January 13, 2003. "Families That We Choose." Brent Was, Intern Minister

February 2, 2003. "Reasonable Faith." Brent Was, Intern Minister
For many of us, our religious faith and belief systems seem to fly in the face of reason. Reason and faith do not have to be incompatible, but how do Unitarian Universalists make a leap of faith?

February 9, 2003. "What Are We Afraid Of?" Rev. Peter Morales, Guest Minister
We cannot embark on our spiritual journeys if our spirits are imprisoned by fear. Fear paralyzes us, both as individuals and as a community of faith. We will reflect upon fears that hold us back today and how we might overcome them.
 
February 23, 2003. "Ten Years of Ministry." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
On the occasion of this tenth anniversary of my ministry with you, I thought it appropriate to share with you some personal reflections on what it means to be a minister, and how I have experienced being your minister though these years we have been together in this grace-filled relationship.

March 9, 2003. “Living Well, Dying Well.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
My experience with people who are approaching death leads me to believe that the end of life can be exceedingly rich and satisfying, spiritually speaking. People generally die well. This is a sermon for all of us.

March 16, 2003. “Falling in Love--and Staying There.” Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
What is this phenomenon called “falling in love?” Can these feelings be depended upon or are they illusory, just a kind of wish fulfillment? Can romantic love last, or is it only for the very young?

March 23, 2003. "Swords into Plowshares." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell

March 30, 2003. "When Hope and History Rhyme." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Guest Preacher. The Christian tradition speaks of hope as among the "great enduring realities--an anchor of the soul" which is utterly unreliable. What is that hope, and how might we interpret it as Unitarian Universalists?

April 6, 2003. "God and Business."  Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
This sermon is a reflection about God, the Mystery That We Cannot Know. So what would God (Yahweh, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed?) say about the recent scandals in the corporate world?

April 20, 2003. "The Resurrection of Hope." Brent Was, Intern Minister

April 20, 2003. "Feeling Like God's Jilted Lover." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell 
The apostles were devastated that Jesus—the only one they thought would save them from Roman rule and set up a kingdom on this earth—allowed himself to be crucified. This sermon will explore our personal relationship with God and how that relationship can be harmed by human expectations.

April 27, 2003. "Men in the Modern World."  Brent Was, Intern Minister
As issues of war and peace and love and sacrifice flood the media, we often find ourselves forgetting the humanness of the men we see in the news. Who are men in this modern world? Why do we behave as we do?
 
May 4, 2003. "Taming the Ego." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell       
Every religious tradition recognizes that the core obstacle to spiritual deepening is the focus on self—believing that there is a self, the Buddhists would say, keeps us from the One. In this sermon, we will consider the relevance of relinquishment, of being given over to the Holy, and the new life and joy that can emerge from that decision.

May 18, 2003. "The Church as a Civic Institution." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Historically, where have churches been when the big social/cultural shifts were occurring in American society? During abolition, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War? What is the responsibility of the church to lead in ethical/moral issues, and how do we do that and still keep the institution intact during these potentially divisive periods?

May 25, 2003. "Becoming Native to This Place." Brent Was, Intern Minister
In a culture obsessed with self-reliance, we often feel isolated and alone. Our lives can become confusing amidst the business of daily life and many of us lose touch with the important things. Finding a home, discovering a place for ourselves in our world, has never been more important.

June 1, 2003. "Fidelity: The Meaning Beyond the Rules." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
The word "fidelity" means to be faithful. But what does true faithfulness mean, beyond "thou shalt not"?

June 8, 2003. "Blessings in Disguise." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Life has a way of surprising us. Sometimes we are visited with loss, pain, and uncertainty and later we look back and understand that a blessing was hidden amidst the trouble.

June 15, 2003. "The Grateful Life." Bret Was, Intern Minister
In its purest form, religion is a deep sense of gratitude. To God, to the Earth, to a prophet, to a teaching, to the Spirit of Life, gratitude is felt and expressed. But gratitude is more than simply a feeling; it is a way of being. In out world, in our church, how do we employ this important state?

June 22, 2003. "Developing Lovingkindness." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
How do we move more gently in this world, more peacefully?  What would lives be like if we cultivated cooperation and kindness instead of anger and aggression?

July 6, 2003. "Who More Than Self Their Country Loved." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Summer Minister
The beloved song "America the Beautiful" speaks of heroes who loved their country more than themselves, and "mercy more than life." With this sermon, we'll look behind the veil of myth to these real men and women and the remarkable vision of democracy to which they dedicated their hearts, treasures and lives.

July 13, 2003. "A Love That Lights the Sky." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Summer Minister 
At the root of justice is love—not valentines and roses kind of love, but the love that turns the world and lights the sky. Our work for justice is an expression of such love, grounded in mutuality and solidarity. As this church considers international partnership, we’ll examine the gifts and the responsibilities of this passionate, justice-making love.

