Faith and UU (The Podcast for Everyone)

Let's talk about grief. We're all feeling it. Let's name it. Wrestle with it. Maybe transform it? Article discussed today: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief

What's a parable? What's a parabola? Why do I have to wear this mask?

On Dr. Norbert Capek, the first Flower Communion, and having a "theology of the Desert".

About Genesis, the creation of everything, and order/chaos in a Corona Age.

On UU saints, a theology of uncertainty, and seeing holiness everywhere. Check out uudb.org!

What does it mean to have a "theology of spring"?

What is theology? Can anyone do it? Does it have to be all....Jesus-y and whatnot? Listen to hear a view on theology from your resident neighborhood pastor.

What can the story of the Exodus teach us about liberation in the Corona Age? Sermon audio from 4.5.2020 at UU Restoration in Philadelphia. Referencing the story of Moses and the Hebrews leaving Egyptian bondage and wandering in the desert.

Sermon audio from 3.29.2020. In our troubled time, we need wise inspiration more than ever before. The Old and New Testaments and the Qur’an—our Abrahamic faiths—all contain sayings to ponder and practice, but so do writings from the scriptures of other major and minor religious faiths, and from philosophers of many cultures. Our UU Principles exhort us to practice wisdom. By email or mail you’ll be receiving four pages of wisdom from around the world, beginning with our Fourth Principle, before our service begins. May this be a wise conclusion of a month that we have focused on wisdom.

Sermon Audio from our first COVID-19 online service. Apologies for the slap-dash audio and editing job! Hang in there! Emergent Strategy: We'll be exploring what emergent strategy means and how we can learn from biodiversity and the rhythm of life to connect more deeply to our humanity. Audio from 3.22.2020.

Church ought to be a place where you can talk about mental health. A place where we should be able to wrestle with the stuff we find in our shadows when they're shown to us by our friends and community. It's a place where we search for the interconnectedness and interdependence of the universe, our neighbors, and our own bodies/brains. Tune in for stories about grief, group therapy, and how to get incarnational with your resilience.

Are you a servant of the Empire or a prophet of the Resistance? Sermon audio from 12/1 about Texas basketball, Star Wars, the Resistance in the time of Trump, and making hard choices. Apologies for the sniffles and audio quality.

HELLOOO, FRIENDS! WE. ARE. BACK. After a delay in production, Faith and UU returns with a sticky topic: Religious myth. Christmas! Advent! Hanukkah! Yule! Ok, sure there are a lot of holidays in December....but I don’t believe any of those stories.....so what do I do? Rev. McKinley offers an exploration of ways that humanists and non-theists find and experience Awe during the holidays, even if we don’t subscribe to all the Myth and fable in the air. Buckle in for Incan legends, quantum mechanics and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Have your UU Bingo cards ready! Join us to learn how we all can find Awe and Wonder in the universe, whether we believe in God or Santa Claus or Inti the Sun.

Many UU Congregations express the desire to be multicultural and welcoming. What happens when that breaks down? What do our theologies speak to that might ground and center our hearts and minds and bodies to be able to wade into the discomfort of talking about race in church? With a little help from the poem that begins the Book of Genesis, McKinley shares his story of water, rock, wind, light, Hebrew prepositions, Harriet Tubman, and why the point of church is to be discomforted together.

It was a special treat to record a conversation with one of my best friends and one of the best men in the world, the incomparable J.E.!!! Raised in the deep south, J.E. talks about his faith and how growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt was complicated by the marginalization of being Black and gay in the Missionary Baptist Church. With a few giggles along the way, J.E. introduces McKinley to what it's like to grow up as "the visitor" in church, how he's learned to reclaim prayer and connection, and how the white and Black experience of America plays out on Sunday mornings. Also, we talk about culture, Uncle Ben's Rice, and what the perfect church looks and feels like. Join us!

What can flowers teach us about doubt? Is it okay to have questions about God, religion, ourselves? Today we delve into the curious case for curiosity as a fundamentally human tool that helps us live more fully human lives, helps us see the Divine in other people, and helps us care for ourselves so we can work for justice in the world. For more information on Dr. Norbert Capek and the Flower Ceremony, check out uua.org or toss his name in your favorite search engine!

Sermon audio from Rev. McKinley's Easter reflection given to the UU Church of the Restoration on April 21, 2019. The sermon started with McKinley losing his manuscript on an ipad and deciding to wing it and tell some stories about what Resurrection looks like. Hey, what are you gonna do? Life happens. 

Sermon Audio from 3.24.19 at the UU Church of the Restoration, concerning Hobbits, the Lord of the Rings, and the religious significance of connection and relationship. Where does God dwell on Earth (or Middle-Earth, in this case!)? Spoiler alert for the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books.

