 SERMON: "A Tradition of Truth" ~ Rev. Aaron White
How does seeking truth give us strength in trying times?
S5 Ep 15001.03.21 SERMON: "Burn Baby Burn" - Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
Can we let go of 2020? Hell yes! Lets burn some stuff about last year and join in worship together.
S4 Ep 14912.27.20 SERMON: "Twixmas, boredom, downtime, and other things to ponder.: ~ Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
In the gap between the excitement of Christmas and the burning service of the new year, what is there to ponder? Lets talk.
S4 Ep 14812.20.20 HOMILY: "Follow the Star" - Rev. Beth Dana
A Homily preceding a Christmas Pageant like no other in the mid of The Covid 19 pandemic. We will again tell the story of hope and new beginnings through scripture and song.
S4 Ep 14712.13.20 SERMON: "What is Joy?" ~ Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter
– The word "Joy" will be sung, said and noted throughout this season numerous times but does it have meaning? Advent gives us a chance to reflect on what joy really means.
S4 Ep 10612.06.20 SERMON: "When Life Feels Like a Wilderness" - Rev. Aaron White
We continue Advent by exploring the unknown. What do you turn to when you don't know the way?
S4 Ep 10511.29.20 SERMON: "The Challenge of What's Real" ~ Rev. Aaron White
- How do we use the things we try to avoid in life for our deepest growth?
S4 Ep 10411.22.20 SERMON: "Freedom from Want" ~ Rev. Beth Dana
– Freedom from want is a fundamental freedom for all people built into the American Dream. This week, we reflect on the stories we have learned and unlearned about Thanksgiving, abundance, and freedom.