Past Worship Services
If you couldn’t be with us in person one Sunday, or would like to spend more time with a topic, you can access many of our virtual services now on the web.
2023 Services
January
- January 1: God is Change (Deanna Lack)
- January 8: Abortion Access (Guest Speaker Elle Robinson)
- January 15: MLK Day Service (Andrew Smith)
- January 22: Fire Cleanses (Burning Bowl) (Deanna Lack)
- January 29: The “-ism” We Too Often Ignore (Ablism) (Deanna Lack)
February
- February 5: Broken Beyond Repair: Tennessee’s Death Penalty (Guest Speaker Rev. Stacy Rector)
- February 12: Faith in Action: Scripture, Inner Light, and the Abolition of Slavery (Deanna Lack)
- February 19: The Four Agreements (Guest Speaker Dustin Davis)
- February 26: The Prophet’s Telephone (Deanna Lack)
March
- March 5: Why This War on the LGBTQ Community? (Deanna Lack)*
- March 12: The Fall of the Empire (Deanna Lack)*
- March 19: A Celebration of the Many Ways We Love (Ken Sizemore)*
- March 26: Selah: Holding Space (Deanna Lack)*
April
- April 2: School Shootings: A Survivor’s Perspective (Amanda Rosenberger)*
- April 9: The History and Use of Magical Dolls (Leila Cook)*
- April 16: Survival as a Form of Resistance (Jeannie Alexander & Alaina Cobb)*
- April 23: Article II Study Commission (Rob Spirko)*
- April 30: Mayday and Movements (Elizabeth Wright)**
May
- May 7: A History of Mother’s Day (Deanna Lack)
- May 14: The Human Experience (Karen Langford)
- May 21: Tools for Simple Living (Lisa Luck)
- May 28: Flower Communion
June
- June 4: Wild Church (Deanna Lack)
- June 11: OK Boomer: Keeping the Generational Dialogue Open (Deanna Lack)
- June 18: Juneteenth Celebration (Deanna Lack)
- June 25: General Assembly Sunday Worship
July
- July 2: One Man’s Search for Understanding and How He Found It (Guest Speaker Bob Harwood)
- July 9: GA Report (Deanna Lack)
- July 16: Naming Our Unceded Land (Deanna Lack)
- July 23: Revisiting Vision (Deanna Lack)
- July 30: Biodiversity (Guest Speaker Amanda Rosenberger)
August
- August 6: The Power of Speaking into Being (Guest Speaker Sean O’Shea)
- August 13: Inana: Journey to the Underworld (Deanna Lack)
- August 20: Creativity is Divine (Deanna Lack)
- August 27: To Whom Much is Given (Deanna Lack)
2022 Services
January
- January 2: Burning Bowl (Kathy Perdue)
- January 9: Word of the Year (Deanna Lack)
- January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Guest Speaker Andrew Smith)
- January 23: Redemptive Suffering (Deanna Lack)
- January 30: death (with a little d) (Guest Speaker Bill Dockery)
February
- February 6: Covenant, Not Rules (Deanna Lack)
- February 13: This is May Space (Deanna Lack)
- February 20: Transformative Justice (Ryan Dalton)
- February 27: Exploring Universalism (Deanna Lack)
March
- March 6: Hope in Difficult Times (Lisa Luck)
- March 13: Making Peace With Prayer (Deanna Lack)
- March 20: The Congregation is the Curriculum (Deanna Lack)
- March 27: Reactionary Religion: The Liberal/Conservative Pendulum (Deanna Lack)
April
- April 3: Scrapbook on Incarceration (Guest Speaker Bill Dockery)
- April 10: The Four Types of Social Concern (Deanna Lack)
- April 17: Ecumenical Easter for Everybody (Andrew Smith)
- April 24: Sustainable Food Choices (Deanna Lack)
May
- May 1: Why I Became a Nutrivore (Tracie Craighead)
- May 8: I Have Called God Mother (Deanna Lack)
- May 15: Body Positivity (Deanna Lack)
- May 22: It’s Okay to be Human (Guest Speaker Karen Langford)
- May 29: My Community Work and Recovery Journey (Guest Speaker Justin Veals)
June
- June 5: Passing the Light: A Ritual for Uvalde (Deanna Lack)
- June 12: Flower Communion (Deanna Lack)
- June 19: Harry Potter and Types of Love (Penny Bast)
