Foothills Unitarian Church

Rev. Christopher Watkins Lamb leads us in an 8-minute breathing meditation using Sarah Dan Jones's Meditation on Breathing. Rev. Christopher is Foothills Unitarian's Community Minister. Community ministers extend the reach of Unitarian Universalist ministry beyond the congregation. 

Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink offers a guided meditation to cultivate self-compassion. May this meditation be a reminder that when we are feeling stuck and brittle and can only see the world through a lens of scarcity - when we are most in need of a blessing - we have the capacity to offer a blessing to ourselves. This meditation is adapted from the work of Dr. Kristin Neff, who is a scholar on the topic of self-compassion. Learn more about Dr. Kristin Neff's work on self-compassion: https://self-compassion.org/

In this 15-minute mini-episode, Rev. Gretchen guides us in a meditation and journaling exercise to notice the things that receive our attention, discern our values, and explore the intersection of the two. What matters most to you? Join us in the tiny shift of noticing the things that matter most so you can then more readily center them in your lives.

In this season that is so busy for many, we invite you to a mini-episode of Tiny Shifts where Rev. Sean offers a guided meditation to help us practice moving our bodies through the cycle of emotions and stress.  Enjoy the meditation with a visual guide.

In this compelling episode, Rev. Sean fearlessly navigates the divisive discourse surrounding America's identity. Join us as we unpack the prevalent notion of America as a Christian nation and explore the divergent worldviews between Christian Nationalism and progressive theology. Rev. Sean doesn't stop at analysis; he challenges listeners to envision a more inclusive, equitable society and asks a poignant question: What are you willing to sacrifice for this vision? As part of this transformative journey, embrace our "tiny shift" challenge this week: become aware of moments when you feel irritated at being de-centered. 

Caught in the whirlwind of life's demands, many of us acknowledge the ominous rise of fascism but struggle to carve out the means and time to actively resist it. In this episode, Gretchen presents five actionable strategies for rebelling against the grip of fascism. Join us this week in the tiny shift of noticing where the cult of individualism in society is holding you back, preventing you from connecting to the common good.

Join Reverend Sean and Reverend Gretchen as they delve into how churches and other relationship-centered communities can resist fascism. Explore how faith communities can serve as crucial bastions of organizing resistance and examine why and how some churches have significantly countered oppressive ideologies throughout history while others have been complicit.   This discussion challenges listeners to remember the story is not all written - you have a part to play. Rev. Gretchen invites you into the transformational tiny shift of embracing a practice of "holy curiosity" this week. Notice moments when you adopt the role of a "Knower" and shift your viewpoint to that of a "learner."

Welcome to the first episode of the TinyShifts Podcast!   Tiny Shifts is your sanctuary for discovering the small but mighty steps that lead to a more courageous, joyous, and loving world. In every episode, we explore a challenge of modern living and a Tiny Shift we can make in response.  This episode explores the rise of fascism, Christian Nationalism, and polarization in the United States, and how we as everyday people can respond.  Rev. Sean is joined by Reverend Dr. Elizabeth Stevens who discusses her experience as a progressive minister in Idaho, responding to the takeover of her community by a Christian nationalist cult.    TimeStamps    4:24 Message Begins 29:07 Interview with Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Stevens Begins 54:54 TinyShift Practice Introduced    Show notes:  Rev. Cecilia Kingman's Berry Street Lecture on Fascism  TinyShifts Podcast Listener Survey   

Across numerous cultures, late October and early November mark an intentional time of remembering our ancestors and loved ones who have died. This week's podcast comes from our annual service of remembrance. Guests Joyce and Michael Trujillo share their own experiences of grief and loss, and we explore thegrief connections that remain to our loved ones who have died.

Rev. Gretchen Haley leads us in exploring the first time we say important words throughout our lives.

Rev. Sean explores how Courageous Love requires us to take Courageous Risks. The fear of failure often stems from the misconception that failure equates to being a bad human being. By challenging this notion and reframing failure, Rev. Sean will help us gain tools for leading a life of unleashing Courageous Love.

