Sermons & Selected Music of the Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, Westchester County, New York
Sermon: MLK with Rev. Meredith Garmon. We’ve learned a lot since 1968. And still have a lot to learn. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Question Box with Rev. Meredith Garmon. The popular Question Box service makes its annual return. Bring your questions — the ones that Google can’t answer, and see if Meredith can. (Some years Meredith gets to them all, some years he doesn’t.) Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Simplicity. Can we live more simply? Why might we want to? Why might we not?, by Rev. Meredith Garmon. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Forgiveness. The courage to ask for it, the flexibility to respond, and the perspective to offer. (Rev. Arlin Roy, LCSW, BCD, is co-director of Northeast Counseling Center and past President of the Foundation for Religion and Mental Health. Rev. Roy is a member of First Unitarian Society in Hastings.) Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at […]
Our much beloved traditional Christmas pageant. Which part will you play this year? Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Justice on Earth, People and Environments. Drawing on a few of the ideas from this year’s UUA Common Read, “Justice on Earth.” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Curiosity and Dead Cats. “Curiosity and Dead Cats. Curiosity killed the cat? Somehow, I don’t think so.” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: UU Path of Zen. Three of the regulars at CUUC’s Saturday Zen group share what draws them to Zen, and what it means to them. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Thanksgiving. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY. Transcript at http://www.liberalpulpit.org/2018/11/thanksgiving-parliamentary-tale.html
Sermon: Stranger and Stranger. On being hospitable to strangers. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Voting. We don’t do it to ‘make a difference.’ We do it to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: All Hallow’s Eve. We’ll have our annual ribbons of rememberance observance. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Holy Anger. Yes, anger can be a problem. It can also be a gift, providing the energy to stand up for onself or others. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: How to Love Diversity. It’s not always easy because diverse people are, well, different. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Promise and Peril of Discovery. When a New World comes into view, advance carefully – and be ‘ready to be changed by what you’ve started.’ Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY. Transcript at http://www.liberalpulpit.org/2018/10/discovering-america.html
Sermon: Hoodlums and Zealots. A look at ‘the American Experiment’ – the British colonies were peopled in large part by Puritans and prisoners sent here as punishment for a crime or debt. It’s an odd mix to start a country from. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Let Go! Or Not, by Rev. Meredith Garmon. “Knowing when, and of what, to let go, and when, and to what, to hold on – is this not the fundamental question of our lives?” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Living Your Faith, by Rev. Meredith Garmon. “There is a saying about a function about the congreation… to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The line dividing ‘good’ and ‘evil’ cuts through the heart of every human being. ” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: The Spiritual Bypass, by Rev. Meredith Garmon. [Note: microphone failed, audio quality is compromised] “I’m an advocate of spiritual practice, and I’m serious about my own. At the same time, spiritual development won’t improve your skills in math, music, or athletics. More to the point, it won’t clear up painful feelings, unresolved wounds, or […]
Sermon: Love and Desire, by Rev. Meredith Garmon. “In what ways — if any — do we distinguish between what we love and what we desire? When is desire — or love — unhealthy?” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: All You Need is Love. Is that Really True? by Rev. Meredith Garmon. “Looking at the question in terms or ethical needs. Is love all you need as a guide in how to act, or do you in addition need moral principles?” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Prominent Worldviews by Rev. Meredith Garmon. “In the face of what’s happening, how do we not give up?” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Race Matters by Rev. Meredith Garmon. “It’s been almost two years since our congregation adopted the Black Lives Matter resolution. It’s been one year since the current President was inaugurated. How are we doing now, and what is ours to do at this point? The service will include break-out circles for discussion.” Part of […]
Sermon: Centering by Rev. LoraKim Joyner. “On this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend we take up what it means to listen to and accept the marginalized and the silenced within each of us, so that we can welcome all into the family of life. We will reference Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry, […]
Sermon: Resilience by Rev. Garmon. ” Tough, not impervious. Sensitive, not fragile. Able to change, grow, and adapt while retaining integrity. Having the endurance for the long haul, yet flexible and knowing when to take breaks. Focused, not obsessive. Grit. What are the limits of your resilience, and can they be extended?” Part of the […]
Sermon: Questions by Rev. Garmon. “oday was the Second Annual Question Box Sunday – a service on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s where all present are invited to write a question on an index card. Ushers collected the cards during one of the hymns. I shuffled the stack without looking at any of […]
Sermon by Cindy Davidson. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Reading: Hanukkah with Rev. Garmon. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Embodying by Rev. Garmon. “What does your body know that the head doesn’t? How do we learn to listen to the body’s wisdom?” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: What Are You Waiting For? by Ministerial Intern, Cindy Davidson. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Who Are These People? by Rev. Garmon. Reading by Ministerial Intern, Cindy Davidson. “These people” are we…we Unitarian Universalists. But what does that mean? The more we know our history, the more we know who we are. One very influential chapter in our history is the life and work of Rev. Hosea Ballou (1771-1852). […]
Reading and Talks on Thanksgiving with Rev. Garmon, Perry Montrose and Special Guest, Native American George Stonefish. Honoring the call to truth and reconciliation about the origins of Thanksgiving. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Income Inequality by Rev. Garmon. “The topic of a Statement of Conscience adopted at the 2017 General Assembly continues to threaten justice, democracy, well-being (of rich and poor alike) and our spirits.” Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Sermon: Mindfulness is a Fad. Rev. Garmon. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, with special musical guests.
Sermon: What’s Wrong With You? Rev. Garmon. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains. Read Text: Here
Sermon: You’ve Got Problems. Rev. Garmon. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains. Read Text: Here
Water Celebration: Ingathering. Rev. Garmon. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.
Historical comment by Amy Nathan, Narrative of Virtue Lane by Mary Lane Cobb.
Sermon: Freedom by Rev. Garmon. “On the subject of freedom, and speaking of fathers… I was seven years old when, at dinner one night, my father off-handedly mentioned that there’s an idea that everything you do is known in advance. He probably used the word “predestination,” but that was not a word that stuck in […]
RE Sunday Service. A worship celebration of the year in Religious Education that includes Banner parade for all classes to start the service, Skit by the 4th-5th grade, Band doing Katy Perry (not included in podcast), Reading of the kids’ responses, Bridging ceremony for graduating seniors (not included in podcast). Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at […]
Sermon: Spirit of Freedom, Cindy Davidson
Sermon: The Corruption of Our Democracy by Rev. Garmon. “I love democracy. I think my most joyous experiences as a Unitarian Universalist lay person came almost 30 years ago. I was a graduate student at the University of Virginia and a member of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist in Charlottesville. I would’ve been […]
Sermon: The Climate It is A-Changin’ by Rev. Garmon. “One of my sayings is: Reality is never depressing. Reality can certainly be challenging. What’s depressing is trying to turn away from reality – trying not to know, not to think about it. That can be exhausting – depressing. Face reality squarely, and it cannot be […]
Text of Passover Reflection Text of Sermon
Download PDF text Or View Video on WP Community Media
Sermon: Reality Amid Ideology. Faith communities, says Walter Brueggemann, have important work to do, “indispensible for the future viability of our society.” Prophetic job #1 is to identify and call out misconstruals of reality that serve particular interests. Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY.