Virtual Service Recordings

Sunday, Nov 06 2022
"Are We Really Only Dust in the Wind?"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

One of the most famous songs in rock and roll history is a ballad by the group Kansas: “Dust in the Wind.”  Lead singer Steve Walsh croons, “All we are is dust in the wind…”  It’s a haunting song filled with existential angst.  In this service Dr. Riegel will explore whether it is true that all we are is dust in the wind.”

Sunday, Oct 23 2022
"The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Just as the term “repent” has been grossly misunderstood, so, too, has the concept of “the kingdom of heaven.” And, just as a proper understanding of the term “repent” casts Christianity in a whole new light, so, too, does a proper understanding of the concept of “the kingdom of heaven.” [This is Part 2 of a two part series.]

Sunday, Oct 02 2022
"From the Buddha to Gibran:
Suffering and the Religious Life"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

One of the more frequent arguments against religion is the fact of suffering in life. How do the different religious traditions view suffering and do those views explain the problem of suffering in a meaningful way?

Sunday, Sept 18 2022
"Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

During The Great Awakening, preacher Johnathan Edwards preached a famous sermon entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The title is rather self-explanatory… Dr. Riegel is going to give a UU rebuttal to Edward’s sermon. Perhaps, he will suggest, it’s time we UUs start talking about what it means for us sinners to be in the hands of a loving God. Could such a message be more timely for today’s world?

Sunday, Sept 04 2022
"Siding with Love"
Anne Roberts

In this complicated day and age where so many unloving thoughts and actions occur, these are reflections on how to love productively. The service will include several love songs.

Sunday, Aug 21 2022
"Welcoming Everyone - WeGP"
Shannon Byrne

Shannon Byrne of We-GP will share about the vision and action of the justice-based, grassroots organization and its focus on building bridges to move towards a more just and equitable Grosse Pointe. 
Learn about how to engage in the work of We-GP. We-GP has been helping our community resist attacks on civil and human rights and to promote local, state and national policy and legislation that advances social justice.

Sunday, Aug 7 2022
"Reflections on Ukraine After
Eleven Years of Service There"
John Engstrom

John is a federal prosecutor with over thirty years’ experience prosecuting federal crimes, including public corruption, international organized crime and money laundering. He served as a Department of Justice liaison (technically, a "Resident Legal Advisor") at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, from 2010 to 2013 and then again from 2019 to February 2022. In between, John visited Ukraine at least once every year in an official capacity to assist with legal reform issues and prosecutorial capacity building. After John and his wife, Miriam, were evacuated from Ukraine shortly before Russia significantly expanded its seven-year war against Ukraine, they are slowly resettling in Michigan, grateful for their safety net, and dearly missing Ukraine and their Ukrainian friends.

Sunday, July 24 2022
"5 Teachings from the Japanese Wabi Sabi Philosophy That Can Drastically Improve Your Life"
Meghan Boomhower

• Wabi is about recognizing beauty in humble simplicity. It invites us to open our heart and detach from the vanity of materialism so we can experience spiritual richness instead.
  
• Sabi is concerned with the passage of time, the way all things grow, age, and decay, and how it manifests itself beautifully in objects. It suggests that beauty is hidden beneath the surface of what we actually see, even in what we initially perceive as broken.
  

Together, these two concepts create an overarching philosophy for approaching life: Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, transient stages of life. Join Meghan and Skylar Boomhower to explore this concept and how it can shift your perspective. It might allow for more space to accept and therefore more enjoyment of the moments of your life. 

Sunday, June 12 2022
"It Is Only with the Heart That One Sees Rightly"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This is Flower Communion Sunday, during which we remember and honor the message of Dr. Capek, who began this tradition during World War II. Dr. Riegel will also read reflect upon the "qualitative universe" and read one of his favorite Sufi mystic poems.

Sunday, May 29 2022
"From Baptism to Revelation: A UU Journey"
Anne Roberts

Anne Roberts, long time UU and member of GPUC, will be speaking about her own journey into our liberal religious faith.  How did she discover us? How do her UU values color her view of life? And, why is she so committed to this beloved community and our UU faith?

Sunday, Nov 13 2022
"Language"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Language is the “tool” we use most often. And a powerful tool it is! In this sermon Dr. Riegel will explore this powerful tool. Where does its power lie? What are its limits? What does it reveal? What does it mask? Whom does it serve?

Sunday, Oct 30 2022
"As It Is in Heaven"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This is part three of Dr. Riegel's current three part sermon series. Following his sermons, "Repentance" and "The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand," this sermon is entitled "As It Is in Heaven." Dr. Riegel will quickly summarize the previous two sermons in this series then pose the and answer the question, "Okay, the kingdom of heaven. So what?" You will likely be very surprised to learn just how UU the kingdom of heaven is!

Sunday, Oct 16 2022
"Repent!"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Certain religious terms can make liberal skins crawl. “Repent” is one such term. In the spirit of Dr. Riegel’s Sept. 18th sermon, during which he suggested liberals need to reclaim theological language, Dr. Riegel will suggest that that term “repent” has been grossly misunderstood and that the proper understanding of the term casts Christianity in a whole new light. [This is Part 1 of a two part series.]

Sunday, Sept 25 2022
"God for the Godless"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Many UUs count themselves among the growing number of agnostics and atheists in this country. During my thirty years of ministry, I’ve noticed that such people spend more time celebrating the loss of religious belief than they do constructing what religion means for them in a Godless universe. In this sermon, Dr. Riegel is going to suggest a “God” for the Godless. Maybe it’s time to get on with being religious again - after all, this is a ”church.”