- June 26: General Assembly Service
July
- July 2: Worthy (Deanna Lack) Multiplatform
- July 10: General Assembly Recap (Deanna Lack)
- July 17: Music at the Park (Janie Finch and Tracie Craighead)
- July 24: Make the Wounded Whole (Roddy Biggs)
- July 31: Liminal Space Revisited (Deanna Lack)
August
- August 7: The Problem with Peace (Andrew Smith)
- August 14: James Reeb, A UU Martyr (Deanna Lack)
- August 21: Water Communion: As The Planet Dries (Deanna Lack)
- August 28: Dichotomy: Holding Opposites at Once (Deanna Lack)
September
- September 4: The Protestant Work Ethic (Deanna Lack)
- September 11: Never Forget (Deanna Lack)
- September 18: Commissioning Ceremony
- September 25: Want What You Have, Do What You Can, Be Who You Are (Deanna Lack)
October
- October 2: The Benefit of the Doubt: How Religious Doubts Can Lead to a More Mature Faith (Guest Speaker Martin Thielen)*
- October 9: Tuned In & Turned On: A Crash Course in Hippy Spirituality (Andrew Smith)
- October 16: Now Is the Time to Embrace the 8th Principle (Deanna Lack)
- October 23: Service with the Quaker Friends
- October 20: Setting a Place for the Ancestors (Samhain) (Deanna Lack)
November
- November 6: Famous UUs (various speakers)
- November 13: What is Your Ministry? (Deanna Lack)
- November 20: The “-ism” We Too Often Ignore (Deanna Lack)
- November 27: A Morning With Two Legendary “Johns”—John Denver and Johnny Cash (Guest Musician Ken Sizemore)
December
- December 4: Liberation Theology (Deanna Lack)
- December 11: The Power of Perspective (Guest Speaker Acharya Abhaya Darpana (Reverend Dustin))
- December 18: Miles to Go Before I Sleep (Yule) (Deanna Lack)
- December 25: Christmas Karaoke
2021 Services
January
- January 3: Climate Justice (Guest Speaker Crys Zinkiewicz)
- January 10: Living with Intention (Deanna Lack)
- January 17: Burning Bowl Ceremony (Guest Speaker Oliver Kelley)
- January 24: Principles of Nonviolence (Deanna Lack)
- January 31: Small Group Ministry: The Practice of Deep Listening and Sharing (Chalice Circle Group)
February
- February 7: Service was postponed due to power and internet outages caused by winter weather
- February 14: What is Truth? (Deanna Lack)
- February 21: The Problem of Plastic (Guest Speaker Anita Schmid)
- February 28: Brave Space
March
- March 7: God’s Good Gifts (Guest Speaker Crys Zinkiewicz)
- March 14: The Moral Arc of Cookeville, Tennessee (Deanna Lack)
- March 21: American Ideals and an Ideal America (Deanna Lack)
- March 28: Visioning (Deanna Lack)
April
- April 4: Stoic and Didn’t Know It (Tracie Craighead)
- April 11: Loved Into Being: A Stewardship Worship Service (Recorded service form the UUA)
- April 18: Seed Corn and Tomorrow (Video sermon from First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis)
- April 25: Microaggression: How to Be a Better Ally (Deanna Lack)
May
- May 2: Southern Prejudice (Guest Speaker Troy Smith)
- May 9: The Mother Goddess (Deanna Lack)
- May 16: Flower Communion & New Member Induction (In-person at Cane Creek Park)
- May 23: Karma: It’s Not What You Think (Deanna Lack)
- May 30: The Streets as Our Sanctuary (Guest Speaker Andrew Smith)
June
- June 6: What Churches Are Doing (Guest Speaker Crys Zinkiewicz))
- June 13: Burnout and the Stress Cycle (Deanna Lack)
- June 20: Midsummer Celebration (Deanna Lack)
- June 27: General Assembly Worship Service
July
- July 4: General Assembly Recap (Deanna Lack & Lydia Kramer)
- July 11: Religious Recovery (Deanna Lack)
- July 18: The Journey to Zero Waste (Guest Speaker Lisa Luck)
- July 25: This Being Human is a Guest House (Deanna Lack)
August
- August 1: The Good Book? Or Good Books (Guest Speaker Bill Dockery)
- August 8: The Five Jagged Rocks (Deanna Lack)
