Past Sermons 
Date added
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"The Only Possible Answer at Any Given Moment" -- The Listening Aspect of Prayer
- Oct-15-2006
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Preached on 15 Oct., 2006
How do we access the “voice still and small, deep inside all”? Religious traditions that practice Listening prayer teach us that God, or the voice of Wisdom, speaks to us continually. We can hear that quiet voice as soon as we choose to quiet the noise in our minds.
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"With All Your Heart, Your Soul, Your Strength"
- Sep-11-2006
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Preached 4 June, 2006
It’s the Auction Sermon! Live Oak member Fred Gamble won his choice of sermon topic and posed this question to Rev. Erika: “Jesus, when asked what the most important commandment was, said: ‘To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength…’ Can this most important Christian commandment be appreciated by someone who is neither a theist or deist?”
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"We Will Walk on Our Own Feet, We Will Work with Our Own Hands, We Will Speak with Our Own Minds"
- Sep-30-2007
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Delivered on 30 September, 2007
These words, spoken by Ralph Waldo Emerson, reflect the watershed moment in 1837 when Transcendentalism became a major cultural movement in our country. Who was Emerson, and why did he make such an enormous impact on his world (and on ours)? In this first of a four-part series, Erika explores the Transcendentalist roots of Unitarian Universalism, weaving the lives of our religious ancestors into who we are today.
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"When You Pray, Move Your Feet" -- the Loving Aspect of Prayer
- Oct-30-2006
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Preached on 22 October, 2006
This sermon, the last in a series of four, explores Loving Prayer, in which we become fully engaged with the world around us.
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"L'amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle -- the Naming Aspect of Prayer"
- Oct-03-2006
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Preached on 1 Oct., 2006
The world’s religions have innumerable ways to address the Holy, or to name the ways that mystery unfolds in our lives and in the world. This ageless practice of Naming prayer suggests that prayer is relational. Who or what our relationship is with has everything to do with how we name.
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"We All Spill Soup" -- The Knowing Aspect of Prayer
- Oct-15-2006
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Preached on 8 October, 2006
We human beings all make mistakes. When we can name those mistakes and say “I’m sorry,” we’re also saying something about what we aspire to and what kind of relationships we want to have. Knowing prayer has to do with seeing ourselves – with all of our strengths and growing edges – honestly and lovingly.
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"You Gotta Know When to Fold 'Em"
- Jun-06-2007
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delivered on 3 June, 2007
We continually invest ourselves in projects, relationships, and new resolutions. When, if ever, is there merit in “giving up”? What if our good intentions and energy don’t get us anywhere? Let’s put a UU spin on the classic gamblers’ discernment: knowing when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, and when to walk away.
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"Healthy, Holy Sexuality"
- May-21-2007
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Delivered on 20 May, 2007
All persons are sexual, regardless of age and life circumstances, and sexuality is a good part of the human experience. Our society doesn't often reflect these values, though. This sermon explores how our Unitarian Universalist theology encourages healthy, holy sexuality.
Please note: this sermon refers to an interview produced by Youth Radio (and which aired on NPR's Morning Edition) that served as the "reading" for this sermon. You can listen to the interview by clicking here.. If your computer doesn't support audio files, you can read a transcript of the piece by clicking here instead.
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"Faith in a Seed"
- Oct-08-2007
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Delivered on 7 October, 2007
Perhaps it’s a stereotype that all Unitarian Universalists love nature…but you could also say that reverence for the natural world is in our religious DNA. The Transcendentalists viewed nature as “the face and essence of God.” In this, Part 2 of her series on Transcendentalism, Erika will tell a Tale of Two Trees, and will explore the writings of Henry David Thoreau (and others) to reveal their unique legacy: belief of the Divine presence in the natural world.
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"Callings"
- Feb-06-2007
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7 January, 2007:
This service on "callings" was created and led by Live Oak members Sally Klinkon and Sara Norquay.
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"The Rules of Life according to 'Car Talk'"
- Apr-04-2007
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Delivered on April Fools' Day 2007
The Living Tradition we share draws from many Sources, including…Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers?? Why not? Since our values are influenced in different ways – including NPR programs – this multi-media sermon will explore what these two “personalities” have to say about life, love, and ethics. Seriously.
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"Got Faith?"
- Sep-09-2007
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delivered on 26 August, 2007 by Live Oak's community minister, the Reverend Teena Grant
What does "faith" mean for Unitarian Universalists? Is it possible to have faith without dogma? In this sermon, Rev. Teena Grant draws from different faith traditions, as well as personal experience, to offer reflections about faith.
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"Lessons in Redemption from a Purple Plastic Bracelet"
- Apr-09-2007
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Delivered on 8 April (Easter Sunday) 2007
In the Christian tradition, Easter is the joyful culmination of the Lenten season – a long period of waiting, mindfulness, and preparation. In this sermon, Rev. Erika explains how she “used” a purple bracelet during Lent, and how redemption arises from our small, careful, imperfect human steps.
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Experiments with Utopia
- Oct-15-2007
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Delivered on 14 October, 2007
As Part 3 of this series, Erika explores the Transcendentalists’ zest for creating utopian societies, and the (mostly) dismal fate that met their efforts. Erika will explains, however, that amid the many beliefs driving their experiments, the Transcendentalists had progressive attitudes on slavery and women’s rights. What relevance does the Transcendentalists' vision have for us today?
Please note: because the fourth "sermon" in this Transcendentalism series was a visit from Mrs. Lydian Emerson, it will not be posted on this website.
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The Deportees
- Mar-24-2008
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delivered on 16 March, 2008
Our nation’s immigration policies affect the families in our community in real and devastating ways. How does our UU theology respond to our treatment of immigrants?
In this sermon, Erika explains why she believes that our immigration laws -- and especially their enforcement -- are in need of reform.
