We often think about justice as an abstract ideal, when the reality of justice is deeply entwined with the tangible and practical realities of our bodies. This morning we’ll tell the story of the Capitol Crawl, a massive disability rights protest that resulted in the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] Disability Justice and the Capitol Crawl, 2.18.24

Come celebrate together as we kick off our annual pledge drive! We’ll reflect on plans for next year and how we share resources as part of being in loving community. We’ll reflect on what it means to value equity over equality, and the fact that equity is something we can only achieve together.

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] Celebration Sunday, 3.10.24

Please note that there are mentions of death and violence in this episode. The discussions do not use graphic descriptions.

Amanda and Rev. Gray discuss: A statement from Laurel about Aaron Bushnell and the public narratives surrounding his death; the Empowerment Controversy; the Capitol Crawl

Sermons written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Theme music: Antidepresseur by Patchworker | https://soundcloud.com/patchworker
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

Telling the Truth: ChUUrch Talk February 2024

Spring has sprung – at least according to the calendar! Today Rev. Laurel and members of the Garden Team will share about how outdoor spaces can transform our sense of welcome and foster a sense of new life.

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] Spring Transformation, 3.17.24

Resurrection can be a sticky theological concept for UUs. Come gather for this festive Easter service as we reflect on what it means to be transformed by love. Come one, come all!

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] Easter Sunday: A People Transformed, 3.31.24

Amanda and Rev. Gray discuss: gardens!; turquoise vs teal; flourishing is vulnerable; citrus allergies and equity; putting the Easter story in a post-traumatic wisdom frame; the worst sermon Laurel ever heard

Sermons written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Theme music: Antidepresseur by Patchworker | https://soundcloud.com/patchworker
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

And Yet, We Get There: ChUUrch Talk March 2024

The heart of Unitarian Universalism is not a creed, but a covenant, a promise to care. Considering changes to our seven principles with Article II asks us to remember that the promises we make in this congregation are connected to a wider UU web of care.

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] The Path of Covenant, 4.7.24

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] The Path Ahead, 4.14.24

Today we’ll tell the ancient Passover story and reflect on what it means to seek a new way, away from abuses of power, and towards a more just world. We know that what we do affect each other and transformation is something we can only ever achieve together.

Referenced in this sermon:

Rabbi Botzum's essay can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kNhiqgFP5NB3CCJaPn9VgArCJ8X5vM_T/view?ref=lifeisasacredtext.com

Freedom for All Seder Haggadah: https://www.freedomforallseder.com/haggadah/resources

More Seder Sources and Resources from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg:
https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/socialist-haggadah/

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

[Sermon] Passover: We Go Together, 4.21.24

Amanda and Rev. Gray discuss: 3 months’ notice; despair doesn’t have the final say; etymology nerds sound off; operationalizing covenant; the need for collective catharsis; let’s talk about The Thing; encampments on campuses; the potency of knowing where you’re rooted; stories of rupture

Sermons written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Theme music: Antidepresseur by Patchworker | https://soundcloud.com/patchworker
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

We Do Not Worship Despair: ChUUrch Talk April 2024

"What are the sources that fill your well, that bring water when your soul feels thirsty? And what of our collective community - what does it mean to be a people of renewal together?"

This is our ingathering service, a day for celebrating our being together in community and the start of a new church year. It is our custom to start with a Water Communion service, blending waters from places we hold dear to create a well of holy water. In that spirit, this service will be about the streams that renew us in hard times and fill our wells with love, hope, and peace.

Works referenced in this sermon:
"Blessing of the Well" from Circle of Grace by Jan Richardson
"On Claiming our Time for Renewal" by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Written by: Rev. Laurel Gray
Music by: Kala Farnham
Hosted and Edited by: Amanda Hall

Sermon: Streams of Renewal, 9-13-20

Reverend Laurel Gray writes sermons that help make sense of the complexities of life, and then she talks about them with (non-reverend) Amanda Hall once a month. 

Episode titles starting with "[Sermon]" are read by Rev. Laurel. Monthly ChUUch Talk episodes are conversations between Rev. Laurel and Amanda.

This podcast is by the Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society of Westborough (UUCSW), from Westborough, Mass. www.uucsw.org

Sermon: Streams of Renewal, 9-13-20

ChUUrch Talk

Related tracks