The sermon was delivered on Sunday, March 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION The show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, is an example of the trend sweeping the nation, tidying up and organizing our homes. Marie Kondo is the new guru of de-cluttering one’s life. She asks, “Does it spark joy?” and says that if it doesn’t, let it go! We begin March with our monthly theme of Letting Go. I have been inspired by this de-clut...
Mar 03, 2019•19 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 17, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION To survive is to manage to keep going in difficult circumstances. Human spirituality can be both daring and dangerous because it involves imagination and experimentation with a neglected but natural part of our human essence. We're not just human beings seeking spiritual experiences, we are a spirit having an earthly encounter. Managing b...
Feb 17, 2019•31 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 10, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION African American History is steeped in the spiritual practices of both ancient African spirituality and Western Christianity. The belief that one can be possessed by spirit, whether holy or unholy, is a form of superstition, myth and fairytale but so is life itself. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King combined both the tale and fairytales of life...
Feb 10, 2019•43 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, February 10, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION How often have you had the thought, "I am not able …"? We come to this dead end when we put on our plate what we think is an overwhelming mess. The result, of course, is we do nothing and back away from the table. In this time of confusion, steadily-unsteady leadership, and incoherence, it is easy to slip away ...
Feb 10, 2019•34 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 10, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION How often have you had the thought, "I am not able …"? We come to this dead end when we put on our plate what we think is an overwhelming mess. The result, of course, is we do nothing and back away from the table. In this time of confusion, steadily-unsteady leadership, and incoherence, it is easy to slip away under the shadow of distre...
Feb 10, 2019•20 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, February 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, and Rev. Timea Nagy-Mátéfi, Special Guest, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Have you noticed how in the headlong rush to the future we often forget wisdom from the past. Former knowledge can be considered "out-of-date.” Yet, so many wise practices and understandings come from ancient traditions and people of the past. Perhaps there are times w...
Feb 03, 2019•29 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Carmen White-Janak, Guest Minister. DESCRIPTION This year, 2019, commemorates 400 years since Africans were brought to these shores. This is also our 93rd year since Carter G. Woodson initiated Black History Month—lifting our collective awareness to acknowledge Black folks incredible influence, creative genius, and indelible contributions made in this country. Black history is American...
Feb 03, 2019•30 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, and Rev. Timea Nagy-Mátéfi, Special Guest. DESCRIPTION Have you noticed how in the headlong rush to the future we often forget wisdom from the past. Former knowledge can be considered "out-of-date.” Yet, so many wise practices and understandings come from ancient traditions and people of the past. Perhaps there are times when we need to go back in ...
Feb 03, 2019•27 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, January 27, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Em Kianka, Intern Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION No one wants to experience heartbreak and suffering—instead, they are experiences we often hope to avoid. However, empathy expert Dr. Brené Brown says our capacity for sincere, full-hearted living is the same as our capacity to experience heartbreak. If we harden our hearts to avoid paying attention to pain, we stop connectin...
Jan 27, 2019•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 27, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION One morning we wake to blue skies and other mornings we wake up moaning —and sometimes it’s the same morning. From feeling good to feeling blue, we get out of bed and go about our lives. What is this energy of life that sustains us when we are feeling down and fills us with joy when we are at our best? Join me to explore a full range of...
Jan 27, 2019•30 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 20, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION What's amazing about the humanity of grace is that it can be expressed and experienced in and to every extreme and polarity. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the epitome of the expression of Grace. John Newton, the author of the famous song "Amazing Grace", a slave owner and trader most of his life, experienced an element of it in a most pro...
Jan 20, 2019•36 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, January 20, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION I took my daughter to see her birth-mother and siblings in Alabama over the winter holiday. Along the way we stopped at the Laramie Hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was a painful and poignant journey through some of the sacred places of the Civil Rights era. In Birmingham I visited th...
Jan 20, 2019•21 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 20, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION I took my daughter to see her birth-mother and siblings in Alabama over the winter holiday. Along the way we stopped at the Laramie Hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was a painful and poignant journey through some of the sacred places of the Civil Rights era. In Birmingham I visited the 16th Street Baptist Chur...
Jan 20, 2019•19 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 13, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION The idea of grace tends to trigger religious thoughts of a God who measures grace through sympathy and a kindness. In a non-religious sense, grace is one reflecting the same traits of sympathy and kindness as entirely human, evolving and including benevolence, simple elegance, and refinement of movement or mind. Grace and graciousness is a...
Jan 13, 2019•37 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, January 13, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION According to Dogen Zenji, the 12th-century founder of Soto Zen Buddhism, reality is created and destroyed 6,400,099,980 times a day - or around 70,000 times a second. Modern science agrees with this ancient wisdom. The Higgs boson, or “God particle,” the building block of the universe, exists for only ...
