Association Sunday 2011 Sermons
Celebrating Excellence in Our Ministries
Enjoy materials from congregations all over the country from their own Association Sunday services celebrating excellence in our ministries.
"Association Sunday: when we hold up all that we give and receive in association with other congregations...We are linked for better and worse with one another in ministry that can be a lot more clear when those of us who are religious professionals honor the need for continuing education and when our larger Unitarian Universalist Association is spiritually and fiscally empowered to assess our ministries now and the kind of ministries needed in the years to come."
—Rev. Dr. Jan Carlsson-Bull, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills, Kingston, NY: "With" (PDF, 4 pages)
"We come together in congregations because something in us knows we need more than we can find in our aloneness. We need others for this journey of life. Similarly, our Unitarian Universalist congregations come together to form an Association because we need more than we can find in our individual communities. In our togetherness we are so much more than we can ever be on our own."
—Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson, North Shore Unitarian Universalists, Lacombe, LA: "The Future of Unitarian Universalism" (PDF, 4 pages)
"What we do together here matters. It matters to you. It matters to the community. And we do not invent it or do it alone. We have bound ourselves together in an association, reflecting our principles of autonomy and relationship...[I]t is how we insure the health and vitality of our congregation—joining with other congregations, feeling the wonder of strength and joy that comes when we walk and lean
together."
—Rev. Dr. Anita Farber-Robertson, First Parish in Cohasset, MA: "Leaning in Toward One Another" (PDF, 3 pages)
"Today’s offering primarily helps the UUA programs that help religious professionals—religious education directors, musicians/choir directors, and of course ministers... These UUA programs are the bridges that connect our religious professionals. They are the energy source that helps enlighten and propel our faith. Today I ask you to help pay for that connectedness and that energy, recognizing that we – no matter how aware or how blissfully ignorant we may be of the UUA and its programs – are the ultimate beneficiaries."
—Rev. Lydia Ferrante-Roseberry, Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Lafayette, CO: "Equipping the Ministry" Order of Service (PDF, 9 pages)
"We have a community based upon totally free individual congregations...The web of this Association is wide, and the center is each and every congregation."
—Rev. James Ford, First Unitarian Church, Providence, RI: "A Lover's Quarrel" (PDF, 4 pages)
"You have probably heard it stated that our faith is covenantal rather than creedal. In other words, it has to do with agreements about our relationships with one another, rather than agreements about what we believe... When we speak of being a covenantal religion, the covenant is not just within congregations but among them. Our congregations are intended to be in relationship, in Association."
—Jan Gartner, Eliot Unitarian Chapel, Kirkwood, MO: "Growth by Association" (PDF, 4 pages)
"Today, on Association Sunday, UUs from around the country gather to remember the web of roots that connects to one another. We honor our roots lest we become rootless and adrift, lest our UU tradition become cut off from the channels that bring us water and nutrients, lest our souls become deserts buffeted by the winds of change. When we take root we become strong, we become wise, and we remember that we are never alone."
—Rev. Darcey Laine, Unitarian Universalist Church of Athens and Sheshequin, Athens, PA: "Taking Root" (PDF, 5 pages)
"I believe what Association Sunday funds are used for is of less importance than the willingness of each of our congregations and their members to set aside their own needs and build something magnificent together."
—Linda Laskowski, "Saving Lives" (PDF, 6 pages)
"I am looking forward to deepening my relationship with the UUA and the People that make up this open, compassionate, and curious religion."
—Chris Meyer, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett, Lawrenceville, GA: "The UUA & Me" (PDF, 3 pages)
"More and better music, engaging religious education, ministers that have at least a clue, all will help our faith grow and grow we need to do, for ourselves, and for the world. We do things better when we are doing them together."
—Rev. Theresa Novak, Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, UT: "Sermon for Association Sunday" (PDF, 4 pages)
"My profession may have changed, but my profession of faith has not. I still believe in Unitarian Universalism and I still believe in you. I trust that you will support your church generously with your time, talent, and money; and I trust that you will support our movement by giving generously for the continuing education of our religious professionals; so they can help us create a more caring community and a more just and peaceful future for all."
—Rev. Dr. Stephan Papa: "Oh, No! My Profession (and Just About Everything Else) Has Changed!" (PDF, 4 pages)
"Unitarian Universalism can and should be the religion for our time. If we believe in those principles informed by our sources, then our intention should point us to realizing it as the religion for our time. And if that is our intention, if we are to live up to the challenge that implies, the strategic plan raises the call that we must equip our religious professionals..."
—Rev. Maddie Sifantus, Consulting Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Wakefield, MA: "Association" (PDF, 4 pages)
"That is what it means to be Unitarian Universalist, to be a member of this church. It means we are scouting our community looking for ways to create equality and fairness, looking for ways to nurture compassion, making sure every voice is heard, looking for ways to be good stewards of our earth and our natural world."
—Rev. Pam Wat, Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Denton, TX: "The Roots of Our Faith" (Vimeo)
"It is a pleasure to worship together, to celebrate our connections and our untapped potential. But something more than 'feeling good' is now asked of us. From your 'plenty and then some,' you are now asked to give of yourselves, to give your good energy in the form of money."
—Rev. Vail Weller: "Association Sunday Offering Narrative" (PDF, 2 pages)
Send sermons, videos, pictures, and audio from your congregation's Association Sunday service to associationsunday@uua.org.
For more information contact associationsunday@uua.org.
This work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors. Please consider making a donation today.
Last updated on Thursday, April 5, 2012.
Updated and Popular
Popular New Searches
For Newcomers
Learn more about the Beliefs & Principles of Unitarian Universalism, or read our online magazine, UU World, for features on today's Unitarian Universalists. Visit an online UU church, or find a congregation near you.
