The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 22, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Mariela Pérez-Simons, Intern Minister. DESCRIPTION On this special Sunday before Christmas, Mariela will speak of the Latin-American tradition Las Posadas and will share stories of hospitality from her own life. All are invited to see hospitality as a spiritual practice—as an opportunity to encounter the mystery and wonder of life that presents itself when we open our doors and our hearts....
Dec 22, 2019•21 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 15, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Humanist author Michael Werner writes: “For all the talk about reason and science, Humanism is really about a passionate love affair. It is a love affair with life, not a mythical hereafter. Humanism is a love affair with a progressive vision of civilization in which each of us can add to our growing library o...
Dec 15, 2019•24 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 15, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION Humans are born into an ongoing personal and collective anxiety to experience their own natural divinity or "power" as a species. We often call this "seeking" God, seeking Source or seeking the Force. I like to refer to this Self Actualization. By nature we are seekers and survivalists, simultaneously. The two traits are inseparably conne...
Dec 15, 2019•37 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 15, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION My throwback sermon to Rev. Wolf was the fourth in a series describing the pathway from Vision to Mission. It is poignant and powerful message of love beyond belief and I look forward to sharing it with you. Here’s a taste, “Deep within the understanding of a congregation is a sharing of two worlds – one of things as they are,...
Dec 15, 2019•22 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 8, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION “The Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able, Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold.” —lyric from Dar Williams' "The Christians and the Pagans," Mortal C...
Dec 08, 2019•29 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 8, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Yadenee Hailu, Assistant Minister. DESCRIPTION Octavia Butler, an accomplished and prophetic black, queer, American, science fiction writer proposed in one trilogy, god is change. And change is inevitable. From marginalized communities and people we have the vital opportunity to learn and remember skills of resilience, transformation, and healing to not only survive but shape change. O...
Dec 08, 2019•31 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 8, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION “The Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able, Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold.” —lyric from Dar Williams' "The Christians and the Pagans," Mortal City album, 1996 This lyric...
Dec 08, 2019•25 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Yadenee Hailu, Assistant Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Octavia Butler, an accomplished and prophetic black, queer, American, science fiction writer proposed in one trilogy, God is change. And change is inevitable. From marginalized communities and people, we have the vital opportunity to learn and remember skills of resilience, transformation, and healing to not only ...
Dec 01, 2019•22 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION “The curative force in psychotherapy is man’s tendency to actualize himself, to become his/her potentialities.” —Carl Rogers This desire to become more of what you already are—to be actually, factually, functionally and punctually YOU—unedited and unaudited, the raw, rare, rough as well as a refined and more unlimited you. Join us in Decem...
Dec 01, 2019•40 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Yadenee Hailu, Assistant Minister. DESCRIPTION Octavia Butler, an accomplished and prophetic black, queer, American, science fiction writer proposed in one trilogy, God is change. And change is inevitable. From marginalized communities and people, we have the vital opportunity to learn and remember skills of resilience, transformation, and healing to not only survive but shape change. ...
Dec 01, 2019•16 min
The service took place on Sunday, November 24, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. DESCRIPTION Come together in gratitude to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday at All Souls! Our Cherub, Children’s, Youth, and all Adult Choirs will share their gifts of song. Families and children are encouraged to bring fresh foods for the traditional children’s procession of giving to the cornucopia. All food collected will be donated to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. SUBSCRIBE ...
Nov 24, 2019•38 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, November 17, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Mariela Pérez-Simons, Intern Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION This Sunday, at The Point, we will explore the place where ancient wisdom and modern science meet, the place where the yearnings of the human soul can be met, and where we find the right conditions for the flourishing of life! *Music: Shalem Joy Baissa (soloist), Rick Fortner (piano) SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: SU...
Nov 17, 2019•35 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 17, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION A Soul Mate is described as a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity. This may involve similarity, love, romance, platonic relationships, comfort, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, compatibility and trust. Soul Ties are connections from one person's soul to (or into) another person's soul. They are emotional bonds...
Nov 17, 2019•38 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 17, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION All Souls is known for our ministers preaching impactful sermons that benefit our church and Tulsa community. In preparation for our Centennial in 2021 we are bringing some of those amazing sermons back! Join Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar as he reimagines Rev. Dr. John Wolf's sermon from 1960 and how it applies to the church we know today. ...
Nov 17, 2019•22 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, November 10, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION We promise not because we are all good, but because we all suffer. At the heart of All Souls is a promise we make to each other. In a highly individualistic and materialistic culture like ours, to covenant with others is counter-cultural. Why do we bind our lives with people who are not family and who may be q...
