First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Sunday Service Podcast

Disney’s Moana tells the story of a young woman who hears the call of the ocean. In answering the call, Moana embarks on a voyage to save her people, and find the place she belongs in the process. Most of us aren’t called forth into our belonging so dramatically, and few us are accompanied by a soundtrack featuring The Rock. This Sunday, we listen for how the story and music of Moana speak (and sing!) to us in our continued exploration of The Edges of Belonging.

Wisdom Story- Rev. Karen Hutt & members of the congregation (:32)

Reading- Arif Mamdani (3:35)

Sermon- Arif Mamdani (5:25)

One of the most important and powerful longings of the human heart is for belonging. Perhaps more important even than food or shelter, belonging can offer us a sense of purpose, meaning, and connection that can sustain us no matter what ups and downs life may throw our way. On this episode, we explore what it might mean to honor that human longing for belonging, for ourselves and each other. 

Call to Worship- Satya Mamdani (:30)

Sermon - Rev. Jen Crow (4:40)

Secrets, shame, and stigma are not helpful when striving for wellness, health, and spiritual well-being. Through great strides have been made over the years, there is all too often a deafening silence around mental health challenges. At First Universalist Church, we aspire to be a place where we can bring our whole selves, as we are welcomed in joy. Join us for our 3rd annual Mental Health Sunday, as we break the silence, speak the truth, and with loving and curious hearts explore the realities of mental health challenges and how that touches all of us.

A “Why Church?” case study by the Rev. Karen Hutt. Come journey back in time and hear a story about how a UU church was founded to serve the needs of those who wanted church, but were denied. 

Call to Worship - Monique Wentzel (:32)

Sermon - An Open Door - Rev. Karen Hutt (4:30)

In the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, Calvin invents a transmogrifier that transforms anything into anything else at the push of a button or the zap of a transmogrifying gun. Change, in the world of Calvin and Hobbes, is easy. Octavia Butler added some nuance to this, reminding us that “all that we touch we change, and all that we change, changes us. That the only constant is change, and that God is change.” If these two perspectives represent points on a (non-linear) continuum of transformation, where exactly does church fit in? Is it a vehicle for our own transmogrification? A container for that which changes us? Do we change church as we take our places in this living tradition?

Call to Worship - Rev. Stephanie Vos (:23)

Reading - We Are All Longing to Go Home, by Starhawk (:59)

Reflection - Rev. Stephanie Vos (1:57)

Sermon - Transmogrify(ing) Church, Arif Mamdani (8:29)