April 27, 2014 Earth Day Festival Sunday: Gardening with Gaya

Earth Day Festival Earth Day Festival Festival: Gardening With Gaia 
~~ Festival Sunday Team, Lynda Sutherland (WA)
Join us for this Festival celebrating our Mother Earth. To Listen to this service click here.

April 20, 2014 Easter Sunday – Community Gardening – Rev. Eva Cameron

Community Gardening: Sprouting
~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Del Carpenter (WA)
On this Sunday where we celebrate resurrections of all kinds
and sorts, Rev. Eva will speak on the ‘art of pluckiness’. To listen to this service click here.

April 13, 2014 Palm Sunday Jesus Christ : Superstar? Lynda Sutherland

Some people seem to capture the public imagination. When leaders become Superstars, what does that mean for the cause(s) they promote?  To Listen to this service click here.

 

 

 

 

April 6th, 2014 Community Gardening: Timing (Take 2!)

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (WA) 
Apparently I didn’t get the “timing” right on this one the first time around! A January blizzard kept us all at home. Part of planning a successful garden is figuring out what to plant when, when to start your seedlings, when to harvest. . .you need to understand the timing or rhythm of things. In this message we explored how we can use timing to our advantage to grow ourselves and our community. To listen to this service click here.

March 30, 2014 -Planting the Seeds of Modern Religion: The Long Shadow of Zarathustra -Al Browne

Planting the Seeds of Modern Religion: The Long Shadow
of Zarathustra ~~ Al Browne, Del Carpenter (WA)
Do you teach Zoroastrianism to your children? If you practice
any Abrahamic religion, you may be surprised to find that the
answer is “yes”. This presentation describes how some of the
core beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are based on
ancient teachings of Zarathustra and how these ancient teachings
made their way into religions practiced today.

To listen to this sermon click here.

March 23rd, 2014 T&T Auction sermon – Community Gardening: Gathering

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Maureen Murphy (WA)
Each year at the annual Treats and Talents Auction, attendees have the chance to bid on a sermon to be based on a book of one’s choice. This year’s winner was Jan Gallagher, who chose the book Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver by Diane Ott Whealy, about the history of the Seed Savers organization in Decorah. We  explore lessons on community building through gathering.  To listen to this service click here.

March 2, 2014 – Community Gardening: Sprouting Seeds

~~ Lynda Sutherland, Karen Impola (WA) 
Have you ever reached out to help someone, and received so much more in return than you ever gave? We’ll take a look at the book Tuesdays With Morrie, a poignant example of the power of relationship to bless and heal hearts. We explore ways in which the seeds of compassion and caring can sprout in unexpected ways, opening new possibilities for us as individuals and as a UU community.  To listen to this service click here.

March 9th, 2014 – Community Gardening: Ground Conditions

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Lynda Sutherland (WA) 
Last month we explored our climate conditions; exploring what it’s like here in the Cedar Valley. This service is about authenticity, and accepting who we are, what we have to offer our world. Growing a strong community means starting from the ground up! To listen to this service click here.

Community Gardening: Buying Our Community Gardening: Buying Our Buying Our Seed – 2/23/2014

 Stewardship Sunday ~ Stewardship Sunday

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron
Once you’ve settled on what you are doing with your garden, the
next step is commitment: you buy the seed. For our Iowa
farmers, this can be many thousands of dollars, but also a
commitment to what kind and variety of seed to choose. For the
home gardener, the dollar value is less, but the heart commitment
is the same: you have to be really sold on something to choose to
enter into a growing season relationship with it. This Sunday we
celebrated the commitments we have made, and continue to make
to keep this UU Community growing. to Listen to this service click here

Community Gardening: Climate Conditions February 9, 2014 Eva Cameron

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Karen Impola (WA) 
One of the challenges of gardening is coming to terms with the idea that no matter how lovely the certain flower or fruit looks in the catalogue, if it is zoned for the deep south and you live in Iowa, it’s just not going to grow. Or if you have nothing but shade, you cannot grow plants that need sun. Sometimes it’s so hard to accept who we are, what we have to work with. . .for gardens or for communities. Today as we looked at who we, CVUU, are and what we might actually be able to grow! To listen to this service click here.