Sunday, Sept 11 2022
"Ingathering: Unitarian Universalism Begins
Where the Sidewalk Ends"
Dr. Alexander Riegel and Julie Artis D.R.E.

Welcome back! We are so excited to be beginning a new church year after these
stressful years we’ve been through. Let’s hope we return to relative normalcy this year… And, we are excited to start the new church year with our usual Intergenerational Ingathering. During this service, we will listen to, and reflect upon, the wit and wisdom of Shel Silverstein. Hope you can join us!

Sunday, Aug 28 2022
"Sicily: Island of Diversity"
Joseph Palazzolo

This Mediterranean melting pot, for millennia, has seen a myriad of peoples, cultures, and religions. Out of this long and varied history Sicilians have created their own language, culture, art and architecture rivaling those of any on earth. Join our music director as he takes us, through stories and pictures, on a Sicilian journey he made this past winter while searching for his roots.

Sunday, Aug 14 2022
"Speaking Up for Failure in 5 Disappointments"
Jerry Herron

Here’s the problem. We are oversupplied with how-to-do-it instructions for being successful. Meanwhile, surveys show us that we grow less and less happy with every passing year. So, instead of success, I want to speak up for failure and the disappointments that failure brings—an endlessly renewable resource for feeling better and doing better and being better. 

Sunday, July 24 2022
"Your 'Go Tos' That Help You Cope"
Rebecca Moracco

The last few years have been stressful for everyone. In that time we’ve all had to find what gives us peace and provides safety. Let’s talk about our “Go-to’s.”

Sunday, July 10 2022
"Global Supply Chain Disruption and
The Impact on Our Most Vulnerable"
Kevin Ketels

Unprecedented supply chain challenges have disproportionately impacted the poor in the United States and the world through higher prices for everything from food and housing to baby formula and energy. We'll explore the origins of these problems, the real impact and future outlook. 

Sunday, June 05 2022
"Kierkegaard’s Counsel"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Soren Kierkegaard was a 19th century Danish theologian, considered one of the early existentialist philosophers (even though he was a theologian). He is most famous for his works “Either/Or” and “Fear and Trembling.” Rather than dip into the theology of those works, Dr. Riegel will ponder his counsel in tidbits (wise one liners from his collected works).

Sunday, May 15 2022
"You, Yourself, Are the Melody!"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Life can be very demanding and we can often feel that we are not measuring up to the task. Nothing could be further from the truth! Despite our human foibles, each of us is a gift from the universe and our place in it is deeply sacred and valuable. This service serves to remind us of that.

Sunday, May 01 2022
"Ukraine, Just War Theory, NATO, and the Nation State"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

The war in Ukraine has invigorated the world community in a manner not seen since the end of WWII. This Sunday, Dr. Riegel will speak about this war in light of Just War Theory and the importance of the nation state to world order.

Sunday, April 17 2022
"On Love and Suffering"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This Easter Sunday we will consider the relationship between love and suffering. From Jesus to Khalil Gibran, many spiritual teachers have taught about this intimate relationship. Exactly what is that relationship about and can the relationship between love and suffering inform our own journeys through life?

Sunday, March 27 2022
"The Problem of the Good"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

One of the interesting things about us humans is that we tend to get theological when the chips are down or tragedy strikes. “Please, God, I promise!” or “If there were a God, this wouldn’t be happening!” are the armchair theological utterances in such cases. But why don’t we wax theological in the good times? This Sunday Dr. Riegel will be exploring “the problem of the good.”

Sunday, March 13 2022
"The Fire of Commitment"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This Sunday kicks off our canvass effort. Dr. Riegel will be preaching a sermon on the importance of liberal religion in today’s world. Too often liberal’s take things for granted, or, in the words of comedian Mark Maron, “While liberals have been busy going to yoga to perfect their downward dog pose, conservatives have been busy taking over the country at a grass roots level.” Well, that’s a paraphrase and maybe a little harsh, but it ought to get us thinking about whether we are doing enough.

Sunday, February 27 2022
"Still Waters: On the Spiritual Wisdom of the Psalms"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

A couple of years ago we took a closer look at The Book of Proverbs. This year we take a closer look at The Book of Psalms. Dr. Riegel will delve into a few Psalms and elucidate their deeper spiritual meanings.

Sunday, February 06 2022
"Let's Talk About Being Love"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Following last Sunday’s sermon, “Let’s Talk About Being Woke,” Dr. Riegel will deliver what could now be called the second in a mini sermon series: “Let’s Talk About Being Love.” When we think of love, we often think of love as a state of total acceptance and veritable passivity. Love, after all, doesn’t judge or risk relationships. Or so we think. Dr. Riegel will challenge this notion of love and expand the way we think about love. In sum, love is more multifaceted than we believe and how it appears depends upon the context in which it is expressed.

Sunday, January 16 2022
"Afoot and Lighthearted"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Philosophers, poets, and various and sundry other thinkers connect the simple practice of walking with thinking and general well-being. Even our modern scientists are beginning to unearth the physiological underpinnings as to why this is the case. Come take a “walk” with us.

Sunday, January 02 2021
"Lessons from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood...
One Kind Word at a Time"
Tonya Wells

Please join us in starting the new year with reflections on the beloved American
educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, author, and television host, Mr. Fred Rogers.

