In this episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) podcast, we recommend a topical book to add to your reading list: White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones.

Jim Newton, a lay minister at AUUF, read this book as part of his training to become a lay minister and shares this summary. As you’ll hear, White Too Long provides an insightful discussion of the complicity of white Christians in sustaining white privilege since the end of the Civil War. The Trump administration has now made sustaining white privilege U.S. government policy through executive orders to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and to rewrite American history.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community with shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accept a single religious creed.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we hope you’ll join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available on Pixabay.

In this episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship podcast, we explore the post-pandemic version of “third places,” safe and welcoming spaces to build and maintain community. These places are especially important as more people are isolated working from home and fewer attend church. Perhaps these new safe places can help heal the polarization and loneliness in America.

This service, recorded on Sunday, August 10, 2025, was presented by our minister, Rev. Marti Keller. Ralph Banks served as the Service Associate.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community with shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accept a single religious creed.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we hope you’ll join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available on Pixabay.

In this episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship podcast, we explore whether constructive conversations can help bridge the political polarization in this country. Can the insights of Martin Buber and Richard Rorty help?

Gary Lerude explored this topic in a service on July 20, 2025. He is one of four aspirants for the lay ministry being trained by UU minister Rev. Marti Keller.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community with shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accept a single religious creed.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we hope you’ll join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available on Pixabay.

In this episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship podcast, we explore pluralism, one of the values adopted by the Unitarian Universalist Association at the 2024 General Assembly.

Most of us have a sense of pluralism, but we may not understand the nuances: How is pluralism different than diversity? How does it relate to other values like respect, tolerance, acceptance, and equity?

Elizabeth Martin says pluralism is not passive, it’s an achievement — one that can be challenging to achieve, particularly in our polarized world. She has seen the challenges firsthand in her role as program coordinator in the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life at Emory University. Elizabeth is also a candidate for the UU ministry.

These excerpts are from our service on July 27, 2025. Sylvia Rogers served as the service associate.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community with shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accept a single religious creed.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we hope you’ll to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available on Pixabay.

The service on July 6, 2025, fell two days after Independence Day, 249 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. On this anniversary, many of us are concerned about the state of our democracy, concerned that our federal government is not living up to the vision stated in the Declaration of Independence. Recall those prophetic words, that all of us are created equal with unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Reflecting on those concerns, Sylvia Rogers urges us not to lose hope, and her homily offers ways to maintain our spirits despite the negative news. It’s an uplifting message worth listening to whenever you feel down.

Jim Newton assisted Sylvia with the service. You’ll hear him read the chalice lighting.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community with shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accept a single religious creed.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we hope you’ll to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available on Pixabay.

In this episode, recorded at the service on July 13, 2025, Rev. Marti Keller speaks of our mixed feelings about a seemingly endless summer, certainly an apt topic for these hot and humid days in Alabama. As children, how we looked forward to summer, wanting it to last forever. Yet how soon we became bored!

The ideal of an endless summer parallels the human yearning for an endless life. That idea is increasingly the focus for research and technology startups, hoping to capitalize on the birth of a new industry. Rev. Marti asks, if we lived forever, would we lose the sanctity of living?

Richard Shelby served as the service associate. You’ll hear him read the opening words.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community with shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accept a single religious creed.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we hope you’ll to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available on Pixabay.

In this episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) podcast, Melanie Rains presents the homily “Children as Our Hope.” She reminds us of our shared responsibility to the youngest members of our congregation and society and affirms how their presence enriches our lives and our collective spiritual journey.

The podcast was recorded at AUUF’s service on May 18, 2025. Sylvia Rogers served as the service associate.

AUUF is a multi-religious faith community of shared values, including equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accepting a single religious creed. We share our joys and sorrows, walking together along life’s journey.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we invite you to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music. It’s available from Pixabay.

In this episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) podcast, you’ll hear this year’s Mother’s Day sermon from our minister, the Rev. Marti Keller. She shares the history of what’s become an annual shopping event to honor our mothers and suggests the holiday is deeper than cards and flowers. It should be a time to reflect on how society can better support the mother’s role — like access to healthcare during and after pregnancy, parental leave, affordable child care, food assistance for those in need, and a commitment to quality schools.

The podcast was recorded at AUUF’s service on May 11, 2025. Cindy Reinke served as the service associate.

AUUF is a faith community of shared values: equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology rather than accepting a religious creed. Our members reflect all religious and non-religious beliefs. We join our individual spiritual quests to build the Beloved Community, sharing our joys and sorrows as we walk together along life’s journey.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. and Canada. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika (Alabama) area, we invite you to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music, available from Pixabay.

This episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) podcast features a conversation with our minister, the Rev. Marti Keller.

Rev. Marti will be recognized at this year’s Unitarian Universalist (UU) General Assembly for her 25-year service as an ordained UU minister. Her ministry actually started before that, as she served as a lay minister with the Atlanta congregation. I thought it would be interesting for all of us to hear Rev. Marti’s story. As you’ll learn, stories are the essence of her spirituality.

Our conversation was recorded on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

— Gary Lerude, Podcast Producer

AUUF is a faith community of shared values: equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology instead of accepting a religious creed. Our members represent all religious and non-religious beliefs. We join to build the Beloved Community, sharing our joys and sorrows as we walk together along the spiritual path.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika area, we invite you to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music, available from Pixabay.

This episode of the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) podcast recounts the story of the Flower Communion, an annual service in many Unitarian Universalist churches. It was created by Norbert Čapek in 1923 at the Unitarian church in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Čapek was seeking a ceremony to strengthen the community of his church, arriving at the symbolism of the flower communion.

The Prague church was founded by Čapek and became the largest Unitarian church in the world. After occupying Czechoslovakia, the Nazis considered Čapek and his preaching to be subversive, and he was sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where he died in 1942.

The podcast was recorded at AUUF’s service on April 27, 2025. Chris Basgier led the service, and Jim Newton was the service associate.

AUUF is a faith community of shared values: equity, justice, pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and transformation, all in the service of love. We believe each of us has the right to seek spiritual truth and develop our own theology instead of accepting a religious creed. Our members represent all religious and non-religious beliefs. We join to build the Beloved Community, sharing our joys and sorrows as we walk together along the spiritual path.

AUUF is one of more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the U.S. If you’re in the Auburn-Opelika area, we invite you to join us Sunday mornings at 10:00. Visit our website at auuf.org.

Our theme music is “A Call to the Soul” by Folk Acoustic Music, available from Pixabay.