The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 11, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION In the farthest reaches, regions, and rhythms of consciousness there is a reality and intelligence people like to call God. If, in fact, God is infinite (without end), then how can we who are finite (with limitations and a perceived end), define an Infinite Reality? God is not a name or a pronoun. God is not an it, a he, a s...
Dec 11, 2016•32 min
The message was delivered on Sunday, December 11, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. MESSAGE DESCRIPTION Our national social justice campaign declares, “We Are Standing on the Side of Love.” But how is it done? How do we counter hatred and stay calm? How do we fight racism and remain friends? How do we meet our enemy and engage peacefully? Our times demand that we engage with these questions. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: ...
Dec 11, 2016•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, December 4, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to go on living our lives. Other times it takes courage to change course. Where does this courage come from? How do we rise above the everyday circumstances we find ourselves in and act in the face of fear, danger, or despair? Some people draw on a higher power and others on a higher purpose. T...
Dec 04, 2016•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION My favorite scriptural covenant is recorded as something Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke 10:27, ”Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and “Love your neighbor as yourself” which suggests both vertical and horizontal covenant. Our history with in...
Nov 27, 2016•39 min
The homily was delivered on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Joseph Boyd, Intern Minister. HOMILY DESCRIPTION Joseph Boyd, intern minister, along with his wife Jennifer Ruth Boyd, and members, Elizabeth Arnett & Deborah Fritts camped at Oceti Sakowin when they answered the Call to Clergy to pray and support Standing Rock earlier this month. Joseph and members will share their experience of prayer, hope, and resilience and ask All Souls to come a...
Nov 27, 2016•37 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 20, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION A few times a year, all three distinct Sunday services join together in a single unforgettable celebration. All Souls held one service for all at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate Thanksgiving. This special service included music from five choirs, three children’s choirs, the Adult Choir, and New Dimensions Chorale. Our theme this year is...
Nov 20, 2016•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION What now? With 50% of the people celebrating and eager, and another 50% of the people grieving or protesting, how do we find our own center? Jesus called his disciples and followers to create family with people who were drastically different than themselves. We who feel his call and the legacy of that call to expand the...
Nov 13, 2016•37 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION When my plane touched down in the United States on Wednesday night, it was a different country from the one I left. I was in Frankfurt, Germany for the European Unitarian Universalist conference as the keynote speaker. After a presidential election like we have had, relationships are often frayed and strained and sometimes broke...
Nov 13, 2016•29 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Covenant is about agreement and agreement inevitably involves negotiation and even concession. You can actually agree to disagree and still be in covenant, or enjoy commitment and comradery. We don't have to go along to get along. We can mind many of the same things without necessarily having the same mind about everything. A...
Nov 06, 2016•33 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION A ticket to a baseball game costs $17 and a hot dog costs $2, but the experience of the game, is priceless. This election season has had many costs, including a loss of faith in the political process, doubt about the strength of our union, and heightened anxiety that we will no longer be a great nation. No matter who win...
Nov 06, 2016•27 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Gerald L. Davis, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Because I have always had low vision, being able to see became part of my identity. Thick glasses suggested a bookish countenance which meant I was expected to know something. It was only in my course of development did I realize knowing something is not vision. Vision has to have imagination. Join me on Sunday when we imagine wha...
Oct 30, 2016•34 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION In the Broadway musical Wicked, we find a new twist on the old classic, The Wizard of Oz. It turns out the “good” witch is not so good after all and the “wicked” witch, well, she ain’t so bad. In this delightful tale the complexities of what causes one person to be deemed “good” and another to be seen as “evil” is brought to life...
Oct 30, 2016•26 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Adam and Eve were free to eat from any tree in the Garden … except from the tree which separated good from evil, the forbidden tree. Do we ignore or embrace that duality today? And how do we do it? What might be the consequences of doing either? SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS SERMON ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUB...
Oct 23, 2016•22 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION At the first summit on religion and race, Moses and Pharaoh were the two main participants. Moses said, “Let My people go.” Pharaoh replied: “I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” Our world and work today is a continuation of that first summit meeting. Pharaoh is not ready to capitulate. The exo...
Oct 16, 2016•33 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Joseph Boyd, Intern Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION This is a season of ghost stories. Have you ever seen a ghost? Maybe you have, and never knew it. Come this Sunday, and find out. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS SERMON ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: or text LOVEBB to 41444 LET'S CONNECT: Facebook: Twitter: All S...
Oct 16, 2016•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 9, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION According to the old testament biblical narrative Genesis 2:16-17, Adam and Eve were free to eat from or live off any tree (or truth) in the Garden, except the one that separates or distinguishing good from evil. That is called the forbidden tree or truth. How do we ignore or embrace that duality today? And what might be the c...