Community Gardening – Martin Luther King Jr. Part II – January 19, 2014

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (WA)
This Sunday we continue to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.’s legacy of living a life of purpose, as we explore how
he used this tool to build a community of justice seekers. To Listen to this service click here.

Martin Luther King, Jr.- Part 1: A Profile in Courage ~~ Bill Chene, Del Carpenter (WA)

Worship Associates Bill Chen and Del Carpenter bring us today’s message about how Dr. King and others in passive resistance movements displayed both courage and restraint in leading America’s civil rights movement. This will be the first of a two part series with Rev. Eva completing the message on the 19th.| To listen to this service click here.

Community Gardening – Jan 5, 2014

Community Gardening:
Remembering What Grandpa Taught Us ~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, John Miller (WA)
Join us for our Anniversary Sunday communion, and a message about how we grow community as we remember those who have gone before us. To listen to this service click here.

The Transient and Permanent in UU Chapel Service – December 29, 2013

Worship Associate Del Carpenter and Lay Minister John Miller presented this service regarding what is transient and permanent in UU beliefs.  To listen to this service click here.

Community Gardening: Anticipation – Rev. Eva Cameron December 8, 2013

 

Once you’ve tucked your garden in bed, the winter darkens and you have to wait for the light. The advent season invites us to slow down and enjoy the anticipation. How can we use anticipation to help nurture and grow community?  To listen to this service click here. 

Community Gardening: Spirituality of Eating – Eva Cameron and Steve Orsborn November 24,2013

Community Gardening: Spirituality of Eating Community Gardening: Spirituality of Eating
~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Festival Sunday Team, John Miller (WA)
Join us for our special Thanksgiving service. We will celebrate
with the children for the beginning of the service. Then as they
finish up in their classes, we’ll have a message about how
eating can be a spiritual experience.   To listen to this service click here.

Community Gardening: Ripening – Rev Eva Cameron November 17, 2013

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Deblyn Russell (WA)
A healthy community survives over the years if it figures out how to take the inexperienced and grow them into seasoned leaders.  As we live in our various communities, part of our personal challenge is to develop an increasing capacity to help lead our communities. How do we know when we are ripening?  To Listen to this service click here.

An Alternate Look at the Book of Job — Lynn Brant November 10, 2013

An Alternate Look at the Book of Job 
Lynn Brant, Del Carpenter (WA)
The Book of Job raises the question, “If God is good and all-powerful, why is there evil in this world?”   Lynn believes the question arises out of an ancient cosmology and an elevated view of ourselves.    This talk  presents his thoughts on the topic.  To listen to this service click here.

Community Gardening: Saving the Seeds November 3, 2013

Community Gardening: Saving the Seeds ~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, John Miller (WA)  An exploration on immortality and our compelling desire to leave our mark on the world.  To listen to this service click here.

October 27, 2013, Community Gardening: Day of the Dead

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Festival Sunday Team, Karen Impola (WA)
Our annual service of remembrance. We honor those who are gone from our lives within the congregation and in our personal lives.  To listen to the service click here.

October 20, 2013, Community Gardening: Preservation

Rev. Eva Cameron, Maureen Murphy (WA)
As the seasons shift, sometimes we feel a bit of dread as the cold and darkness creep closer and closer. Even if we are a “winter-lover” sometimes we have times in our life where we feel dark times coming over us. How do we create lasting goodness and energy to carry us through winter and what does that have to do with religious community? To listen to this service click here.

October 13, 2013, Community Gardening & Gratitude: The Mystery of Grace

~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (WA)
How can we UUs understand the idea of Grace, which is a bit mysterious to even the most religious? We explored this idea a bit, and how its presence helps us grow community. This was also Clergy Appreciation Day. To listen to the opening words,the Clergy appreciation and meditation click here.  To listen to the sermon click here.

October 6, 2013, Community Gardening: At the Farmer’s Market

~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Del Carpenter (WA)
From the beginning of time, we have gone out into market places and met different people, bumped up against new languages, new goods and products, new ways. Some of this acts to reinforce our sense of “self” and some of it encourages a strong sense of “other”. This message explores the religious invitation of meeting and learning from those who are different from us, as we re-think the story of the Good Samaritan.  To listen to this sermon click here.

