The SUUF Podcast

You Are Here. Now What?

September 13, 2020

Joseph Bednarik

The large map is on display behind plexiglass. A bold arrow points to a spot and three words announce, in no uncertain terms: "You are here." These three words – each on its own then working together - are profound: Individuality. Existence. Location. This sermon follows that arrow to a specific spot on the map, bows to the miracle of your existence, then asks "OK. Now what?"

Still a Mystery

August 23, 2020

Susie Wilson

Unitarian Universalists affirm a living tradition based on six sources, one of which is the direct experience of transcendent mystery and wonder. This Sunday, please join us as we complete our last Summer session on the theme of Miracles, with Susie Wilson, who will share her reflections on experiences of miracle and mystery.

The Miracle of Social Change

August 16, 2020

Ken Stern

In August of 1859 slavery seemed like it would last forever in the United States. Then, in September, John Brown and a small band attacked Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Sixteen months later seven southern states panicked at the prospect of Lincoln taking office and seceded from the Union in January, 1861, before he was inaugurated. And that is why the Civil War began. From Thoreau, who gave a talk on John Brown, through Frederick Douglass, the suffragists movement and women gaining the vote, to African Americans insisting on Civil Rights in the 1950s, to Black Lives

Science, Serendipity, and Discovery

July 26, 2020

Matt Bianconi

Matt will share his thoughts about how science can come about through serendipity along with discovery.

Miracle of Close Attention and Focused Thought

July 12, 2020

Andra Heath

It is a miracle that a big bang of energy precipitated into particles and congealed into galaxies. It is a miracle that life blossomed on at least one planet we know of. It is a miracle that at least one species on that planet developed language and tools, and consciousness. But it is a miracle that anything exists at all.

Graduating Into Upheaval

June 14, 2020

Joseph Bednarik

Spring is the time when hundreds of thousands of students and scholars dress in robes and mortar boards to participate in ceremonies and receive their well-earned diplomas and degrees. In 2020, people are moving across a virtual stage in the midst of a global pandemic and economic recession while thousands of protests call attention to police violence, systemic racism, and white supremacy. This sermon explores the current world these graduates are entering, and what they are being called to do.

Feeling Crazy? – You’re Not Alone

June 7, 2020

Pippa Breakspear

Wow, how life has changed in the last few months! Anything we're feeling or struggling with, before Covid, has been dialed up quite a bit and we haven't had access to our regular coping strategies and remedies. We're adapting quickly, but combined with the current state of the nation, its impact on our nervous systems and our hearts, well, it's a lot to hold.
Our speaker has some thoughts she'd like to share with you Sunday about all this and hopefully lift your spirits. And if you've thought about seeing a therapist... you're in luck. Today a therapist is coming to see you!

Truth

May 31, 2020

Rev. Barbara Davenport

What is truth and how can we tell truth from falsehood? An oft quoted Biblical quote is: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." For UUs perhaps the dictionary definition of truth ”that which is in accordance with fact or reality” has more relevance. We’ll explore methods we use to separate truth from falsehood and their consequences.

No Place on Earth

August 11, 2019 Service

Jim Heard

The homeless arrived at our doorstep this spring. Though inadequate to relieving their plight directly, we must pay attention to it. After all, a housing crisis in the midst of a boom-time portends the un-sustainability of fundamental economic policies. We'll look at the underlying forces that produce homelessness in a community, consider what small measures we can take, and prepare our reactions to the larger crisis to come.

Neurology and Relationships

July 28, 2019 Service

Ken Dunning and Jorge Manzanera

How does the make-up of our body, our physiology, and our neurology, affect our behavior? Are we at the mercy of our evolutionary development? Or are we the captains of our lives?