Brené Brown describes a common experience of "first" as TFTs, or Terrible First Times, because first times are usually not at all what we were expecting. Especially when we spent a lot of time looking forward to the first time! First times can make us feel insecure, incompetent, and out-of-sorts. We start to doubt ourselves globally. When really, it's just a TFT! This episode, we kick off a new series exploring all of our first times. We'll share strategies to help you stay present to the joy and the wonder of the first time and to help us reconnect with our bigger why that inevitably and beautifully fills our life with TFTs. 

One of the loudest conversations in our culture today is about the telling of history. Whose voices are included? What perspectives matter? Who is left out? And who decides? The storytellers dramatically shape the story, after all. Join Rev. Sean as he leads us in examining belonging, equality, and the call for repair.

If we assume that democracy and pluralism are fundamental to our society, then we must also assume that anything anti-democratic or anti-diversity is a threat to our society. It is the fundamental paradox of tolerance that is playing out across our nation, not to mention in our families and in our friendship circles.   In this episode, we explore the limits to our acceptance, the necessary accountability in our inclusion, and how boundaries can be acts of love.

A 10-minute meditation to stay present in the face of discomfort. Led by Rev. Gretchen Haley. Adapted from Recovery Dharma.

Join us for an enlightening conversation featuring Reverend Sean-Neil-Barron, Beckie Wagner, and Dr. Scott Denning. In this episode, we explore the profound empowerment that Earth-based spirituality offers. Learn how connecting with the Earth and the universe around us can ignite our sense of agency in shaping our lives. By remembering and centering our relationship with nature, we can reconnect with our inherent creative power.

Rev. Gretchen breaks down the concept of the Holy Spirit and its relevance in Unitarian Universalist theology.

Why do bad things happen? And where is God in the suffering? In this week's Deeper pod, Rev. Gretchen explores theodicy and the gift of awe and a mysterious God. 

Revs. Gretchen and Sean answer your questions about God and Ultimate Meaning.

Through open conversation, Revs. Sean and Gretchen introduce process theology which explores God as evolving and unfolding.

We delve into the heart of queer theology, exploring how the metaphor and experiences of trans and nonbinary people provide profound insights into understanding the Divine's very nature.

We explore the universal presence of the concept of God across human civilizations and why the category of God is crucial for living a full life, even for humanists and atheists.

Get people talking about the biggest challenges we face, and eventually, the conversation turns to mental health. So why does one of our community's leading neuropsychologists and family therapists believe this is exactly the wrong place to focus our conversation, instead advocating that we turn our attention to belonging?   In this episode of The Foothills Deeper Pod, we welcome Dr. Janina Fariñas, Founder and CEO of the award-winning La Cocina. La Cocina is a nonprofit practice-based Latine training institute that has offered no-cost, culturally affirming mental health services to Latine adults, youths, children & infants since March 2017.   Rev. Gretchen and Dr. Fariñas will share in a live dialogue considering the ways lack of true belonging and mental illness are tied up together and the real meaning and source of mental health.

Rev. Gretchen Haley explores the practices and pitfalls of Intercultural Belonging together.

In this episode, Rev. Sean confesses a teenage indiscretion and the lessons it taught him about what it means to belong, to have true relationships, and to be forgivable. He also teaches us five questions to help us build meaningful relationships. Your feedback matters to us! Take The Foothills Deeper Pod survey at https://foothillsuu.org/podcastsurvey

This episode kicks off a new series called Sit By Me: Belonging is an inside job all about how true belonging starts from within.    Learn more about our Sit By Me series at https://foothillsuu.org/sitbyme

This special 20-minute episode features an interview with Foothills Unitarian member and creative Steve Sedam all about embracing play and creativity and how inspiration finds us.   View Steve's Flower Ceremony illustration: https://youtu.be/Mz8ad_9vbhQ

In this special episode of The Foothills Deeper Pod, we bring you an important update on the state of trans, queer, and non-binary rights, both nationally and within our local community. Reverends Sean Neil-Barron and Gretchen Haley, two influential voices advocating for equality and social justice, discuss what's happening at the policy and the personal level and why it should matter to us all. From the potential reverberating effects on our public education system to government institutions to far-reaching social programs, Rev. Sean and Gretchen dive into why we all need to pay attention to what's happening with LGBT+ rights now, regardless of where we live.

