All Souls Indianapolis

 Karen Armstrong, in her studies of the major world religions, identified compassion as the plumb line that helps keep a religion oriented towards its core purpose. There is much in the world today that makes our heart ache; come hear Rev. Anastassia share how compassion helps break our hearts open instead of becoming brokenhearted.

Guest speaker Leah Gunning Francis.

 Unitarian Universalists have often prided themselves on their education and achievements. Our collective contributions have been significant and meaningful. Nonetheless, we continually discover that we have more to learn. This first Sunday in our Spiritually Disciplined series, we will consider the gifts that humility has to offer us as a spiritual practice and as a mode for engaging the world. Rev. Anastassia preaching.

 The best way to teach our children is to be and to show: how we behave and how we engage with the world are much better predictors of how our children will do that all the books we’ve read about parenting could teach us. Rev. Anastassia preaching.

 Cultivating change and closing the disengagement divide": Brene Brown holds that we disengage for two reasons: to protect ourselves and because we feel that the people who are supposed to be leading us are not living up to the social contract. Where do we see this problem in our families, communities, and businesses? Rev. Anastassia preaching.

Disruptive Engagement: Daring to rehumanize education and work": Brene Brown analyzes the way shame permeates our culture in schools and organizations. She says people in leadership roles bully, critize and set up rewards systems that belittle, shame and humiliates students, employees - and well simply put PEOPLE. Come hear our youth name the characteristic of this shame-based culture, where they have witnessed it, and their recommended practices.

Understanding And Combating Shame: In Brené Brown's book Daring Greatly, she states that shame draws its power from being unspeakable. Building awareness about shame and sharing our stories are thus two of the ways that we can work to diminish its power over us and our lives. Rev. Seth Carrier-Ladd, a Certified Daring Way Facilitator, joins us as we explore cultivating empathy and self-compassion as we work to build our shame resiliency.

Vulnerability Armor: Even though we have many misconceptions about vulnerability - that it is weakness or oversharing, for instance - many of us are experts in avoiding it. Author Brene Brown talks about how we try to avoid and protect ourselves from vulnerability. So come join, Rev. Anastassia as we explore together what vulnerability is and isn't, and to recognize when we are trying to avoid it.

During this intergenerational service we will honor the transitions and celebrations in the lives of our members through poetry and naming. Help us mark family additions, high school graduations, member departures, weddings, and deaths. Featuring readings, enactments, and music by the All Souls Choir and Alex Milligan.

The Christmas season is one of hope and love but also one of giving and accumulating "things". In Dickens' Sketches by Boz readers are introduced to the middle classes of Victorian England through the items found in resale shops. Lets examine what the literary device of the object story can teach us about untold stories from overlooked legs of our journeys. Nasreen Khan guest preaching.  

The All Souls Choir presents its annual holiday program. This year's service features music for brass and chorus, including American composer Daniel Pinkham's Christmas Cantata. Pinkham served the Unitarian Church for 42 years as the organist for King's Chapel in Boston, Massachusetts. All Souls welcomes a brass quintet from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and organist Justin Stahl.

 In biblical literature and within the Star Wars narrative we seek that those perceived as the underdog triumph over militarily stronger (and often imperialistic) adversaries. Let's review how David, Jesus, and Luke strategically approached their fights, and what we might want to think about as we consider American democracy. Rev. Anastassia preaching.

Jamie Hinson-Rieger, guest preaching.

Few hero narratives (other than Harry Potter!) have been part of the common lexicon in the United States over the past 40 years as much as those in the Bible and those found within the Star Wars movies. Both texts help us ponder our humanity: where we find hope, what corrupts us, what saves us, is there justice, and what we make of redemption. In this season of anticipation (of The Rise of Skywalker on Dec. 20 and of Christmas), come let us reflect as we prepare for the world that is yet to be. Join us Dec 1, 8, and 15 for our The Force Is With Us series.

  In this final Winnie-the-Pooh service, Rabbit desires to teach Tigger a lesson. Come join these lovable characters as they grapple with life being uncomfortable, confusing, even unfair - just as many of our own days are. What can Rabbit, Pooh, and Tigger teach us about navigating the more complex moments of life? Come enjoy this multigenerational community, and invite a dear one.

"The Community of 100 Acre Woods": The Winnie-the-Pooh stories and characters remind us that, though they represent deep and nuanced philosophical traditions, what is abidingly true is that they are a community. In this weeks sotry, we will learn alongside the characters how to respond when a birthday (Eeyore's of course!) is forgotten. All ages are welcome in this service. Please consider bringing a friend or family member to experience the Winnie-the-Pooh charm with you.