Sunday, December 12 2021
"Intergenerational Service: The Holy in the Holiday"
D.R.E. Julie Artis and Dr. Alexander Riegel

Because not all of our youth will be able to attend church just yet (due to vaccination status), we thought it better to do another intergenerational service in lieu of our usual holiday pageant. For this service, we will remember the “holy in the holiday” by taking a closer look at the spiritual messages behind those beloved holiday songs we sing this time of year.

Sunday, November 28 2021
"What Kids Can Do"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Children make up nearly one-quarter of our population in the United States. But their needs, talents, and contributions to society are often overlooked. In this service, Dr. Lori Peek, who is a professor of Sociology and director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, will discuss lessons she has learned from young people whose lives have been upended by disaster. Dr. Peek will invite us to consider how we can enact the seventh principle by ensuring that children are recognized as a vital part of our interdependent web of existence.

Sunday, November 14 2021
"Forgiveness"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Back in September, Dr. Riegel opened up his sermon mill for your ”grist.” Only a couple of topics were suggested, one of which was forgiveness. Forgiveness is hard (especially for those extra special “scoundrels” in our lives)! Must we forgive? Must we always forgive? Or are there times when we needn’t/shouldn’t forgive?

Sunday, October 31 2021
"Poetry Potpourri"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

One of the more popular sermon styles this past year has been Dr. Riegel’s “potpourri” sermons, addressing several different topics, related or not, over the course of a sermon.  This Sunday, four different members of GPUC do a poetry potpourri.  Come (or Zoom in) and hear what wisdom your fellow GPUCers have to share with us!

Sunday, October 17 2021
"Instawisdom"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Social media often gets a bad rap and deservedly so. But it also has its virtues. One such virtue is that it is a vehicle for the wisdom that humanity collectively contains. Dr. Riegel has been collecting wise Instagram posts that reflect our collective human wisdom and will reflect on some of these wise postings. Consider this another potpourri sermon, which usually gives one plenty of grist for one’s mill!

Sunday, October 03 2021
"To Inquire"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This is the third sermon in what has turned into a three part sermon series. Following the sermons on listening (09/19) and speaking (09/26), Dr. Riegel will talk about the value of genuine inquiry, which can only happen once one has truly listened and truly spoken. Genuine inquiry, he believes, is a vital component of our first UU principle.

Sunday, September 19 2021
"To Listen"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

The 20th century German theologian Paul Tillich said that “The first duty of love is to listen.”  We live in a culture in which we are taught to assert ourselves as individuals.  Such self-assertion often takes the form of speaking (next Sunday’s sermon topic, “To Speak”).  Consequently, we rarely truly listen to others.  Dr. Riegel will explore what it means truly to listen to others, especially in light of Tillich’s conviction that to listen is to love.

Sunday, May 22 2022
"RE Sunday"
D.R.E. Julie Artis and Dr. Alexander Riegel

Children’s RE is a vital part of our liberal religious place in the world. This is our yearly service in which we recognize the efforts of all those people who make our children’s religious education program happen week after week, month after month, and year after year.

Sunday, May 08 2022
"Phenomenal Woman!"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Join us for our Mother’s Day service as we celebrate the contribution of women to life and culture. We will consider the contributions women have made to religion, literature, art, and music.

Sunday, April 24 2022
"Environmental Justice: Must We Change?"
Samuel Pruitt

Guest Speaker and GPUC Member, Sam Pruitt will be giving a slideshow presentation of an updated and abbreviated version of the slideshow featured in Al Gore's now famous movie "An Inconvenient Truth." He will talk to us about the climate crisis and give us insight as to the individual solutions. In doing this, Mr. Pruitt will answer three questions in the affirmative, "Must we change? Can we change? Do we have the political will to change?"

Sunday, April 03 2022
"Generosity of Spirit"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

It’s perfectly natural, this self-obsession (ego-centrism) to which we humans are given. After all, it only makes sense that we have our own interests at heart – survival and the instinctual nature, and all of that. This sermon will challenge our natural propensity toward ego-centrism by reminding us of our obligations to one another - the interdependent web, and all of that…

Sunday, March 20 2022
"The Four Courages"
Carol Blotter

Carol is the founder and the guiding teacher of Chelsea Meditation Group. She has also been a member in the Friends (Quaker) community since 1979. She will be exploring the Buddhist concept of the Four Courages: the courage to be human, the courage to be present, the courage to welcome afflictive emotions and the courage to live from an open heart. In these times of unknown well-being, we might all do well with a different perspective on what defines courage.

Sunday, March 06 2022
"Wake Now My Senses"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Dr. Riegel will be reflecting on one of his favorite hymns, "Wake Now My Senses." Our UU Hymnal is full of wonderful words of inspiration,
reflection, and depth. It's time to understand and value them more deeply!

Sunday, February 13 2022
"Voting Rights:
A Historical Take on Current Day Challenges"
Tonya Wells

Vote suppression has a long and ugly history in the U.S. and over the last two decades, it has resurfaced with a vengeance. We are called as Unitarian Universalists to affirm and promote the use of the democratic process in society at large. Please join us to be inspired by the wisdom of suffragists and other important historical figures.

