The People Build a Home
Service at 9:15 and 11:00 am In 1877, a few big-hearted, open-minded people created the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines. That act of trust and faith is what led us to this moment. We are the spiritual descendants of those pioneers who, 142 years ago, imagined a future for their hope. We are their future. What is ours? UU minister Eileen B. Karpeles wrote: "Out of wood and stone, out of dreams and sacrifice, the People build a home. Out of the work of their hands and hearts and minds the People fashion a symbol and a reality." What symbol, what reality, are we building?
The Trust that Love Built
Service at 9:15 and 11:00 am Celebrant: Ben Spick On this Sunday soon after Valentine's Day, we celebrate the power of love to build trust. Through story and song, we explore the ways that love can build trust. This is a service for all ages.
Trust the Web
Click Here for Video (You Tube) Service at 9:15 and 11:00 am How do we live? Are we, as our UU principles suggest, part of the "interconnected web of existence"? Or do we sometimes act as if we are separate and isolated, as if we have no impact on the web and it does not touch us? In this era of division and narcissism, perhaps we need a touchstone to guide us toward a life of in harmony with all creation. Trust is that touchstone. This is the sermon topic recommended by the winners of the 2018 Food Fair "Sermon Topic" lunch.
Remember the Dark: A Solstice Cantata
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Celebrant: Ben Spick
In "Remember the Dark," UU musician David Glasgow has written an evocative cantata, part choral performance, part one-act musical, that honors the dark of winter and the opportunity for rest and restoration. Thee UU Singers, under the direction of Karen Kraemer, will share the music and insights of Glasgow's work during the Sunday service.
A Stone of Hope
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Celebrants: Susan Gross (with support from Martha Shen)
In 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his remarkable "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. Dr. King asserted his faith that our nation could "hew out of a mountain of despair a stone of hope." In this month when our congregational theme is "Possibility," and our national political life sometimes feels like a mountain of despair, Dr. King's words challenge and inspire us to find that stone of hope.
Will the Real Jesus Please Rise?
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On the verge of Christmas Eve, as Christians around the world celebrate a birth that happened more than 2,000 years ago, we Unitarian Universalists seek to discern the true meaning of that birth. As people of diverse theologies, we respect and celebrate a diversity of religious traditions. And we may rightly ask: "What is there in the life of Jesus of Nazareth that invites respect? Who was this Jesus, really?" Two millennia of history aside, what is there about Jesus to celebrate? Answering this question means looking past the assumptions and conventions of the season to discover the real Jesus. This service is suitable for people age 6 and older and is designed to welcome all our diverse theologies.
A Unitarian Christmas
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Anyone who follows the UU Advent Calendar this season may already discovered, with surprise and delight, the unique contributions of Unitarians and Universalists to the celebration of Christmas. As UUs, we make an effort to respect and honor all the world's religious traditions, not merely the traditions we celebrate as individuals. During the 19th century, our Unitarian and Universalist forebears brought a non-conventional perspective to the celebration of Christmas. This morning the UU Singers and Choir Director Karen Kraemer usher us through "A Unitarian Christmas," with beautiful music, meaningful readings, and a delightful patina of history.
Special Music, UU Singers & Bell Ave Ringers
Star of Wonder
Watch the YouTube video here On this day before the beginning of Hannukah in the Jewish tradition (Dec. 3-10), and the first Sunday of Advent in the Christian tradition, we pause to contemplate the nature of miracles. Whether it's the birth of a baby, the Fibonacci numbers that predict the spiral shape of our galaxy, or the ever-renewable light made possible through solar technology, there are miracles (and mysteries) aplenty. Join in the spirit of free inquiry, curiosity, and wonder as Rev. Jennifer Brooks shines a little light on the mysteries and miracles of the season.
Stone Soup
Watch the You Tube video here The old story of Stone Soup tells of two weary travelers who arrive in a small village and unexpectedly bring a community together under the guise of making a delicious soup from stones.To make this story come to life, we're encouraging everyone who can to bring pre-cut veggies to add to the pot (from which volunteers will make a veggie soup for delivery to home-bound members), as well as non-perishable food to support our children with their food drive to benefit families in need in the Des Moines community. This participatory service will engage young and old alike in this important tale and also offer food to the hungry. Special music by the UU Singers - I See Colors by PinkZebra