Sermons

Roots Hold Me Close: Ralph Waldo Emerson's Divinity School Address
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- May 4, 2008

As part of our "sometimes sermon series" on the roots of Unitarian Universalism, this Sunday Rev. Peter highlights the address that Ralph Waldo Emerson gave to the Harvard Divinity School Class of 1838. In this speech, Emerson proclaimed the principles of Transcendentalism, a movement that still influences our faith today.

Available in Text and Audio .

Reflections on Secrets
YUCKI's -- April 20, 2008

The YUCKI's (a senior high group of Young Unitarians Combining Knowledge and Interest), present reflections on secrets -- how sharing them, even with strangers, can help make them easier to bear.

Available in Audio only.

Love Made Visible
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- April 13, 2008

What does it take to make a church? What draws people in and keeps them coming back? How do we express our commitment to each other, to the church and to our larger faith? These are among the questions Rev. Peter addressed this Sunday following the conclusion of our annual fund drive.

Available in Text and Audio .

Bumpers and Guardrails
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- March 30, 2008

Are we who we say we are? Do we, in fact, "welcome all" to the table? What, if any, are the limits of our faith? Who sets those limits and are the boundaries appropriate or necessary? These are just some of the questions that Rev. Peter examines this week.

Available in Text and Audio .

Small Victories: an Easter Homily
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- March 23, 2008

We celebrated the holiday through story and song, and Rev. Peter helped us find meaning in the story of Jesus' victory over death.

Available in Text only.

Passion Loves Company
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- March 16, 2008

One of our deepest human yearnings is to be of use. Yet it seems that we spend much of our time resisting or denying the pleas for help that bombard us from all fronts. "Give to this cause." "Donate your time to that organization." "Can you spare some loose change?" From the midst of our annual fund drive, when much of our focus is on money and finances, Rev. Peter examines how we care for one another both within the church and in the larger community, and introduces the concept of "passion-based ministry."

Available in Text and Audio .

A Sense of Place
Rev. Edward Searl -- March 9, 2008

Surveys regarding UU values always place a “beautiful life” at the top of the list. That beautiful life has several components including the influences and satisfactions of place. Place is shorthand for a complex relationship: you or me, reposing in the immediate reality in which we are embedded, a unique and enchanted piece of the greater world.

The Rev. Ed Searl is the minister of the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale, IL, a suburb fifteen miles west of Chicago. He has been a Unitarian Universalist minister since 1977-- humanistic in orientation and steeped in Natural Religion. He is the author of 7 books. He also recently launched a blog, In My Estimation, focusing on current events that relate to contemporary religion.

Available in Audio only.

Through the Eye
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- March 2, 2008

In one of his parables, Jesus told his disciples that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to gain the kingdom of heaven. On this, the kickoff date of our annual fund drive, Rev. Peter seeks to illuminate us on this teaching and to relate it to this time of financial commitment in our church.

Available in Text and Audio .

Tourist or Pilgrim?
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- February 24, 2008

There are many different ways to travel to unknown lands. Today we look at the differences between being a tourist and a pilgrim, whether we're journeying to foreign countries or navigating the unknown paths along our personal inner journeys.

Available in Text and Audio .

Noble Seed, Royal Soil
Dr. Joni Carley -- February 17, 2008

Throughout the ages, mystics have said that every sentient being is a noble seed of divinity. So how do we create the personal and cultural soil to support each and every seed in reaching its fullest fruition?

Dr. Joni Carley has a Doctor of Ministry in "The Reinvention of Work," from Wisdom University. With completion of CoachU, and experience with thousands of clients, she has expertise in facilitating transformation from the inside out. She is a professional coach who leads Mastermind Groups and does individual sessions.

Available in Audio only.

Power of Symbols
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- February 3, 2008

We see signs and symbols every day as we travel through our lives. Some we take for granted, knowing absolutely the meaning they represent. Others require our interpretation, sometimes representing multiple layers of meaning. We looked at the power that symbols have to represent ideas, and how they can be construed and misconstrued by those who view them.

Available in Text and Audio .

Humanism Resurrected?
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- January 27, 2008

A new atheist movement has ermerged in America, largely in response to the perceived power of the Christian right. How does this movement compare to the Humanist Movement of the mid-twentieth century, and what can Unitarian Universalists learn from it?

Available in Text and Audio .

What Was Martin Luther King Thinking?
Elliott Ratzman -- January 20, 2008

In our times of international crisis and domestic injustice, what are our responsibilities? MLK was enriched by different traditions of theory and practice: Christian theology, Jewish philosophy, Indian wisdom, radical politics, and the Black Church experience. We learn unconventional lessons from exploring King's influences, lessons that can help us practically address problems of race and class, genocide and war.

Elliot Ratzman is Assistant Professor in Swarthmore College's Religion Department where he teaches courses on modern Jewish and Christian theology, ethics, and practice.

Available in Audio only.

Missionary Zeal
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- January 13, 2008

Zealots have been given a bad rap throughout human history, but one thing you can't fault them for is their enthusiasm! What would it be like to pursue the principles of Unitarian Universalism with zealous enthusiasm, and what tools would we need to be missionaries of our faith? Rev. Peter leads the service.

