Podcast: Chalice Sermons

Embracing Possibility ~ Ingathering

Today we celebrate our annual Ingathering. Join us for a zoom/online service at 10, followed by an in-person Ingathering ritual on Chalice’s grounds at 11:30. We will plant seeds for our future, burn our old mortgage, say farewell to Jason Hall and family, and collect quarters and laundry pods for fieldworkers. Please also bring a piece of wood, no larger than your hand for a congregational art work. Rev Nica will preside over our traditional water ceremony blessing and we will be returning the items you offered our Sanctuary last year, that made our space sacred in our absence.

The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love

Parenthood is equal parts amazing and hands down the hardest job of our lives. It embodies a myriad of possibilities–some more easier than others. Hear day-to-day reflections from two parents on how having kids has shaped their lives and how they handle the overwhelming possibilities that shape their children.

Soul Music

In 1969, there was a huge music festival that took place in the state of New York. Thousands of people attended. It wasn’t Woodstock. Come hear how the Harlem Cultural Festival touched the souls of the people present, and how music continues to move those who hear it.

Welcome Back …And Don’t Forget to Share Your Gifts

Step by step, we are making our way out of this time of constriction and anxiety. It has been hard in countless ways – and there are so many unknowns and unresolved issues all around. But this time has also yielded insights and gifts. Come hear reflections from a few Chalice members about what they have learned and find ways of bringing strength and joy into our shared future.

Riding the Waves of Change

Most humans are notoriously resistant to change. But as we prepare to reopen and move towards our ‘new normal’ we will encounter change both within and beyond our congregation. In this service, Reverend Nica’s last before her summer break, we explore ways to ride, rather than resist, the waves of change. How might we embrace change as we envision and co-create our new normal.

Honoring Juneteenth

We were going to advocate for Juneteenth to become a national holiday this Sunday. But since this became law on June 17th, we now get to celebrate Juneteenth and learn more about its history and significance. How might we, as Unitarian Universalists, live our values by deepening our commitment to racial justice and equity. Reverend Nica and Ayanna Gaines will share their thoughts. Join us also to honor our fathers this Father’s Day.

Emerging from Covid – Lessons for Our New Reality

As things start opening up and we return to life in a more normal way, we explore the importance of grieving what we’ve lost and assessing what we’ve learned. In this way we can make room for our new reality. In this service we get to reflect on our lessons of the last year and how we might build a new future informed by our learning.

What Happened to Soul 22? The Story of Our Soul Awakening

In the Pixar animation, Soul, middle school teacher and jazz pianist Joe Gardner has a sudden near death experience that sends him to the Great Before where he is assigned to mentor the little ball of potentiality known as Soul 22. Cynical and ornery, Soul 22 has for eons thus far resisted entering life on earth with all its bittersweet possibilities. Soul 22 is a kind of alter ego for Joe Garner as he weighs the meaning of his own life hanging in the balance. Soul. What does it mean?Is it what you feel when you hear Aretha Franklin or Luciano Pavarotti? Do you have a soul? Are you a soul? Is soul the breath of life, and what does it mean for your journey here and now?

The Mysteries of Memory

French author Marcel Proust said “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.” Since our memories hold the stories of our lives, mysteries surround what we do and do not remember. Join us as we look at the precious gift of memory, our fears about losing it, and our hopes for holding onto it as long as possible.