First Universalist Church

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) Dr. Rideout's message was interspersed between clips from this vide

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

The poet, Audre Lorde, is famous for saying, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Building on this truth, we’ll explore how caring for each other – and allowing ourselves to be cared for by others – can help us expand our ideas of survival and joy beyond the individual and into the community. Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30) Story for All Ages- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (9:38) Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (15:31) Message: Where the River Meets the Sea- Rev. Jen Crow (24:50)   piano and voice- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout

This Sunday, join Rev. Ashley Horan and Julica Hermann de la Fuente for a conversation about the lessons and ongoing challenges in our racial justice work, discussed through the lens of MLK’s legacy. As we once again meet online only to help each other and our broader community stay safe, we will leverage the chat in Zoom and talk with each other about this important work. In the first half of the message, Julica and Ashley will have a conversation with each other, and then you will be invited to share questions via the chat. Children and youth will also have a chance to share their thoughts during the time for all ages. Join us on Zoom for this interactive service as we continue to center the liberation and joy of Black and Brown people.   Words of Welcome- Rev. Arif Mamdani (:29) Call to Worship- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (3:46) Time for All Ages- Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Rev. Ashley Horan (6:42) Song- We Are- Aimee K. Bryant and Franco Holder (15:23) Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (17

Remembrance Sunday is an annual service that is a time to remember and reflect on our losses over the past year and to honor those we love who have died. This service can also be a time to mark other significant losses in the life of your family, such as a separation or divorce, saying goodbye to friends who’ve moved away, or any number of other things.   Words of Welcome, Announcements, and Land Acknowlegement- Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Isabel Quast (:22) Call to Worship and Chalice Lighting- Rev. Arif Mamdani, Will, Alice (10:21) Story for All Ages- The Buddha and the Mustard Seed Medicine- Lauren Wyeth (11:54) Poem- Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye- Margit Berg (17:58) Sharing Our Loss and Lighting the Candle of Impermanence- Rev. Arif Mamdani (20:02) Hymn- Aimee K. Bryant (25:08) Prayer and Cycle of Life- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (26:41) Reading- Blessing For the Brokenhearted by Jan Richardson- Janet Merrill (32:14) Naming Ritual and Lighting the Candle of Memory- Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Rev

This Sunday, December 19, we enter into the heart of this question: what does Unitarian Universalism have to say when it all hits the fan? How can our faith and the commitments we hold in common help us to hold together when it all feels like it’s falling apart?   Words of Welcome and Calling Our Ancestors- Rev. Jen Crow (:30) Story for All Ages- Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch- Rev. Arif Mamdani (8:19) Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:11) Message- What Does UUism Say to Our Suffering?- Lauren Wyeth (34:52)   voice- Aimee K. Bryant; piano- Franco Holder      

In these tender times, we turn to our communities to help us hold it all. This Sunday, Lena K. Gardner, Executive Director of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), joins Rev. Jen Crow in leading our service as we practice being and building the world we dream about.   Calling Our Ancestors- Rev. Jen Crow (:20) Hymn- Lift Every Voice and Sing- Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (7:06) Prayers and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (8:52) Message- Community That Holds it All- Lena K. Gardner (20:13) Holiday Giving- Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism  

As we turn into the longest nights of the year, what commitments will shine like stars, helping us navigate through these troubling times? What if we aimed to keep our hearts soft, our hands open, and our boundaries clear? Together we’ll explore how these ways of being might help us live in alignment with our Universalist faith in the spirit of love and hope.   Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (:30) Story for All Ages- Lauren Wyeth (8:35) Anthem- A Christmas Round by John Tavener- First Universalist Choir, Dr. Randal Buikema, conductor (12:49) Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Karen Hutt (14:42) Message- Soft Heart, Open Hands, Clear Boundaries- Rev. Jen Crow (20:57) piano throughout- Franco Holder

Rev. Jen Crow, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Isabel Quast, Franco Holder and Aimee K. Bryant lead an intergenerational service of story and song as we invite each other into the spiritual practices of giving and receiving and growing. Come find out more about Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism and our annual Holiday Giving project, and leave lifted up by our collective power that comes together when each of us shares what we can.   Humming Meditation- Aimee K. Bryant (:27) Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow (9:48) Music- Wake Now My Vision- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (18:17) Story for All Ages and Calling our Ancestors- Rev. Jen Crow (20:12) Music- Wake Now My Vision- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Aimee K. Bryant, Franco Holder (28:45) Meditation and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (30:16) Message- Giving, Receiving, as Love Shows Us How- Rev. Jen Crow and Isabel Quast Outro Music- Aimee K. Bryant and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout  

We celebrate the miracle that is at the center of the larger cycle of life. We welcome and name and dedicate ourselves to the care of nine children in our Child Dedication Ritual – and as we bear sacred witness to these unfolding lives, it is our hope we will see ourselves and each other anew. Each of us born whole and holy and worthy. Each of us important and ordinary and unique. Each of us in need of the larger community of this earth and this church to hold us in rhythm, each with the other.   Words of Welcome- Rev. Karen Hutt (:20) Story for All Ages- Lauren Wyeth (7:27) Calling Our Ancestors- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (13:23) Child Dedication Ceremony- Lauren Wyeth and Rev. Karen Hutt (16:52) Prayer and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (22:25) Anthem- Children Will Listen by Stephen Sondheim, arr. Brymer, First Universalist Choir, Franco Holder, piano, Dr. Randal Buikema, conductor (28:23) Message- Rev. Jen Crow (31:52)

This Sunday, November 14, we welcome new members into our company. Our new members will be formally welcomed during our second service while our first will offer a renewal of membership and a blessing to those joining. **Both ceremonies are included on the podcast** Whichever service you attend, we invite you to “re-member” what it means to cast our lot with this congregation, day after day, week after week, as we affirm again the threads of connection that bind us to those who came before, and make and remake our faith for the world that is coming.   Words of Welcome- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (:30) Calling the Ancestors- Julica Hermann de la Fuente and Rev. Arif Mamdani (3:06) Story for All Ages- The Perfect Club- Julica Hermann de la Fuente (7:58) Meditation Practice and Cycle of Life- Rev. Arif Mamdani (14:46) Renewal of Membership Ceremony (9 a.m. service)- Liz Farmer, Daryn Woodson, Rev. Arif Mamdani (23:32) New Member Ceremony (11 a.m. service) - Daryn Woodson, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Liz Farmer (34:53) M

We continue to build a new way of being together as a church community. The choir will sing – with some guest appearances you won’t want to miss; children and youth will be with us and we’ll share in a story for all; we’ll join in meditation and prayer and care, and we’ll ask each other – Can you feel a brand new day? Is today a day when you can feel it? Is today a day when you feel something else – worry or fear or sadness or grief? Is today a day the community can hold the hope of a brand new day with and for you? Does this day – like all days – hold it all? Words of Welcome- Rev. Karen Hutt (:28) Calling Our Ancestors- Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (4:38) Anthem- Everybody Rejoice from “The Wiz” by Luther Vandross (arr. Pete Eklund) - First Universalist Choir and Band, Dr. Randal Buikema, conductor (12:06) Story for All Ages- Where Are You From?- Lauren Wyeth and Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout (16:38) Meditation and Cycle of Life- Rev. Jen Crow (22:20) Message- Building a New Way- Rev. Jen Crow (33:50) Music for Going-

Instead of our usual hour-long worship service, we invite you to join us for a ritual with music by Franco as the centerpiece.   Words of Welcome- Rev. Jen Crow Ritual- Franco Holder, pianist