Sunday, January 30 2022
"Let's Talk About Being Woke"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

There is a lot of talk about being “woke” these days, the term sometimes being used derogatorily and sometimes as an indicator of one’s own moral superiority. However. there is another reference point by which to understand this term, namely, the spiritual reference point. Dr. Riegel will discuss what it means like be “woke” from the spiritual point of view and why it is that today’s “woken” ones are actually dreaming they are awake.

Sunday, January 09 2022
"Father Time and Mother Wisdom:
Reflections on the Aging Process”
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This sermon addresses the third and final request Dr. Riegel received when he invited the congregation to email him topics as grist for his sermon mill. Apparently, Dr. Riegel is perceived to be old enough to have some wisdom about the aging process. He is choosing to take that as a compliment!

Sunday, December 19 2021
"Hallelujah"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Leonard Cohen’s most famous song is “Hallelujah.” It has been covered many a time by various artists (my favorite is Jeff Buckley’s version). You probably know the song but do you know much about the meaning it held for Cohen? For that matter, how much do you know about Cohen himself. Dr. Riegel will speak about how “Hallelujah” holds important spiritual wisdom for our lives.

Sunday, December 05 2021
"Oasis"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

These are difficult times in which we live! Of course, you don’t need to be told that. But it is good to recognize the life challenges we face these days, so we can remember to be a little gentler with ourselves – and others. Indeed, it is important to seek out places and people where, and in whom, we can find such gentleness. Church, i.e., GPUC, is one such place with such people. This Sunday is dedicated to the recognition that our beloved community is an oasis in difficult times.

Sunday, November 21 2021
"Intergenerational Thanksgiving Service"
Julie Artis D.R.E. and Dr. Alexander Riegel

This year’s Intergenerational Thanksgiving service will be on the theme of belonging. In these times, with so many of us isolated and facing such difficult personal challenges, it’s important to remind ourselves that “we belong.” If you have a story, reading, or reflection about “belonging” that you’d like to share, contact Dr. Riegel or Julie Artis. We’d love to include you in this service!

Sunday, November 07 2021
"The Arc of Life"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

We often find ourselves preoccupied with the immediacy of our lives.  When that happens, we also often find ourselves being too hard on ourselves - and others.  Dr. Riegel will discuss this tendency and suggest a way to reframe the way we think about our lives.

Sunday, October 24 2021
"Cephu"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

With all of the challenges facing us as individuals and as a culture, e.g., global warming, Covid, national and geopolitics, etc., we are experiencing too many examples of human nature run amok. This is what naturally happens when the survival instinct kicks into full gear. What humanity needs most, however, is a counter intuitive response to the challenges we face, not an instinctual one. Cephu’s story contains the antidote we need for a time like this.”

Sunday, October 10 2021
"Waiting with Godot"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

In Samuel Becket’s famous play, Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon, the two buffoon protagonists of the play, spend the play’s entirety waiting for Godot. Indeed, the play revolves around the fact that the entire point of their being has become to “wait for Godot.” The longer they wait, the more they contemplate the noose that hangs in the sparse background of the play’s setting (Suicide, said Camus, is life’s one philosophical problem.). Interestingly, Godot never arrives. Using this play as the backdrop of this sermon, Dr. Riegel will pose (and answer) the question, “What if what you are waiting for never arrives?”

Sunday, September 26 2021
"To Speak"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Last Sunday Dr. Riegel suggested that we are too preoccupied with asserting ourselves through our speech and that we should consider listening just as important as speaking. This Sunday he will circle back around to the subject of speech, suggesting that we need to consider how we speak and what we speak, when we do speak - which needn’t be as often as we think.

Sunday, September 05 2021
"Unitarian Universalists, Cats and Dogs"
Meghan Boomhower

In the Unitarian Universalist Church we find inspiration from many different sources. The inspiration for today’s sermon comes from a joke. You may have heard it:
    Q: What’s the difference between cats and dogs?
    A: Dogs look at people and say, “They feed us. They give us shelter. They take care of our every need. They must be gods.” Cats look at people and say, “They feed us. They give us shelter. They take care of our every need. We must be gods.”

Sunday, September 12 2021
"The Harmony of Beings"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

If there is any singular lesson we should have learned a year and a half into this pandemic, it is that our seventh principle, “The interdependent web of existence of which we are a part,” is an undeniable fact of life.  With this in mind, Rev. Riegel will discuss the notion of “the unity of being” and add to that, the notion of “the harmony of beings.”  This service will be shorter than usual as we are going to be celebrating Willie Barber’s 50th year anniversary as our sexton!  This celebration will occur outside.

Sunday, June 20 2021
"Father's Day Reflections"
Bill Brusilow, Todd Mannow, Jeremiah Hess,
and Alexander Riegel

A few years ago, several members of our congregation spoke about the meaning of Father’s Day. This Father’s Day, several fathers in our congregation will share their reflections on the experience of Fatherhood.

Sunday, June 06 2021
"First Love: Flower Communion Service"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This Sunday is our annual Flower Communion. We are delighted to be gathering together in person for this service, in our GPUC Memorial Garden! (Weather permitting) (Youth will have their own service on the other side of the building, with our D.R.E. Julie Artis.) We will have a special guest musician and we will be singing hymns. Please bring a flower to share. *NOTE – This service is an exception to the rule and does not indicate that we are returning to in person services henceforth. All other Sunday services will occur on Zoom until further notice.

