In Service of – The Invisible

~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Deblyn Russell (WA)
Join Rev. Eva for this year’s auction sermon purchased by Karen Kitchen. The book Karen chose–Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years – Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber–is a fascinating look at many aspects of what women’s work has been like down through the ages, uncovered through the study of fiber remnants. Barber answers the question that many of us have as we read histories, “What were all the women doing?!” by helping us to glimpse the complex process ancient fiber production was, an element of life that has been all but invisible to us before this.  To listen to this sermon click here.

In Service of Covenant – April 28

~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (WA)
Many churches gather together around a common creed. Our Unitarian Universalist faith
doesn’t have a common creed, but we gather around a sense of mutual understanding of the purpose of our community. This week we will look at covenants, our covenant, and what this all means for our service to the greater Cedar Valley community.  To listen to this service click here.

In Service of Earth – Earth Day

April 21st Festival Sunday: In Service of. . .the Earth
~~ Festival Sunday Team, Karen Impola (WA)
Join us as we celebrate Mother Earth! The Festival Sunday Team has put together a service that helps us honor our place as tree-huggers, green-lovers, recyclers, environmental activists, alternative transportation geeks, garden-growers, and more. To Listen to this service click here.

In Service of..Family April 14, 2013

April 14th In Service of. . .Family 
~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Del Carpenter (WA)
It seems families often arrive here looking for help and support in raising their kids in the religious culture of our larger community. How does our religion help support and strengthen the family? What exactly is “a family” and what are “family values”? What is our place at the table in this conversation that is happening across the country?  To listen to this service click here

In Service of Death – March 24, 3013

 Rev. Kali Hayslett, Karen Impola (WA) 
Join us as community minister and hospice chaplain Rev. Kali Hayslett shares stories about her work with families .  Palm Sunday is a celebration of the life of Jesus, the human life, the impact one person can make on their community.  Hospice ministry is about helping people live even when they are dying.  This is a message of hope from which we can all learn.  Due to technical difficulties the podcasts starts after Kali has already begun her sermon.  To listen to this sermon click here. 

In Service of Transformation An Easter Celebration

Our community joins together to celebrate the Easter holiday.
How has Unitarian Universalism helped you transform your life?
What meaning can we make of the risen Christ?  To listen to this service click here.

Festival Sunday – March 17, 2014

March 17thtt
Festival Sunday: In Service of. . . Festival Sunday: In Service of. . . In Service of. . .Awakening Awakening
~~ Festival Sunday Team, Del Carpenter (WA)
Our celebration of spring! With any luck the bees are buzzing,
the buds swelling, and days lengthening. How does our faith
strengthen and sustain our awakening?  To listen to the festival skit and activities click here.

In Service of…Leadership March 10, 2013

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Karen Impola (WA)
Some religions are good at creating followers.  Our progressive faith encourages the development of leaders.  We look at some of the well-known UU leadership in our world, and explore how our theology invites us into a place up front, leading the way!  To listen to this service click here.

In Service of Knowledge – February 17, 2014

Rev. Eva Cameron, Del Carpenter (WA)
In honor of Charles Darwin’s birthday, which some have declared as their own UU Holiday, this week we explored how the growth and love of knowledge has shaped our UU heritage. To listen to the service click here

Of That We Do Not Speak – Lynn Brant 02/03/2013

Of That We Do Not Speak ~~ Lynn Brant, Lara Martinsen-Burrell (WA)
Lynn will talk about abortion and make a stronger case for “pro-choice” in the context of our UU principles and values. He will argue that we should speak about abortion and not allow the other side to dominate the larger conversation in our society.
This podcast is in two parts. Part I is the Opening Words, The Thank UU Award and the Meditation. You can listen to Part I by clicking here. Part II is the Sermon delivered by
Lynn Brant. To listen to the Sermon click here.

In Service of Wisdom – Jan 20, 2013

Rev. Eva Cameron and Al Hays co-preaching, Deblyn Russell (WA)
Rev. Eva has always felt that wisdom was the practice of balancing what one knows from one’s head and what one knows from one’s heart, while always striving to enhance that knowledge.  One of the most powerful things we do as UUs is to teach people to be wise.  We want you to learn about things, to think about them, to talk with others and share your feelings, and to grow richer and deeper and more wise from these experiences.  Join Al Hays and Rev. Eva as they explore the idea of being a religion that encourages wisdom.  To listen to this service click here.