Available in Text and Audio .

Driving Your Life
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- January 6, 2008

Do you speed up when you see a yellow light ahead? Do you come to a full stop at stop signs, or just glide through the intersection? Rev. Peter examines how the way we drive reflects the way we live, and how a simple thing like changing our driving habits can change our lives.

Available in Text and Audio .

This Very Moment
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- December 30, 2007

At the turning of the year, a time when we reflect on the year that's past and contemplate the year ahead, Rev. Peter examined how we can also be conscious of the present. We also engaged in a ritual that would help us let go of what we'd like to leave behind in the old year, and to hang on to what we want to take with us into the new.

Available in Text and Audio .

The Brightest Light
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- December 9, 2007

This seasonal homily was delivered as part of our annual "Deck the Halls" service, celebrating the wealth of holidays bringing joy and light to our congregation.

Available in Text and Audio .

Please Remember Me
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- December 2, 2007

While great progress has been made in the treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS, especially in the United States, this disease continues to ravage people living in less advantaged parts of the world. In honor of World AIDS Day (December 1), we heard stories of those living with, and dying from, the disease, and learned how HIV/AIDS has transformed entire cultures.

Available in Text and Audio .

Between Gratitude and Greed
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- November 25, 2007

The transition from Thanksgiving Day to "Black Friday" is a stark one. One day we're focused on all of those things that we're grateful for, and the next we're told our lives are empty and need to be filled with all the stuff we don't have. It's enough to give a person whiplash! On this Sunday, we looked for a "middle ground" as we moved from the Thanksgiving holiday to the Christmas frenzy.

Available in Text and Audio .

Seven Days of Faith
Rev. Lyn Cox -- November 11, 2007

Unitarian Universalism gives us freedom for the search for truth and meaning in our own way. Every day presents new obstacles and new gifts for engaging with that search. The spiritual practices we follow can provide not only a vehicle for our own search, but a signpost for the children, youth, and adults in our UU communities with whom we share the path.

Available in Text and Audio .

Roots Hold Me Close Part 1: William Ellery Channing and the Baltimore Sermon
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- November 4, 2007

This was the first in a new "sometimes sermon series" that reminds us about the historical roots of our U.U. faith. William Ellery Channing's "Baltimore Sermon," an ordination address, was delivered by Channing in 1819. The title of his sermon was "Unitarian Christianity," and this sermon is widely viewed as the "Unitarian Manifesto" that outlined the distinction between a growing liberal faith and the prevailing orthodoxy of the early 19th century.

Available in Text and Audio.

Moved by Unseen Forces
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- October 28, 2007

It is the confluence of the pagan holiday of Samhain, the Christian celebration of All Souls and All Saints Day, the Mexican "Day of the Dead" and Halloween. Rev. Peter will reflect on those things that influence who we are, how we act, and what we might become.

Available in Text and Audio .

Say What?
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- October 21, 2007

Rev. Peter and Jean Campbell, our Director of Religious Education, led an intergenerational worship service that examined our Sixth Principle through the lens of Leo Leonni's story, "The Alphabet Tree."

Available in Text and Audio .

We Are Not Alone
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- October 14, 2007

This Sunday is the first-ever, first-annual "Association Sunday." Today, Unitarian Universalist churches across the country and around the world will celebrate their common heritage and their shared values. We will examine our linkages to these other communities of like-minded people and examine how we can jointly be an effective voice in the public square.

Available in Text and Audio .

To Heal the World
Rev. Kathleen Bortner -- October 7, 2007

UU Community Minister Kate Bortner has worked as Crime Prevention Coordinator for the York, PA City Police Department for over 21 years. From a perspective focused on victims, daily crime reports in the scores, and neighborhood conflict, Rev. Kate shared how she finds hope in a city increasingly gripped by shootings and gang violence.

Available in Text and Audio .

Reach Out!
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- September 30, 2007

Unitarian Universalism is often referred to as "faith in action." Our liberal tradition calls us to serve others less fortunate than ourselves and to build a world of justice, equity and compassion. Sunday's service will focus on the new Interfaith Housing Network initiative that the church is undertaking. Rev. Peter others will speak about how this program provides us the opportunity to live out the principles of our faith.

Available in Text and Audio .

Confession is Good for the Soul
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- September 23, 2007

As the Jewish High Holidays came to a close on Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement," we examined the spiritual practice of taking stock of our past actions and seeking (as well as offering) forgiveness.

Available in Text and Audio .

Five Pillars of Faith
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- September 17, 2007

With the start of Ramadan, Muslims began a month-long period of fasting and devotion. This sermon explored the Five Pillars of Islam, the bedrock requirements of that faith, and considered what the pillars of Unitarian Universalism might be.

Available in Text and Audio .

Get on the Bus!
Rev. Peter A. Friedrichs -- September 9, 2007

Unitarian Universalism is often referred to as "faith in action." Our liberal tradition calls us to serve others less fortunate than ourselves and to build a world of justice, equity and compassion. Sunday's service will focus on the new Interfaith Housing Network initiative that the church is undertaking. Rev. Peter others will speak about how this program provides us the opportunity to live out the principles of our faith.

Available in Text and Audio .

Click below for previous Sermons pages.