Oct 09, 2016•32 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 9, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION There are moments in life when we can feel as if we are part of history. Events like seeing the first African American President’s inauguration or witnessing the World Trade Towers disintegrate into ashes are the kinds of potent moments when the course of life events feel changed forever. It sometimes feels like we are making prog...
Oct 09, 2016•26 min
The Community Forum was held on Thursday, October 6, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. DESCRIPTION The forum was to educate people about racism, inspire people to take action, and encourage them to engage in the second civil rights movement that is taking place, right now, in our city, and in our nation. We invite white people, and our friends of color, to listen to African American and white leaders in our community who are actively doing the work to break down systemic ra...
Oct 07, 2016•1 hr 54 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION When we confront deep challenges and crises we also are presented with great opportunities. In Christian language, such times are called, “Kairos” time. The idea is that God is fully present to us in these times. In Kairos times, what is considered usual is disrupted and there is the possibility for a new future. It is a time that...
Oct 02, 2016•23 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION There is no better way to conquer an enemy than to divide them—thus the expression, “divide and conquer.” For hundreds of years, religion has used the threat of being divided in the afterlife—go to heaven or go to hell—as a way of dividing and disempowering people. Temptation to defend ourselves, when we talk about issues...
Oct 02, 2016•28 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 25, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION Vision is the ability to think about and plan the future with imagination and creative wisdom. Visions and images of the future are like magnets. They literally pull you towards them. There is a metaphysical aspect to vision which suggests the imagination precedes action. In other words, before you attempt to make something...
Sep 25, 2016•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 25, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION The laws changed with the Civil Rights movement, but laws alone do not change attitudes, social structures, and economic conditions that have existed for centuries... After centuries of cultural, institutional, economic, and social racism, a culture and a society does not just change a law or do any one thing, and all of a sudd...
Sep 25, 2016•30 min
The reflection was delivered on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the Humanist Service by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. REFLECTION DESCRIPTION When we cling to an idealized image of love, our marriages fail. When we stay attached to our parents’ projection of who we are supposed to be, we pass up on opportunities to fulfill our own unique destiny. When we dream about the congress and the country we wish existed, we can become c...
Sep 18, 2016•32 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Dr. Willie J. Parker, Guest Speaker. SERMON DESCRIPTION Malchus, the servant of the Jewish high priest whose ear Peter cut off with the sword when Jesus was taken at the Garden of Gethsemane, was healed at the same time that Jesus forbade his followers to engage in assault for his protection. On the big issues of the day militancy is escalating on both sides of truth. In his last public m...
Sep 18, 2016•33 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 11, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, Affiliate Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION For many people there were two different responses to the tragedy of 9/11. Both had to do with trust. One was “Can we ever trust our nation to protect us from a reoccurrence of 9/11?” The other, “Do we need protection from a government who allowed or who aligned itself to this tragedy?” What dominates your consciousness, fe...
Sep 11, 2016•26 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 11, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION We say that “Love is the spirit of our church” and we aim to “love beyond belief.” It’s important to consider how we make our love visible, how we make our love audible, and how it is felt. This year, at All Souls, we will choose love over fear as we will learn to “Love Out Loud.” Next Sunday we will commemorate the 15th annive...
Sep 11, 2016•25 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 4, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Steven Williams, Student Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION There’s a passage in Matthew 5 that starts, “When the Son of Man comes... All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Instead of taking a literal approach to this statement, I think it represents what kind of behavior God wants from people, ...
Sep 04, 2016•16 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 4, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION Will you choose love or fear? At a recent Justice Council meeting, representatives from each of our justice teams checked in. As members immersed in protecting Tulsa’s natural resources and meeting the needs of Tulsa’s children and teachers, new voters, inmates, and immigrants described their projects, I realized that d...
Sep 04, 2016•26 min
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 28, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Barbara Prose, Executive Director of Ministry. SERMON DESCRIPTION The Hebrew word for heart is lev, means the authority within. How do you care for and tune into your heart? How do you get back in sync with the foundational rhythm of your being when the world throws you off course? The path and pattern of the heart is map and guide to the wisdom within. Join me on this heartfelt journey...
Aug 28, 2016•26 min
The homily was delivered on Sunday, August 28, 2016, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Rev. Kent Doss, Choir Alumnus, Tapestry UU Church. HOMILY DESCRIPTION We celebrate the 40th Anniversary of our Children and Youth Choirs and the 95 year heritage of All Souls Unitarian Church. SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIO PODCAST: WATCH THIS HOMILY ON YOUTUBE: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: or text LOVEBB to 41444 LET'S CONNECT: Facebook: T...
Aug 28, 2016•8 min