Rev. Elaine guides us in meditation for spring, moving towards light, and hope.

Welcome to our new series Time Well Wasted. Together, we're exploring those things that help you feel alive, connected, and filled with joy – and yet have no real purpose other than that! Together, let's lean into those things that take us entirely out of the producing mode and into fun mode. Let's remember that our worth has nothing to do with our work.   In this episode, Rev. Gretchen will help us dive into those things that bring us so much joy but also make us feel shame when we share them with others. What's that about? And how can we release our guilt and shame and lean into our joy? 

Where does powerful and healing change begin? With a ten-point plan? Or in the sheer force of our individual will? The changes that rock our world the most often begin in a perhaps surprising realm: the imagination. Though it may be tempting to write off dreaming as naive or superfluous, our willingness to dream is critical if we are going to shape our world and our lives for the better. In this episode, we explore techniques for catching an inspiring vision. 

We welcome special guest Kathleen Rude, author and senior facilitator of the Work That Reconnects (a group process that fosters resilience). Kathleen guides us in accessing our resilience and inner strength, shifting our overwhelm, fear, outrage, and grief in these challenging times into compassionate presence and inspired action. Even though we may feel that we don't have enough or aren't capable enough to make a difference in our troubled world, our “not enoughness” can be just enough to bring about change.

For week two of our Active Hope series, Rev. Sean takes us to our starting place. In the face of challenges and dreams that seem impossible, where do we begin?

This is the first episode of our active hope series, where we're exploring the work of environmental activist, author, and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy. To kick things off, we're drawing on the story of Easter, Trans Day of Remembrance, and the recent expulsion of Tennesee state legislators to examine how we might move our society towards a pivotal moment of transformation by truly recognizing all our fellow humans as kin.

We are called to serve, help, and work for justice. We dedicate time, energy, and resources to making our church, community, and world a better place. And, yet, our time is limited. Someone else will need to pick up the work someday. Someone will come next... won't they?   In this episode, Rev. Gretchen explores our responsibility for mentoring another generation who will take our place in the great work.

Rev. Elaine continues our exploration of how we serve one another, sharing how even when we might feel we have nothing to offer, there is a role for us to play. When our lives feel too busy, joining the team and serving may actually be the antidote.

We're kicking off our new series, Terms of Service: The fine print of community. In this episode, Rev. Sean shares how mutual aid is a powerful tool for care and an essential component of spiritual life. Then, Rev. Dr. Sheryl Johnson joins Rev. Sean for a conversation about how the finance and stewardship practices of many congregations espouse neoliberal values and entrench white privilege and what we can do to change that. 2:13: Rev. Sean's sermon "No Masters, No Flakes" 27:04 Conversation with Rev. Dr. Sheryl Johnson Find Sheryl Johnson's Book here: https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506482965/Serving-Money-Serving-God  

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, Rev. Gretchen Haley, and religious educators Lauren Farley and Eleanor VanDeusen answer questions about gender submitted by community members. Some questions we answer are: How can we center all the different needs in the fight for gender equity? Will we be targeted for taking a pro-trans and nonbinary stance? How are cis-gender kids affected by movements focusing on gender-expansive kids?

In this episode, we empower you with talking points to counter right-wing gender propaganda. As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that we are all connected and that when the dignity and liberation of some are threatened, we are all called to act. So how can we respond to the wave of anti-trans, anti-nonbinary legislation that is sweeping the country? How can you, as one person, combat this wave of hate and harm?   By starting with a seemingly small thing. Your voice.   Your voice matters. Rising up and raising your voice can change a heart, a mind, and even save a life. 

