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What is the ministry we do in the wider community? Join Live Oak members Joel Bercu, Audrey McCann, Chris Milhealsick, and Judy Reynolds, as they discuss taking action with school board issues, reproductive justice and anti-racism, voting, and climate justice.
"To Change the World, with Love" Sunday, February 27, 10:50 am, Worship Service
In her book "Pleasure Activism" author adrienne maree brown questions whether activism needs to look like suffering and opens up the invitation for this piece of what we do to be not just more sustainable but life-giving, pleasurable!! What does she mean by "pleasure activism" and how can it change more than just our social justice work but our lives?
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist & Bell Choir Director; Richard Fey, Baritone; Brielle Marina Neilson, Songleader; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Songleader; Michele Kennedy, Soprano; Allen Biggs, Percussionist; Mark Sumner, Pianist & Music Director
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Judy Payne, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Edit: Just to clarify, I never meant to be disrespectful or anything, i am an universalist and didnt mean to be offensive. I was drawn to UU because it seems more free to believe whatever you want to believe, and mix and match between different religions. I love this, and would like to spend some more time in UU circles. Thought this might be appreciated here, but if i offended anyone, I am sorry and it was not my intention. I an open to people having different religious views, an open way of looking at faith and religion. Just wanted to spread some love β€οΈ
Luke 3:6 "And all people will see God's salvation." (NIV)
John 17:2 "since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him." (RSV)
1 Corinthians 15:22[28] "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (ESV)
1 John 2:2 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (NIV)
Romans 5:18 "Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men." (RSV)
Romans 11:32[28] "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (NIV)
Johnβ¬ β1:16β¬ βFor from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.β (ESV)
All people shall be saved, jew and gentile, man and woman. We are all saved by the grace of God.
Hello all! I have been greatly heartened by the last time I posted here regarding spiritual issues. When I post on Christian subs, it is kind of...conservative most of the time. God is big!
To clarify, I identify as UU and believe all Gods are one. However, my therapist is Christian and so when I speak to her, I use God for the ease of communication. I learned about the Christian idea of discernment from a Christian minister with UU experience - essentially if you feel calm and at peace, that would be discernment. Unease = not.
(I understand that all these are big ideas, I am simplifying so I don't write an entire novel here. I have been UU for about 15 years now.)
I am at an in-between space in my life where I need to make clear choices about certain things, including careers and choice of residence. Understandably these are not easy to make! I have done some good work with a UU spiritual director - in our conversations, a certain career choice felt "right" and gave me great peace of mind.
While working on this with my therapist before (this was before the UU director) she once asked me "what does God want you to do?" While God has occasionally answered with thunder and trumpets before (most of my many spiritual experiences have been numinous in nature) I felt peace in contemplation.
Putting the two and two together, I was wondering if God was answering because discernment = peace with a certain decision?
I am well aware that the spirit cannot be fully comprehended with the mind, yet we all have minds, which is how I am writing this. Since I am not part of any congregation at the moment, I thought I would ask here. I am continuing to pray on it.
Helping others often brings to mind feeding the homeless or digging a well in another country. But there are different needs right in our own neighborhood.
"To Sondheim, with Love" Sunday, February 20, 2022 Livestream Worship Service
This morning we celebrate the great composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim who recently passed away at the age of 91. His cool cleverness and skeptical, often ironic, intellectual character have long been commented on. It is not hard to find articles with titles like "The Case for Sondheim as Existentialist," or an obituary describing him as a "philosopher of music." A number of philosophers have taken it hard over the loss of so marvelous and so philosophical an artist. Cornel West: "His genius shall live forever! He was profound in content, subversive in form and always beautifully lyrical."
To honor his passing, and too feast on what he has "served up," we have chosen a couple of his beloved, familiar songs and, for some, adding a few more new favorites to cement and enlarge his fanbase. No matter how many times you listen to Sondheim, you find yourself taken to new places emotionally. Because of his singular command of music and lyrics, the second you absorb any of what is there, what was first intellectual immediately cuts straight to the heart.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Dr. Mark Sumner; Music Director; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate; UUSF Choir; Nancy Munn, Soloist; Richard Fey, Soloist; Brielle Marina Neilson, Soloist; Leandra Ramm, Soloist; Asher Davison, Soloist; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Soloist; Gilead Wurman, Soloist; Wm. Garcia Ganz, Pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Amy Kelly & Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
We talk about βBuilding Beloved Communityβ all the time. But what does it actually mean?
For those who responded to my initial post, thank you for welcoming me! I have stated that I'm looking for a Universalist church modeled after the Universalist Church of America. It's been extremely disconcerting that I haven't been able to find such a place of worship. Unfortunately, there's no interest in starting one in my area, leaving me with little options. I'm comfortable enough attending a UU church but do feel somewhat out of place. My beliefs are squarely in the 19th incarnation of Universalist theology, yet I'm not a Unitarian. There is but one congregation (First Universalist in Providence, RI) that fits the bill but I live too far to attend services and be an active member. My other options are to worship with the Sanctuary Downtown (Denver) and Community Universalist Church (Christian Universalist Association). Both options don't fit, leading to a crisis of sorts. First Universalist doesn't offer live streaming nor do they record their services.
"To Relationships, with Love" Sunday, February 13, 2022 10:50 am, Worship Service
Over the years, we can learn a few things about what it means to be in relationship well. How to love well? How to get over the rough spots and increase the joy and depth of connection. What are some of the lessons of love?
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Wm. Garcia Ganz, Accompanist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
I am unique when it comes to being a Unitarian Universalist. My beliefs follow those of one of the denominations that founded the UUA, the Universalist Church of America (1886 to 1961). My beliefs as a Trinitarian Universalist differ greatly from those of the majority of you, which is good. My views are continually shifting, as does my understanding of religious expression. What draws me to UU is its emphasis on action and [radical] love. My confession of faith, which is a paraphrase of the Winchester Profession of Faith, is as follows:
I. I truly believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments reveal God's character as well as mankind's responsibility, interest, and ultimate destiny.
II. I believe in one God, whose nature is Love, revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ by one Holy Spirit of Grace, who will eventually restore the entire human family to righteousness and happiness.
III. I maintain that holiness and genuine happiness are closely intertwined and that believers should take care to keep order and do selfless acts because these things are beneficial and helpful to humanity.
Thank you to everyone that suggested I go. I did email them and got two responses saying to wear my mask and that I was welcome to come.
Itβs a very small group of people that are a little older. They donβt have a minister so they take turns doing the service. Todays was on the history of Valentineβs Day and love. It was so wonderful.
It was everything I wanted it to be and I will be going back!