Sunday, May 23 2021
"RE Sunday"
D.R.E. Julie Riegel

We will have our second Religious Education Sunday on Zoom! Mark your calendars to hear our two graduating seniors Laila Panzenhagen and Irving Sendra share their Statement of Faith Projects. We will have a guest soloist and a slide show of what has brought our RE Families comfort this past year. We hope you stay on Zoom and go to the Annual Meeting right after the service. At 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. you can drive by the church and pick up an Ice Cream from our Ice Cream Cart!!! Our parents and students will be handing them out!! We celebrate our GPUC community that lift up the span of all ages.

Sunday, May 09 2021
"Mother's Day Reflections"
Dr. Alexander Riegel, Ariana Riegel,
Jackie Hoats-Shields, and Janna Sendra

A few years ago, several members of our congregation spoke about the meaning of Mother’s Day. This Mother’s Day, Dr. Riegel will deliver a brief homily on the Divine Feminine, after which three members of our congregation will share their reflections on Mother’s Day.

Sunday, June 13 2021
"Marcus Aurelius" Stoic Wisdom for Modern Life"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Stoic philosopher. Stoic philosophy is a humanistic philosophy rooted in astute psychological insight and application. This Sunday, Dr. Riegel will reflect on a number of Aurelius’ philosophical prescriptions for living a stoic life. You may be surprised just how powerful and applicable is this ancient Roman philosopher’s wisdom for modern life!

Sunday, May 30 2021
"'In the beginning, God created...': a Kabbalistic Reading"
Rabbi Olivier

Our guest speaker on Sunday, May 30th, will be Rabbi Olivier BenHaim, a teacher of Jewish mysticism from Seattle who will unpack the Book of Genesis' Creation Story anew for us, through the lens of the Kabbalah. What will ensue will challenge us to understand the early verses of this story in a radically different way. It might cause us, at least, to reexamine our assumptions. At most, it might just change our life.

Sunday, May 16 2021
"I-Thou"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Martin Buber was a secular Jewish Philosopher at the turn of the 20th century. He is most famous for his book, “I and Thou,” which discusses two different types of interpersonal relationships: the egoic (which is rooted in subject-object) and the trans-egoic (which is rooted in subject-subject). Knowing the difference between these two types of interpersonal relationships and understanding their implications helps one to create a new model of what it means to “show up” in the world.

Sunday, April 25 2021
"Challenges, Lessons, Gifts:
Reflecting On a Year of Pandemic"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Sunday, May 02 2021
"Trust Thyself"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

We have spent the last year in a pandemic that has dragged on longer than most of us would have imagined! Though a trying and tragic year, in every experience there are lessons and gifts to be had. This Sunday, several of our fellow GPUCers will reflect of the challenges, lessons, and gifts this year has brought us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a Unitarian minister, essayist, and public speaker, best known for his Transcendentalist theology. He is also known for his theology of radical individualism. In this sermon, Dr. Riegel will reacquaint us with Emerson’s radical individualism and also consider what happens when radical individualism slips from the realm of the theological into the psychological.

Sunday, April 11 2021
"Bowing Awestruck Into the Dust"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Sunday, April 18 2021
"Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Aether"
D.R.E. Julie Artis and Dr. Alexander Riegel

There are moments of artistic experience in life when the spirit is elevated beyond all thought. For many, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony works such magic. Hence, Beethoven: “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” Think, also, of other artists: Frida Kahlo, Vincent van Gogh, Edna St. Vincent Millay (yes, poets included), Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Join us as we celebrate art in life!

This earth day we celebrate the elements that make life possible: earth, wind, fire, water, and aether. This will be an intergenerational service with various people sharing about each of these vital elements. Come, recall the wonder of your “blue boat home”!

Sunday, March 28 2021
"Commitment to Our Earthly Vision"
Joshua Berg

Sunday, April 4 2021
"Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Rev. Mary Safford was a founder of the Iowa Sisterhood, a group of women ministers who spread Unitarianism into the rural Midwest during the turn of the 20th century. She wrote that “the liberal church today is to be obedient to its heavenly vision. Not only must we proclaim the saving truths we hold, but we must also strive to build up these truths in our own lives and in the lives of others.” This Sunday we'll explore the Iowa Sisterhood and what they modeled that we can emulate today to move Unitarian Universalism successfully into the future.

Many people do not realize just how much Jesus’ (and his disciples) religious sensibilities were rooted in his/their Jewish heritage. One example of this is the words Jesus spoke as he was dying on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” This is directly from Psalm 22. The Psalms are a seldom tapped source of comfort and wisdom. This Easter we will consider the Psalms with this in mind.

Sunday, March 14 2021
"Eschewing Escher"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Sunday, March 21 2021
"Back to Zanzibar"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Einstein’s special theory of relativity taught us that what we perceive depends on where we stand and how fast we are moving relative to the object of our perception. In other words, we live in a “perspectival” universe. There is no objectivity to be found. Dr. Riegel will explore this theme of perspectivism and draw out its implications for how we live our lives.

In Feb., Dr. Riegel preached a sermon on proverbial wisdom from around the world. There is no end to such proverbial wisdom, so, due to popular demand, Dr. Riegel will revisit more proverbial wisdom from around the world. Maybe you CAN step into the same river twice?! Have a favorite proverb you’d like to hear Dr. Riegel ponder?

Sunday, Feb 28 2021
"Exploring the Wisdom of Mary Oliver"
Tonya Wells

Sunday, March 07 2021
"The Forest and the Trees"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

During this sermon, we will explore the well-loved poetry written by Mary Oliver to extract wisdom for everyday living. The service will include some favorite poems of Mary Oliver as well as some less known works.