In Service of Peace Jan 13, 2013

~ Staci Chananie-Hill and Al Hays co-preaching, Del Carpenter (WA)
For Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday  Staci and Al share their thoughts about non-violence, the movement, and spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.  How does what we learn from our past propel us into finding ways and means other than violence in an ever-increasingly violent world?  How do peace and non-violence help us heal?  How do we address the wounds that bind us all and find understanding in peaceful solution?  Let us have a dialogue as we continue to heal from the violence that has been so very ever-present over the past year.  To Listen to this service Click Here.

Anniversary Sunday Jan 6, 2013

~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Festival Team
Listen to the celebration of the 138th Anniversary of the founding of the Universalist Society of Waterloo!  Each year we get out the old Universalist Communion silver, and share with our children some of our history from long, long ago.  This year, we will meet Rev. Dr. Effie McCollum Jones, one of our early ministers and learn a bit about our early years.   Click here to listen to the children’s story about Effie Jones, and here to listen to the Rev Eva Cameron as she speaks as “Effie Jones” to the congregation.

In Service of Light

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Karen Impola (WA)
Celebrate Winter Solstice!! Come be a light in our lives, as we
look to the age-old traditions of this time of year. To Listen to this service click here.

In Service of Children 12/9/12

What does our spiritual tradition teach us about children?  What do we as UUs offer to the greater community’s children? To Listen to this service including the Children’s story by Lara Martinsen-Burrell Click here.

In Service of Patience

The season of Advent invites us to consider the spiritual practice of waiting, and finding useful and productive things to do with our time.  Join us in the celebration of the virtue of patience.  To listen to this service click here.

In Service of Gratitude – Gratitude for All Experiences- Staci Chananie-Hill

We often give thanks for those things that make us feel good. But what about the things that make us beel bad, or that we perceive as negative experiences. How do we reframe those experiences? Let’s explore these thoughts and feelings together in this seasonal time of Thanksgiving. Lay Minister Staci Chananie-Hill shares her experiences with us this morning, to listen to this service click here.

In Service of – Courage

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Del Carpenter (WA)
A tribute to the men and women who are serving and have served
this country. Some of us are pacifists, and others believe in just
war. . .but no matter our leanings, we all honor the humanity that
serves at the core of military. To listen to this service click here.

In Service of Politics

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Maureen Murphy (WA)
Just prior to our national elections, we will pause and reflect on
the nature of politics, how our religion informs our politics, and
send forth our good wishes for a clean, civil election. To listen to this service click here.

Our 50th Anniversary Service

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Del Carpenter (WA)
Come celebrate! We will have a Homecoming Service, as we
invite all those who have been a part of our growth and development
over the years to join us on this special day. To listen to the 50th Anniversary Service Click here

In Service of the Common good

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Maureen Murphy (WA)
One beautiful reason to belong to a religious community is that it
helps us turn our focus beyond our own lives and towards
something larger. The call to serve the Common Good rang in the
lives of our founders, and still seems to be a vibrant principle today.
This is Clergy Appreciation Day! The idea of serving the Common
Good lives in the hearts of those who are called as Clergy. To listen to this service click here

In Service of Free Thought

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Karen Impola (WA)
Free-thought is a religious principle that has a long history with
both Unitarianism and Universalism. Our doors have long served
as a refuge where people could come and apply their own
understandings of religion to their lives. As we near our Fiftieth
Anniversary we celebrate a rallying cry for our faith. To listen to this service click here.

In Service 0f …Reason

Unitairan Universalist have a special pride in being a rational religion. Eva states: “When I was a kid, I used to tell people I liked to belong to a religion where I didn’t have to check my brain at the door.” How have we served the advancement of reason, among ourselves, among religions, and in the larger world? To listen to this service click here.

In Service of – Forgiveness

As the Jewish community pauses and takes time to make amends before they enter their new year, their holiday of Yom Kippur reminds us all of the sacred act of forgiveness. How can forgiveness be of service? To listen to this serivce click here.

Festival Sunday

Festival Sunday: : Gathering. . .In Service of Each Other : :
~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, The Festival Team
We explore the gifts we gather to help sustain each other
through the dark winters of our lives. This service, like all Festival
Sundays, is especially created to speak to people of all ages in
poetry, movement, song, drama and reflection. To Listen to a section of the meditation and Eva’s sermon click here.

