A sermon is an oral presentation by a live speaker to a live congregation. It always involves a bit of interaction, even if it’s just eye contact and facial expressions. Reading the text of a sermon, then, is like reading the script of a play to yourself. The live, communal experience is gone.
Nevertheless, please enjoy reading these text versions of sermons and other presentations made at the UU Fellowship of Topeka during our worship services. You may find that there are additional notes and/or commentaries to the original text.
March 24, 2009 — Heather Coffman
So many of us spend our days surviving that we forget to make time to live. This service explores the idea of finding spirituality in daily life and the power of “today.” The guest speaker is Heather Coffman, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lawrence. Heather chairs her Fellowship’s Spiritual Celebration Team and is active in race and anti-oppression issues.
Listen to the sermon: Carpe Diem
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May 17, 2009 — Rev. Lisa Romantum Schwartz
In a truly just system, each person would be able to engage creatively and with dignity in the work of the world. Everyone would receive his or her due for services rendered. But in the real world, people can play exactly by the rules and still find that they are not rewarded with sufficient means to meet their basic needs. Should our Unitarian Universalist moral principles affect the way we do business? Rev. Lisa Romantum Schwartz explores the topic in today’s sermon. Also on this day, the Fellowship celebrated Association Sunday, as we mark the month of merger of the Unitarians and the Universalists in 1961.
Listen to the sermon: Upside Down World
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May 10, 2009 — A panel of UUFT men
Relationships with Mom are complex, with plenty of joys and challenges that shape hearts and lives. Mother’s Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on these foundational relationships. In this service, a thoughtful group of Fellowship men will share their thoughts, memories and insights about their mothers, the relationships, and the impact of time and distance.
Listen to the service: Mother’s Day
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May 3, 2009 — Dr. Judy Sasser
The Fellowship strives to give our children and youth a deep sense of connectedness with our community and with the larger world. And just as their roots find purchase, it seems, our kids are ready to spread their wings. Rev. Lisa Romantum Schwartz and the UUFT Director of Lifespan Religious Education Judy Sasser are coordinating this service of celebration for our Religious Education program, the people who sustain it, and our latest crop of graduating seniors.
Listen to the service: Roots Hold Me Close, Wings Set Me Free
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