We live in an “anti-institutional age.” The millennial generation especially shuns institutions, per the Pew Research Center. If this trend continues, what does that portend for society as a whole and religion in particular? Have we simply lost site of the forest for the trees or is something deeper taking place in the cultural landscape? In this sermon, Dr. Riegel will argue for the importance of institutions and how our commitment to institutions is vital to the well-being of society.

Sunday, Feb 14 2021
"Stillness: A Door into the Temple"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Sunday, Feb 21 2021
"Much Treasure, Many Moths"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

In her book, “A Thousand Mornings,” Mary Oliver, a true, modern mystic poet, drops another spiritual nugget into our laps: “Stillness. One of the doors into the temple.” It is in this sermon that Dr. Riegel will bring the sermon series on The Self to a close. He will suggest to us that now that we understand the self, we are more capable of finding the spiritual gold that lies within.

This week, Dr. Riegel takes us on a tour around the world to discover the wisdom of different cultures, by exploring their various popular proverbs. He will begin with one of his favorite sayings, “She who has been burnt by the soup blows on the yogurt.” Join us! This is one of the ways quickly to gain wisdom regarding how best to meet life’s challenges!

Sunday, Jan 31 2021
"Welcome Revelations from Julian of Norwich"
Kelly Fordon

Julian of Norwich’s story resonates today on many fronts. A medieval anchorite and mystic, Julian (1342-1416) lived through a global pandemic and penned the first book in English written by a woman. The central message of Revelations of Divine Love is “All Shall Be Well,” which was not a popular notion at the time. In this sermon, Kelly will discuss Julian’s various roles as mystic, writer, and revolutionary, as well as how she survived the last 44 years of her life in a small anchorite cell.

Sunday, Jan 17 2021
"Keys to the Kingdom: The Heart Has Its Reasons"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This is part two of a three-part sermon series on the nature of the “self.” Dr. Riegel will discuss the role of emotions within the self, exploring everything from the evolutionary role of emotions to the emotions’ unrecognized influence on the mind.

Sunday, Jan 10 2021
"Keys to the Kingdom: Intro on the Self"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This portion of Sunday's service (1/10/2021) includes the beginning of the service, the Message for All Ages, the Reading, and the intro to the three part sermon series: "Keys to the Kingdom: Intro to the Self."

Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020
"Hearing One Another:
There Is More to It Than Meets the Ear"
Tonya Wells

Your intentions, attention and intuition have so much to do with the ability to really listen to another human being and form meaningful connection. come to consider how we can listen better in order to generate more love in our intertwined world.

Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020
"Question Box Part II"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This sermon is the continuation of the "Question Box" sermon begun Dec. 6, 2020.

Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020
"The Experience of Gratitude in a
Time of Disconnected Lives"
Dr. John Artis

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." Today, a few days after Thanksgiving, we are able to find our pathway toward gratitude and the enrichment of our lives. Today let us explore what we can be grateful for in our lives.

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020
"Be in the World as a Traveler"
Dawud Walid

Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam, said, "Be in the world as a stranger or a traveler on a path." This sermon will touch on this prophetic saying in relation to how we can strive to detach ourselves from the trends within our society that are increasingly leading to more political rancor and growing economic polarization.

Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020
"The Soul's Sabbath"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

In last Sunday's sermon, Rev. Dr. Riegel provided a lot of information, that was challenging to absorb, about the "surveillance capital" nature of our social media driven world and also about the potential for the abuse of our ever increasingly technological ability.
At the end of that sermon, he stated that we need to ask ourselves the question: "What does it mean to be an individual in a world in which individualism has become taboo?"
More than anything, it means that we must remember the importance of our own subjectivity, our own inner life, as the world outside us whirls about us, threatening to disorient us.
It's time to remember to give the soul it's Sabbath.

Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020
"'One if by land, two if by sea': Whom Should We 'Revere'"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Most Americans grow up learning about Paul Revere's ride, when he is said to have shouted: "The British are coming! The British are coming!" The truth is that he never shouted this famous phrase. Had he done so, the British troops who had already infiltrated Massachusetts surely would have shot him dead!
There is another falsehood about Paul Revere's ride, namely, that it was a solo act. It was not. A number of others rode with Revere on that famous night, including a black man and a woman.  Do you know their names? Probably not, without first looking this up on Google. That's a problem! In this sermon, Dr. Riegel discusses the importance of the non-male and nonwhite history of America.

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020
"Can You Feel It?"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

The world is rocking our world these days! There's no need to elaborate on the challenges this pandemic has brought us. We are all far too familiar with "the condition our condition is in." (Thank you, Mickey Newbury.) Dr. Riegel will reflect on the state of the world and finally answer Tina Turner's famous question, "What's love got to do with it?"

Sunday, Aug 30, 2020
"Myth-Busting the Spiritual Journey... or,
Was Patanjali Right All Along?"
Carol Guither

It's both an entertaining look at my own attempts and obstacles in starting a spiritual journey and practice, and some real advice and cautions from Patanjali and others on what a spiritual journey could look like, challenges along the way, and practices to stay on the path. Patanjali is the author of The Yoga Sutras, which is one of the most important classic texts on the traditional practice of Yoga.

