The Single Story

Click here for video (YouTube) Celebrant, Birch Spick Rev. Linda McCrae from Central Christian Church in Indianapolis. Her uncle is UU minister Eugene Pickett. She's visiting Des Moines as part of the annual meeting of the Disciples of Christ. She will be preaching on the commonalities between our faith traditions.   What are the commitments that connect us across faith traditions? Our guest speaker today is Rev. Linda McCrae, who was born in Des Moines and is the niece of renowned UU minister Rev. Eugene Pickett. She grew up in Indianapolis as a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was influenced by a broad range of people and theological perspectives, including those of her uncle. She has since lived in various places in the U.S. and Latin America, and now serves as pastor of Central Christian Church in Indianapolis. Our welcome of Rev. McCrae to our pulpit coincides with the Des Moines annual meeting of the Disciples of Christ. Please extend a warm UU welcome to Rev. McCrae and visitors who may be here attending the Disciples conference.  

Everyday Avengers

Click here for video (YouTube). Celebrant, Kate Allen When events of today swirl around us like a rising tide of doom, we may wish for superheroes to come and save the day. But sometimes superheroes need a helping hand. Join Lyra Halsten on July 14, 2019 to learn how we can become Everyday Avengers and save the day ourselves. Children and adults are encouraged to wear their favorite super- or everyday hero and heroine costumes. (Fire fighters, teachers, and medical professionals count!) Or come as yourself, because you're a hero to someone too!

Beginning Again

  Click Here for Video (You Tube) In Rev. Jennifer's final Sunday as Interim Senior Minister, the ending is in fact a beginning—yet another beginning, as is the way of life. Rev. Jennifer reflects on the life lessons she'll be taking with her from her time among us. After the service, we'll celebrate our journey together with a special farewell (which will include cake).

We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest

  Click Here for Video (You Tube) Click Here for Order of Service (Word Doc) These opening words from “Ella’s Song” provide the beginning for a look at the current initiative to ban racial profiling in the city of Des Moines. Stealing shamelessly from the framework created by Bryan Stevenson, Harvey will look at issues of racial justice in Des Moines through the lens of the initiative. The questions to be answered is: As Unitarian Universalist people of faith, what is our calling?   “If you are not in the arena and also getting your arse kicked, I am not interested your feedback”. Brene Brown.

The Joy of Stepping on Eggshells

One Service at 10:00 am Celebrant, Martha Shen   Have you ever considered that walking on eggshells might actually be satisying if we weren't trying to prevent the inevitable? Let's consider how we can speak from a place of beauty and care, rather than fear of activating someone else's reactivity. We'll continue an exploration of nonviolent communication (or compassionate communication).

The Beauty of Resilience

Click Here for Video. (You Tube) Resilience is the ability to adapt in the face of adversity. Beginning with the studies of "adverse childhood experiences" in the mid-1990s, Center for Disease Control has been able to link the number of childhood traumas a person experiences to serious health problems during adulthood. Although one response has been preventative interventions with children at risk, there's also been a marvelous and heartening discovery: even as adults, people can become resilient and heal from childhood trauma, especially if they have the encouragement of a supportive faith community. The we explore today is how to become a "Resilience-Engaged, Aware & Loving" (REAL) community. As the researchers put it, "The relationship is the healing intervention."

The Ancestors of Summer

One Service at 10:00 am Celebrant, Birch Spick   This June marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (June 28-29, 1969), a watershed moment for LGBTQ liberation movements in the United States. On this Capital City Pride weekend, join our community as we consider what beauty we find in resistance. As we gather together, may we consider how the fore-runners of the queer and trans liberation movements teach us this.

The Beauty of Community

  Click Here for Video (You Tube) In this service that precedes our annual congregational meeting, we celebrate the beauty of community. Members here aspire to make our First Unitarian community warm and welcoming and to make a positive difference in the world. To paraphrase the draft mission statement, we're here to inspire spiritual and ethical growth; to prepare ourselves for service within and outside our walls; and (beginning with ourselves) to heal the world. This mission encapsulates the beautiful community we aspire to be. Today we celebrate the ways that as a community we are living into our aspirations—despite, and sometimes because of, the bumps and glitches we experience along the way.

Beginner Mind

  Click here for video (You Tube) This month’s theme of Curiosity invites us to explore life with the mind of a beginner. In this service, we consider how we might greet life with the freshness of beginners—how do we open the doors to our minds and souls? How do we lean out into the new? How do we listen to others with the expectation that we're about to discover something fascinating? Each moment centered in the spirit of "beginner mind" keeps us curious and alert to what we might learn and the ways we might grow.