Selected Sermons
I am a Minister and So Can You (MP3) 24 min, 23 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
August 5, 2018
The concept of shared ministry is a fascinating one, especially for a congregation seeking a permanent minister. Sometimes we do it without thinking; sometimes we stand in its way.
Transactions: Don’t Panic! (MP3) 13 min, 12 MB
Betty Churchman
July 29, 2018
Changes in our church community seem to be traveling at light speed. While we are searching for “the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything” Just Remember “Don’t Panic”
Threads of Unitarian Universalism: The Ancient Greeks (MP3) 22 min, 21 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
July 22, 2018
Most people assume our heritage comes directly out of the Judeo-Christian traditions. But a DNA test of our theology would elicit proof that there is a lot of ancient Greece in our religio-genetic makeup.
Be Nobody’s Darling (MP3) 24 min, 23 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
July 15, 2018
Without a concept of evil, is it possible to be too good? When ‘Have a nice day’ became the social password, some people complained that ‘nice’ was too bland a word.
Becoming Invincible: Overcoming Fear Through Reason and Experience” (MP3) 22 min, 21 MB
John Beckett
June 24, 2018
We live in fearful times—or so we’re told. Sometimes fear is rational. Other times it’s not. Most times it’s a little of both, and that makes it really complicated. But through reason and experience, we can keep fear from controlling our lives.
Who Says? (MP3) 122 min, 21 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
June 17, 2018
Where do you get your authority for your beliefs, your faith, your actions? From the Constitution? From your own experiences? From study and reading? From parents and peers? Yes. Perhaps the next question is Who Needs Authority?
The Hero’s Journey: What Again? (MP3) 23 min, 22 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
June 10, 2018
The last in the series of explorations of what it means to live the hero’s journey. Spoiler alert—the series should have been called The Hero’s Journeys (plural).
Living By Theology (MP3) 25 min, 24 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
June 3, 2018
Before we create our elevator speeches, perhaps we ought to know what other people understand by the words ‘religion,’ ‘theology’ and ‘belief.’ If we build our own theology, is it strong enough to stand upon?
The Hero’s Journey: Am I Done Yet (MP3) 19 min, 18 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
May 27, 2018
When you return from the hero’s journey, there will be changes. The most signifi cant will be you.
The Challenge & Joy of Welcome: An Unusual Outsider’s Perspective (MP3) 20 min, 19 MB
Claire Sexton
May 20, 2018
In the UU denomination, the vast majority of current members have come from other faiths. Claire explores the concept of radical hospitality as it relates to congregations welcoming those who grew up UU and other folks who aren’t well represented in many UU spaces.
Mothers and Joggers (MP3) 20 min, 19 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
May 13, 2018
I have to admit right up front I’m not a fan of Mother’s Day as it’s celebrated. But as a metaphor and a symbol, it’s right up there with ankh and the totem pole.
The Hero’s Journey: The Boon (MP3) 20 min, 19 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
May 6, 2018
There are rewards attached to the hero’s journey, though they may not be what you expected. Wisdom is part of it, and perhaps a bit of pride.
Covenant: Life in the Vertical Dimension (MP3) 30 min, 29 MB
The Reverend Samuel Schaal
April 29, 2018
Covenant is at the center of Unitarian Universalist life. This gives us an opportunity to experience what has been called “the deep center” of our faith, to hold us steady in difficult times.
The Earth is Our Mother (MP3) 27 min, 26 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
April 22, 2018
Stephen Hawking said the universe was coming to an end, but he didn’t mean in our lifetime, or for many lifetimes to come. But, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt us to consider it as finite in order to see our role in its maintenance.
The Hero’s Journey: Where Shall I Find Help? (MP3) 19 min, 18 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
April 15, 2018
All the myths of the Hero’s Journey point to hero’s need to accept assistance. Where does your help come from?
A Season of Hope (MP3) 21 min, 20 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
April 1, 2018
Easter is a holiday with a long and evolving history. What does Easter mean for Unitarian Universalists?
All You Have to Do is… (MP3) 20 min, 19 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
March 25, 2018
While it’s true we have no creedal tests or behavioral rules, there are still expectations. Participation—showing up regularly—is one of them. Working through your theological issues, but with help from the church community. And sharing—time, talents and treasures. How big are those expectations?
It Starts with Uncertainty (MP3) 26 min, 25 MB
The Reverend Samuel Schaal
March 18, 2018
The universe started with a Big Bang. Ever since then, everything has been chaotic. But uncertainty can be an ordering principle.
The Hero’s Journey: The Road of Trials (MP3) 20 min, 19 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
March 11, 2018
Just because they seem more “ordinary” than the storybook hero’s, doesn’t mean your life’s trials aren’t difficult and often life-changing.
Diversity: The Devil in the Details (MP3) 28 min, 27 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
March 4, 2018
More and more our conversations are about ethnicity, culture and race. They are about the fact that we haven’t achieved what we assume we should. Where do we go from here?
