Below is a list of past sermons given at The Fellowship. Once you find the sermon you’d like to listen to, just click on the sermon title listed, and it will open that sermon in a page with the options to listen to it via the web, to download the MP3 for listening offline, or to open the transcript of the sermon to read.

Mingling of the Waters 2021

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Mingling of the Waters 2021
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Reflections by Ali Peters, Assistant Minister, and Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
The first service of each program year, in mid-September, is called our “ingathering” service where we re-gather after perhaps some sporadic time during the summer. This year, ingathering means the same, but so much more! This will be our first service since March 2020 when we will be able to gather in-person in our sanctuary, while still welcoming people from home on Zoom. Bring water from your home, neighborhood, local body of water, or your travels, to mingle together in this very special Mingling of the Waters ingathering service.

Illusion, Separateness, and Rediscovery: A Service in Honor of the Jewish High Holy Days

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Illusion, Separateness, and Rediscovery: A Service in Honor of the Jewish High Holy Days
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Reflections by Jaclyn Kottman Hittner, Rev Christina Leone-Tracy, and Rev. Leah Ongiri

The Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the 10 Days of Awe between them just as we also prepare to launch our annual Fellowship theme of rediscovering. In this era of getting back to a new normal, the seasonal Jewish theme of beginning again is especially relevant for individuals and our gathered communities. Upon close examination, we might find that our separateness is an illusion that keeps us from truly moving forward together.

“What the heck is Unitarian Universalism anyway?”

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"What the heck is Unitarian Universalism anyway?"
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by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
Join Rev. Christina for a journey through UU principles, sources, theology, and identity with the goal of understanding better and being able to explain our faith to others who ask you about it!

Actively Seeking Awe

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Actively Seeking Awe
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Reflection by Mark Marnocha
Sermon by Rev. Karon Sandberg
Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world. The science of awe suggests that opportunities surround us daily and studies show that the physical and mental health benefits of experiencing awe are profound. Yet, how often do you truly seek out and embrace awe? Most of us can recall a handful of times when we have really felt it. Is it possible to create more awe in our lives? Join us as we explore the benefits and sacredness of this elusive emotion.

This I Believe 2021

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This I Believe 2021
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Introduction by Margaret Alexander
Reflections by Hollyn Shipps, Chuck Spencer, Adrian Sieck, Gloria Wendt
Join us for our semi-annual service in honor of the various paths that we each find ourselves on. Our beliefs and journeys may differ but we connect in this community of faith for support and challenge. We’ll hear from Fellowship members and friends of a variety of ages and length of time here.

In Praise of Mile of Music

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In Praise of Mile of Music
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Reflections by Marie Rohrer, Marie Luna, Director of Congregational Life, Colleen Prendergast, Veronica Flower & Debbie Wagner, and Scott Peeples
Thousands of people come together every year during this weekend in Appleton to be part of one of the best live music festivals in the US. What is so compelling about live music? Join director of congregational life Marie Luna and several Fellowship members who will share why it is such a meaningful and, in some cases, spiritual experience for them. We will also have special music by local artists and Mile of Music alums Adriel Denae and Christopher Gold!

Healing Trauma with the Help of the Buddha

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Healing Trauma with the Help of the Buddha
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Reflection by Leah Thibodeau
Sermon by Rev. Taizan Alford
Shakyamuni Buddha has been quoted as saying: I teach one thing and one thing only… suffering and the end of suffering. Rev. Taizan Alford, will explore ways the principles and practices of Soto Zen Buddhism might help alleviate the roots of suffering stemming from old trauma. How can the eightfold path of Buddhism lead to new ways of reacting to old hurts and provide a way out of suffering for everyday people?

Taizan Alford has been a member of the Fellowship since 1998. He was ordained as a Soto Zen priest in training by Sosan Flynn at Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul, MN in 2016. He recently spent three months in residency at the Zen Mountain Monastery in Upstate New York. When not traveling for zen training his lives in Appleton with his husband, Tom Pynenberg.

Telling Untold Stories to Promote Equity and Justice

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Telling Untold Stories to Promote Equity and Justice
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Reflection by Mark Marnocha
Sermon by Rev. Jim Coakley & Judy Goldsmith
This month we remember the 100th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies of racial violence in the United States, the Tulsa Race Massacre; an untold story kept hidden for almost a century. Driven by a climate of extreme racial tension and set off by merely a rumor, white supremacist mobs destroyed “Black Wall Street”, one of the most prosperous black communities at the time. Tragically, the volatile environment was stoked by a locally famous Unitarian, Richard Lloyd Jones. Today, All Souls Unitarian Church is a leader in the reconciliation and healing of Tulsa. Closer to home in Fond du Lac, Judy Goldsmith, a well-known feminist and long-time member of the Open Circle Fellowship, has pioneered an effort to tell the untold stories of African Americans to ease fear and racial tension in her community to prevent tragic events like Tulsa’s from repeating.

Flower Communion

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Flower Communion
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Reflection by Suzanne Marnocha
Reflection by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
Our annual flower communion service will celebrate the history of this uniquely Unitarian celebration, the power of our faith communities, and the beauty, science, and symbolism of flowers!

“Wait, What?” Question Box Service

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"Wait, What?" Question Box Service
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Reflection by Dave Velguth
Sermon by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
It’s time again for our annual tradition of questions and answers. Inspired by a funny 2016 Harvard Graduate School of Education commencement speech, we’ll explore the power of good questions. Rev. Christina will do her best to answer as many of your submitted questions as possible, so come ready to ask.