September 29, 2013, Community Gardening:Bringing in the Sheaves

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (WA)
There is a real discipline in asking for help, but the crop won’t
come in all on our own. Sometimes asking for help seems so
hard, and many of us have experienced that when we were in
need; but we have also experienced other’s joy when they have
been able to help us. Are there ways to ask for help? Why does
it seem so hard?  To Listen to this service click here.

 

September 22nd Community Gardening: Cultivating Community

~~ Lynda Sutherland, Maureen Murphy (WA)
Come meet our new intern for the next two years! She will tell us a bit about why she has decided to enter the ministry and her experiences in growing a community.

To listen to this service click here.

September 15th Community Gardening: Separating the Wheat

~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, John Miller (WA)
The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur is the 13th this year, after a month of fasting and reflecting on their year. The Jews seek forgiveness, and wholeness with others, as they finish off their year. As we consider growing an amazing community, let’s consider what the fullness of our garden can look like. Some people use the “separating” parable of the Christian Bible to talk about excluded people. There is wisdom in excluding some people. . .but there is also wisdom in thinking carefully about this, and not just do things out of custom. To listen to this service click here.

September 8th Community Gardening–Harvest Time: The Love You Take is Equal to the Love You Make

~~ Al Hays, Rev. Eva Cameron, Karen Impola (WA)
We kick off our spiritual theme with a look at all it takes to grow a rich and vibrant community. We started Sunday School with an installation of teachers, just before they (and the kids) head upstairs for the first day on the new schedule with classes held during the Service.To listen to this service click here.

September 1, 2013 – Labor Day Chapel – Russ Campbell

Member Russ Campbell shared with us his take on Work on this Labor Day.  He recalled that in 2002 President Bush called on Americans to commit at least 2 years or 4000 hours over the rest of their lifetime to the service of their neighbors, which is the equivalent of 2 years of 40 hour work weeks.  To listen to Russ’s talk click here.

If you would prefer to read the sermon you can read it here:

What do you call work?
(chapter 2, Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, in the context of whitewashing the fence)

4000 hours

In his January 29, 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on Americans to commit at least two years or 4,000 hours over the rest of their lifetimes to the service of their neighbors and their nation. 4000 hours is two years of 40 hour weeks, and is motivated as two years in the Army, or the Peace Corps, or Americorps, or the ilk.

I did not spend two years in the Army, or the Peace Corps, or Americorp, or the ilk, so I will talk about my father who spent more than two years in the Army during World War II. I do not know everything he did in the army, but I will relate three of his war stories.

When he was in Hawaii awaiting being shipped to action, his orders were lost. This did not bother him, since he was still getting room and board from the army. Unfortunately one of his men inquired as to why he had not gotten paid, and they figured out that my father’s unit should have already shipped out. The misplaced orders spared my father some nasty action, but he saw plenty of nasty action later. The point is that my father was not excited about being in the army, and was perfectly happy to avoid action.

Before my father saw action, they took him out on a boat to observe an operation. My father told them he really would not learn much from staying on the boat, so they let him take part in the action. Suffice it to say that the commander of the operation was replaced in the middle

of the operation, which was not a common practice, because the operation was such a disaster. Yes my father learned that you never volunteer for anything in the army, but the point of this story is, that if he was going to do something, he wanted the experience to do it right.

Yes my father survived the war, but he did get a purple heart. While he was waiting to be evacuated because of his wound, his commander came in with a more serious wound and they ripped the evacuation tag off my father because they needed someone to lead the troops. My father once remarked that there were times in the army when he was living off morphine. The point of this story (although it was not my father’s choice in this instance) is that he did what had to be done.

This is not a Veteran’s Day talk, and I am not a veteran, and I would be happy if we did not have wars that produce veteran’s. I am a mathematician, and with my great mathematical skills I shall observe that 4000 is not just 2 years of 40 hours a week, but also 40 years of 2 hours a week. My father also put in 4000 hours of service while he was working. In the boy scouts he did not attend the weekly meetings, but was the “outdoor committee man” who stayed overnight on the weekend campouts. Each weekend involved 25 hours not counting the time sleeping, hence 4 weekends a year entailed the 100 hours of 2 hours a week. He was not active in boy scouts for 40 years (perhaps 10), but he also taught Sunday school, served on the church board, was an officer of our property owners association, and served on the town personnel board,
among other civic activities.