That Is so Random (MP3) 16 min, 15 MB
D. Scott Cooper
February 25, 2018
Thresholds and Liminal Spaces (MP3) 18 min, 17 MB
D. Scott Cooper
February 18, 2018
Liminal spaces, such as waiting rooms, stairwells, and rest stops, exist for those things that come before or after them. Our lives are full of such times and spaces. How do we, as a faith community, make the most of these times, learning all we can from the past and preparing for the best of futures?
From You I Receive; To You I Give (MP3) 14 min, 13 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
February 11, 2018
What does it mean to be committed to a religious faith. For religions with creeds, the answer seems obvious. What about Unitarian Universalists?
The Hero’s Journey—Starting Out (MP3) 23 min, 21 MB
Read the Sermon
The Reverend Annie Foerster
February 4, 2018
According to the stories that Joseph Campbell collected about various cultural heroes, there is a formula to the hero’s journey. In the first of this series, I talked about what happens if you choose not to take the journey. Once you’ve decided, then you must begin. Think about your first day of school ever, when you had to leave your home and your mother to spend part of the day with strangers. Did you do it heroically or not?
UU Values—Covenant: More Than Just Words (MP3) 18 min, 17 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
January 28, 2018
We are a covenantal denomination. How many times have you heard that statement? What does it really mean? I’ll look at the historical process of covenanting and at our own covenants, what they mean and how they affect us.
“The Hero’s Journey—Why Go?”
The Reverend Annie Foerster
January 14, 2018
The Reading (MP3) 6 min, 6 MB
The Sermon (MP3) 21 min, 19 MB
Read the Sermon
The Adult Spiritual Exploration group has been studying Joseph Campbell’s description of the universal myth of the Hero’s Journey. A more recent philosopher, Carol Pearson, building on Campbell’s work, looks at this myth as a model for our individual lives. What does it mean to take The Hero’s Journey? This is the first in a series of seven.
Beginnings (MP3) 17 min, 16 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
January 7, 2018
Renewal. Starting over. Second chances. These are some of the social buzz words synonymous with ‘beginnings.’ But can we ‘begin’ again? Or do we drag our pasts, our incomplete endings, around behind us? The first Sunday in the ‘new’ year is a good time to ask these theological questions.
Rumplestiltskin: the Advent Story (MP3) 17 min, 16 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
December 10, 2017
For this series of services, we have been singing the song in the teal hymnal called Return Again. ‘Return to who you are,’ say the lyrics, not ‘return to who you have been.’ What does that even mean? I think it means making choices—choosing one of three options open to you for the future. I’ll give you a tour of current operations, but the choices are up to you.
A Flow-Through Faith (MP3) 15 min, 14 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
December 3, 2017
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let’s take the time to consider what it means to each of us to be a Unitarian Universalist. Is it about personal satisfaction, values clarification, motivation or, possibly, all of the above? At the same time, we’ll glance at what it means to be human. I promise a giggle or two with any deep thinking that might be required.
Living the Question (MP3) 20 min, 18 MB
The Reverend Samuel Schaal
November 26, 2017
Most people live within the easy boundaries of the familiar. The poet Rilke suggests that to be truly alive, we must trust in the difficult. This is especially true for those of us (both individuals and congregations) facing an uncertain future.
A Matter of Public Trust (MP3) 13 min, 12 MB
The Reverend Marjorie Montgomery
November 19, 2017
Our heroes, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau taught us to be SELF RELIANT! YES!! But the world does not work very well with every man for himself. (Or every woman for herself.) So how may we live with these two contrasting points of view? T’aint easy, that’s for sure.
Revisioning Part III: Return Again (MP3) 25 min, 23 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
November 12, 2017
For this series of services, we have been singing the song in the teal hymnal called Return Again. ‘Return to who you are,’ say the lyrics, not ‘return to who you have been.’ What does that even mean? I think it means making choices—choosing one of three options open to you for the future. I’ll give you a tour of current operations, but the choices are up to you.
Revisioning Part II: A Story Worth Telling (MP3) 18 min, 17 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
November 5, 2017
Congregations in our denomination are often referred to as “The Sacred Community.” What makes them sacred is the easy part. What makes them community is often more complicated, because each one has a story beyond its history, beyond its structure. But, complicated or not, nuanced or out there, it is a story worth discovering—and telling.
Revisioning I: The Sleeping Beauty Expose (MP3) 21 min, 20 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
October 22, 2017
I’m a firm believer that our childhood stories tell
us a lot more about life than we have realized.
Buried in our fairy-tale memories are the answers
we seek for life’s difficult questions. I’ve always
thought something was left out of the Sleeping
Beauty story. Let’s explore it together as we
look ahead to life at First Jefferson Unitarian
Universalist Church.
False Fronts and Disguises (MP3) 21 min, 19 MB
The Reverend Annie Foerster
October 1, 2017
What does it mean to take someone at face value?
Is the face we present to the world our true face or
are we all mask-makers of the first degree? What’s
behind your false front?
To Hope and Back Again (MP3) 26 min, 24 MB
The Reverend Jennifer Innis
September 10, 2017
Join us for Rev. Jennifer’s last time of
leading worship at First Jefferson. She offers
a message of thanksgiving and her wishes for
the future of the church.
Sermons in Text
2018
2005-2017
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