Sunday, Aug 16, 2020
"Antisemitism-Henry Ford and the International Jew"
Chuck Palmer

One hundred years ago, Henry Ford attacked Jews through his newspaper, the Dearborn Independent. He also printed 500,000 copies of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Chuck will discuss antisemitism and retired Detroit Free Press journalist Bill McGraw's Autumn 2018 article of the same title for the Dearborn Historical Commission, which the Commission pulled from publication and refused to distribute.

Sunday, Aug 2, 2020
"Reality: What a Concept"
Robin Ramsay

Right now, most of us can say that there are things going on in our lives that are very difficult; things we wish weren't part of our lives. When faced with pain, it's very easy to get caught up in wishing that reality were different and bemoaning the wrongness, or unfairness of it. We can waste so much energy fighting with the fact that this situation is actually happening, that we get stuck in suffering, and unable to take useful action. As the author Tom Clancy puts it so well, "When you fight with Reality, you lose, but only 100% of the time." Dr. Ramsay will discuss common human thoughts and reactions that get in the way of accepting reality, and making effective choices for well-being based on that reality.

Sunday, July 19, 2020
"Love in the Face of Adversity"
Ken Meisel

Ken Meisel, an area poet and psychotherapist and a prior guest lecturer at GPUUC, will offer encouraging thoughts and commentary on how we are challenged and invited to love deeper and braver in times of adversity - whether that adversity exists within ourselves, in our deeper heart relationships or in the world at large. He will offer helpful insights on love and marriage, love and personal growth, and love as it relates to our social contract with the community-at-large.

Sunday, June 14, 2020
"Learning to Be White"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Anyone who has taken the time to read black authors who write about the black experience understands that black people undergo a process of learning what it means to be black in a predominantly white culture. Contrariwise, most white people do not understand that they undergo a similar process of learning what it means to be white in a predominantly white culture. Dr Riegel will discuss this experience of "learning to be white," as well as address how the moral outrage white people express at moments of heightened racism in this country is itself an expression of white privilege.

Sunday, May 31, 2020
"Religious Education Sunday"
D.R.E. Julie Artis

We will have our first Religious Education Sunday on Zoom! Mark your calendars to hear our three graduating seniors Morgen Bocci, Ada Marotzke and Noelle Shields share their Statement of Faiths Projects. Our guest soloist will be Henry Sendra. We hope you join us to share the end of the year celebration of this unusual church school year. We are a community that lifts up the span of all ages.

Sunday, May 17, 2020
"9/11, 2008, Coronavirus, Kundabuffer,
and Remembrance"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Lately, we have repeatedly heard that this pandemic we face is going to bring a new normal to our lives.  Be prepared for ongoing social distancing and face covers.  But what about a different type of new normal?  Crisis tend to help one get one's priorities in order.  Will this reordering of our priorities last?  What would it take for us to carry this kind of new normal into the future?

Sunday, May 3, 2020
"Here Be Dragons"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Ancient cartographers used to write the phrase, "Here Be Dragons," when they mapped out uncharted ocean territory.  What is our modern version of these dragons?  And, how best to engage these creatures in our lives?

Sunday, April 19, 2020
"A Person, A People, A Planet"
Mary Ann Perrone

Sunday April 5, 2020
"Hope Alive - The Currency of the Vision in All of Us"
John Artis

Sunday, Feb 07 2021
"Do Not Break Faith with Your Awakened Heart"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

During Dr. Riegel’s recent sermon of The Self, “Keys to the Kingdom,” he received a question about how to deal with difficult people in one’s life. Using the information contained in that sermon series, coupled with a little help from the psychologist Carl Jung, Dr. Riegel will suggest a different way to view and manage interpersonal relationships.

Sunday, Jan 24 2021
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This is part three of a three-part sermon series on the nature of the “self.” Dr. Riegel will discuss the role of body within the self, explaining why it is the body that is most dominant within the self. He will end by explaining how a correct understanding of the self gives us the “Keys to the Kingdom.”

Sunday, Jan 10 2021
"Keys to the Kingdom: Part I - The Mind"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

This portion of Sunday's service (1/10/2021) is the first of the three part sermon series, "Keys to the Kingdom: Part I - The Mind."

Sunday, Jan. 03, 2021
"Ponder This"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Life is said to be a journey. There are many ways of “journeying” through life. Some people make a bee line from cradle to grave. Some people do the “drunkard’s walk,” constantly drifting from one “shiny object” to the next in a seemingly nonsensical pattern. Other’s merely sit by the side of the road and watch other travelers go by... Another manner of journeying through life is to walk, stop and ponder. In this sermon, Dr. Riegel will extol the virtues of “pondering.”

Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020
"Christmas Eve Service"
The Revs. Kimi and Alexander Riegel

Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020
"Question Box Part I"
Dr. Alexander Riegel

Typically, in the spring, Dr. Riegel does a Question Box sermon. (Last spring the Question Box sermon got waylaid by this pandemic.) This is an opportunity for you to submit a question to Dr. Riegel, which he will answer during the sermon.

Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020
"It's All about the Squiggles"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

The symbol for the Taoist tradition is yin-yang. This is understood as a symbol that represents opposites, which together comprise the whole. Such opposites include male-female, light-dark, moon-sun, intuitive-logical... In this sermon I will take the liberty of adding another pair of opposites, squiggly-straight, and argue that "It's all about the squiggles."

