Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign

Recorded live, Sunday August 23, 2020, The Life and Teachings of Congressman John R. Lewis, Rev. Florence Caplow.  “I believe that you see something that you want to get done, you cannot give up, and you cannot give in.” This summer we lost Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights hero, a man of towering moral integrity, and member of Congress for 33 years. When he died the whole nation mourned, and four former presidents offered words of gratitude and admiration at his funeral service. In this service we will celebrate, learn from, and be inspired by his life and word. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday August 16, 2020, Back to School in Fall 2020—The Long and Winding Road, Janet Revell Barrett and Sam Beshers.  For many, the start of the school year welcomes new beginnings. This fall, however, we arrive at this point after the most unusual summer in memory—in which the isolation of the pandemic, the turning point of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the uncertainty surrounding school openings have left us wondering about the road ahead. This service, inspired by a Beatles’ tune, will look to the past to reflect on the school desegregation movement of the 1950s; the present, through the challenges of public service as a school board member; and the future, as secondary school teachers look ahead to the coming year. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday August 9, 2020, Souls Matter, Sam Beshers and Sherry Bohlen.  Soul Matters small groups have added a new and vital dimension to church life and our community. Soul Matters groups work with a different theme each month, and meet to share their experiences and insights from the theme. A key feature of Soul Matters is deep listening, in which the group members commit to giving every member the space to articulate and to share their thoughts. Soul Matters is better experienced than described. In this service we will share a Soul Matters group meeting, to bring the Soul Matters experience to a wilder audience. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday August 2, 2020, The Poetry of Summer, Chris Hannauer, Erich Adickes, Kathy Robinson. For many years this church held a “Poetry of Winter” service in early January. This year we are turning that upside down and exploring poetry as a summer activity. Please join us, as members and friends of UUCUC share the “poetry of summer,” poems that invoke the season for us, even if they aren’t explicitly about long sunny days or walks along a beach. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday July 26, 2020, Country Mouse Goes to See the Queen, Chris Hannauer, Dr. Ming Kuo, Jennifer Greene. Earlier this year, Ming Kuo, Professor at University of Illinois in Landscape Architecture and Friend of UUCUC, was invited to be a presenter at the World Economic Forum in Davos, sharing her research on “How cities make us mad, bad, and sad — and how we can turn this around”. She will share stories of her adventures and observations of world leaders at Davos, including meeting the Queen of Belgium. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday July 12, 2020, Pandemic Experiences and Reflections, Jennifer Greene and Kiri Fagen-Ulmschneider.  This service will feature reflective descriptions of the diverse COVID-19 experiences of congregation members. What challenges have you experienced and how have you met those challenges? What surprises have you experienced, and what did you learn from them? How has this time of isolation and quarantine affected you, your family, your friends, and your relationships with others? Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday July 5, 2020, Making Art and the Power of Creation and Transformation, Janet Revell Barrett, Kiri Fagen-Ulmschneider.  The process of creating art can be transformative for the artist. Making can be as much about the joy in the process as about the finished object. In our community we have makers of all kinds, and we will share some of their work and some of their experiences as creators. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday June 28, 2020, Rooted, Inspired, and Ready, Chris Hannauer.  From the 2020 (Virtual) UUA General Assembly. The UUA’s annual General Assembly features some of the most memorable worship and music of our entire denomination. This year’s GA is of course virtual, but still promises to have many powerful elements.  Join us on Sunday morning as we share in portions of this year’s GA for our service. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday June 21, 2020, Cultivating Connections with the Natural World at Home, Chris Hannauer, Rob Kanter. Rob Kanter is a teacher, writer, and photographer whose “Environmental Almanac” is heard weekly on WILL and seen in the pages of the News-Gazette.  He will tell stories about how he and his family cultivate connections with the natural at home and reflect on what it means to do that in turbulent times. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday June 14, 2020, The Power of Compassion - "No I'm Not OK", Deanna Hence, Rev. Florence Caplow.  "Compassion" is the Soul Matters theme for June. In this time of great challenge, we can cultivate and express compassion for those around us and the world in ways that can bring healing and restoration, to others and ourselves. The UUCUC will be offering a virtual choir performance, and Dana Lyons will be back as a guest singer. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday May 31, 2020, Days Like This: Living the Impossible, Julie Laut, Rev. Florence Caplow.  