Let me clarify that I am talking about activities that provided benefit to many people other than his children. If you drive (perhaps in a carpool) your children to soccer practice, that is good, but it is not filling the need that coaching the soccer team does. If you eat at a pancake breakfast, you are supporting the cause which is selling the tickets, but you are doing much more when you help cook the pancakes.

Returning to the the myriad insights that mathematics provides, 4000 is also equal to 4 hours a week for 20 years. My father did not live 20 years after he retired, but that is not the point. The point is that he still served the community. He still served on occasion as an officer

of the property owner’s association. In his bridge group, he took responsibility for making sure people were available to play, and the venue was available. He ran the sailing races which my brothers, but also others, participated in. He was always available to give a hand when needed.

Another interpretation of 4 hours a week for 20 years is the first 20 years of our lives before we begin our career. I do not know what my father did during his first 20 years, but I know that he saw to it that we did our share during our first 20 years. Whether a neighborhood or church cleanup, we were there, and we noticed that many of our friends were not. We even went out of town. For those of you who are not East Coast Universalists, the Clara Barton and Joslin camps are summer camps for diabetic girls and boys, respectively, which were affiliated in some
manner with the Universalist Church. We went to the Joslin camp annual cleanup, which also provided an opportunity to explain to us a little bit about what living with diabetes was like.

I would like to finish the personal part of this talk with a story about a neighbor and my brother. The neighbor lived on our street, but half a mile away. I did go to school with her daughter, but did not really know the neighbor. Late in life I got so I recognized her, but would see her perhaps once a year in passing. One summer when I was home and standing in my front yard, she was driving by and stopped and told me to get in and help her return some chairs.

My brother did spend two years in the army (actually 18 months), and later spent several years working as an ex patriate. He then decided to take a couple of years off to do some reading, and that two years stretched into about 20 until there was no point in his reentering the workforce. My mother changed his sheets and did his laundry until she could no longer climb the stairs. He would sometimes complain about his back.

The above neighbor mentioned to her neighbor (the latter neighbor knew my brother much better than the former) that she had asked my brother to help her move a bureau, and the latter neighbor responded ‘did he do it?’ The former answered ‘of course’. The point of this is twofold: first, if you need help ask, and help will be provided; second, although you may not want to do it, you should do what needs to be done.

I hope you are convinced that 4000 hours of service to your neighbors and nation is reasonable. Many of you, like my father, have done over 4000 hours in your youth, in a two year period, during your career, and in your retirement; providing a grand total that overwhelms others like me, who may only cumulate 4000 hours over all the periods of their life combined. I got a head start during my youth, and have served on the church and arts support boards. I usher at the Gallagher Bluedorn. Yes I get to see shows for free, but some of them are dreadful in my opinion, and all I get to enjoy is the smiles of patrons (which indeed provides a reward for my service). I am sure service in my retirement will put me over 4000 hours if I have not attained that before I retire.

Sermons are not things people remember, musicals are, so I would like to give you lyrics from two musicals and a light opera to help you remember this talk.

From Mary Poppins: In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!
If you remember this you will remember that helping out your fellow man does not need to be dreadful, it is often a pleasure.

From the Gondoliers:
And the culminating pleasure
That we treasure beyond measure
Is the gratifying feeling that our duty has been done!
I chose this because my father enjoyed Gilbert and Sullivan, but also because helping someone often gives greater pleasure after the fact than while you are doing it.

From my Fair Lady:
The Lord above made man to help is neighbor,
No matter where, on land, or sea, or foam.
The Lord above made man to help his neighbor-but
With a little bit of luck, With a little bit of luck,
When he comes around you won’t be home!

I do not consider this the philosophy of a lazy freeloader. My father was happy when his orders were lost, but he did not shirk his duty. As long as you help when you are home, you do not need to wait at home for someone to come around.

I must include a final quote because there should be a Biblical quote in a sermon, and working in Wright Hall on the UNI campus I should include the quote which is above one of the doors to that building.

