Podcasts – First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

It’s Pride Month, and Juneteenth is just around the corner. At this time when so many corporations and institutions are back-tracking on their DEIB commitments (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging), we have a role to play in more boldly keeping ours. Responding to tyranny calls on us to stand out and shine a light! The post Free to do DEIB Work appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

We have entered a time in US history when the meaning of freedom is being debated even as its presence quietly fades into the background. How is this happening? Are we paying attention? We’ll look at this through the lens of Timothy Snyder’s book, “On Tyranny.” The post Podcast: Freedom Means…? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

As beloveds in our communities are scapegoated and attacked by the current administration, what does UUism call us to embrace and respond? As we turn toward Pride month, we will learn more about the UU commitment to pledge our collective faithful efforts to affirm and celebrate trans, nonbinary, intersex, and gender diverse people within and… Read More »Podcast: Embracing Trans, Nonbinary, Intersex, and Gender Diverse People: A Fundamental Expression of UUism The post Podcast: Embracing Trans, Nonbinary, Intersex, and Gender Diverse People: A Fundamental Expression of UUism appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Poet John O’Donohue suggested that “if our style of looking becomes beautiful, then beauty will become visible and shine forth for us.” A talk from Rev. Jullan Stoneberg. The post Podcast: To See the World appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Author and activist adrienne maree brown believes that all organizing is science fiction. “Trying to create a world that we've never experienced and never seen is a science-fictional activity.” On this morning, we gather to practice some collective imagining. The post Imagine a New World appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Let's get real about how our joy can change the world, even as it co-exists with our pain, brokenness and curmudgeon-ness. How we can commit to inciting joy and making it more robust? Our theme for April is Living Love through the Practice of Joy The post What Joy Can Do appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Some might question if there is any joy to be found in these times. How do we live holding the dual realities of despair and joy? How are these two things connected? As Shirley Ceasar’s song says, “This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me…the world can’t take it away. The post FUS Podcast: Joy in These Times appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Trust is built at the speed of relationship, so it takes two (or more) to build trust! The ability to trust is a muscle of the heart that is exercised through the practice of covenant. It’s not always easy, and it doesn’t necessarily come naturally, but we can do it! The post What does Trust Require of Us appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Science writer Ed Yong refers to the ways in which our screen-focused, fear-based society is impacting our scope of concern. He says we are currently being “crunched ever inward” and that it behooves us to get out and connect with others. Being in community is a beautiful way to uncrunch ourselves and stretch! The post Trusting Community appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

When things feel precarious and unpredictable, it’s crucial to know what there is that is trustworthy and dependable. What is it that reliably supports us and holds us up? The post In _____ We Trust? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Holding us now – to hope, to courage, to clarity and to each other – is the radical love at the very center of Unitarian Universalism. It shows up as wonder (and grief) for our achingly beautiful world; it shows up as relentless respect and care for one another, resplendent in all our vulnerability and… Read More »A Different Kind of Bravery The post A Different Kind of Bravery appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

There is internal tension in living our shared values. Can we live into pluralism while holding firm to equity and justice? When is belonging more important than individuality? And how do we get along with each other when our values differ? The post Can our Differing Values Co-exist? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

“The most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” – Kurt Vonnegut How can the practice of humanism act as an antidote to America’s crisis of loneliness and purposelessness? And how can the humanist movement catalyze Vonnegut’s dream of “stable communities” for the tens of… Read More »Curing Loneliness: How Humanism Can Bring Us Closer Together, And How We Build Bridges to Humanism The post Curing Loneliness: How Humanism Can Bring Us Closer Together, And How We Build Bridges to Humanism appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Widening the circle of inclusion is always limited by a group’s identity, so that the push to be inclusive gets tugged at by resistance to changing who we are. Who belongs at FUS, and what are the costs, and the benefits, of exclusion? The post Identity and Inclusion appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Albert Camus famously wrote that “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” For many, this year Imbolc — the midpoint of astrological winter — simultaneously brings a sense of growing light and of growing darkness. Today, our Seasonal Celebrations Team will present a candlelight program that will honor… Read More »Imbolc: On Joys and Concerns The post Imbolc: On Joys and Concerns appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Here We Are, a new administration is about to take office. What Now? We are facing 4 years of national political leadership hostility to the idea of addressing climate change while witnessing the effects of inaction. Where does this leave us? And what can we do about it now? Please join the FUS Climate Action… Read More »Here we are: What now? The post Here we are: What now? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

This is a great week to bring a friend with you to FUS! Here on the cusp of a presidential inauguration and Martin Luther King Jr Day, events that hold disparate visions, we are called to name the stories and the values that we insist upon claiming. The post The Stories We Must Cling To appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

