Unity Church-Unitarian's Sermon Podcasts

Unity Church-Unitarian in Saint Paul, MN

Sermons from Unity Church Unitarian, in Saint Paul, MN

  • 19 minutes 54 seconds
    Between Cowardice and Recklessness, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, March 30, 2025

    This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Anna Newton.

    Courage, to Aristotle, is a virtue located between two vices: cowardice and recklessness. In times that call for great courage, but also great discernment, how do we chart a course between obstacles, and in doing so live courageously?

    30 March 2025, 5:38 pm
  • 19 minutes 33 seconds
    Defying the Nazis: A Call for Courage, Rev. Lara Cowtan, March 23, 2025

    This sermon podcast begins with a reflection from worship associate Chris Russert.

    On the precipice of World War II, a time when most Americans were turning a blind eye to the growing social injustice and totalitarian threat in Europe, the Unitarian Universalist Association — alerted to the dire situation by their fellow congregation in Prague — was committed to saving as many people as possible. The story of Unitarian Universalists Rev. Waitstill and Martha Sharp is one that bears retelling today, to explore what message the past has for our future.

    23 March 2025, 4:36 pm
  • 23 minutes 21 seconds
    Holding Hands, Walking with the Wind, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, March 16, 2025

    This podcast includes a reflection offered by worship associate Sara Ford.

    If you would like to listen to the musical piece by Elizabeth Alexander that Rev. Oscar refers to at the beginning, please visit our  YouTube channel.

    dJohn Lewis and the other leaders of the American Civil Rights movement were clear about the relationship between power, relationship, and organized action. In the midst of storms, we reach for each other’s hands. ​

    16 March 2025, 5:13 pm
  • 17 minutes 4 seconds
    Organizing as Spiritual Practice, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, March 9, 2025

    In his landmark "Rules for Radicals," Saul Alinsky cautions organizers to practice the skills of being heard. “Lacking communication,” he writes, “I am in reality silent; throughout history silence has been regarded as assent — in this case assent to the system.” Organizing, like any spiritual practice, is a discipline with tools and methods developed over time. What lessons do those tools hold for this moment? ​​

    9 March 2025, 4:23 pm
  • 20 minutes 55 seconds
    Barnraising, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, March 2, 2025

    For years, Unity Church has joined with other congregations around the Twin Cities and the world is proclaiming the dignity of each person, and the need for fair and affordable housing in our community. Housing is an issue that lives at the intersection of the individual and collective: what makes a house a home is deeply personal, but we all have a stake in creating a community of homes. 

    2 March 2025, 5:36 pm
  • 27 minutes 51 seconds
    Emeth: The Truth of Each Other, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, February 23, 2025

    This sermon podcast begins with a Story for All Ages by Rev. KP Hong.

    The word in Hebrew for truth, emeth, is related to the verb amam: to support and make firm. Emeth is inherently relational; we depend on each other for support, and to understand the world. Can we understand truth in isolation, or are we dependent on each other?

    23 February 2025, 5:37 pm
  • 24 minutes 43 seconds
    Truth, Lies, and (Re-)Conciliation, Rev. Lara Cowtan, February 16, 2025

    This podcast begins with a reflection from worship associate Meg Arnosti.

    Indigenous communities around the world were gravely impacted by The Doctrine of Discovery, a pronouncement by the Catholic Church and the policies of colonial domination by European countries that were used to justify dominion over lands that were not inhabited by Christians, and the right to subjugate and exploit non-Christian people. What is our role, as Unitarian Universalists, in furthering the process towards healing and repair? Towards Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery?

    16 February 2025, 5:35 pm
  • 20 minutes 29 seconds
    Aletheia: That Which Is Revealed, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, February 9, 2025

    This podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Charlie Caswell.

    Truth is not simply a dry recitation of facts. The Greek word for truth, aletheia, suggests an unveiling; it was used to describe a curtain coming up at a play, revealing the truth of the story. What truths are revealed to us today? 

    9 February 2025, 5:57 pm
  • 27 minutes 38 seconds
    Veritas: The Truth Is Out There, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, February 2, 2025

    This sermon podcast begins with a reflection offered by worship associate Anna Newton.

    The first generation of Unitarians in America preached that reason was the primary tool for understanding the truth of the world around us. Veritas, the Latin word for truth, gives us “verifiability,” the idea that truth is a description of external reality that can be understood by observation and experimentation. What role does this understanding of truth hold for us in 2025? 

    2 February 2025, 6:07 pm
  • 31 minutes 3 seconds
    Yes, And, Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair, January 26, 2025

    The questions answered in this sermon were posed by the congregation at the beginning of the service.

    Music and ministry both exist in the relationship between structure and improvisation. This Sunday we will consider both, in an extemporaneous reflection from piano and pulpit.

    26 January 2025, 5:25 pm
  • 20 minutes 26 seconds
    Love Implementing the Demands of Justice, Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, January 19, 2025

    Founded in 1940, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) has served as a beacon of liberal religion in the world, and the possibilities that exist when we connect faith with action. On the day before the 2025 United States presidential inauguration, we will hear from Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, president of UUSC, about the work of the committee and the possibilities of this moment.

    19 January 2025, 9:07 pm
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