From Nehemiah 4:6, “For the people had a mind to work”. Biblical interpretation is difficult, so I invite you to read Nehemiah, but as I interpret the passage, repairing the wall of Jerusalem was a futile activity. But because the people had a mind to work, they succeeded in repairing the wall. Dedicated work can overcome great obstacles. It is the same sentiment expressed in the song ‘High Hopes’ where an ant moves a rubber tree plant and a ram punches a hole in a dam.

The Glow Within
Berton Braley

Oh, you gotta get a glory in the work you do,
A Hallelujah chorus in the heart of you.
Paint or tell a story, sing or shovel coal
But you gotta get a glory or the job lacks soul.

The great, whose shining tabors make our pulses throb.
Were men who got a glory in their daily job.
The battle might be gory, and the odds unfair
But the men who got a glory never knew despair.

To those who get a glory it is like the sun,
And you can see it glowing through the work they’ve done,
For fame is transitory, riches fade away.
But when you get a glory it is there to stay.

— Russ Campbell, 9/1/2013

Water Communion August 25, 2013

Water Communion ~~ Rev. Eva Cameron, Festival Sunday Team
In us for this annual ritual of community building, we are
invited to bring water from a place that is meaningful to us.
Together we join our sacred waters, as we think about the many
places that water is special to us—from our backyard rain barrels,
to the glaciers of Alaska, from our clean and potable water in the
kitchen sink, to the waves of the ocean—we all connect with
water in different ways.

To listen to this service click here

May 5, 2013 – 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 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.

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. 

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, 2013

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.

The Power of Creation

The first in the series on the creative/creation/creator concept, listen as we explore the creative act as one of the facets of what it means to be human. What do you creat? What have you created? How do you relate to the power you have to create? To listen to the sermon click here.

Festival Sunday – Day of the Dead 10/30/2011

This is our annual remembrance of those who have gone before us. While people around the world in various cultures and religious traditions celebrate the lives of those who came before them, and remember them…we too gather together. To listen to this service click here.

Reconnection, Part 5: Service

To listen to this service click here.  If you could change one thing to make the world a better place, what would it be? What can you do to make a difference? What do you do to make a difference? Reaching out to others in acts of service helps us to knit together the fragile fabric of humanity – bringing us all a bit closer together.

Reconnection, Part 4: Stopping to Pray

To listen as the Rev Eva Cameron helps us explore some ideas about prayer and other ideas for reconnection click here.  Consider that Muslims stop what they are doing five times a day to pray, and reconnect themselves with their values. Some people have given up prayer but there are many ways to pray, and even humanist forms of prayer.

Reconnection, Part 3: Acts of Love

Reconnection, Part 3: Acts of Love (Yom Kippur)
~~ The Rev. Eva Cameron, Bill Chene (WA)
One of the most important ways to reconnect with each other is to love. The Jewish faith teaches us that each year, in order to go forward in love, we must pause and forgive ourselves and each other. To listen to this moving service of reconnection click here.

Festival Sunday – Fall Equinox September 18, 2011

The Festival Team helps us re-connect with the lessons that Mother Nature offers us in the falls season. To listen to some of the highlights of this service click here

On Being a Rock: Reconnection to our Creative, Compassionate Center

The Rev. Eva Cameron reflects, 10 years after the 9/11 attacks on what those experiences offer us to shape our lives. To listen to this podcast click here. We honor the powerful emotions of that moment, and that we utilize our moments together as a religious community to reconnect to that sense of creative, compassionate center that grounded us and held us firmly. Join us as we begin exploring our annual spiritual theme Sundays.

Labor Day Chapel – September 4 2011

We enjoy a service of song and a inspiration before our annual Church clean-up followed by an All Church Pot-Luck. To listen to this service click here.

Festival Sunday – Water Communion August 28, 2011

The Festival Team and the Rev. Eva Cameron again brought us the Water Communion ceremony where we each brought some water from our summer travels or experience to join in a communical bowl. To listen to this service click  here. We bring all this water to share, representing the oneness at the center of who we are even as our life journeys are different.