In Service – Serving the Cedar Valley for Fifty Years

For the first sermon of the new church year we explored the many ways we have served and can continue to serve each other and our larger community.  We celebrated fifty years since the merger of the Unitarians and the universalists in the Cedar Valley.  To listen to the sermon click here.

Water Communion

To listen to the service click here.

~~ Lara Martinsen-Burrell, The Festival Team, Karen Impola (WA)
Water—ever bending, yielding, flowing into all the nooks and
crannies of our earthly lives. Bring to this service water
collected during your past year’s journey—either the actual, or
the symbolic water from places that have been defining to you.
Garden dew, new home tap, ceremony sites, and travels all bring
us into contact with this universal wet element. We’ll mingle our
waters together as we re-unite for our church year during this
festival service.
Please note: this service will be followed
Water—ever bending, yielding, flowing into all the nooks and
crannies of our earthly lives. Bring to this service water
collected during your past year’s journey—either the actual, or
the symbolic water from places that have been defining to you.
Garden dew, new home tap, ceremony sites, and travels all bring
us into contact with this universal wet element. We’ll mingle our
waters together as we re-unite for our church year during this
festival service.
To listen to this service click here.

The Fun and Faithful Journey: A Bridging Sunday ~~ RE Teachers, The Rev. Eva Cameron, Maureen Murphy (WA)

May 20th   Children’s Religious Education Sunday 
The Fun and Faithful Journey:  A Bridging Sunday ~~ RE Teachers, The Rev. Eva Cameron, Maureen Murphy (WA)
A service presented by the younger members of our congregation in collaboration with their teachers and Rev. Eva.  At this service, Matthew Bancroft-Smithe and Thorsson Questra—wonderful youth who we’ve seen flourish from young children to young adults—will be bridging.  To listen to this service click here.

At the Center: The Search For Beauty, Truth and Right: Our Annual Flower Communion Service

Listen to this beautiful service where each member brings a flower and each one takes one home, plus a sermon on beauty, truth and right by Rev Eva Cameron.  To listen click here.

At the Center – The Unknown

We continue our exploration of what we find and hold as our Spiritual Center by looking at the sacred art of not knowing. For some, holding an age-old practice of questioning life and reality of all we cannot know is very centering; or as we sing, “to question is an answer!” To listen to this service click here.

The Center – Part 3 Sacredness of Place April 15, 2012

The Center, Part 3: Sacredness of Place
~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Deblyn Russell (WA)
Are there some places that just call to you over and over again—
inviting your return? Places that, when you are there, make you
feel absolutely at home. All over the world, religious people have
sacred places that are holy and special to them. This week we
exploredthe sacredness of place, and what it can mean to you.  to listen to this service click here.

The Center – Part 2 New Visions and Versions of God – April 8, 2012

The Center, Part 2: New Visions and Versions of God
~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Karen Impola (WA)
The image of the risen Christ initially served as an invitation for
people to vision God in a new way. Often UUs get stuck finding
their center, because they have outgrown the images of God they
grew up with, but haven’t yet found a new center. To listen to this service click here.

The Center – Part 1: Walking into Jerusalem April 1, 2012

Palm Sunday and Communion
~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Stephen Orsborn (WA)
Sometimes we flee from success as much as we shrink from
failure. Expansion, triumph and connection may terrify us as surely
as aloneness and loss. As we step from the safety of our own
personal nests, of course we are afraid of falling, but sometimes
we are afraid of flying, too. Our first Sunday on The Center,
focuses our attention on living our lives to the fullest, as Jesus
shows us on Palm Sunday. To listen to this service click here.

Charter For Compassion – Part 4

Charter for Compassion, Part 4 March 25, 2012
~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron
In our final service in the series, we covered the last three steps in
the Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life: “Knowledge”, “Recognition”,
and “Love Your Enemies”.  To listen to this service click here

Why Fear Success? – Bill Chene

March 18th Why Fear Success? ~~ Bill Chene , Karen Impola (WA)
A brief talk on success versus failure in achieving the goals we set for ourselves in life by member Bill Chene.  To listen to this service click here.