Even those of us deeply committed to gender liberation can find ourselves stuck in the sticky web of gender roles. How might we move towards greater freedom – for ourselves and for all of us? Rev. Elaine explores the strangeness of gender roles: the things that don't fit, the things that actually (and perhaps weirdly) do, and how we might move with our anger, our curiosities, and our pleasures.   Plus an intro to gender creative parenting!

Let's talk about men. We know traditional conceptions of masculinity are outdated but there aren't any handholds for thinking about masculinity in a new way. So this week, we explore how we become better men - how we can invite ourselves into a more nuanced relationship with what it means to be a man. We also tackle WHY - in the midst of so many pressing contemporary issues - we're taking the time to focus on gender.

Leading queer theorist and nationally recognized author Kathryn Bond Stockton joins us to tell a strange story, with import for everyone. Why did a queer, trans-feeling, non-binary, going-to-be-gay kid need to become Evangelical for a spell so as to return to Unitarian values? Beginning with thoughts about what God is, this talk ties together words and kisses—for us all. Plus Rev. Sean welcomes guest Evin Carvill Ziemer to tackle our gender box. Ask a question at https://foothillsuu.org/genderquestions.   3:54 Sermon 24:36 Answering our Gender Question Box. 

As Unitarian Universalists, we proclaim that all genders are sacred and all people are worthy of love and belonging. But living that commitment requires us to learn, unlearn, and deepen our practice of true radical inclusiveness. This episode, we're kicking off our new series GenderFluent during which we'll work together to become more: Curious about gender – yours and other people's – without judgment or assumption Conversant learning new vocabulary and ways of thinking and talking about gender. No longer letting fear of missteps stop important conversations. Courageous to speak up and fight back against ideas, laws, and policies that tightly define gender or dehumanize trans and nonbinary people. Courageous to affirm your gender, whatever it is, and to embrace others. Conversation between Sean & Gretchen about gender: 8:16 Sermon "Strange but Sacred": 26:13 A Prayer for Gender Freedom: 1:25

How can we manage regret and the desire to have a do-over? Revs. Elaine and Sean guide us in navigating these human experiences.

Time is in us. We feel time. And yet, what if the way we experience time is not natural or objective? Time is not inherently linear and unidirectional, as is often experienced in the Western world. Standardized, uniform time was an invention, or rather, a construction during a curious confluence of 19th-century mechanical innovations and European colonial ambitions. So what purpose does the Western construct of time actually serve? 2:04 Rev. Sean Neil-Barron's Sermon "Land Before Time" 22:44 Rev. Gretchen Haley joins Rev. Sean for a conversation to unpack her unexpected emotional reaction to his sermon

A 7-minute mini-sermon on Dr. Martin Luther King's Beloved Community and Unitarian Universalists' ultimate commitment to love.

We're kicking off a new series called Time Management for Mortals. This week, Rev. Gretchen preaches on the 125th anniversary of our church and guides us in exploring the hopefulness that can be found in our shared history.    Learn more about Time Management for Mortals at foothillsuu.org/time.

A 15-minute ritual for releasing what no longer serves you and setting intentions for your path forward.

Rev. Sean explores the history of the American Christmas celebration.    Learn more by reading "How The Unitarian and The Universalists Invented Christmas" by Susan Jean Ritchie.

"The frontier of the rebellion is everywhere..." Rev. Sean kicks us off with a special star wars mini-sermon. Then, Rev. Gretchen draws on Hanukkah and the Maccabean Revolt to explore how making small choices to rebel daily can build our capacity to take a stand on a larger scale.

Revs. Sean and Gretchen guide us in exploring how by being present to the painful or challenging parts of our life, we can witness, allow, and partner with the transformative work that is always ongoing. Also, enjoy a bonus conversation between Revs. Gretchen and Sean about wrestling with which winter holidays to celebrate and the intersection of honoring pluralism and holding space for the religious trauma that some may have when arriving at Unitarian Universalism.