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UUFR Sermon Audio Archive
We offer here for download selected sermons by Rev. Tom Rhodes in MP3 format. |
Click on the title of the sermons to download. |
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April 22, 2007 |
“The Fine Art of Being Together” led by Rev. Tom Rhodes. When people join a community, it often feels like reaching the Promised Land. We're excited to be in a group of like-minded and dedicated people, but sometimes we find that being a part of a community is both more and less than we bargained for. Is community a place like the Promised land, or is it a process like the journey to get there? What happens when we reach our
goals, and how do we decide where to go from there? |
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April 15, 2007 |
| "Grace Under Pressure" led by Rev. Tom Rhodes. Ernest Hemingway once defined courage as "grace under pressure." The word “courage” comes from a French word coeur, meaning heart. This morning we'll look at some examples of how we can live courageous, heart-filled lives amid the daily pressures of work, family, and other competing obligations. |
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April 8, 2007 |
| "The Resurrection of the World" Led by Rev. Tom Rhodes. It's Easter Sunday, and a great celebration is planned! During this morning's intergenerational service, we'll retell the story of Jesus from a UU perspective, have a special child dedication ceremony to celebrate the new lives among us, share stories, songs, and silence, and finish with a uniquely Unitarian ceremony — the flower communion. Please bring a blossom or two to share with others during the service this morning. |
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March 25, 2007 |
| "How to Succeed at Failure (Without Really Trying)" led by Rev. Tom Rhodes. Success brings its own rewards, but too often our failures result in an added sense of shame, blame, or deep loss. Yet we cannot allow our fear of failure keep us from trying, whether it is in personal relationships, in business, or other endeavors. Rev. Tom will share one of the best days of his life -- when everything he tried went wrong -- and how you too can succeed at failure. |
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March 18, 2007 |
| "The Great Turning" presented by Rev. Tom Rhodes and Bo Chagnon. For most of recorded history we have lived in hierarchical societies, with power concentrated by a few men (and they are almost always men) at the top of the heap. More recently a new consciousness based on the Earth as a single Community has begun emerging -- perhaps in time to turn from the path that leads to environmental and economic disaster. This Sunday kicks off a 10-week program based on David Korten's book The Great Turning, sponsored by the Social Action Committee. |
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February 25, 2007 |
| "Prayer: Naming with the Heart" led by Rev. Tom Rhodes. Over eighty percent of Americans say they pray on a regular basis. Among Unitarian Universalists the number is doubtless somewhat lower, given our diverse views of God. Do we need to believe in a personal deity in order to pray with integrity? Is prayer effective, and does it depend on our personal faith? |
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February 18, 2007 |
| "Counting the Ways of Love" presented by Rev. Tom Rhodes and UUFR member Tracy Hollister. “How do I love thee?," Shakespeare wrote, "Let me count the ways…” Talking about love often leads to confusion - is the love we express when we say "I love you” the same as when we say "I love chocolate?" Is love the same as desire? When the Bible says "God is Love," what can that mean? |
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February 11, 2007 |
| "At the Gates of Heaven and Hell” by Rev. Tom Rhodes. If some form of life after death is a possibility, what might we expect? Unitarian Universalism is a faith which "neither promises people Heaven nor threatens them with Hell.” Still, images and stories of the afterlife can be useful in clarifying our values and hopes for times to come. |
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January 28, 2007 |
| "Servant Leadership and Other Oxymorons of Ministry" by Rev. Tom Rhodes. On February 4, 2007 UUFR installed Rev. Tom Rhodes as our settled minister with all the pomp and pageantry we could muster. This sermon considers what ministry really is and the power it can awaken in all of us. |
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January 21, 2007 |
| "Is Nothing Sacred?" by Rev. Tom Rhodes. Our lives are full, our cup runneth over, and yet there are times when nothing is quite satisfactory. This sermon is about Nothing, and the times when embracing emptiness is the most fulfilling of all. |
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January 14, 2007 |
| "Is Racism an Addiction?" by Rev. Tom Rhodes. It has been said that when it comes to race, most Whites don't see a problem while most Blacks don't see a solution. Perhaps that's because we are asking the wrong questions. Is it possible to reframe the issue of racism into one of addiction and recovery? |
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Older Services |
| Thanksgiving Communion (11-19-2006) |
| Painting Pictures of God (11-5-2006) |
| Entertaining Angels (8-27-2006) |
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