The human species operates by stories. They can guide or misdirect us, inspire or limit us, while providing both meaning and perspective. So as we enter 2025, let’s ask… Which stories ring true for us, and what are the stories we choose to live by? The post New Year, New Story? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Spiritual congregations have a lengthy tradition of offering critiques of what they believe to be societal ills, and UUs and Humanists are no different. Theodore Parker, John Dietrich, Carl Storm, and Kendyl Gibbons — the last three were settled ministers here at First Unitarian Society — all witnessed deeply challenging times, and offered words of… Read More »We’ve Been Here Before The post We’ve Been Here Before appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Stillness. Quiet. The presence of winter. Twinkle Lights. Glittery snow. Crisp starry nights. The gifts of the natural world surround us. The post Being Present to Awe appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

In his essay on Sisyphus, Albert Camus ends with these haunting words: “one must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Camus invites us to wrestle with the appropriate response to absurdity. Is it suicide? That is to say, is the killing of oneself in light of the human condition, the existential angst and ontological trauma we face, a proper… Read More »The Audacity to Imagine Sisyphus Happy The post The Audacity to Imagine Sisyphus Happy appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Call it mindfulness, call it intentionality, call it witness…there is a way of being in relationship whereby we fully show up for one another. How might we offer our simple presence as a gift to the world? The post In the Presence of a New Way of Being appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

“All That Is” is a lot of stuff, and between this time of year and this time in our world, there is so much that demands our presence. What would it mean to call ourselves into the presence of all of this? Or, maybe the call is asking us to get in touch with what… Read More »In the Presence of All That Is The post In the Presence of All That Is appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Ours is an unapologetic world. Seldom does anyone take responsibility for damage done. While we might not like the words, let’s look at how remorse and repentance can play a role in our personal and societal transformation. The post Making Amends appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Whatever the results of the election, our purpose remains the same….to heal ourselves and our world. And we’re in it for the long haul. So let’s assess the situation and then lay out the task before us. We’ve got some stuff to do. The post What’s Broken Now? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

The election is just days away. We have worked hard to ensure that democracy will prevail. And yet, many are experiencing this as a very dark time in our nation. Let’s spend time reconnecting to all that we can trust to get us through. The post Hope in the Dark appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Description: We’ve come to that time of the year when many cultures believe the veil between the living and the dead is thin. If we listen deeply to the past…particularly to those who have built, sustained, and transformed this congregation…what do we hear? The post Listening to Those Who Have Gone Before Us appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Marlene Johnson, Minnesota's first woman lieutenant governor, serving from 1983-1991, will be with us to discuss these poignant themes through the lens of her new memoir: “Rise to the Challenge: A Memoir of Politics, Leadership & Love”. The post Leadership and Intentionality appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Those of us who come from immigrant histories cannot claim being indigenous to this land. But we can become naturalized to it. Robin Wall Kimmerer says that “Being naturalized to place means to live as if this is the land that feeds you, as if these are the streams from which you drink, that build… Read More »Listening to the Land The post Listening to the Land appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

If only every day had only one pain! Noise, fear, and pain-avoidance seem to conspire to plug up our ears and our eyes. And yet, we cannot, should not, turn away from all the hurt and suffering in the world. As we look ahead to the coming election, how can we better tune our ears… Read More »Listening to the Pain of the Day The post Listening to the Pain of the Day appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

You’ve likely been exposed to all kinds of advice about how to be a gracious host and about how to create space that allows everyone to bring their full selves. And still, not many of us are good at the practice of intentional and generous hosting. Let’s explore the gap between our intentions and our… Read More »An Invitation to Invite The post An Invitation to Invite appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

In the same way that many have come to rely on air conditioning to keep us comfortable, it's easy to get used to having our human environment organized to please us and our ways of being. Just as there are benefits to sitting on the front porch to cool off on a summer night, there… Read More »An Invitation to Discomfort The post An Invitation to Discomfort appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

It’s time to Gather! Like the merging of many streams, we come together to join forces and voices in love, learning, growing and singing, putting our beautiful heads and hearts to the task of building beloved community. The post The Invitation to Merge appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

We are, each one, always suspended between two moments. Between sleeping and waking. Between summer and fall. Between connection and isolation. Still, we rarely pause in that liminal space to reflect. So on this first Sunday together…congregation and new Interim Minister…let’s explore the gifts of being suspended between two known realities, because this interim period… Read More »The Invitation to Liminal Space The post The Invitation to Liminal Space appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