We went to India in January and I was inspired to teach my congregation more about a faith that makes up part of our UU living tradition. I was amazed at the traditions and rituals of Hindu denominations that reflect our modern UU practices and wondered why we never learn about those as part of "our" history. Here's the first part of this diving in to the depths for a UU minister searching for a better way to live. How does a UU and a Progressive Christian authentically encounter Hinduism without engaging in appropriation? What does it mean to be a "living tradition?" Isn't it a little far-fetched to worship more than 3 million gods and goddesses...or is it just worshipping one? Tune in to find out.

Sermon audio from Rev. McKinley's words of inspiration to UU Restoration on March 10, 2019. As a kickoff for a talk on stewardship, membership, and moving into the future, it occurred to me that our church could use a little tidying. Tune in to find out how Marie Kondo's excellent process for tidying spaces has deep spiritual tones to it, and could serve us all in moving through change.

Sermon audio from Rev. McKinley's words on Feb. 24th, 2019 at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philadelphia, PA. Restoration honored Black History Month. Tune in to learn more about the Case for Reparations, Alice Walker, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and how head-butting your friend into a sandpit as a child teaches a lesson about restorative justice.

Someone asked me my views on homosexuality in light of my Christianity. Here's my response! As a Unitarian Universalist, we affirm every human being's inherent worth and dignity and believe that all genders are whole, holy, and worthy. But what about "those" verses that some folks use to justify their bigotry towards the LGBTQ community? Let's dive in, shall we? Tune in to hear about Rainbow Man, how we mistranslate the Bible, and how the biggest sins are the ones we still commit today, and have nothing to do with whom we sleep with.

Sermon audio from Rev. McKinley's words on Feb. 10th, 2019 at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philadelphia, PA. Restoration celebrated Evolution Sunday as part of the Clergy Letter Project. Tune in to learn more about the Darwins, Dr. Just, and how science and religion are complimentary forces, and not oppositional ones.

A day of service is upon us! Tune in to hear the updates on why McKinley's been gone so long...and what's coming in the future. Also, did Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. really say that America may go to hell? And what does that have to do with us as we get ready for a long holiday weekend? Also, was the division in our country worse in the 60s than it is now? Come find out!

Latest Sermon from Rev. McKinley, delivered on 12/9/18 at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philadelphia, PA. What can we celebrate at Christmas if we don't "believe" the religious stories behind it? What do we do with myths? Listen in to find what you might be able to say "yes" to.

Audio from McKinley's sermon, "Draw the Circle Wider?" given at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philly on 10/28. What would it look like to move beyond thinking about life in terms of straight lines, us/them, straight/queer, black/white? How do we get through dark times together? McKinley talks about the message of the Transgender community for all of us to see, to really see, the individuals for who they are, and to struggle together for liberation.

A lot of folks have asked why I'm a UU minister and how McKinley finds hope and meaning in the darkness that can threaten to overwhelm us at times. Check out the winding path that brought him to the ministry and why he sticks around. Feel free to share your story with him! mckinley.L.sims@gmail.com or @mckinleyLsims

Audio from McKinley's sermon, "What is Love?" given at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philly on 9/30. Third in a three part sermon series on building beloved community. This sermon talks about the Universalist history of the movement, and uses a lot of Greek and Hebrew words. CW: Sexual Assault trauma related to Supreme Court hearings.

Audio from McKinley's sermon, "Building a Big Enough Tent" given at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philly on 9/23. Second in a three part sermon series on building beloved community. This sermon talks about the story of Sukkoth, a Jewish holiday that remembers a time when being in the desert and living in tents/booths was the way of the world.

Audio from McKinley's sermon, "Sanctuary Reimagined" given at the UU Church of the Restoration in Philly on 9/9. First in a three part sermon series on building beloved community.

Sending love to everyone in the path of Hurricane Florence. A time to talk about hurricanes, water, sanctuary, and the future of UU churches for young folks looking for a spiritual center. Rev. McKinley tells a bit of his story on why he's a UU and examines our culture of comfort. Also, he uses a funny phrase that is kind of explicit.

“Faith and UU: THe Podcast For Everyone!” is the tentative name of the new podcast that comprises of funny stories from the psych ward, ministry teachings from the UU tradition, and exploration of the deep questions in life. Go with McKinley Sims on a journey through the wonders of this mystery we call Humanity. Explore topics and texts in an open and accessible way. First Pod: Who are you, McKinley? What is this thing? Why do we want to know about it? What does it mean for us? Feedback, questions, and topic suggestions are all welcome! Hear a little bit about McKinley's story and what prompted him to start on this wacky journey to delve into Life's deep questions.

How do I understand my conservative family members who don't seem to listen? Why should I keep trying?

Listen to McKinley's First sermon on Mental Health and what motivated him to seek Love.

Do biases and judgements make us bad people? Or are they crucial to being human?

When did you first learn about Race?

What do we say when a mass shooting happens on a day dedicated to love?

How do our multiple identities relate to the way we think and see the world?

Is the Parable of the Good Samaritan about Personal Charity....or Political Activism?