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020
"This Spider... This Moonlight"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Dr. Riegel has been known to flavor his sermons with tidbits from the philosopher Fredrich Nietzsche. In this sermon, he will present what he considers to be Nietzsche's most constructive philosophical idea, which possesses a powerful philosophical/religious challenge for us all. "Would you not curse the demon who spoke thus, or, would you bow down before him and say, 'Never have I heard anything more divine!'"

Sunday, Oct. 04, 2020
"The Politics of Consciousness"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

In 1963, Harvard professors Richard Alpert and Timothy Leary, later turned Yogi and psychedelic gurus, respectively, co-authored an essay entitled "The Politics of Consciousness Expansion." In that book, they argued for the right of individuals to explore their own consciousness through the use of psychedelics. Dr. Riegel will connect their argument about the right of psychological autonomy to the detrimental effects today's technological and social media driven business empires have upon the individual. Welcome to 1984 on steroids...

Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020
"Toxoplasma gondii and the Audacious Mouse"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

The power of belief on the human psyche is awesome! Surprisingly, little attention is given to the effect beliefs have on us as human beings. Second only to our biology, they are powerful motivators for human action in the world. Dr. Riegel will suggest that one of the most effective ways forward for our species in these challenging times is not through military might, economic success, or political persuasion, but the altering of the beliefs that we hold.

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020
"Unitarian Universalism and Working People:
What Are We Called To Do?"
Joe Buttiglieri

What does or should it mean when Unitarian Universalists celebrate Labor Day? An examination of how America's laborers are mistreated and what our Principles and Purposes call on us to do as individuals and as congregation. 

Sunday, Aug 23, 2020
"Finding Compassion"
Jerry Herron

Compassion seems a particularly important topic these days, given all that is happening. I've come to the conclusion that compassion is not so much a fixed state of mind as it is an over-and-over-again destination, that we can get to, and keep coming back to, if we have a proper map. From there, it becomes possible to feel toward ourselves and each other, and then to act, in ways that might prove as beneficial as they are necessary. What I am proposing, then, is a kind of traveler's guide for finding compassion, with advice provided by poetry, philosophy, fiction, drama, music, and film.

Sunday, Aug 9, 2020
"Tips for Staying Together in a Long-Term Relationship"
Kathy Konwiak

As Unitarian Universalists, we work to affirm and promote justice equity and compassion in human relations as our second of seven principles. Living out this principle with a person we are closest to - our life partner - is so important to quality of that relationship. Kathy Konwiak has recently retired from a 35-year career as clinical psychotherapist. Kathy is offering her insights as a therapist and as almost a four-decade long Unitarian Universalist into those qualities that appear to be most important in nurturing and protecting these most important relationships.

Sunday, July 26, 2020
"'God moves in mysterious ways':
Natural Selection as The Creator"
William Moore

The British theologian William Paley published his best-selling book "Natural Theology or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity" in 1802; the title is a concise synopsis of the theology that dominated the Church of England in the 18th and 19th centuries. Scores of naturalist-parsons spent their ample leisure piously collecting beetles, butterflies, mosses and other organisms searching for the Attributes of God. What they found was "nature, red in tooth and claw" and a Creator whose attributes resembled those of Rube Goldberg rather than the omniscient God of the Old Testament. Could the human genome be a Rube Goldberg invention? It certainly looks that way.

Sunday, June 21, 2020
"A Long Way from Love"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Liberals are on the move again! Catalyzed by the pandemic that has clearly revealed the profound inequities in our culture and additional killings of black citizens at the hands of police, the rally cry for social justice is gaining momentum. This is wonderful to see, as it has been too long since we've seen such passion pushing back against the power structures that divide and oppress people. But there is something disturbing in this renewed passion for social justice. Rather, there is something disturbingly lacking in this renewed passion for social justice. Too many people on the left have bought into the mentality that we are in the midst of a moral Civil War, holding those on the right with as much disdain as the right holds them and disregarding those on the left who aren't "woke" enough to "get it." Dr. Riegel will address this disturbing trend, suggesting that we are a long way from love, and will also speak to how love is a platform from which liberal religious people need do their work.

Sunday, June 7, 2020
"The Nightingale and the Rose"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

"The Nightingale and the Rose" is a beautiful, tragic-romantic short story by Oscar Wilde. Dr. Riegel will do a special reading of the "The Nightingale and the Rose" and reflect upon its meaning. Dr. Riegel will also be providing another hammered dulcimer Prelude for this service.

Sunday, May 24, 2020
"Transitions"
Dr. John  Artis

In a time of deep physical and emotional change, how do we embrace the transitions in our life? We all face tremendous change in our lives and have so many questions to answer about how to transition through the changes. On this Memorial Day, let us examine the transitions and make a commitment to handle the change in a positive way.

Sunday, May 10, 2020
"Religion without a Net"
Rev. Dr. Alexander Riegel

Unitarian Universalism is a creedless religious path.  We offer no prescribed beliefs or ritualistic practices by which one may guide one's religious life.  Instead, we hold to the right of conscience in determining one's own spiritual path.  The apt metaphor here is walking the high wire without a net beneath oneself.  Similarly, Dr. Riegel calls Unitarian Universalism "religion without a net."

Sunday, April 26, 2020
"Personal Stories from the COVID-19 Crisis"
Various Members of GPUC

Five GPUC members offer brief reflections on their personal experiences and how they've managed to survive the current crisis.

Sunday April 12, 2020
"Empty Tombs and Spiritual Deserts"
Rev. Mitra Rahnema

Sunday March 29, 2020
"Happy All The Time?"
Jerry Herron