Hope Unitarian Church's Podcast

Rev. Justin M. McCrearySunday, October 6th, 2024Prayer and spirituality often go hand in hand. Prayer is an opportunity for deep listening and introspection. It connects us to something larger than ourselves and gives us the opportunity to reflect on days past, assessing the good and forgiving the bad. But if you are like me, your association with prayer has not always been so positive. Like many who have experienced religious trauma, when I became a UU, I had to relearn how to pray. This is that story.

We're All in This Together September 29th, 2024 Pastor Jamaal Dyer

Rev. Gary McAlpinSeptember 22nd, 2024

Rev Justin M. McCreary September 15th, 2024 Unitarian Universalism is part of a heritage called, “The Free Church.” James Luther Adams once said, of the free church that, “It protests against routine conformity or thoughtless nonconformity that lead to deformity of mind and heart and community.” This Sunday I’d like to take a look at that Quote and consider the ramifications of being free.

Sunday, September 1st, 2024 Rev. Justin M. McCrearyWhen I was a kid, I loved the feeling of getting an invitation in the mail. It was usually someone’s birthday, and I looked forward to every opportunity for birthday cake. Receiving an invitation can be a warm feeling, a feeling that will stay with someone for a long time. The act of inviting someone into our lives is important, especially to organizations like churches. With new people come new opportunities, new hopes, and new friends. So, during this season of ingathering, let’s put our best foot forward as we practice hospitality.

Rev Steven Leigh WilliamsSunday, August 25th, 2024

Rev Justin M McCreary - August 18th, 2024

Sunday, August 4th, 2024 Rev. Ren Pasco What makes us human? What makes us different from AI? One thing is our errors and the beauty of those mistakes.

Sunday, August 11th, 2024 Rev. Justin M. McCreary The last time I preached I highlighted the UU value transformation; this week I will be highlighting the UU Value Pluralism. As a liberal church in Oklahoma Pluralism is a very important value, and it isn’t just about accepting different people of different spiritual identities in our circles. Pluralism is also rooted in our American System in our Bill of Rights, but even more importantly Pluralism is necessary for a free functioning democracy. I hope you can make it this Sunday when I share on Pluralism.

Sunday, July 14th, 2024 Rev. Justin M McCrearyDuring the summer I decided I would preach a series on the UU valuesrepresented in the UUA’s article II. Last week we explored the value of Generosity, and this week we will be exploring the Values of Justice and Equity.

Rev. Justin M. McCreary Sunday, July 7th, 2024Often, the first thing that comes to mind regarding generosity is giving money and time. Generosity though, is something much bigger; it is a lifestyle. It involves a way that we live into our mutuality. Generosity is the balance between giving and receiving and the inherent understanding that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Generosity reminds us that we are not alone in this world and that all our accomplishments are built on the work of others. To truly understand be generous, one must first be vulnerable and understand their own needs. Generosity is about how we live together.

Sunday, June 9th, 2024 Rev. Justin M. McCreary

Sunday, May 26th, 2024Rev. Gary McAlpin

We are the stories we tell. Not just the stories we tell of ourselves but also thestories we tell about one another. This narrative is made up of perspectives that we form from the experience of both joy and our sorrow. It is easy to forget that the world we see, though real, is perceived only through our senses, the eyes, the ears, the hands. That there are colors and sounds that we will never know, and narratives, no matter how much we wish it, can never be truly known. But if the stories we tell make up who we are the inverse is all true, we are also defined by the stories we choose to shelve. Empathy then, makes up the space between.

 It is our tradition to celebrate Mother’s Day at Hope Unitarian Church with a flower communion. Flower communion itself though held at different times of the year in different churches dates to Prague in 1923 and was created by Norbert Čapek and was brought to the United States by his wife Mája Čapek following World War II. This tradition gives us an opportunity to focus on the beauty of the world around us, and the beauty that we find with each other. Please bring a flower to share during this communion. 

 Pluralism is seldom understood by those who do not value it, yet these are the people who generally define it. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal, pluralistic religion. It is important for us to define and understand this value for ourselves. Come and learn about it this Sunday. 

 Tulsa CARES helps to transform the lives of clients and serve as the leading voice of HIV and Hep C in the community. 

By Steven Leigh Williams Sunday April 28th, 2004 Wyrd, in Norse pagan and related traditions, is essentially the woven fabric of reality, and each being/power in Existence has a thread in it. This service, we're going to get a little wyrd and explore how everything, everywhere, is connected and concurrent, from mycelial networks to star nurseries to you and me and our neighbors across the world. Please join me, and bring your weirdest self! 

 In Ancient Egyptian Mythology the heart of the dead is weighed against Ma’at, the goddess of harmony, justice, and morality. Ma’at is represented by a feather and the heart must be lighter than Ma’at’s feather if the spirit wants to pass into the afterlife. Though we may no longer fear this judgement, we still come to one another with heavy hearts, loaded down with the baggage of resentments. When left unchecked, these heavy hearts weigh us down in the life that we lead together. In a divided world, how do we lighten our hearts? 

 The Learning Center at Euchee Butterfly Farm helps improve the lives of Native people, plants and pollinators through innovative community-based programs that emphasize capacity building, cultural preservation, and sustainability.