Beauty in the Breakdown

Starting from a blog posting by Elise Hanson this winter, Join Elise and Rev. Eva in this conversational sermon about finding beauty in the most unlike of spots. Happy Easter! To listen to this service click here.

Palm Sunday: Communion

Rev Eva Cameron returns from her sabatical and helps us celebrate the story of Jesus’ trumphal arrival into Jerusalem. Is there a message for us today in this ancient story? Rev Eva and Staci Chananie-Hill (Worship Associate) co-preach. To listen to this service click here.

Living Laughing Loving and Learning

Staci Chananie-Hill one of our Worship Associates brings us the sermon today. She says about today’s sermon, “April is a good month for taking time to sit still. It is the first month where we really welcome back life after the long days of winter. By paying very close attention and resting in stillness while we garden, sit outside, or go for a walk, we can really see how quickly things around us change. How does sitting still engender joyful living and learning? How does learning to become in touch with our outer physical world through mindful awareness create a space for us to master the art of sitting still? Let’s have a conversation about how sitting still can really help us live to the fullest the four “Ls” in our life: Living, Laughing, Loving, and Learning

To listen to the Opening Words, Chalice Lighting and Meditation Click here.
To listen to the Sermon Click Here.

Lessons From The Road – Sue Hill

All the major world religions have pilgrimage as part of their ritual practice.  We, too, have been on a journey this year.  Listen to  find out what other religions can teach us about pilgrimage and how we can make our real and imagined journeys sacred.  Click here to listen to this service by lay-minister Sue Hill.

Festival Sunday – Spring Celebration

Spring is a time for new beginnings.  The promise of life becoming more exuberant.  To listen to the Spring Festival Service click here.

A Conversation On Happiness and Kindness

Bill Chene guides us thru an exploration of the relationship between happiness and kindness and how it can change our lives. To listen to the service click here.

Stewardship Sunday

Stopping to Smell the Roses: Living and Giving in Abundance

Staci Chananie-Hill leads us in this celebration of giving.  The Committee on Ministry also recognizes Shanlee McNally for her contributions.  To Listen to this service click here.

Youth Sunday

One Sunday a year we ask our youth to share with us their thoughts and passions.  each year we are amazed and thankful that these passionate, caring and energetic people will be carrying us into the future.  Click here to hear Linnea, Amanda, Jack, Hanna and ZuZu and the Youth Service.

The Fool’s Journey

The first mention of playing card in western history is in the fourteenth century, and shortly thereafter we find evidence of decks with extra trump cards being used for divinatory and magical purposes.  These decks became known as Tarot.  One of the most intriguing cards in Tarot decks is the Fool card.  It is a card about a journey, about find our passions, about taking risks.  Can you risk being a Fool?  Listen to this service by Lay Minister Sue Hill and see what it might mean for each of us to embrace our inner Fool.  To listen click here.

Shamanism Past and Present

Neil Martinsen-Burrell and Lara Martinsen-Burell ( Worship Associate). Shamansim refers to a broad class of religious practices regarding communication with the spirit world. A practitioner of these techniques is called a “shaman”. Shamanism exists in a stunning variety of forms in cultures all over the globe. Listen to this service to learn more about the connections between ancient traditions and their modern syntheses. To Listen click here.

Facing the Other – The Mirror

~~ Staci Chananie-Hill, John Miller (WA)
As we come into the New Year there is a sense of newness and rebirth.  We plan what we want from our year, some of us make goals—not always realistically.  What is it about this time of year that makes us look at ourselves and perhaps find something lacking, or to set standards and expectations that we may or may not live up to?  Who is that Other we have to face?  Why is it important to not only meet it, but understand the purpose of the existence of the Other—the shadow and light—the mirror and reflection?  Click here to listen to Staci as we continue our conversation about our journey and evaluate our “Other” neutrally and without value judgment.

The Infancy Narratives

The Infancy Narratives: Infancy Narratives: Infancy Narratives: an Objective Comparison an Objective Comparison
~~ Nathan Callahan, Staci Chananie-Hill (WA)
Nathan & Staci review the two infancy narratives of the New Testament,
and explore the historical purpose of each; why they tell
completely different stories, and are not the same; and why each
was written in a manner that addressed a different target audience
than the other. Bethlehem will never seem the same! To listen to this service click here