Stay ConnectedA weekly sermon podcast from All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a Unitarian Universalist community rooted in Love Beyond Belief.
These messages explore progressive spirituality, social justice, compassion, and personal growth—offering thoughtful perspectives on life, meaning, and what it means to be human.
All Souls is an affirming, inclusive community where people of all beliefs—and no belief—come together to learn, grow, and make a difference.
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 12, 2014, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Let’s be honest. It’s not easy being “green!” Doing what is best for the environment is often inconvenient, expensive, complicated, unclear, and hard to maintain. Most people, including the loudest proponents of “being green,” act hypocritically regarding many of their own choices. Most of us, if we let ourselves think about it honestly, feel somewhat guilty and hypocritical about how we live with regard to the amount of resources we use and destroy. Looking at my own life, I’m in no position to lecture anyone on how to live regarding being a noble steward of the earth. But I try to do the “right” things, at least when it is not too inconvenient. What do we do if we have a sense of responsibility to the earth, and to future generations, but we have neither the will nor the knowledge to make significant change? It may be one of the primary dilemmas of our times, especially for those who have enough time and money to think about such things. Can we step out of our agendas, our denial, our fears, and our self-righteousness long enough to struggle together regarding what all of this means? I’m going to give it a try. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/RevMarlin All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 5, 2014, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION What is your word for the new year? Words have incredible power to change and even create realities. The old saying goes: “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” The truth is that words are more destructive and creative than sticks or stones could ever be. Sometimes one word can change our lives. There is a verse in the Bible that says “In the beginning was the word…” As we begin a new year and launch into our monthly theme of Creation, let’s look at how words can help us be fully alive and can help us create the world we want to live in. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/RevMarlin All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 22, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION When the sun rises on Dec. 22 it will have emerged out of the longest, darkest night of the year. Cultures around the globe and across time have found ways to celebrate and respond to both the darkness and the returning of the light. Before much was understood about astronomy, ancient people feared that the sun was dying. Fear of the darkness and alarm over the lengthening nights and shortening days was something that called people to some kind of ritual or religious response. In religious parlance, darkness is often used as a metaphor for something negative. We hear about “going to the dark side,” or “dealing with the darkness within,” or “dark emotions,” or “dark moments in life.” But darkness has many positive attributes too: seeds grow in the dark, the womb that prepares life is dark, and nighttime is filled with many restorative blessings. With Sunday falling on the first day of lengthening sunlight, let us begin this day and season by paying special attention and honoring the darkness, even as we come more fully into the light. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/RevMarlin All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 15, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the contemporary service by Rev. Tamara Lebak, Associate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Spoiler alert: this sermon is inspired by the film. If you haven’t yet seen Gravity, be forewarned, you may learn more than you want to know. You may also be influenced by my perspective on the film as a religious parable. And finally, you may want to see it before Sunday! Dr. Ryan Stone is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, when disaster strikes. As the story unfolds, we learn that she is numb with grief over her daughter’s death, and devotes all of her time, energy, and attention to her work. Not noticing all the opportunities that Creation offers her, she gave her life completely to her tasks – so much so that it may even cause the drama that ensues. Dr. Stone, with the help of some incredible cinematography, hurls herself from space station to space station trying to get home. The characters in Gravity float through outer space, completely vulnerable (as do we all.) Dr. Stone must decide over and over again, despite many trials, whether to give up or fight for life. You don’t have to be an astronaut to empathize. What literally grounds us – what binds us to the earth and keeps us from flying off of this planet – is gravity. What grounds you in the chaos of life? SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/revLebak All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 15, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the traditional service by Rev. Tamara Lebak, Associate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Spoiler alert: this sermon is inspired by the film. If you haven’t yet seen Gravity, be forewarned, you may learn more than you want to know. You may also be influenced by my perspective on the film as a religious parable. And finally, you may want to see it before Sunday! Dr. Ryan Stone is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, when disaster strikes. As the story unfolds, we learn that she is numb with grief over her daughter’s death, and devotes all of her time, energy, and attention to her work. Not noticing all the opportunities that Creation offers her, she gave her life completely to her tasks – so much so that it may even cause the drama that ensues. Dr. Stone, with the help of some incredible