Nov 10, 2019•26 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 10, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION Jesus was born into a closed, covenanted community and spent his years of ministry queering that covenant. Could members of the community work on the sabbath? Yes! Could their fellowship include women? Yes! Could their communities include sex workers and tax collectors? Yes! Were touch and intimacy allowed? Yes! The concept of...
Nov 10, 2019•33 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 10, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION We promise not because we are all good, but because we all suffer. At the heart of All Souls is a promise we make to each other. In a highly individualistic and materialistic culture like ours, to covenant with others is counter-cultural. Why do we bind our lives with people who are not family and who may be quite different from oursel...
Nov 10, 2019•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION The words covenant, coven, convene, and convention derive from the same root. They all refer to agreement of coming together— entering contract and contact with others in a cooperative, committed and devoted manner. Symphoneo is the Greek word for agreement, which we also get the word symphony. It doesn't mean to sound the same. It doesn't...
Nov 03, 2019•41 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, November 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Apologies can restore dignity and self-respect, repair harm, assure both parties that they have shared values, create renewed safety and new, shared meaning in relationships. Empathy, guilt and shame—our conscience—propels us forward; while fear of feeling vulnerable, of never being forgiven, of losing...
Nov 03, 2019•30 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 3, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION The Greek word for church is ecclesia. This word translates to "called out." So we know we are called out to do justice work. But we are also called out to listen for ways to be in covenant. Our covenant is recited every Sunday, but how are you doing covenant? SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS SERMON ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOU...
Nov 03, 2019•28 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION Good and Evil were somehow created by the "Sky God" of Hebrew scripture, and yet everything "God" created is said in scripture to have been good. If this is true, even allegorically, that would mean evil is nothing more or less than good extorted, contorted, and distorted! Join me as I continue to explore the good in evil and the evil in g...
Oct 27, 2019•39 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Mariela Perez-Simons, Intern Minister. DESCRIPTION The dancer Martha Graham once said: “There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and since there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique; if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." Inspired by this quote, we will talk about the sacred lif...
Oct 27, 2019•27 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Mariela Perez-Simons, Intern Minister. DESCRIPTION Experiences of awe make us stop. They leave us spellbound and “captivated,” like being apprehended in the most delicious way. But what is awe? Awe is an emotional response, a feeling that arises from being in the presence of something larger than the self; something so much more expansive than our understanding; it’s mind-shattering in a wa...
Oct 20, 2019•23 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Victor M. Parachin, Guest Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION The Buddha spoke a great deal about happiness emphasizing that all beings are entitled to happiness. His teachings outline "user friendly" ways to cultivate happiness on a daily basis. *Music: Rick Fortner SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOV...
Oct 20, 2019•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. DESCRIPTION Preached by Rev. John Wolf at his church in Meadville, PA. “We need more anger. We need more hate today.” The Rev Dr. John Wolf continued, “We need more emotion today …. anger, hate, sympathy, love, compassion, and religious fervor.” What was Rev. Wolf referring to? And why would he say such things? Join me for the next Throwba...
Oct 20, 2019•29 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. DESCRIPTION I am intrigued with the scriptural passage that forbids us humans to eat from the tree (truth) of the knowledge (science) of both good and evil. Evidently, both were somehow created by the "Sky God" of Hebrew scripture, and yet everything "God" created is said in scripture to have been good. If this is true, even allegorically, that would ...
Oct 13, 2019•39 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Yadenee Hailu, Assistant Minister, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION Duality is a terrifying loop to get stuck in, and yet when so much pain and tragedy is all around us it’s hard not to see all the evil. What else is there if not frustration and cynicism? How do we not swing from despair to apathy or tunnel vision based bliss? Let us uncover and practice together sustainable ways of be...
Oct 13, 2019•19 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION There is a lot of talk of treason these days! It is a word that means betraying your country. By many it is considered one of the worst crimes someone can commit. What about spiritual treason? How does someone betray their spirit? What are the elements and consequences of spiritual treason? Is it a high crime or a misdemeanor? Perhaps t...
Oct 13, 2019•26 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 6, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. DESCRIPTION Come experience and learn about ecstatic worship. I will be drawing on stories and photos from three years of travel on a mountain bicycle around Asia, the Middle-East and Europe in my early 20’s as I explore the ecstatic in worship. Why are people drawn to transcendence and what are some of the diverse and colorful ways people find it? ...
Oct 06, 2019•36 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, October 6, 2019, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry, at the Humanist Service. DESCRIPTION As agnostics, atheists and humanists, it feels so good to let go of inherited or culturally imposed beliefs about a punishing God, and to embrace our inherent worth and dignity. The next step – which sometimes lasts a lifetime - is a struggle to accept our human responsibility for evil in the world. Thi...
Oct 06, 2019•32 min
