January 7, 2001. "Be Careful What You Wish For."  Rev. Thomas Disrud. Sometimes it seems pretty clear what we want or need in our lives.  But of course sometimes things don't turn out quite the way we expect, and this may be precisely what it is we need.

January 14, 2001. "Finding Our Way through Fear."  Rev. Thomas Disrud. When we know we need to act on our belief, fear is often not far behind.  Fear can propel us to do things we were not able to do.  Our job is to trust in that fear.

January 21, 2001.  "Bible Questions."  Rev. Dr. Carl Scovel, Guest Minister.

January 28, 2001. "Aggressive Driving on the Road Less Traveled."  Rev. Thomas Disrud

February 4, 2001. "Bible Answers."  Rev. Dr. Carl Scovel, Guest Minister.

February 11, 2001. "Aging Well."  Rev. Thomas Disrud.  Growing into the later years of life is a time full of potential, but also challenge.  There's more than one way to do it, and lots to learn in the process.

February 18, 2001. "When Rage Consumes Us:  Addressing the Threat of Violence."  Intern Minister Jennifer Schnayer.  Violence erupts in our society and even in our families.  What can we do to break the pattern of violence in our lives and in our culture?

March 11, 2001. "The Coming of a Little Love."  Rev. Thomas Disrud.  Moments of grace cannot be anticipated and in fact come when we may least expect them.  "Let me go to the window," wrote Carl Sandburg, ". . . and wait and know the coming of a little love."

March 25, 2001. "The Question of Evil."  Rev. Thomas Disrud.  Evil is not an easy subject, particularly for religious liberals.  Where is it and what dowe do with it?  What does it mean in our lives?

April 8, 2001. "The Hard Work of Love."  Intern Minister Jennifer Schnayer. Love comes to life in relationships, and energizes our spirits.  How can such a gift also be such hard, and sometimes painful, work?  This Sunday we will explore what it means to bring love to life in our relationships and in our world.

April 15, 2001. "Necessary Resurrections."  Rev. Thomas Disrud.  The Easter story reminds us that, again and again, we are asked to find life even when we face loss and despair.  Where do we find hope even when life presents us with more than we feel we can handle?

April 29, 2001. "Show Up. Pay Attention. Tell the Truth. Let Go."  Rev. Thomas Disrud.  This mantra for life comes from a friend of mine and I think there's a lot of truth in it.  Some thoughts on how it is we show up for life and what we do next.

May 20, 2001. "The Religion of Our Soul." Rev. Thomas Disrud. Too often, we Unitarian Universalists hide our light under a bushel basket, and don't bring it into the world. But the world needs us and it needs our message.

May 27, 2001. "The Holy Creation of Memory." Jennifer Schnayer, Intern Minister.  Remembering one who has died or a relationship that has ended brings about a new creation:  the life of the memory.  Why is it important to remember?  How can our memories change us?

June 3, 2001. "Different Ways to Pray." Rev. Thomas Disrud. The mystery sometimes called God, or Other or divine presence has many faces. And each one of us brings our  perspective on how we look--or don't look--at this mystery.

June 17, 2001. "The Secret Life." Rev. Thomas Disrud. Each one of us has a public life we lead, intersecting with family members and neighbors and friends. But inside of our head is something much more personal, a conversation that only we participate in. It is important to cultivate this life and to find all the richness in it we can.

July 1, 2001. "The Power to Covenant." Jennifer Schnayer, Summer Minister. This morning we will explore the nature of our democratic faith. What does our faith ask of us, and as people of a free faith, how are our religious and civic responsibilities related?

July 15, 2001.  "UU Conversion Experiences." Jennifer Schnayer, Summer Minister.  How is our free faith energized and renewed over our lifetime? Is it possible to have a liberal religious conversion experience?  Be with us this morning as we explore what might help us sustain our religious convictions over the long haul.

July 29, 2001.  "Holy Family." Jennifer Schnayer, Summer Minister.  The act of creating a family is a sacred covenant born of love and trust.  Join us as we celebrate the many-faceted wonders of the family.

