Sermons Presented at the UUFT — Text and Audio

January 10, 2010 — Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka is approaching our 50th anniversary, with a well-earned sense of accomplishment. One simply needs to look around the UUFT to see and experience the fruits of our labors. It’s clear that we couldn’t have gotten where we are without plenty of strategic planning. The Fellowship is standing on a peak – a perfect vantage point for getting a high-altitude look at where our journey is leading us, and what the next steps should be. Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz helps the Visioning Team kick off our search for the future in this service.

Listen to the sermon: Searching for the Future

January 3, 2010 — Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz

The debate between science and religion has raged for 400 years. Recently, there are signs of détente. It’s possible that practitioners of hard science are beginning to explore the idea that what we call God may be a conclusion rather than a delusion. And it may be that followers of religion are focusing less on creeds and salvation talk and more on practices that transform individual lives and the world. Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz’s sermon will explore the contours of the divide, and the bridge that may be forming to span the gap.

Listen to the sermon: Is That All There Is?

December 13, 2009 — Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz

For Earthlings in the Northern Hemisphere, the coming of winter signals a season of For Earthlings in the Northern Hemisphere, the coming of winter signals a season of darkness and shadows. Our ancestors may have feared what lurked in the shadows, outside the ring of firelight and warmth, but they searched for a means to express the shadows within. Carl Jung believed that the shadow is both the reservoir for human darkness and the seat of creativity. Though in the 21st century technology can hold some of the darkness at bay, we can still profit from exploring the shadows. Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz explores the shadows in this dark of winter sermon.

Listen to the sermon:  Beyond Black and White

December 6, 2009 — Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz

Unitarian Universalists enthusiastically celebrate many mid-winter holidays: Hanukah, Solstice, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and even Christmas make their appearance on the UU calendar. But none of them is really OUR holiday. Just two years ago some UU lay leaders proposed a distinctly Unitarian Universalist holiday: Chalica (CHA li cuh). It is seven days long and runs from the first Monday in December through the following Sunday, with each day representing one of the seven UU Principles. Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz will introduce this UU celebration.

Listen to the sermon: Chalica: Celebrating the Flame

 November 8, 2009 — Rev. Lisa R. Schwartz

We live in the midst of stories. Many are mere distractions, amusing and diverting us for a moment’s entertainment. (Balloon Boy, anyone?) Some stories go deeper. They have significance that spans both time and cultures. Exploring those stories can help us understand ourselves and our place in life. Rev. Lisa, lover of stories, will delve into the stories that define us, and perhaps help make us whole.

Listen to the sermon: Deep Stories