The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 25, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” —Henri Frederic Amiel Showing and sharing gratitude is a common commodity intrinsic to the human experience. The acts of gratitude are felt, not only to those who receive them, bu...
Nov 25, 2018•33 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, November 25, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Em Kianka, Intern Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION What thoughts and beliefs do Unitarian Universalists share about miracles? What makes a story about a miracle different from any other story? What stories do we hold from our own lives of miraculous moments that draw us into and connect us to our rich web of interdependent life? This Sunday, we will explore these stories of ...
Nov 25, 2018•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 25, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Em Kianka, Intern Minister. DESCRIPTION What thoughts and beliefs do Unitarian Universalists share about miracles? What makes a story about a miracle different from any other story? What stories do we hold from our own lives of miraculous moments that draw us into and connect us to our rich web of interdependent life? This Sunday, we will explore these stories of miracles and miraculous mo...
Nov 25, 2018•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 18, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, and Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION Come together in gratitude to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with your All Souls family. Our Cherub, Children’s, Youth, YAVE, New Dimensions, and Adult Choirs will share their gifts of song. Rev. Lavanhar will share an interactive presentation of the heart and soul of our chur...
Nov 18, 2018•33 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 11, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION “Reflect upon your present blessings—of which every man (person) has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” — Charles Dickens Gratefulness is the easiest and most common commodity intrinsic to the human experience. All Souls joins millions of Americans this month saying, showing and sharing gratefulness for blessi...
Nov 11, 2018•28 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 11, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION If you could write a letter to America, what would you say? As I write this, the election looms ahead of us. When we gather on Sunday, November 11, the election will be behind us. One hundred years after Armistice Day, which ended World War I—“the war to end all wars”—Marlin and I will share our concerns for and our faith and ...
Nov 11, 2018•31 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, November 4, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Dr. Lachlan Forrow, Guest Speaker, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Medical doctor, philosopher, musician, and scholar Albert Schweitzer won the Nobel Peace Prize for his ethical philosophy known as Reverence for Life in 1952. It was his historical and ethical interpretation of Christianity that first led him on a search for a universal concept of ethics. He concluded that ethics was s...
Nov 04, 2018•30 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 4, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION Scientific expert on gratitude, Robert Emmon's research demonstrates that practicing gratitude has significant physical and mental health benefits. People who practice gratitude have fewer health complaints, more energy and determination, greater satisfaction with life, and more optimism and resilience. He knows this as a scientific rea...
Nov 04, 2018•24 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 28, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION The United States is less united today than we’ve been experientially in decades, if not centuries. And we hurt and are even angry because we miss being united, being one. However, we're not a melting pot, we're a stew, with each part of us maintaining its individuality while intentionally harmonizing and celebrating our differences and va...
Oct 28, 2018•33 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, October 28, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION In this age of uncivility, we’ll hear from a master of civility and love, Mr. Rogers, who said, “I know how tough it is some days, to look with confidence at the months and years ahead.” Some say he is part of the past. But after the Ariana Grande concert terrorist attack in England in 2017, a Mr. Roge...
Oct 28, 2018•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 28, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION I recently heard a story about a Tibetan choir comprised of Buddhist monks. These were all very small men, who wear simple saffron robes and sandals. They appear soft spoken, with shaved heads and bring the scent of sandalwood emanating from the carved beads worn around their necks and wrists. They were coming to chant and sing and have...
Oct 28, 2018•22 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, October 21, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, at the Humanist Service, featuring pilgrimage stories by Rachel Mize, Elizabeth Arnett, and Carla Clark. DESCRIPTION In June, a group of All Souls members and friends met in Madrid, Spain, to walk the ancient pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago. Like all pilgrims before us, we came with hopes and regrets, concerns and expectations. Without exception, we were surprised ...
Oct 21, 2018•34 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 21, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, featuring pilgrimage stories by Rachel Mize, Elizabeth Arnett, and Carla Clark. DESCRIPTION In June, a group of All Souls members and friends met in Madrid, Spain, to walk the ancient pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago. Like all pilgrims before us, we came with hopes and regrets, concerns and expectations. Without exception, we were surprised and changed by our experie...
Oct 21, 2018•33 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 14, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION William Cowper, the son of a minister, and 18th century poet, hymnodist wrote the phrase: “Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.” A friend and mentee of John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, was an abolitionist and seems to have understood while living in England, the beauty of diversity and human community. A com...
Oct 14, 2018•29 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 14, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION At the heart of American democracy is... (wait for it...) “heart!” One of America’s foremost 21st century liberal theologians, Dr. Rev. Thandeka, teaches that when liberal religion displaces emotion from the moral equation, a contradiction of moral reasoning diminishes the impact of the liberal voice in American...