Some of our days can feel impossible. You can sustain yourself emotionally and mentally in difficulty when you know that something better is ahead, but how do we find new ways to be living our lives when we don’t know the outcome or the future? In this service, Julie Laut and Rev. Florence Caplow will share their personal ways of living with “days like this”. Some of our talented voices will be singing two powerful contemporary songs, including “Days Like This” by Over the Rhine. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday May 3, 2020, Thresholds, Doorways, Balconies, Windows, Rev. Florence Caplow.  Our Soul Matters theme for May is “Thresholds”. Certainly we are experiencing a threshold unlike any of us have known before. What is this new world we are peering into? What does the future hold? How do we meet the thresholds in our lives with grace and willingness? Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday April 26, 2020, The Wisdom of the Ages: A Multi-Generational Worship Celebration, Michele Townsend Grove.  This online worship experience will engage all ages! Through the stories of the goddess Athena and her companion, the Owl, the worshiping community will explore the intersection between knowledge and wisdom while celebrating the wisdom leaders at UUCUC! Watch for special music, great storytelling and gratitude for all who lead UUCUC’s learning opportunities. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday April 19, 2020, Earth Hold Me, Rev. Florence Caplow.  For this service on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, let’s remember the ways we are supported and held by the earth. There will be a very special offering by the UUCUC Choir! We will be joined by Dana Lyons, a powerful voice for the environment. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday April 12, 2020, Easter: Renewal, Nonetheless, Rev. Florence Caplow.  In the midst of so much disruption, all over the earth there are signs of renewal, showing us just how resilient our natural world really is if we would just give it a chance. On this Easter Sunday, a time in the Christian calendar that celebrates renewal and arising from death, let’s celebrate the ways our earth is singing and breathing, as her human children hunker down and do less. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday April 5, 2020, Lament, Rev. Florence Caplow.  There is much to lament at this time. Join us to feel, to weep, to reflect, and to connect with compassion with those who are suffering in so many ways right now – including ourselves. This contemplative service is an opportunity to “feel our feels” in a loving space, through poetry, music, meditation and reflection. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday March 29, 2020, Pathetic Spiritual Practice, Rev. Florence Caplow and Denise Cawley.  In this service we will explore simple ways we might incorporate spiritual practice into our lives, little by little. It doesn’t have to be scary or difficult. In fact, pathetic effort is ideal! Here is a simple spiritual practice for all ages to explore before the service! Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday March 22, 2020, How We Spend Our Days, Rev. Florence Caplow and Rev. Aaron Stockwell.  Annie Dillard once wrote “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” How we spend our lives can also be a statement of our values. What do the moments where we experience awe and wonder say about our values? Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday March 15, 2020, A Litany for Survival, Rev. Bill Breeden.  The words of Audre Lorde provide a jumping off place from which we might lean face forward into an uncertain future. Please join us via live stream (our church building is now closed due to the coronavirus), and we will continue to celebrate life together. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday March 1, 2020, A Garden of Wisdom, Rev. Florence Caplow.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday February 23, 2020, Listen, Emily McKown and YRUU Youth.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday February 16, 2020, A Week in the Life….Stories from Between Sundays, Rev. Florence Caplow and UUCUC Staff.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday February 9, 2020, Wild Strawberries: A World Full of Gifts, Rev. Florence Caplow.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday February 2, 2020, Resilience—What’s Love Got to Do With It?, Rev. Bill Breeden.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Friday, January 24, 2020, Dan McCollum: McCollum vs. Board of Education, 1948. Presentation and Fellowship, Dan McCollum.  Will this Supreme Court change its mind about school prayer? That particular separation of church and state, however incomplete today, would not have become law of the land had it not been for the instigation of a local mother, Vashti McCollum of Champaign, and a minister, Philip Schug, of the local Unitarian Church. Long ago, religion was part of the public school curriculum and informally, to some extent, remains so to the present. In the 1940s, voluntary religious instruction was provided by selected local ministers for children in Grades 4-9 during school time in public school classrooms. Keeping with the family’s values, Vashti withdrew her son James from the instruction, but found him harassed. She sued the Board of Education and it became McCollum vs. Board of Education. She was greatly assisted in pursuing the case by Rev. Schug. This singular history and the support of Philip Schug will be described in a presentation by Vashti’s son, Dan McCollum. McCollum is a distinguished local historian and a former mayor of Champaign. 