- August 15: Why Not Everyone? (Guest Speaker Roddy Biggs)
- August 22: God: What Shall We Call It? (Deanna Lack)
- August 29: Water Communion (Deanna Lack)
September
- September 5: Be More Kind (Tracie Craighead)
- September 12: Looking for Shelter in Stormy Times (Guest Speaker Dustin Davis)
- September 19: Before You Call the Police (Deanna Lack)
- September 26: Prison Ministry Report (Deanna Lack)
October
- October 3: Offering Grace and Receiving It (Deanna Lack)
- October 10: Spiritual Friendship (Guest Speaker Dustin Davis)
- October 17: Stewardship (Kathy Purdue)
- October 24: Planning for End-of-Life Choices (Deanna Lack & Susie Zuller)
- October 31: Samhain: Dancing With Death (Deanna Lack)
November
- November 7: Near Death Experiences (Guest Speaker Lynn Russell)
- November 14: Women in Ministry (Deanna Lack)
- November 21: Trans Day of Remembrance (Deanna Lack)
- November 28: A Season of Expectant Waiting (Guest Speaker Roddy Biggs)
December
- December 5: Covenant, Not Creed (Deanna Lack)
- December 12: If God is Love… (Deanna Lack)
- December 19: Soul Work (Susie Zuller)
2020 Services
January
- January 12: Burning Bowl (Deanna Lack)
- January 19: The Real Martin Luther King, Jr. (Deanna Lack)
- January 26: How Inclusive is Your Community? (Deanna Lack)
February
- February 2: A First Nations’ Perspective on Spirituality (Sayota Knight)
- February 9: Waiting for Armageddon (Deanna Lack)
- February 16: Early Childhood Brain Training with VROOM (Michelle Smith)
- February 23: How Inspired Is Your Spiritual Growth? (Deanna Lack)
March
- March 1: Rescuing Jesus from the Christians (Bill Dockery)
- March 8: Look for the Helpers (Deanna Lack)
- March 15: Origins: Mission, Covenant, and Vision (Ivan Cordrey)
- March 22: How Compassionately Are You Living? (Deanna Lack)
- March 29: COVID-19 (Tracie Craighead)
April
- April 5: She Persisted (Deanna Lack)
- April 12: Dance with the Goddess (Deanna Lack)
- April 19: Earth Day (Norma Scarlett)
- April 26: Holding Love and Grief for the Earth (Deanna Lack)
May
- May 3: Workers’ Rights – International Workers’ Day (Guest Speaker Troy Smith)
- May 10: Mothering Ourselves (Deanna Lack)
- May 17: Jogging While Black—A Presumption of Guilt (Tracie Craighead)
- May 24: How Joyful is Your Service? (Deanna Lack)
- May 31: We Need to Talk (Deanna Lack)
June
- June 7: Flower Communion (Tracie Craighead)
- June 14: Socially Distanced Social Justice (Deanna Lack)
- June 21: Surviving Survial: Living With the Reality of Shared Grief (Guest Speaker Amanda Rosenberger)
- June 28: One Less (Tracie Craighead)
July
- July 5: Interdependence Day (Deanna Lack)
- July 12: General Assembly Report (Deanna Lack & Gates Craighead)
- July 19: One Less (Tracie Craighead)
- July 26: A Society of Rapid Judgment (Deanna Lack)
August
- August 2: Have Faith in Love (Guest Speaker Roddie Biggs)
- August 9: Beyond “Tolerance” (Deanna Lack)
- August 16: A Southern Historical Perspective (Ric Finch)
- August 23: This Too Shall Pass (Deanna Lack)
- August 30: Water Communion (Deanna Lack)
September
- September 6: To Change or Not to Change: That is the Question (Guest
- Speaker Karen Langford)September 13: Suicide Prevention Month (Deanna Lack
- September 20: Reproductive Justice and UU (Guest Speaker Mark Mohundro
- September 27: Bi Erasure (Deanna Lack)
October
- October 4: The Fire of Commitment (Deanna Lack)
- October 11: Conspiracy! (Kathy Perdue)
- October 18: Of Hominy and Humility: A Homily (Guest Speaker Bill Dockery)
- October 25: Unitarian Universalist History 101 (Deanna Lack)
November
- November 1: A Rose in the Wintertime – The Importance of Community (Guest Speaker Oliver Kelley)
- November 8: Unitarian Universalist Theology 101 (Deanna Lack)