Oct 14, 2018•30 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 14, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION At the heart of American democracy is... (wait for it...) “heart!” One of America’s foremost 21st century liberal theologians, Dr. Rev. Thandeka, teaches that when liberal religion displaces emotion from the moral equation, a contradiction of moral reasoning diminishes the impact of the liberal voice in American public life. Mainstream ...
Oct 14, 2018•30 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, October 7, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Victor M. Parachin, Guest Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION It’s simply not possible to escape adversity in life. Sooner or later everyone experiences an issue— unpleasant, unwelcome, uninvited. These experiences can range from the deeply disappointing to the profoundly painful. Join Victor Parachin in The Point, our Humanist Hour. He will explore and share the Buddhis...
Oct 07, 2018•32 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 7, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION In the Pledge of Allegiance we say “...one nation, under God, indivisible...”. Yet, America seems very divided. As we begin our October theme of “Unity and Diversity,” the worship team and I are working to create services that aim to unify in love what is divided by politics, prejudices, and preferences. This year’s Children and Youth Ch...
Oct 07, 2018•25 min
The homily was delivered on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, and Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION After a week full of conflict, confessions and consequences on the national and international stage, there is a need for comfort and for commentary that can unify and inspire. Join our ministers, Marlin and Barbara as they offer a message for all of us. H...
Sep 30, 2018•31 min
The homily was delivered on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION After a week full of conflict, confessions and consequences on the national and international stage, there is a need for comfort and for commentary that can unify and inspire. Join our ministers, Marlin and Barbara as they offer a message for all of us. However you are being impacted by the news and current events, come and experience...
Sep 30, 2018•22 min
The homily was delivered on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION After a week full of conflict, confessions and consequences on the national and international stage, there is a need for comfort and for commentary that can unify and inspire. Join our ministers, Marlin and Barbara as they offer a message for all of us. However you are being impacted by the news and current events, come and e...
Sep 30, 2018•20 min
The reflection was delivered on Sunday, September 23, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION The insatiable human desire for more often gets portrayed as a negative characteristic that leads to excess. What if its origin is a deep knowing that there is more to our lives then we often perceive or actualize? Do you feel the tug for more of something in your life? Perhaps it is the most important mes...
Sep 23, 2018•28 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 23, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION The insatiable human desire for more often gets portrayed as a negative characteristic that leads to excess. What if its origin is a deep knowing that there is more to our lives then we often perceive or actualize? Do you feel the tug for more of something in your life? Perhaps it is the most important message you are avoiding. As we ...
Sep 23, 2018•27 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 16, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION All Souls is redefining what religious community can be in a modern, culturally-aware, and ever-evolving world. This Sunday, during our services, we will reveal the design of the new All Souls downtown church campus. Come hear why we’ve become the largest Unitarian Universalist church in the world and how we are reaching people across...
Sep 16, 2018•22 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 9, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION Where are the places that gather people in meaningful ways? There’s a big difference between being in other people’s company and encountering people in ways that change us all. This weekend is both All Souls annual Homecoming Sunday and the opening of Tulsa’s new $460,000,000 “Gathering Place” park. All Souls is a gathering place for peop...
Sep 09, 2018•34 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 9, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION Where are the places that gather people in meaningful ways? There’s a big difference between being in other people’s company and encountering people in ways that change us all. This weekend is both All Souls annual Homecoming Sunday and the opening of Tulsa’s new $460,000,000 “Gathering Place” park. All Souls is a gathering place for p...
Sep 09, 2018•27 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 2, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION “Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck, your profession is what you're put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” ―Vincent van Gogh There is a tense, intense and intended inner tug in the soul, that is so irresistible, that no spiritually alive person can ign...
Sep 02, 2018•35 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 26, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION What do you believe and why do you believe it? And how do your beliefs add to or subtract from the quality of your life? How have your beliefs changed and how has your change in beliefs changed you? I have entered a new age and stage in my life and my beliefs about life that has greatly altered my world view, my view of the world, and the w...
Aug 26, 2018•34 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 26, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION How can science not just inform, but inspire your values? I wrote a paper in college about the relationship of science and religion. The idea was we had to choose between science and religion or have a strong theory of how they can interact and relate. Thirty years later, my thoughts on the subject have, you might say, evolved! Many of u...
Aug 26, 2018•28 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 19, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION What eight letter word can have one letter taken away at a time, until there’s only one letter at the end and every time a letter is taken away, there’s a word left, including the last time? A riddle is a puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or something or someone difficult to understand. In school, we learn a lot ...
Aug 19, 2018•21 min
