First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

Things rise and fall every day: not just baked items in the oven but energies, emotions, commitments, willingness. Though the idea of ‘onward and upward forever’ has been long proven to be a lie; most of us use our days trying to create more of what we want in ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world. What are some of the obstacles and what can help us to rise, even a tiny bit?

Words of Welcome- Rev. Arif Mamdani (:29)

Call to Worship- David Bach (7:59)

Story for All Ages- Grandmother Spider Weaves the World (12:53)

Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Arif Mamdani (20:56)

Reading- The Butterfly Effect by Rev. Theresa I. Soto- Rev. Arif Mamdani

Sermon- Yeast, Baking Powder, and Other Ways We Rise- Rev. Meg Riley (29:21)

Piano throughout- Franco Holder; Vocals throughout- Aimee K. Bryant

We talk a lot about love here. A love that will not let us go. A love that draws a circle so wide that everyone is included. A love that works to end oppression in all of its forms and build beloved community. The Universalist spirit of love and hope. But what does it mean to live a life through the lens of love? This Sunday, as author bell hooks would say in her essential text, it’s all about love.

Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:20)

Hymn- This Little Light of Mine- Aimee K. Bryant (6:09)

Call to Worship- Peter Kimball (8:03)

Story for All Ages- Lauren Wyeth (12:00)

Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Arif Mamdani (17:30)

Sermon- Living Through the Lens of Love- Rev. Jen Crow (22:43)

Piano Throughout- Barb Brooks

In this bigger togetherness, what do you need promised to you?

In this bigger togetherness, what do you promise to those around you?

In this bigger togetherness, what aspirations stretch you to who you want to be?

This Sunday, March 20, let’s talk about covenant and the promises we make, the promises we want made to us, and what it is that we’re reaching for when we covenant together in this ever bigger togetherness.

Words of Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Rev. Arif Mamdani (:30)

Call to Worship- Liz Short (5:01)

Story for All Ages- Worship Leaders (9:01)

Interlude- Come and Go With Me- Libby Turner, Franco Holder (14:43)

Connecting with One Another- Rev. Karen Hutt (17:10)

Message- The Covenant of Covenant- Rev. Arif Mamdani (22:50)

Offertory- Imagine by John Lennon, revised- Libby Turner, Franco Holder (39:38)

Sometimes the swirl of the world, our communities, our lives, is just too much. Rest and stillness are part of the story – and so is change. This Sunday, March 13, we’ll explore what it means to let go of perfection and live in full progress – risky, messy, beautiful becoming.

Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30)

Celebration of 10 Years with Lauren Wyeth (3:39)

Call to Worship- Liv Dalby (8:17)

Story for All Ages- Acornology, part 2 (15:03)

Interlude- Right on Time- Ellis Delaney

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:26)

Reflection- Todd Pierson (30:33)

Reflection- Claire Tralle (36:38)

Invitiation to Give- Rev. Arif Mamdani (42:17)

All Interludes and Outro music- Ellis Delaney

As we live into new and more expansive ways of being together, what will we hold on to, and what will we release? What fierce and holy imagination will guide us as we drop the ways of being that weigh us down, taking only what we need into a future full of justice, liberation, love and joy for the generations to come? 

Prelude- Gather Together- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Franco Holder

Welcome and Call to Worship- Rev. Jen Crow (2:25)

Story for All Ages- Acornology- Lauren Wyeth and the Worship Team (9:19)

Interlude- Building A New Way- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Franco Holder (13:52)

Prayer and Meditation- Rev. Arif Mamdani (16:16)

Message- A Bigger Togetherness- Rev. Jen Crow (28:47)

The first humanists in the United States were people of African descent. They brought with them a philosophy that is rooted in every attempt America has made to envision a more perfect union. This Sunday, we will explore two moments where explicit and implicit humanist constructs informed the movement of human dignity.

Words of Welcome and Call to Worship- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:20)

Community Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (7:53)

Interlude- What's Going On? by Marvin Gaye- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (15:03)

Message- Humanism is Black- Rev. Karen Hutt

BlackLivesMatter. Self-care. Intersectionality. The Underground Railroad. Fractal world change–the power in communities of communities. “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” pleasure activism. Warrior poetry. Stonewall, and the countless other times a drag queen gets her life, and saves another.

Women are powerful and dangerous, Audre Lorde writes.

Thank goodness.

We’re conjuring a joyful celebration of the million ways black female and trans pioneers make justice and love more real, every day and night.

Prelude- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (:29)

Words of Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Rev. Arif Mamdani (2:10)

Call to Worship- Rev. Arif Mamdani (4:33)

Story for All Ages- Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (8:48)

Interlude- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and Aimee K. Bryant (18:13)

Community Prayer and Cycle of Life- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (22:35)

Message- black magic- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (29:10)

Offering- Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism- Rev. Arif Mamdani (41:21)

In Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown invites us to imagine a future in which we humans have gained the ability to move akin to a flock of starlings, each of us attuned to those around us, able to shift and move in concert with the community(ies) of which we are a part. This Sunday, February 13, we wonder about the wisdom of starlings and how they might inform our lives, and we’ll celebrate and lift up those in the community who volunteer their time and energy in the multidimensional dance of church, making this community the vibrant and radiant place that it is.

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (:30)

Wisdom Story- Lauren Wyeth (7:43)

Ritual of Community Acknowlegement (12:19)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (17:20)

Homiy- Murmurations- Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:17)

Piano throughout- Franco Holder

Join us this Sunday for a service of prayer and renewal led by Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Rev. Karen Hutt, Lauren Wyeth, and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout.

Prelude- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (:21)

Words of Welcome- Rev. Karen Hutt (1:31)

Interlude- In My Soul- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (11:52)

Time for All Ages- Lauren Wyeth (12:55)

Interlude- More Love- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (19:00)

Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (20:34)

Poetry by Langston Hughes- Rev. Karen Hutt (31:17)

Homily- Rev. Jen Crow (34:00)

Singing Together- lead by Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (43:32)

Guest speaker Vicki Elliott, Executive Director of Mental Health Connect, joins our team of worship leaders this week to talk about her own journey with mental health, how it’s impacted her family, and why it matters that faith communities work to destigmatize mental illness and ensure that everyone has access to the mental health care resources they need.

Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30)

Call to Worship- Rev. Karen Hutt (9:42)

Blessing for Spiritual Growth- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (18:21)

Paryer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (21:22)

Message- Vicki Elliott, E.D. of Mental Health Connect (27:09)

Vocals throughout- Aimee K. Bryant and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout