Selected Sermons
Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth in Or Congregation (MP3) 24 MB
Scottie McIntyre Johnson
April 13, 2014
In seminary, I was required to take
a class called “Spiritual Formation”.
As a Unitarian Universalist, being
so intentional about my spiritual
development was something I’d never
really done before. Our Third UU Principle
states that we “covenant to affirm and
promote acceptance of one another and
encouragement to spiritual growth in
our congregations.” It seems to me that
we UUs usually do a pretty good job of
promoting acceptance of one another but
often not such a good job of encouraging
our spiritual growth. What might it mean
for us to take our Third Principle seriously?
Scottie Johnson is a candidate for the
UU Ministry, a recent graduate of Perkins
School of Theology at SMU and a member
of First Unitarian Church of Dallas.
Celebration Sunday: Dreaming of New Edens (MP3) 21 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
April 6, 2014
April 6 will be a time for renewing our
connections with each other and the
church, and will be the main event for our
annual stewardship drive. Join us!
Liberation is Catching (MP3) 21 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
March 30, 2014
As we lead up to our Celebration Sunday
on April 6, let us consider the nature of
transformation and the enduring place of a
religion that embraces new revelation.
The Religious Impulse: Salvation (MP3) 23 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
March 23, 2014
One of my professors in seminary once asked
an angry student who had just confessed
to being an Atheist if he were a Christian
Atheist or a Jewish Atheist. He said it made a
difference because if you were going to quit
being angry about it, you needed to understand
what it was you were angry about. The idea
fascinated me because I knew instantly that it
was true for me. Part of my cure was to explore
the language of religion and what Unitarian
minister Ralph Helverson called “the religious
impulse.” My own faith deepens as I try to
understand concepts like “salvation.” I’ll share
some of my insights with you.
The Veil of Knowledge (MP3) 19 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
March 16, 2014
“Knowledge is power” as the saying goes. Is
this always true? How might what we think we
know get in our way? Are we willing to find out?
Greater Losses (MP3) 21 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
March 2, 2014
The Power of Vulnerability (MP3) 22 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
February 16, 2014
Come and explore the possibility of
vulnerability as part of this month’s
theme of Spiritual Practices. Author and
researcher Brene Brown studies human
connection and how what we risk relates to
our ultimate meaning. In a world where so
many circumstances focus on self-protection
and economy, what is the place of taking a
chance?
No Silent Witness: The Story of Dorothea Dix
and the Rise of Mental Health Reform (MP3) 19 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
January 26, 2014
The Web of Love (MP3) 16 MB
David Binde / Rev. Amy Morgenstern
January 5, 2014
Who here used to think that the colors on the map
told us what colors were really on the ground?
Between What Was and What Will Be, What? (MP3) 17 MB
The Reverend Samuel Schaal
December 29, 2013
In this Sunday between Christmas and
New Year’s Day, and as we approach the
change of years, we feel in-between more
than usual. As 2013 recedes we realize
what was, was. As 2014 emerges, we
anticipate what will be. But in the now
of this moment, what happens? What do
we do, stuck between our history and our
possibility?
Rev. Samuel Schaal is currently Transition
Minister for the Brazos Valley UU Church
in College Station. He has served UU
congregations in Texas, Missouri and
Wisconsin in the practice of transitional
ministry, to invigorate and energize
congregations between settled pastorates.
He is also a stewardship consultant, with
a mission of helping congregations and
individuals connect the role of money
and spirit in their lives. Currently living in
College Station, he makes his primary home
in Dallas.
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic
process within our congregations and in society at large. (MP3) 14 MB
December 1, 2013
We continue our series on our Seven
Principles and Purposes. Members of our
congregation will share their thoughts on the
Fifth Principle.
The Taming of Hospitality (MP3) 23 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
November 24, 2013
A Free and Responsible Search for Truth and Meaning (MP3) 15 MB
November 10, 2013
The fourth in our series of services
on our Seven Principles and Purposes.
Members of our congregation will
share their thoughts on the Fourth
Principle.
Grateful Hearts (MP3) 20 MB
Beth Dana
November 3, 2013
According to Daphne Rose Kingma,
“In relation to others, gratitude
is good manners; in relation to
ourselves, it is a habit of the heart
and a spiritual discipline.” Join us to
explore and engage in the practice of
saying “thank you” – when it comes
easily and when it’s harder to do.
Beth Dana is a lifelong Unitarian
Universalist, candidate for UU
ministry, and currently serving as
a chaplain at TX Health Harris
Methodist Hospital in Southwest
Fort Worth. She is grateful for the
opportunity to return to the pulpit at
First Jefferson.
El Dios de los Muertos part 1 (MP3) 2 MB
Part 2 (MP3) 2MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
October 27, 2013
Join us for a time to reflect on death
and celebrate the lives of the loved ones
we have lost. This service is in the style
of el Dia de los Muertos and includes an
offrenda and a chance to share with the
congregation. All are welcome to bring a
small token of remembrance to add to the
offrenda during the worship.
The Rise of the Religious Left (MP3) 24 MB
Scottie McIntyre Johnson
October 20, 2013
A study just released by the Public
Religion Research Institute indicates that
the percentage of Americans who can be
identified as “religiously progressive” is
currently larger than we might think and,
what’s more, is likely to grow over time.
What might we Unitarian Universalists need
to do to be a part of this new era in which
liberalism overtakes conservatism as the
dominant form of religion in our country?
On the Road to Mecca (MP3) 18 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
October 13, 2013
All Muslims are expected to make the
journey to Mecca at least once in their lives
if at all possible. Millions of pilgrims gather
from around the world just to walk, eat, and
sleep as equals for the sake of fulfilling their
faith. Exploring the nature of the Hajj and
its universal lessons is how we explore the
worship theme of wisdom this month.
Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth (MP3) 27 MB
October 6, 2013
The third in our series of services on our
Seven Principles and Purposes. Members of
our congregation will share their thoughts on
the Third Principle.
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