In Charles Darwin's fifth edition of “On the Origin of Species”, he writes about the importance of “survival of the fitted.” This simple and yet, famous phrase explains that organisms that best adapt to their environment are more likely to survive and produce. However, what if we, FUS reimagined our organizational adaptability and observe our… Read More »When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going: Our Call to Action The post When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going: Our Call to Action appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

The wheel of the year turns, and brings us again to the threshold of the harvest time. Lammas is one milepost in the cycle of the seasons, which embraces both constant change as well as predictable rhythms. Are we open to the beauty that the unfolding of evolution can bring? The post Lammas, liturgy, and layout: The Unforeseen Beauty of Change appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Join Rev. Je and FUS member Dara Strickland at Assembly for a kitchen table discussion about how the rituals of hospitality transform the utilitarian into the affirmingly humanist. We will be updating the Society on the evolving work at the Second Sunday meal at Plymouth Congregational Church and exploring additional ways FUS members can connect… Read More »Setting, Serving, and Sitting at the Humanist Table The post Setting, Serving, and Sitting at the Humanist Table appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

We live in a time when the everyday stresses of work, school, and maintaining relationships have been compounded by climate change, political and social upheaval, and a global pandemic. Knowing that it's not so easy to simply “reduce your stress,” what can we do to take care of ourselves that falls outside the typical “diet… Read More »Fresh Thinking for Anxious Times The post Fresh Thinking for Anxious Times appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

This series of stories by member Mikki Morrissette is about mental health, house repair, vulnerability, talking to strangers, collaboration, and how blues music might be the key to the universe. She will be sharing recent lessons she has learned from people featured in the Minnesota Women’s Press magazine she edits, as well as a musician… Read More »How We Build a Village of Collective Health The post How We Build a Village of Collective Health appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

There is an emboldened posture of Christian Nationalism infiltrating our classrooms in this country. As two states set the educational trend that compromises our religious freedom, what does our humanism call us to do? What is our response to Biblical violence? Join Rev. Dr. Jé for a critical talk to embolden our moral compass with… Read More »Who Can Command Me? The post Who Can Command Me? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

We've had our farewells and shared innumerable hugs. The past decade has been marked with an unforgettable impact from these two ministers, and now that they move on to new chapters, where does that leave us at First Unitarian Society? Join us this first Sunday after, as we consider the road ahead and take first… Read More »David and Kelli are Gone—Now What? How the Fire of Transition Takes Us Into Tomorrow The post David and Kelli are Gone—Now What? How the Fire of Transition Takes Us Into Tomorrow appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

The post A Farewell Address from Rev. Dr. David Breeden appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

How does renewal help us navigate transition? Rev. Kelli looks backward over her past nine years at FUS and forward to your next chapter. The post Gentle Me, Holy One: Renewing the Spirit of Self and Community appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Times are greatly changing and congregational practice is declining as generations are evolving. What is the church called to do? What is the mission and focus of this social and spiritual beacon? Together we will unpack some congregational considerations to engage transformation that may enhance the life force of our communities, and helps us build… Read More »Revolutionary Mothering: Congregations, Hope & Nuturing The post Revolutionary Mothering: Congregations, Hope & Nuturing appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

The old melting pot metaphor for the US still has some “resistance is futile” power to it. We all must, however, resist. A talk from Rev. Dr. David Breeden. The post Pluralism is Not Assimilation appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

Does the way we practice Humanism help or hurt us in cultivating pluralism? A talk from Rev. Kelli Clement The post Each of Us Has a Piece of the Truth: the Gifts of Pluralism appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

The nature of US society tends naturally toward pluralism. However, our stand on pluralism must go way beyond tolerance of “the other.” In US law, individuals have rights. Group rights, however, have proven problematic. A talk from Rev. Dr. David Breeden. The post The Ethical Imperative of Pluralism appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

This year we saw our UUA Religious Education program evolve into Ethical Explorers (aka E²) under the facilitation of Rev. Jé, our Minister of Lifelong Education and Community. This program has sought to elevate the First Unitarian Society Humanist’s values and congregational momentum  by ushering a new approach to aiding our youth in forming their moral… Read More »E² and FUS: What is Education For? The post E² and FUS: What is Education For? appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

What if we think of self-creation as co-creation? The post Living Into Interdependence appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

How do we turn the inevitable into the Good? A talk from Rev. Dr. David Breeden. The post Change is Inevitable, Transformation is Not appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

So many of the changes we experience are not of our own choosing. How do we find gifts in the struggle for transformation? A talk from Rev. Kellli Clement. The post Struggle & Strength: Gifts Wrapped in Stinky Paper appeared first on First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.