Jan 13, 2019•27 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 13, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION According to Dogen Zenji, the 12th-century founder of Soto Zen Buddhism, reality is created and destroyed 6,400,099,980 times a day - or around 70,000 times a second. Modern science agrees with this ancient wisdom. The Higgs boson, or “God particle,” the building block of the universe, exists for only a millionth of a millionth...
Jan 13, 2019•25 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Victor M. Parachin, Guest Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Sometime in 46 BC, Julius Caesar established January 1 as New Year's day. Since that time, people have used this transition time of year to audit themselves and make adjustments which might bring them more happiness. Join me to explore the Buddhist way to have a happy new year. *Music performed by Rick Fortner...
Jan 06, 2019•26 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION One of the most wonderful and potentially problematic ideas in religion is grace. It implies that no matter what a person has done, that person can still enjoy the gift of grace. Most people prefer a world in which people who do wrong face the negative consequences of their actions. Grace, it would seem, flies in the face of justice. It ...
Jan 06, 2019•18 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 30, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Loyce Newton-Edwards, M.Ed., M.Div., Guest Speaker, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Inspired by Christel Manning's book Losing Our Religion: How Unaffiliated Parents Are Raising Their Children, I'll share insight from my journey to Humanism and the movement of the fastest growing religion in America—none! Join me to explore what "nones" believe and how we negotiate tensions with thos...
Dec 30, 2018•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 30, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION As we end this year seeking peace and expecting grace, may we understand we have a role to play in this equation. Peace comes from Justice and Grace is assured. But, if you consider that the odds against achieving a peaceful and graceful world are greater than any useful fiction you may hold, then you're missing the whole point. Come jo...
Dec 30, 2018•30 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 23, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION A Christmas Story and reflection. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS MESSAGE ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: or text LOVEBB to 73256 LET'S CONNECT: Facebook: Twitter: All Souls Church Website:
Dec 23, 2018•23 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 23, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry, and Em Kianka, Intern Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Celebrate the longest night of the year for our Humanist Solstice service. Barbara Prose and Em Kianka take us through a solstice ritual to mark this powerful point. Special guest musician Jared Tyler leads the music with Rick Fortner. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: SUBSCR...
Dec 23, 2018•28 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 16, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Em Kianka, Intern Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION The days are getting darker as we approach the darkest day of the year in this part of the world. What is your relationship to the dark? What poignant, funny, transformational, and painful lessons do we learn from the dark? Join me to explore what invitations—including the call to rest, to move more slowly, to embrace uncert...
Dec 16, 2018•20 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 16, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION: Human reasoning is incapable of fully comprehending transcendent peace or the peace of God, Divine Mind, or Higher Consciousness. Peace is not circumstantial, it is psychological. It is the science of mind. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS SERMON ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: GIVE A ...
Dec 16, 2018•29 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 16, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION: Why do Unitarian Universalists celebrate Christmas? I'm often asked this question because, historically members of UU congregations don’t believe in the virgin birth or the divinity of Jesus. But, if you look at the history of Christmas in America, a better question might be “Why do Christians celebrate Christmas since the holiday is ...
Dec 16, 2018•27 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 9, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION Peace is the most natural asset and desire of human nature—nothing satisfies us more. Mental calm, serenity and freedom from disturbance with quiet and tranquility are heaven on Earth. But, Peace comes in many forms. Peace is a life source and a life force. At All Souls, we profess to be peace agents, and brokers when necessary, while bein...
Dec 09, 2018•32 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 9, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION Helen Keller said, "I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace.” We see this word PEACE hanging all over homes, offices, stores and churches during the winter holidays. What do we really know about how to attain it? Let’s be honest about this time of year feeling peaceful is often a...
Dec 09, 2018•25 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 2, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Dr. Willie Parker, Guest Speaker. DESCRIPTION Dr. Willie Parker, reproductive justice advocate and friend of All Souls, became a household name when the headline, "Christian Provides Abortions" hit the mainstream. ABOUT Dr. Willie J. Parker, MD, MPH, MSC is an outspoken, Christian abortion provider. His work includes a focus on violence against women, sexual assault prevention, and reprodu...
Dec 02, 2018•31 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 2, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION As we begin the December theme of “Peace," I ask myself if peace is an inner state or an outer reality. In Thich Nhat Hanh's book Being Peace, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk shares about watching monks burn themselves in the middle of the street to protest war. Had those monks found inner peace? If so, does such ...
Dec 02, 2018•22 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 2, 2018, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Dr. Willie Parker, Guest Speaker. DESCRIPTION Dr. Willie Parker, reproductive justice advocate and friend of All Souls, became a household name when the headline, "Christian Provides Abortions" hit the mainstream. ABOUT Dr. Willie J. Parker, MD, MPH, MSC is an outspoken, Christian abortion provider. His work includes a focus on violence against women, sexual assault prevention, and reprodu...
Dec 02, 2018•24 min
