Lighting the Chalice: Sermons from the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Berks County

This morning we explore the ways we can create beauty in community from what we already have – from empty lots, thorn bushes, and a little bit of faith.

The work of liberation is just that, work. Right? Yes, and no. Sometimes learning to let go – of a bad mood, a grudge, an addiction – can be just the thing we need to realize justice, truth, and freedom.

Join us for a celebration of Earth Day and a call to sacred activism.

This morning we’ll explore Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Theresa Soto’s words: “All of us need all of us to make it.” Right now, we are witnessing human interconnectedness in new ways that are heightening awareness that none of us can be truly free until all of us are free.

There’s an old story about a pot that gets broken and pours forth wisdom. Where does your wisdom come from? This morning we will explore the many containers of wisdom–stories, practices, other people, and ourselves.

Special note: This sermon was recorded during a virtual church service. Members of the congregation came together online to connect even in this time of uncertainty and social distancing due to the COVID-19 outbreak. A central task of religious community is to form connections, to create living bridges with and to others. Today we’ll explore the many ways our community builds bridges of understanding, relationship, and justice.

Ancient wisdom advises us to listen to our inner voice, the still small voice. When we do, we come closer to our own true nature and learn to honor the wisdom within.

Special guest: Rev. Israel Buffardi Hope has been called the anchor of the soul, yet hope is hard to find today for many of us. Together we will reflect on hope as an imperfect practice of working for our ideals, as they pass from generation to generation.

Special guest: Paula Cole-Jones Whether we consider faith formation, growth, social justice and/or dismantling white supremacy, Unitarian Universalists could use an identity update. This presentation embraces who we are and challenges who we think we are. Seeing ourselves as a Community of Communities changes our future and it is  key to the Beloved Community. Paula Cole Jones is the founder of ADORE (A Dialogue on Race & Ethnicity), a former president of DRUUMM (Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries) and our congregation’s Primary Contact in the Central East Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Reading: from Welcoming the Unwelcome by Pema Chödrön What are the practices that can help us build resiliency in terms of personal struggle and national or global crisis? Today we’ll share and seek some practical guidance for developing resiliency practices in our daily lives.

The spiritual practice of generosity helps us and our community come into full bloom. When rooted in spiritual practice, giving has the power to liberate the giver and profoundly impact others. This morning we’ll share stories of how generosity has helped us flower.

When asked about their class background, most people in the United States describe themselves as middle class. Doctors, hourly workers, Ivy League graduates alike do this. Yet our different backgrounds offer different points of view and reference, and among UUs we are often reluctant to share or acknowledge these differences. Today we’ll share stories of class as a way to make space for more ways of being in our faith community.

Unitarian Universalist has 7 beloved principles that guide our ethical and spiritual commitments. The 7 principles, however, have not adequately dismantled racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. This morning in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, we’ll explore a proposed 8th principle and consider how it would help us build a diverse and multicultural Beloved Community.

Jane Palmer, Worship Associate 2020 will not be an easy year. We need to maintain our sanity, our courage, and our compassion, and we need to do so in a manner consistent with our moral principles. With integrity, in other words. Paradoxically, our strength lies in that most-maligned of all interests, self-interest. We are at our most powerful when we find our own stories in those of others and realize we have a stake in the game.

This morning we reflect on the way religious experiences open us to awe and wonder.

Nature fills us with awe. Standing beneath the stars or on the top of a mountain or both can leave us breathless and more alive than we ever imagined possible. Join us as we explore nature’s essential role in our lives and our spiritual community.

It is increasingly difficult to find silence in our world, to discover places where we can be in solitude away from the noisiness, busyness, and distractions of life. This morning we’ll explore the need and longing our spirits have for moments of hushing.

Guest speaker: John Pavlovitz Individually and as a nation we are experiencing a shaking. We now have the opportunity to be peace givers and not fear bringers, and to learn, as did the followers of Jesus, how to endure the turbulence and how, at times, to become the turbulence. How can we leverage our lives to bring peace to those who are shaking? John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. His blog, “Stuff That Needs To Be Said,” reaches a diverse worldwide audience. A 20-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. In 2017, he released his first book, A Bigger Table. His newest book is Hope and Other Superpowers.

Religion is a "chosen pilgrimage," says UU minister John Buehrens. We choose a community of faith. And we choose to return to it, over and over again, coming back to where we can be renewed by spiritual connection, celebration, and inspiration. Today we'll consider what calls us back to Unitarian Universalism, again and again.

The expectations we bring to the practice of forgiveness can help heal wounds and resentment or lead to bitterness and anger. Join us today as we explore the ways we can manage our expectations in order to improve emotional health and exercise goodness.