November 10 -"The Tao of Pooh":Benjamin Hoff, author of a smash bestseller by the same title, explains with ease and aplomb that rather than being a distant and mysterious concept, Taoism is as near and practical to us as our morning breakfast bowl. Join us as we romp through the enchanting world of Winnie-the-Pooh while soaking up invaluable lessons on simplicity and natural living. Rev. Anastassia preaching.  

Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead): During this multigenerational service we will honor the lives of our loved ones who have died. You are invited to bring a photo or a small memento to place on our ofrenda during our time of celebration. With Rev. Anastassia and the All Souls Choir.

"Time to Disconnect and Reconnect": The expectation that we will regularly check-in via our cell phones and social media has become ubiquitous and its poor health effects have been documented. How can practices of Sabbath help us establish preservative boundaries in our lives? What will such practices make available to us? How can we become connected by disconnecting?

In 1907, Dr. Frank Scott Corey Wicks, All Souls' longest serving minister, delivered a sermon “Good Men In Hell”, that was reprinted the next day in the Indianapolis Star and published and reprinted by the American Unitarian Association over thirty times. It was among the most widely circulated Unitarian sermons, and posited the idea that the Unitarian mandate was to go to troubled places and be with troubled people. Where would we go and whom would we be with if we lived this mandate today? Rev. Anastassia preaching.

In 1819, William Ellery Channing claimed the slur "Unitarian", proclaiming distinct theological sources and establishing the grounding propositions of Unitarianism. 200 years later, how can we recenter Channing's message? What is our radical and real message to our times? Rev. Anastassia preaching.

This month we will explore the big theological ideas in Unitarian Universalism by returning to some of the most famous sermons, but the ideas that matter are the ones that are most central to our own ordinary and extraordinary lives. Come hear some of our All Souls members share the theological tenets that mean the most to them, and how they are in their lives.

Why does it only take a small minority to create major change? How have big change makers understood themselves, and developed an ethical and theological framework that allows them to remain in and channel a mighty stream for love, justice, compassion and change? Rev. Anastassia preaching.

On this Ingathering Sunday, we will come together as one community, formed from all the living generations, to bless each other through our water communion. As we begin our series “Let Justice Roll Down,” we will consider how the justice-making that we do collectively ought to begin with blessing, forgiveness, commitment, and love. Children and youth are invited to bring their backpacks to be blessed as they head into a new school year. All are invited to bring some water from a favorite local swimming hole, a kitchen faucet, or somewhere they've been this summer. Featuring Rev. Anastassia and the All Souls Choir.

The first Father's Day was a sombre event. It was held as a pastoral response to the Monogah Mining Disaster, which killed 361 men and 250 fathers in West Virginia. Today, we honor the sacrifice of fathers and all the fathering we have received and given.

Memorial Day has its origins in the United States when Americans began honoring those who died on both sides of the Civil War. America is again in a period of deep division. How can this holiday encourage us to see value in those who sacrifice themselves not only for what they believe in, but also for those who hold significantly different values? Sermon beginning at 31:40.

Guns Down America is traveling across the country to organize action-driven town halls that answer the question: what can I do to help reduce gun deaths in America?   This event focused on generating citizen action on the local, state, and federal levels to reduce gun deaths. The event aimed to educate people about the horrors of our broken system, plug advocates into edgy campaigns designed to financially drain the gun industry and the NRA, and help generate unique action plans that will push the 2020 presidential candidates to finally tackle the issue of gun violence in a bold way.

On this Earth Day weekend and Easter Sunday, let us follow the example of the early Jesus followers, who told improbable and hopeful stories of Jesus' return. We need to become evangelists for the restoration of our planet and the rebirth of its biodiversity. As an act of ritual recommitment, we will also celebrate our Unitarian Flower Communion.  

Once we have seen the world and savored its beauty, then we know we are called to save it, both for itself and for ourselves. Let us dedicate ourselves to saving this earth.

Ralph Waldo Emerson recognized that the world is meant to be savored and we are designed to savor it. Why is the act of savoring essential for our spiritual lives?

No amount of teaching can parallel the assurance we get from first-hand experience. To see really is to believe, but what are we seeing in the world today?

The final book in the Harry Potter series is defined by what Harry and his friends don't know. Nevertheless, they are required to act anyway. What they knew, forgot, and discover -- love-- ultimately saves them. Come and claim these lessons for activism and living life for yourself in the concluding Sunday of our Harry Potter series. Rev. Anastassia preaching.