August 5, 2001. "I Hear a Joyful Noise." Jennifer Schnayer, Summer Minister.Moments of deep joy can transform our hearts and enliven our spirits. How can joy be our teacher, and how do we keep ourselves open to knowing joy in our daily lives?

August 12, 2001. "Who Do We Silence? Another Look at the Apostle Paul." Jennifer Schnayer, Summer Minister. The Apostle Paul was one of the great church builders of history, although some people (and many women) chafe against parts of his message. This morning we'll take another look at Paul to see what his message might have to teach liberal religious seekers.

August 26, 2001. "Fare Thee Well." Jennifer Schnayer, Summer Minister. Transitions in our lives need to be honored, and making time for endings prepares us for new beginnings. This morning I will share my reflections on the creative potential that transitions can bring to our lives, as I say goodbye at the end of our year together.

September 9, 2001. "Finding Home by Leaving Home." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. This is Homecoming Sunday and will be my first time back in the pulpit after my sabbatical! I'm looking forward to a great celebration and reunion. Also, we will see the splendid new decor in the sanctuary. In this sermon I'll speak about how we have to leave the comfortable and the ordinary to find our true identity, our true home.

September 16, 2001. "A Service of Remembrance and Hope." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.

September 23, 2001. "How, Then, Shall We Live?" Rev. Thomas Disrud.

September 30, 2001. "Leadership without Easy Answers." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. It is possible for wrongs to turn right, for people to be saved, for institutions such as ours to thrive. But all these require leadership. What does it take to be a leader? How do we develop leadership in ourselves?

October 7, 2001. "Becoming Myself: Steps Toward Ministry." Barbara Coeyman, Intern Minister. Our quest for life's meaning includes searching for activities and relationships compatible with our own individual natures, our authentic selves. Indeed, right relatonship with ourselves is spiritual. In my introductory sermon as intern minister, I explore ways we can grow closer to our authentic selves.

October 14, 2001. "The Soul of Sexuality." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. In Western culture, we have inherited from centuries back an unhealthy and destructive split between the spirit and the flesh. Nowhere is this split more apparent than in our ingrained sense of sexuality. In this sermon I will suggest the beauty and healing that can come when our sexuality is tied to our spirituality. This is the first in a duo of sermons on spirituality and relationship.

October 21, 2001. "Relationships as Path." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. There are many paths to spiritual wholeness, many kinds of spiritual practice. How can intimate relationship be a means to this health and wholeness we seek? This is the second of two sermons on spirituality and relationship.

October 28, 2001. "Capitalism: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. Americans have profited in many ways from our system of the free market--but where are the flaws and excesses of our system, and what can we do about them as a religious people?

November 11, 2001. "The Need for Saints." Rev. Thomas Disrud. I've always been drawn to the idea of saints--people we look to who were able to do things the rest of us cannot. But of course, we know they were people too. Some things we can learn from their lives.

November 18, 2001. "The Blessings of Grief." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell.

November 25, 2001. "Being Mindful: Strengthening Connections." Barbara Coeyman, Intern Minister. Our lives can become so busy, it's easy to forget about being mindful to the task, or people, at hand. On this Sunday of Child Dedication, we can be reminded of the importance of mindful connections with the people and activities that matter most to us.

December 2, 2001. "How About a Revolution? Castro's and Ours." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. Since the 1950's, Fidel Castro and the Cuban people have been carrying on a significant social and economic experiment. In what ways have they been successful and in what ways have they not? Were we to have a revolution (non-violent) in our country, what would it look like?

December 16, 2001. "Finding Hope." Rev. Thomas Disrud. It is no wonder that in these winter holidays, hope is such an important theme. This year it may be harder to find than at other times. And, it may be we are called to look harder than we have been before.

December 23, 2001. "For unto Us a Child Is Born." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell. Consider the context of the Christmas story: the middle of winter in a strange town, no room in the inn, a humble stable for a birthing place. Out of the midst of despair comes the child, a symbol of hope.  

December 30, 2001. "The Spirituality of Dance." Intern Minister Barbara Coeyman. Dancing is about much more than moving the feet. Dance is about right relationship between minds and bodies. Especially in social dance we move quickly through many relationships as we experience community and connections. Indeed, there is spirituality in dance, as our guest dancer will affirm.