Current Year Sermons - Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading, MA

04/20/2008 The Four Questions - A Passover Remembrance

In the traditional Jewish Passover Seder meal, the youngest child at the table asks four critical questions that reveal much of the meaning for this celebration of spiritual freedom. What four questions can we, as Unitarian Universalists, ask ourselves that will draw us deeper into the mystery of our living faith?

04/06/2008 Accidental Intersections

There are people who touch our lives for but a moment. There are moments when someone appears, and their presence, fleeting as it may be, makes an impact. Kate Braestrup captures these moments of grace quite beautifully in her touching memoir, Here If You Need Me. Today we explore the spiritual wisdom of presence when lives intersect for a brief but necessary moment of time. Whether you have read or intend to read the book or not, you’ll find a message in the service to soothe the soul.

03/23/2008 Never Too Early for Easter

Join us as we celebrate the renewing power of resurrection in many forms. Come for connection, come for community, come to claim the promise of this new day.

03/16/2008 A Shame, Scandal and Scam

Two months ago, Rev. Tim was eating at a restaurant in New York City. He looked out the window to see TV reporters, broadcast vans, lights, and cameras clogging the sidewalk. Next door, something had happened, something not very nice. How far will we go to get what we want? Who and what will we sacrifice to make ends meet?

03/09/2008 Who Really Killed Jesus?

Who killed Jesus of Nazareth? For most of its history, the Christian religion falsely placed the blame for Jesus’ murder on the Jews, a blame that fanned the flames of anti-Semitism the world over. But the true answer to this question is complex, insidious, and pervades and perverts modern religion and culture. As Holy Week and Easter approaches, we’ll explore fact and fiction, and expose the truth behind this most famous of executions.

03/02/2008 We Need More Time: A Meditation for Leap Year

A short meditation on the pace of life we live, the choices we make, and the gift of time that awaits us each day.

02/17/2008 Comfort Food For the Soul

Eating can be a deeply sensual and spiritual experience. For many of us, food is a way to touch the transcendent and the divine. What food transports you? What are the comfort foods that soothe your troubled soul?

02/10/2008 We Need Not Believe Alike

Contrary to popular belief, Unitarian Universalism isn’t a religion founded in the 1960’s by a few people who smoked a funny looking cigarette and thought it would be “cool” to start a new religion in which you could believe whatever you wanted. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our faith is founded on a long and rich history, with roots that sink deep into the European Enlightenment. Today, we’ll celebrate the lasting impact of the Edict of Torda, the world’s first document of religious freedom. Crafted by a Unitarian King in 1568, it influenced Thomas Jefferson and the shapers of our Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, and even informs our current multi-faith presidential primary election. How can the radical notion that “we need not believe alike to love alike” continue to shape our world?

02/03/2008 I Got A Name

The act of naming something, or naming ourselves or our actions, has deep spiritual implications. A name carries weight and meaning beyond the obvious. Identity is shaped by the words we use and wield. Join us for a service reflecting on the positive (and negative) power of 'name.'

01/20/2008 Nina Simone: Voice of Justice, Voice of Jazz

Our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday service - this year, we celebrate the songs and story of jazz legend Nina Simone. Ms. Simone was called the "High Priestess of Soul" by her fans and was regarded by them as an almost religious figure. Considered one of the greatest singers of her generation, Nina Simone changed the face of both music and race relations in America. She struck a chord with powerful protest songs such as "Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," the anthem of the American Civil Rights movement. The New York Times said of Ms. Simone: “Her attitudes and passions make her a culture unto herself.” Nina Simone died on April 21, 2003 at age 70.

01/13/2008 The Possibility of Something New: Thoughts on the Life of Jean Baker Miller

Dr. Maureen Walker, guest speaker, explores the ground breaking psychological work of Dr. Jean Baker Miller and her theory of Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). RCT suggests that growth-fostering relationships are a central human necessity and disconnections are the source of psychological problems. In a male dominant world, we ask what purpose and whose interests do more common psychological theories serve?' This service is an invitation to think about complicity and competition, especially among women, and also a guide to envisioning how connection can follow disconnection in families and at work as well as in therapy.

12/02/2007 Would Buddha Drive an SUV?

Living out our liberal religious values in our fast-paced, consumer-driven society can seem almost impossible at times. How can we be people of moral and ethical integrity in a world that doesn’t necessarily support this way of life?

11/25/2007 A Skeptical Faith

The Bumper sticker says "Question Authority." I ask "What is your authority to tell me that? Why should I believe you?" How do you balance a healthy skepticism against the beliefs you were taught to be 'True'. What is the difference between a skeptic and a cynic? How do you become a skeptic? Join us as Al Murray of the Worship Arts Committee explores (note explores, not answers) these questions and leads us to a host of other questions.

11/20/2007 Thanksgiving Responsibly

Before the feasting and football games, take a moment to reflect together on the things for which we are grateful. Join us as we celebrate together in ritual and song. This interactive service is appropriate for young and old and in between.

11/04/2007 Where The Wild Things Are!

When was the last time you heard the call of the wild? When was the last time you howled at the moon? When was the last time you stepped into a beautiful, rough and untamed place in the world? Is there a wild one inside you? What would happen if you let it out? And what wildness waits to be experienced within this church community?

10/21/2007 Five Hundred Miles To Go: Living With Chronic Illness, Mental Illness, Pain, Depression, or Suffering

How do we face life when hope is hard to find? How to we keep going when we—or someone we love—suffer from an illness or a condition that won’t get better over time? How can we be better friends and companions to those will struggle with the reality of chronic illness, suffering, or disappointment?

10/07/2007 Angels In America: The Amazing Origins of the Mormon Faith

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, more commonly known as The Mormon Church, is a purely homegrown faith, springing forth from the pioneering spirit of America in the early 1800s. Joseph Smith, the founder, first prophet and seer of the faith, was a country boy from upstate New York. How did this barely educated teenager create a mass religious movement? How did this persecuted church of six people become the fastest growing religion in the world? This sermon will explore the origins and early story of Mormonism.

09/23/2007 The Gospel According To My Backyard The Gospel According To My Backyard

As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that revelation and the wisdom of the universe can speak to us in many ways and forms. This summer, Rev. Tim spent countless hours outside working in the garden and fixing up his newly purchased house. In the process, he was reminded of some practical and profound spiritual truths. Come discover how a living scripture awaits just outside your back door.

09/16/2007 The Dreams of Others

Rev. Tim received an unexpected email on July 5th that brought tears to his eyes and inspired this sermon. Come here a story that might touch your heart and perhaps change the way you look at your dreams and the dreams of others.

09/09/2007 Water Communion Service

We begin each church year with a special service of Ingathering, which includes our beloved Unitarian Universalist tradition of mingling the waters (Water Communion). Together, we celebrate our being together again, and explore the nurturing nature of water and community in ritual, chant, and story. Drops of water, gathered from places that congregants have visited during the summer (or from their kitchen sinks or back yards), are mingled and blessed during the service. The water is used for Child Dedications and other rituals throughout the year.

09/02/2007 Love's Labor's Lost?

Rev. Tim returns to the pulpit this Labor Day Weekend to explore the “real work” we are each called to share in the world. No matter where we are in our life journey, each day the world calls to us anew: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”