- November 15: Prison Ministry (Guest Speaker Kimberly Curtiss)
- November 22: Remembering Plymouth (Deanna Lack)
- November 29: Blessing of the Animals (Deanna Lack)
December
- December 6: Climate Change: Understanding the Terminology, the Science, and the Consequences (Guest Speaker Crys Zinkiewicz)
- December 13: Bi Erasure (Deanna Lack)
- December 20: Make a New Tradition (Deanna Lack)
- December 27: After X-Mas Service (Guest Speakers Bill and Emalie Dockery)
2019 Services
January
- January 6: We Gather (Susie Zuller)
- January 13: Possibility (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- January 20: Celebrating MLK Day (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- January 27: Burning Bowl (Deanna Lack)
February
- February 3: Finding Meaning in the Mundane (Susie Zuller)
- February 10: Black History Month (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- February 17: Trustworthy (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- February 24: True Belonging (Deanna Lack)
March
- March 3: Visibility and Invisibility (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- March 10: Special Music Service
- March 24: Blessed are the Tree Huggers (Deanna Lack)
- March 31: My Life in Song (Tracie Craighead)
April
- April 7: Learning to Defend Myself (Dylan Gardner)
- April 14: Observing World Heritage Day (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- April 21: Earth Day Observance (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- April 28: Flower Communion (Dylan Gardner)
May
- May 5: Music Service (Guest Singer Ken Sizemore)
- May 12: Mothering in Community (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- May 19: Curiosity (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- May 26: (Tracie Craighead)
June
- June 2: The Time for UU Invisibility is Over (Guest Speaker Roddy Biggs)
- June 9: (Norma Scarlett)
- June 16: Celebrating PRIDE (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- June 23: Bridging the Partisan Divide (Charles Zuller)
- June 30: (Tracie Craighead, Deanna Lack)
July
- July 7: True Blonging (Deanna Lack)
- July 14: (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- July 21 (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- July 28: Equal Justice Initiative (Guest Speaker John Dalton)
August
- August 4: (Tracie Craighead)
- August 11: Five Smooth Stones Part 1 (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- August 18: Five Smooth Stones Part 2 (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- August 25: Water Communion (Deanna Lack)
September
- September 1: Mindful Movement (Susie Zuller)
- September 8: Congregational Covenant (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- September 15: Mission Statement/Vision (Rev. Mark Pafford)
- September 22: How Can I Be Joyful When Everything is Awful? (Deanna Lack)
- September 29: Black Lives Matter (Video Sermon, Dr. Thomas Rideout)
October
- October 6: Mark’s Farewell Service (Congregational Speakers)
- October 13: Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Deanna Lack)
- October 20: Mental Health and Community (Dylan Eralie)
- October 27: Samhain/Halloween Service (Deanna Lack)
November
- November 3: Music Service (Guest Singer Ken Sizemore)
- November 10: My Spiritual Journey (Deanna Lack)
- November 17: Trans Day of Remembrance (Deanna Lack)
- November 24: Gratitude as Practice (Deanna Lack)
December
- December 1: Gratitude Scavenger Hunt/Show & Tell (Susie Zuller)
- December 8: Bodhi Day (Deanna Lack)
- December 15: Sacred Rest (Deanna Lack)
- December 22: True Meaning of the Holiday Season (Guest Speaker Roddy Biggs)
- December 29: UU Pilgrimage (Ivan Cordrey)