The term “adulting” has become a tongue-in-cheek term used by young adults to celebrate the completion of daily “adult” tasks such as paying bills. But what are the deeper responsibility of adults in our society? In Book 5 of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the adults are waging a resistance against the Dark Lord Voldemort that they do not fully let Harry and his friends into. Though this frustrates the youth, the adults have a sense that the full fight is not yet for these teenagers. In an age where our most outspoken and arguably most effective activists against violence have been youth, how are we as adults measuring up? How might we fully embrace the responsibilities of being adults?

Sports have often been a metaphor for war and an outlet for human aggression and competition. In this fourth book in the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling intentionally blurs the line between "fictional" and real violence. In our own lives, we see that the rules of civility and order have begun to break down and that many Americans are forming opposing and radicalized camps. What are the signs of this happening? What does it call us to pay attention to?

Our fears paralyze us and prevent us from living fully. No matter what stage of life we are in, we are living with fears that hold us back. In the third Harry Potter book, Harry and his friends discover powerful tools to face their deepest fears - tools that will serve them throughout the series. Come and learn how memories of joy and love, and the timely use of humor and imagination, can help us face what frightens us the most.

In the second book of the Harry Potter series, Harry and his companions are faced with an ancient deadly secret, discover prejudice amongst their fellow witches and wizards, and are threatened by dark magic. It is only when they learn to share, be vulnerable, and lean on the help of their community that Harry and his friends are able to survive. Our high school youth reflect on this theme in this service with sermonettes.

In the first Harry Potter book, Harry encounters the Mirror of Erised, which shows the most desperate desire of a person's heart, a vision that has been known to drive men mad. Ancient myths and theologies too played with the metaphor of reflection, as a means to show what we often have trouble perceiving without assistance. In this case, the Mirror of Erised is a good reminder of the Buddhist practice of non-attachment.

Let’s explore what the next stage is beyond polarizing identity politics. This is a stage where one has claimed a particular identity, as well as identifying as anti-racist. What does this look like?

In an age of isolation and individualism, intentionally building communities of care is countercultural. All Souls is a congregation that declares that all of us are whole and worthy of care and love. How do we experience this as transformative, and how can we more fully grow into this identity? Rev. Kayla Parker preaching.    

As we conclude our Gift of the Dark Woods series, we will consider the story of Peter’s failure as a primary spiritual gift. Peter’s story so parallels our own failures, fears, and missteps. Even towards the end, Peter fails to keep his promise to Jesus, denying any association with him three times when the going got rough. But again it is this utter failure that will guide and strengthen him for what came next. It was Peter who helped the church build and expand to include others considered “other” or “unworthy.” Where do we go from here? So too our failures beckon us into extraordinary life.  

The path of life is rarely clear or straight-forward. We find ourselves lost in a Dark Wood, unclear which direction to go, perhaps having strayed from the path we thought we were on. It is at these times that the gift of getting lost is that we begin to pay more attention than we usually do. Perhaps we are looking for blatant signs when the subtle nudges from the Universe are already right there.

The idea of temptation may conjure remembrances of small or significant longings. But instead, this week we will explore the temptation we face to live by the “shoulds” dictated only by logic, outside expectations, or shiny “rewards” instead of follow-ing the path our intuition and imagination suggest is right for us—the path that helps us bring the best of our energy and joy to the world.

Ancient civilizations and religions all metaphorically describe the voice of the divine coming through thunder and lightning. We often describe experiences of insight as a “sudden flash,” “seeing the light,” or “rocked my world.” The storms of life can make way for moments of insight that can offer us direction. Rev. Anastassia preaching.

When we allow ourselves to accept the journey within the Dark Woods, the resiliency of the human spirit tends to shake things up a bit as we begin to awaken to nudgings toward a fuller life. But life is messy. Life is uncertain. Rather than a problem to be solved, what if we saw uncertainty as a gift helping us let go of all we cannot know so that we can live more wholeheartedly? Rev. Anastassia preaching; Greg Sanders on piano.

During this intergenerational service, we will honor the lives of our loved ones who have died. You are invited to bring a photo or a small memento to place on our ofrenda during our time of celebration. Reverends Kayla and Sarah Gettie leading worship.

The Rev. Dr. Fred Muir speaks about how UU churches have gone astray by practicing a “trinity of errors,” and how we need new practices to have a vital ecclesiology that allows the church to be vibrant in our personal and collective lives. What core understandings can we take away from Muir’s message for our own practices of church? Rev. Anastassia preaching.

Church is where we learn what it is to be human. It is the place where we return to our most basic feelings and longings, our most true essence. It is the place where we are pulled into our most complex challenges of living together in community. In what ways can you more fully grow into your humanness?

Though our constitution prohibits our governments interfering with or promoting religious beliefs or practices, our religious expressions have always influenced our civic sphere. In this time when the bonds of our society are fraying, how might the practice of our congregational democracy be just the balm needed?