http://uuquincy.org 2008 Unitarian Church of Quincy, Illinois en-us Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0600 Unitarian/Universalist Sermons from Quincy, IL Speakers at the Unitarian Church of Quincy, IL A selection of talks recorded in the Unitarian Church of Quincy, Illinois. We have a variety of speakers in our church. Our minister, Rev. Dr. Rob Manning, is our speaker about one-third of the time, and the other two-thirds are given by lay speakers from the congregation and the community. Michael Flanagan - Webmaster spam-ml-flanagan@sbcglobal.net no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, June 1, 2008 There is something about the word "Hope" that is seductively alluring to us. But what rational basis is there for our Hopes? It's a strange word, when you think about it! Isn't it? Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630fe-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:23:39 no Jeff Seabarkrob Recorded on Sunday, May 25, 2008 Jeff tells us the story of his sibling, his older brother, on his brother's birthday. The contrast between these two lives is told with sorrow and love and compassion, to the church family Jeff now calls home. Sun, 25 May 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630fd-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:38:30 no Susan Hebble Recorded on Sunday, May 18, 2008 How many times during a day will you say, "Sorry," or "Excuse me," or "Pardon?" Here we examine not only the small bumps in life, but also the requirement that we express remorse for the damage that we do to others. Sun, 18 May 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630fc-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:24:01 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, May 4, 2008 Surveying the Religious Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, we find a God that must be a being who loves to create, who loves diversity, who loves to open up possibilities for the future of the universe. Sun, 04 May 2008 12:00:00 -0600 5555630fb-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:26:56 no Steve Wiegenstein Recorded on Sunday, April 27, 2008 Steve has been researching nineteenth century ways of life as part of his process for writing a book. It is an exercise full of surprises and insights that aren't immediately apparent to those who haven't yet immersed themselves so deeply. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630fa-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:24:37 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Quoting the Talmud, we challenge the wisdom of the American Invasion of Iraq. Understanding that we are the Americans who who started it; we lament the unintended consequences of the Invasion and our moral responsibility for all of the lives lost and disrupted by the events put in motion by U.S. - us. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f9-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:32:40 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, April 6, 2008 Rev. Manning shares his thoughts on Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech and on the way that America's mainstream news media created the controversy over Rev. Wright's remarks. Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f8-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:33:49 no Rev. Edward Searl Recorded on Sunday, March 30, 2008 Surveys bear it out: atheists are the most hated group in America. Learn about two kinds of atheists. And reflect on the ways that an atheist can be reverent, arguably more reverent than more traditional believers. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f7-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:36:39 no Carol Nichols Recorded on Sunday, March 16, 2008 Mary Magdeline's gospel was lost for more than a millenia. One of Carol's quests is to learn all that she possibly can about the historical Jesus and the people who surrounded him. Recent discoveries continue to bring more information than the Church of the dark age would allow us to hear. Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f6-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:34:28 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, March 9, 2008 Internationally regarded as America's preeminent philosopher; do Ralph Waldo Emerson's writings still have any relevance for our American culture today? The focus here is upon his essays Self-Reliance, Nature, and his Divinity School Address. Sun, 9 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f5-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:34:36 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, February 24, 2008 What parallels can be found between Antigone's predicament and ours, today. The King forbade Antigone to bury her brother. We are forbidden to view the flag-draped coffins of our fallen brothers and sisters. How can we respond when the State is manipulating the depth of public response towards the actions of the State? Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f4-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:34:06 no Dr. Gerald McWhorter Recorded on Sunday, February 17, 2008 Our sense for Morality should notice that there are both homeless persons and vacant houses; that there are both people who possess great wealth and people who must choose between food and prescribed medications. One simple step toward living morally is to simply befriend one another. Welcome the experiences others share with you. Acknowledge and listen to each other. Encourage others to enjoy being homo-sapiens, living on this planet, during this moment in time. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f3-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:48:19 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, February 10, 2008 Historians have offerred much speculation about the religious views of Abraham Lincoln. Here, a Philosopher surveys the evidence and comes to his own conclusions. Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f1-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:40:22 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, January 27, 2008 A broad and comprehensive survey of the history, the politics, the religious values and the racism of the crimes against humanity that are being perpetrated in the region of the Sudan called Darfur. Sun, 27 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f2-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:46:26 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, January 20, 2008 Recently returned from a seminar at the Holocaust Museum, and marking the coming holiday, Rob surved the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for references to the Holocaust. Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630f0-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:29:13 no Michael Flanagan Recorded on Sunday, January 13, 2008 Idealism is often uncomfortable alongside pragmatism. Is it possible that pragmitically, idealistic Democracy could produce high quality solutions to political questions? Perhaps it depends upon the characteristics of the systems used to ask the questions. Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630ef-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:37:23 no Liz Alonzo Recorded on Sunday, January 6, 2008 Liz shares her views as a life-long Catholic; exploring the divide between political parties and candidates over the "Hot Button" issues of Abortion, The War, and Gay Marriage. Sun, 6 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0600 555630ee-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:19:57 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, December 9, 2007 When we speak of peace, our first thought is of peace in the world. We look for an absence of violence and conflict, warfare and crime. But there is a more immediate level of peace, the peace within. The Budhist tradition offers us detailed techniques for developing inner peace. And the Vietnamese Budhist writer, Tich Nhat Hahn describes them with a beautiful simplicity. Sun, 9 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630ec-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:31:59 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, December 2, 2007 American Christianity, even American Catholicism, has lost much of the contemplative meaning of Advent. From the writings Thomas Merton, a secluded, Trappist Monk, we glean his understanding of what it is about current events that is worthy of contemplation, and what is not. Sun, 2 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630eb-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:28:38 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, November 18, 2007 Rob moves us towards the enjoyment of our place in the sun. Using the Latin term, ipseity, we can find an understanding of our selves lying outside of the province of sin and guilt and aescetic ideals. We hear Nietzsche saying, . . . that the sick should not make the healthy sick, should surely be our supreme concern on earth. Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630ea-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:28:14 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, November 4, 2007 Unitarian thought grew out of the Enlightenment, the age of the Modern. As intellectuals have grown past the age of the Modern into the Postmodern, Unitarian thought too, has evolved into something fresh and new. Sun, 4 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e9-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:26:56 no Rev. Keith Delap Recorded on Sunday, October 28, 2007 Rev. Delap, retired from the Presbyterian Ministry, directs our attention to the message of reconciliation and forgiveness that is contained in the ministry of Jesus. He recounts his efforts towards the World Peace, a Christian goal which he has promoted throughout his own ministry. Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e8-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:34:02 no Paul Miller Recorded on Sunday, October 14, 2007 Environmental doomsday is only a part of the danger that faces our planet. Paul surveys the stages of events that lead up to failed civilizations and shares his optimism that humankind will realize the value of a broader self-interest. Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e6-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:30:20 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, October 7, 2007 Jesus is often credited as a great teacher of moral principles by the Christian community. Writings handed down from Confucius contain a larger body of moral teaching than any other moral teacher, including Jesus! Today, we explore Confucian wisdom. Sun, 7 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e5-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:25:38 no Frieda Marshall Recorded on Sunday, May 27, 2007 A very special service honoring the Tenth Anniversary of the ministry of the Reverend Dr. Rob Manning. Remarks from Fr. Bill Burton, Ellen Taylor, Frieda Marshall, Dr. Kerry Manning, and Dr. Rob Manning. Music from Kim Starkey. Sun, 27 May 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e4-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:35:00 no Paul Miller Recorded on Sunday, May 13, 2007 In this society of consumption, the desire to accumulate is driven by the primitive urge to survive. Adam Smith's economic model provides a solution to the efficient distribution of SCARCE commodities. How do we cope when "stuff" isn't scarce any more? Sun, 13 May 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e7-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:33:41 no Susan Morrison Hebble Recorded on Sunday, May 6, 2007 Perfection is not part of our make up. Indeed, achieving perfection might be the death of us; it is a notion antithetical to the idea of seeking to make the world a better place, . . . to continually renew the spirit. . . but also to celebrate humanity. And humanity, by definition, is imperfect! Sun, 6 May 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e2-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:23:56 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, April 29, 2007 What do you think are the most enjoyable things in your life? Playing in the dirt? Your children? Hanging out with friends? "There has never been enough joy." Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630ed-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:22:29 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, April 22, 2007 Following a week of senseless murder, both in Quincy and at Virginia Tech, Rob shifted his focus to address some of the issues raised. These acts are symptoms of a culture oriented towards death rather than a culture of life. Referring to the conception of God described by Alfred North Whitehead, Rob explains how God experiences the losses during the week past with pain, very much like our own. Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630e1-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:33:42 no Joe Conover Recorded on Sunday, April 15, 2007 Joe concludes a marvelous survey of the human condition with the words, "Perhaps being "fully alive" means simply living by that positive ethic that was also taught over the last 4,000 years by all the great religions of which we know: treat others as we would want to be treated. If the evolutionary biologists have it right, this is in fact the ethic that came to us from our primate ancestors. If so, it is this ethic that is truly fundamental." And including special music from Robert Sibbing - clarinet, Rosa Julstrom - piano, and Mari Hauge - cello. 555630e0-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 Sun, 15 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0600 00:36:45 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007 On this Easter Sunday Morning, Rob made a fresh survey of the four Canonic gospels, with only one question in his focus: What was it that Jesus was trying to save us from. He came up with five answers, each with a scriptural reference. You will find the range of these answers at variance with the traditional American Christian Easter sermon. Sun, 8 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0600 555630df-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 00:33:08 no Steve Wiegenstein Recorded on Sunday, April 1, 2007 Steve brings us an April Fool's delight; a critique of the forms of humor that we encounter daily. Mixed in amongst the scholarly analysis and the thoughtful observations are examples of the humor that Steve finds most entertaining. Have you heard the one about . . . 555630de-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 Sun, 01 Apr 2007 12:00:00 -0600 00:26:57 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, March 25, 2007 Rob shares his recent experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Romania. This time his focus is upon the perception that Romanians and Eastern Europeans in general, have of America and of Americans. Rob presents a 21st Century version of the story of the "Ugly American." 555630dd-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0600 00:31:21 no Jane Hayashi Recorded on Sunday, March 18, 2007 Culture shock seems to be a theme at Quincy's Unitarian Church, recently. Jane Hayashi recounts her recent experiences as an exchange student in Japan. 555630dc-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0600 00:36:07 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, March 11, 2007 The face of Christianity in America has been dominated by the politically active, Religious Right, for several decades, now. In his book, God's Politics, Jim Wallis presents an indictment of the Religious Right. Jim Wallis presents a vision of Christianity that Unitarians can look more favorably upon. 555630db-cf24-11db-8314-0800200c9a66 Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0600 00:37:20 no Rev. Dr. Rob Manning Recorded on Sunday, March 4, 2007 When we become confronted with clashing cultures, we often find that truth becomes elusive. We suppose that we know many things about other peoples. Our experiences within other cultures reveal to us how much we don't understand about what is foreign,different to us, and how imperfect, and flawed, and provisional is our understanding when we do try to interpret and to know the other. 198AD109-6812-4F8D-902D-4BB63DC99308 Thu, 8 Mar 2007 10:17:48 -0600 00:29:13 no