Unfolding Faith: Sermons from Foothills Unitarian

What We Give Our Children

Rev. Gretchen Haley explores the question of legacy, and our role in passing on our faith and values as if our lives, and our children's lives, depend on it. Because they do.Whether we are parents or not, we all have a part in shaping the next generation's future. Whether we mean to or not, we are creating their inheritance. What sort of world do we intend for our children to receive from us? What sort of values and practices and ways of making meaning and finding hope do we want them to cultivate?
 
24:25 Rev. Gretchen's sermon43:55 Revs. Elaine and Gretchen envision an intergenerational community at Foothills Unitarian and discuss the barriers to getting there

Why Church?

Rev. Sean explores radical hospitality and how church feeds the part of all of us that yearns to belong in a community - woven through past and present - that holds our whole selves.
6:07 Rev. Sean's sermon26:08 Guided meditation with Rev. Elaine29:03 Abortion rights response and resourcesRead Rev. Gretchen Haley and Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink's response to the threat on abortion rights.

Be Like Fungi: Earth Seeds and Be More Gay

Rev. Gretchen delivers an Earth Day message inviting us to practice the pause where we can both honor what’s been lost and lean into co-creating a joyful life.
2:31 Rev. Gretchen Haley’s sermon Earth Seeds
20:28 Foothills member Beckie Wagner reflects on her journey out of despair
25:21 Rev. Sean closes our Regeneration series
 
Learn more about Be More Gay at https://foothillsuu.org/bemoregay

Nothing Queerer Than a Resurrection

Amid a cultural moment when queer people are facing cruel and unjust treatment across the U.S., Rev. Sean shares an Easter message of queer Jesus - someone accused by the crowd of perverting a nation (11:11). Revs. Gretchen and Sean discuss why Rev. Sean chose to preach on queer Jesus and how queerness is liberating for all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity (0:25 and 33:46).Sermon Transcript

How to move through ambiguous loss

Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink guides us in exploring how we can move through ambiguous loss and pandemic social atrophy by attuning ourselves to what is alive. When we embrace observation and follow the threads of what is alive and beautiful, here and now, we begin to imagine something new to hope for.
1:31 Reflection from Rev. Meg Riley read by Rev. Sean Neil-Barron5:56 Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink's sermon "Aligning with Aliveness"

When optimism is too heavy a burden, try hope

What do we do when we feel so stuck or in despair that moving forward doesn't feel possible? Rev. Sean explores how we can find hope through doing.
5:28 Rev. Sean Neil-Barron's sermon "Hope is a Verb"34:53 Closing song: "Hope with Our Hands" 
 

Maybe life is trying to save you

What do we do when - despite our best efforts - we feel like progress isn’t happening or we’re even moving backward? It’s normal to want to hide and disconnect when life gets messy and hard, but in this episode, Rev. Gretchen offers an alternative path. She explores how through reconnection we can bring ourselves, our relationships, and our world back to life.
5:20 Response to recent anti-trans, anti-queer legislation
11:43 Rev. Gretchen’s Sermon
31:10 Revs. Gretchen and Sean discuss the sermon

Tangled Surprises

Does living your best life mean that you've got it all figured out? Does it mean all pleasure and no pain? Does the concept of no pain even make sense in the world where joy and beauty are so often entangled with disappointment and struggle?
Rev. Elaine digs into these questions and more with long-time Foothills members Lynn Young and Bob Bacon. They explore how we can hold the tension of being both awake to suffering and open to beauty and joy.