cinematography, hurls herself from space station to space station trying to get home. The characters in Gravity float through outer space, completely vulnerable (as do we all.) Dr. Stone must decide over and over again, despite many trials, whether to give up or fight for life. You don’t have to be an astronaut to empathize. What literally grounds us – what binds us to the earth and keeps us from flying off of this planet – is gravity. What grounds you in the chaos of life? SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/revLebak All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 15, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Tamara Lebak, Associate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Spoiler alert: this sermon is inspired by the film. If you haven’t yet seen Gravity, be forewarned, you may learn more than you want to know. You may also be influenced by my perspective on the film as a religious parable. And finally, you may want to see it before Sunday! Dr. Ryan Stone is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, when disaster strikes. As the story unfolds, we learn that she is numb with grief over her daughter’s death, and devotes all of her time, energy, and attention to her work. Not noticing all the opportunities that Creation offers her, she gave her life completely to her tasks – so much so that it may even cause the drama that ensues. Dr. Stone, with the help of some incredible cinematography, hurls herself from space station to space station trying to get home. The characters in Gravity float through outer space, completely vulnerable (as do we all.) Dr. Stone must decide over and over again, despite many trials, whether to give up or fight for life. You don’t have to be an astronaut to empathize. What literally grounds us – what binds us to the earth and keeps us from flying off of this planet – is gravity. What grounds you in the chaos of life? SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/revLebak All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 8, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Does God make mistakes? And does God learn from those whom God created? The Bible makes it seem like God is continuing to change and grow as humanity changes and evolves. In this funny, heartfelt and (some would say) “heretical” message, the preacher takes on the character of God to describe what it’s like to be the Almighty, the Creator of all Existence. In the end, he truly brings God “down to earth.” The sermon was inspired by the book, The Education of God by the Reverend David E. Bumbaugh. The book includes a series of powerful expository sermons in which the author tells the accounts of Abraham, Moses, Jonah and others from God’s perspective. The Education of God. Bumbaugh, David E., Rising Press, Minneapolis 1994. Rising Press First Universalist Church of Minneapolis 3400 Dupont Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55408 SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/RevMarlin All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 1, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald Davis, Adjunct Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION “Why does the caged bird sing?“ posed Maya Angelou. She tells us beautifully in her book of the same title, “Because it has a song.” You and I marvel at the remarkable resilience of those beset by disaster or life circumstances. We see them making a way out of no way. We feel their strength when they say, ”I feel like going on.“ When the poet says, ”…and still they rise," we ask ourselves, could we? Yes, my brothers and sisters, we will consider the proposition that all of us are born not equal to a powerful force that moves us to places we never dreamed we could go. If we take ourselves too seriously we cannot ask for help. But if we humble ourselves to ask for help in overcoming those self-centered obstacles that keep us estranged from one another, our blessing is on the way! Our theme this month is God, and we shall praise! SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 1, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Randy Lewis, Adjunct Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION World AIDS Day is held on December 1 each year and is an important opportunity to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died. We don’t hear about it much anymore. And World AIDS Day is often an occasion to note alarming or depressing statistics, like 33 million people are infected with HIV worldwide, and a quarter of them are unaware they have the virus… But as important as it is to remember, and be aware, it is just as important to have hope. Although there is no cure for HIV, treatment has advanced greatly, and it is no longer considered a death sentence. People diagnosed today can have a near-normal life expectancy and live healthy and active lives. So, my reflection is not only about enduring the storm but also about learning to dance in the rain. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/RandyLewis3 All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 24, 2013, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION One of the questions I am most frequently asked is, “How can people with many different beliefs be members of the same church?” It seems to go against the very nature of church. The answer is “Covenant.” A covenant is a sacred promise. At All Souls we are not bound together by a central, unified belief or creed. We are united under a sacred promise that we make to one another when we join the church. On one level it is very simple and at the same time it is deeply profound. Instead of reciting a creed in worship, we recite: Love is the Spirit of our church and service is its law. This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love and to help one another. These words invite anyone who is willing to make such a promise toward the common good to become a part of our community. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllSoulsTulsa https://twitter.com/RevMarlin All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org
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