August 3, 2003. "Still the Moon Increases." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Summer Minister
To be human is to suffer loss, occasionally a loss so painful we are convinced we cannot survive. And yet we do survive, sometimes against our will, and, in our surviving, we receive an exquisite gift: a glimpse of the hearbreaking joy at the center of all things.

August 10, 2003. "Unitarian Christians--the Questions." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Summer Minister
What are Unitarian Christians? What do they believe? Where did they come from? Will they try to convert me? Find out the answers to all these questions and more--including the oft-asked: "But what about the virgin birth?!"

August 24, 2003. "The Temptation to Be Good." Cecilia Kingman Miller, Summer Minister
We speak of temptation as something that pulls us into less than desirable behaviors. Yet it is also true that we are tempted toward goodness. We long to live as our best and noblest selves. What is this temptation, and why is it so hard to follow? How can we grow into the people we want to be?

August 31, 2003. "Bread for the Journey." Kate Lore, Social Justice Director
Why has the Exodus story been so central to Liberation Theology? What do we do when we suddenly find ourselves in our own version of "the wilderness"? What can we expect to find in the Promised Land?

September 7, 2003. "Welcome Home." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
We all need a warm, welcoming presence in our lives. This church welcomes you as you are and helps you to become what you want to become.

September 14, 2003. "God Has Time to Listen if You Have Time to Pray." Rev. Thomas Disrud
I read this quote at a place called Harold's Barbecue in Atlanta in January. What happens when we take the time to name what is most important in our lives, to name our struggles, our failings? What happens when we simply take the time to give thanks?

September 21, 2003. "Do You Believe in Miracles?" Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
A miracle is an event that defies known scientific laws. Is this just superstitious nonsense--or the sign of a dimension of spirit that is not comprehensible to empirical thinking?

September 28, 2003. "When Fear Enters In." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
We all have our fears, but since the events of 9/11 our fears have multiplied, it seems. What are you afraid of? Do your fears constrain you, limit your possibilities?

October 5, 2003. "Finding the Courage to Keep Going." Bruce Davis, Intern Minister
We all have days when it is difficult to get out of bed in the morning. We all find times when it is hard to do what we must do. Frankly, it takes courage to keep going day after day with the challenges and disappointments that confront us. But what if our courage begins to fail? Where can we turn to renew our faith?

October 12, 2003. "The Worth of Work and the Value of Self."
Rev. Thomas Disrud
Work is central to our lives: in how we see ourselves in the world and in how we sustain ourselves in life. But with a "jobless recovery" and changing workplaces, the meaning and value of the work--and what that means for us--is changing.

October 19, 2003. "All the Lonely People." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
This sermon is Part I of a duo of sermons which address the loneliness of our culture and suggest new ways of being together. This first sermon looks at our need for friendship, caring, community.

October 26, 2003. "Healing the Lonely Heart." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Part II suggests ways to be intentional about changing our patterns and habits of living which separate us, the one from the other.

November 2, 2003. "Seeing America from Someplace Else." Rev. Thomas Disrud
“Why do they hate us?” was a big question after the Sept. 11 attacks. Being in SE Asia for three months during the buildup and launching of the Iraq War was an eye-opening experience. Some thoughts on our country, citizenship and how others see us at this time in history.

November 9, 2003. "Take Two Aspirin and Call Me in the Morning." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
We have amazing drugs these days, and we benefit from their use. However, all is not sweetness and light in the drug industry. Some reflections on the abuses of that industry, and suggestions on how we can turn things around.

November 23, 2003. "The Gifts of Memory." Rev. Thomas Disrud
“And memory makes kings and queens of us,” May Sarton writes in her poem “All Souls.” How do memories ground us in the past and how can they help us as we make our way into the future?

November 30, 2003. "Forming Your Framework for Ethical Living." Bruce Davis, Intern Minister
Every day we face many hard choices. Moreover, many worthy causes call for our limited energy and resources. How can we build a reliable framework to guide our ethical living?

December 7, 2003. "Pilgrimage." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
There are times in life when we know we have to go down a certain path, daunting though it may be. We are drawn to certain experiences, certain places, certain people who we sense have something to teach us. When we are courageous enough to take up these challenges, we find more depth of spirit than we ever guessed we had.

December 21, 2003. "What We Have By Grace." Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell
Grace is what we have been blessed with, but in no way “deserve,” the universe’s bounteous gifts laid before us. The birth of Jesus is the symbol of just such a gift, which came to us, ironically enough, in the darkness of winter and the cold of night.

December 28, 2003. “Making Promises: To Ourselves and With Each Other.” Bruce Davis, Intern Minister
“In the beginning was the Word.” So begins the book of John in the Christian Scripture. But what does it mean “to give my word”? And once given, how do we honor our covenant?