Charter for Compassion – Part 3

After having a break, Rev. Eva Cameron continue our sermon series on the Twelve Steps to Compassion. This week we explored the steps of: “How Little We Know”, “How Should We Speak to One Another?”, and “Concern for Everybody”.  To listen to this service click here.

Stewardship Sunday

Our Stewardship Campaign comes right in the heart of our series on Compassion.  Rev. Eva and Shanlee McNally share the pulpet to talk about Stewardship.  To listen to this service click here.

Youth Sunday

This is the third year that our YoUUth Group has enjoyed the
guidance of Kevin and Angie Stafsholt. They are becoming a
loving and trusting community while discussing the philosophical
issues in Dr. Clark Porter’s book Make Up Your Mind. The
service is on Courage.  To listen to the service totally brought to you by the 

UU Youth click here.

Things Fall Apart

February  19th Things Fall Apart 
~~ The Rev. Audette Fulbright Fulson, Bill Chene (WA)
Every faith tradition must offer some response to the disruptions we experience in our lives.  This morning as Rev. Audette explores the possibilities and pitfalls in our human and spiritual responses to change, suffering, and the unexpected.
Hailing originally from South Carolina by way of Berkeley, CA; Asheville, NC; and Roanoke, VA; the Rev. Audette Fulbright Fulson is in her twelfth year of Unitarian Universalist ministry.  Over the years, she has had the good fortune to be a guest preacher at a number of UU (and other) congregations, and finds it to be a special joy.  Alongside being a wife, mother, dancer, reader, fiction-writer, and sometime geek, Rev. Audette also currently spends time working with the Southeast District Anti-Racism Dream Team and with OccupyRoanokeVA.  To listen to this service click here.

Festival Sunday: Love

~~ The Festival Team, Steve Orsborn (WA) 
In this fun and festive celebration, we  explore some of the different kinds of love.  To listen to this service click here

Charter for Compassion: A Wish for a Better World

February  5th Charter for Compassion, Part 2
~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Deblyn Russell
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, Karen Armstrong’s new book, provides practical advice on compassionate living.    This week we will focus on the second three steps of empathy, mindfulness, and action. The Committee on Ministry also presents a Thank UU award to Sally Browne.  To listen to this service click here.

Festival Sunday: Martin Luther King, Jr

Sharing stories, drama and song, we explore the idea of injustice and how it shapes our lives, and the idea that “only those who know the true meaning of down can truly look up”. To listen to this service click here

Anniversary Sunday with Communion

After meeting for a period of time, on January 5, 1875 some brave souls signed papers officially creating the Universalist Church in Waterloo from which we descended. So we set aside one Sunday a year to celebrate and honor this date. Creating a church, choosing to start something new, takes bravery, time, and financial commitment: what audacity our forefathers and mothers showed! We only do this if we have the passion to make a difference. What would make busy people who still had to chop wood and haul water think to start up a church when there were already churches in the area? Would you bother to start up a new church? Annual Communion using the old Universalist silver is offered. To listen to this service click here.

Christmas Eve Service

This special Christmas Eve Service of traditional Carols and Christmas stories can be listened to by clicking here. 

Life and Death

Our Power of Creation theme continues as we explore the
message Winter Solstice brings to us at this time and throughout the new year. To listen to this service click here.

Direct Connection to Love

Direct Connection to Love ~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Deblyn Russell (WA)
We had  special Christmas music from the Choir, as we explored some of the meanings found in this Christmas season.  To listen to this service click here.

Own Our Power

Owning Our Power ~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Judy Harrington (WA)
There was  a short ceremony to install our new DCRE, Angie Stafsholt. We continued with the theme on the Power of Creation, as we learn ways that our own power as a creative force in the universe is seen and felt.  To listen to this service click here.

Changing the Message to Match the Market – Albert Browne

The retelling of the story of Christ for a medieval Germanic audience.  Taking this as a starting point, Al Browne examines how radically religious messages may be changed to match the market.  To listen to this service click here.

Festival Sunday: Thanksgiving Hunger Communion

To listen to this service by the Festival Team Click here.

Creating Pain

There is something about the nature of being human that attract us to our sufferings and sorrows.  We are moved by finding others who have experienced life’s sorrows that are similar to ours.  We often secretly thrill in telling others just how dificult our childhood ws, or how our workplace wrongs us.  One of the posers of being human is the power of creation.  Do we always use it for our own good?  To listen to this sermon click here.