Recorded live, Sunday January 19, 2020, Ministry Together, Toward Beloved Community, Rev. Florence Caplow and Rev. David Pyle.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

After the service on Sunday, January 19, 2020 there was a Q&A with Rev. David Pyle, Rev. Florence Caplow, and leaders of the UUCUC Board about the next steps in ministry for UUCUC. 

Recorded live, Sunday January 12, 2020, Mission Possible, Jenny Hunt and the Dream Team.  With Sam Beshers, Worship Associate & Song Leader; Emily McKown, Voice; Matthew Gladden, Piano & Voice; Austin Cody, Choir Director.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday January 5, 2020, Beginning With Pleasure, Meredith Olson.  With Kiri Fagen-Ulmschneider, Worship Associate;  Matthew Gladden, Piano.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday December 22, 2019, Solstice: Celebration of the Dance of the Light and the Dark, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Deanna Hence, Worship Associate; Austin Cody, Acting Choir Director;  Matthew Gladden, Piano; Paige Graham, Voice. Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday December 15, 2019, We Are The Light We Are Looking For, Emily McKown.  With Michele Grove, RE Director;  Matthew Gladden, Piano.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday December 8, 2019, Becoming Community: Parity not Charity, Kathleen Robbins and Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Matthew Gladden, Piano; Alex Malaimare, Violin.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday December 1, 2019, Awe: The Miracle of Each Moment, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Theresa Benson & Janet Barrett (Worship Associates); Matthew Gladden (Piano); Emily McKown, Amy Hassinger, Elizabeth Fields (Voice).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday November 24, 2019, Enough, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Theresa Benson, Worship Associates; Matthew Gladden (Pianist); and Austin Cody (Choir).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday November 17, 2019, Just One Strain Of The Whole Earth's Song, Amy Hassinger.  With Erich Adickes, Worship Associates; Dana Antonelli (children's Choir); and Minah Ehlen and Joshua Bell (Pianists).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday November 10, 2019, Engaging Our Neighbors, Rev. Scott Aaseng.  With Jerry Frye, Worship Associate; Emily McKown (Song Leader); and Matthew Gladden (Pianist).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday November 3 2019, All Souls - A Gathering of Spirits, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Deanna Hence, Worship Associate; Matt Sheppard (Music Director); Emily McKown (Song Leader); and Matthew Gladden (Pianist); Kathleen Winters (Piccolo).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday October 27, 2019, Blessing of the Animals, Michele Grove and Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Jennifer Greene, Worship Associate; Matthew Gladden, Piano; Elizabeth Simpson, Song Leader.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday October 20, 2019, How Can I Keep From Singing, Matt Sheppard.  With Sam Beshers, Worship Associate; Matthew Gladden, Piano.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday October 13, 2019, All My Favorite People Are Broken, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Julie Laut and James Engelhardt, Worship Associates; Emily McKown (Song Leader); and Matthew Gladden (Pianist).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday October 6, 2019, Draw the Circle Wide, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Karla Peterson, Worship Associate; Matthew Sheppard, Music Director; Dana Antonelli, Children's Choir Director; and Matthew Gladden (Pianist).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday September 29, 2019, The Power of Celebration, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Jennifer Greene, Worship Associate; and Matthew Gladden (Pianist).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday September 15, 2019, Global Strike for the Climate, Rev. Florence Caplow.  With Michele Grove, Interim Director of Religious Education; Penne Beckett, Worship Associate and Reader; Umeeta Sadarangani and Jerry Carden, Readers; Matthew Gladden (Pianist); and We Wanna Woke Choir.  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday June 2, 2019, Flower Communion: Sharing Gifts, Creating Community by Rev Florence Caplow.  With Umeeta Sadarangani and UUCUC Worship Associates; Matthew Gladden and Marisa Landsverk (Pianists); Janet Revell Barrett (Guest Choir Leader); Todd Kinney and Steve Herzog (flower communion music); and Ray Watson (Song Leader).  Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday May 26, 2019, Bridging by Rev Florence Caplow.  With Maria Howerton-Sweid, Jamie Davis, Emily McKown (Youth Coordinator), Janet Barrett (Worship Associate), and Matthew Gladden (Pianist) Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday May 19, 2019, Building Bridges by Michele Grove Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday May 12, 2019, Finding Peace: A Mother's Day Service by Rev. Florence Caplow  Sam Beshers, Worship Associate Matt Sheppard, Music Director Jeeson Eun, Piano; Kathleen Winters, Flute Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday, May 5, 2019, Coming of Age by Coming of Age Class of 2019 (Students, Mentors, and Leaders) and  Rev Florence Caplow Matthew Gladden, Piano Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.

Recorded live, Sunday April 28th, 2019, Please Call Me by My True Name, by Welcoming Congregation Team Jerry Carden, Chair Jasmine Routon, UP Center Kathleen Robbins, Zev Alexander, Raymond Watson Matthew Gladden, Piano; Emma Herzog, Soloist Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.  

Recorded live, Sunday April 21st, 2019, Transformation and Wholeness by Reverend Florence Caplow UUCUC Choir CrUUners Maria Arrua, violin Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.  

Recorded live, Sunday April 14th, 2019, Sound Effects, by Matt Sheppard and other UUCUC musicians Click to play this service recording, or subscribe to our podcasts in the iTunes store to download new episodes automatically to your computer or smartphone. See the Podcast Guide for more help.