First U Think
159 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingFirst U Think is a podcast designed for you, just as you are. We're bringing you weekly talks about the topics that matter. Living with values. Caring about the world and the people in it. Making a difference. Learning about prophetic people and their work. Want to change the world? First you think. First U Think is brought to you by the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines IA.
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Episodes
Life is not a Dress Rehearsal
February 24, 2022 18:00 - 13 minutes - 9.08 MBIt is said that every minister really only has one sermon. Life is Not A Dress Rehearsal is Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner’s. We came together February 20th to celebrate our “one wild and precious life.” Support the show (https://pushpay.com/g/firstunitarianchurchdesmoines?src=hpp)
Life is not a Dress Rehearsal
February 24, 2022 18:00 - 13 minutes - 9.08 MBIt is said that every minister really only has one sermon. Life is Not A Dress Rehearsal is Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner’s. We came together February 20th to celebrate our “one wild and precious life.” Support the Show.
A Between Us: Identity, Community, and Self
February 16, 2022 06:00 - 13 minutes - 9.3 MBSunday, February 13th, we explored the roles words play in shaping our identities and communities. We use many words to express ourselves and how we move through the world. With varying specificity, they help us communicate our genders, sexualities, ethical frameworks, spiritualities, and more. Like many tools, they can make life easier to navigate. And sometimes they can get in our way when finding and building community with one another. Support the Show.
The Road to Change
February 10, 2022 18:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBSunday, February 13th, Elaine shared her experience of a trip that made her change from her initial plan and lead her in a direction she didn't plan for. Support the Show.
From Legos to Logos
January 31, 2022 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.63 MBUnitarian Universalism doesn’t come with a holy book or creed. Today we’re going to talk about building religion and having it your way. Support the show
Below the Line
January 28, 2022 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBLiving with struggle is difficult. Today we gather to support one another in community and to talk about living with poverty. Support the Show.
Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
January 19, 2022 19:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MBCome and share a hopeful exploration of Martin Luther King Day. The dream is alive, and we can bring it closer to completion. Support the Show.
We Can Do It (Yes We Can!)
January 13, 2022 19:00 - 14 minutes - 9.76 MBWalking with others as allies is not easy- our paths are different, our experiences varied. How are we called to respond authentically to oppression and injustice in our world and what are the possibilities? Support the Show.
Christmas Eve: Oh Night Divine. Special Event Extended
January 06, 2022 18:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBA Christmas Eve service of beautiful music and timeless lessons. Support the show
Christmas Eve: Oh Night Divine. Special Event Extended
January 06, 2022 18:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBA Christmas Eve service of beautiful music and timeless lessons. Support the Show.
CRT and Thee
January 04, 2022 18:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBWhat is Critical Race Theory and how does it impact us? Come and learn about this hot button issue, and explore it's impact on your life and your spiritual practice? Support the Show.
Christmas: A Distinctively Unitarian Holiday. Special Event Extended
December 23, 2021 18:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBOur Christmas service Sunday was a special music-centric service that celebrated the approaching holiday! Enjoy performances from the Choir and Bells, and take a moment to find peace in the middle of the hectic holiday season. Support the show (https://pushpay.com/g/firstunitarianchurchdesmoines?src=hpp)
Christmas: A Distinctively Unitarian Holiday. Special Event Extended
December 23, 2021 18:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBOur Christmas service Sunday was a special music-centric service that celebrated the approaching holiday! Enjoy performances from the Choir and Bells, and take a moment to find peace in the middle of the hectic holiday season. Support the Show.
I Have Learned to Love the Fallow Way
December 16, 2021 18:00 - 10 minutes - 7.58 MB“The leaves are gone and branches are bare. The moon glows against the snow and fields are empty. In this dark and cold season, how do we learn to appreciate the times of stillness, and waiting? Waiting for birth and growth, a new job, school to start or end, a new life, another chance, a coming change? The winters of our life are the pauses in between- the places where we center ourselves, and prepare to burst forward again. We welcome all as we explore the beauty and worth of the spaces in...
Leaning into Joy
December 09, 2021 18:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBYou don't have to earn joy. Come and explore leaning into joy as a spiritual practice. Support the show
Crossroads of Perception with Ysandril Morrigan and Gwen Hope
December 01, 2021 22:00 - 9 minutes - 6.58 MB"Transgender Lives Face to Face", Ysandril Morrigan and Gwen Hope. Support the show (https://pushpay.com/g/firstunitarianchurchdesmoines?src=hpp)
Crossroads of Perception with Ysandril Morrigan and members of the UCDSM Transgender Action Group
December 01, 2021 22:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBJoin members of the congregation's Transgender Action Group on an introspective journey into the hearts and minds, the pleasures and pitfalls, ecstasies and anxieties of what it is like to be transgender, in public and in private. Support the Show.
Saints and Sinners, Gratitude and Grace
November 23, 2021 21:00 - 15 minutes - 11.1 MBTrue, deep gratitude doesn't edit. It’s about finding the joy in the beautiful messy table of your life, without cleaning it up to make it presentable. Please join us for this warm Thanksgiving service about gratitude, and grace Support the show
Running Out of Gas, Blowing Out Tires, John Murray, Silver Linings, and You
November 11, 2021 18:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe story of John Murray is a story of sadness, grief, and unexpected silver linings. This service explores the good that sometimes comes from the bad, and a story from our own Universalist history. Support the show
Running Out of Gas, Blowing Out Tires, John Murray, Silver Linings, and You
November 11, 2021 18:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe story of John Murray is a story of sadness, grief, and unexpected silver linings. This service explores the good that sometimes comes from the bad, and a story from our own Universalist history. Support the show
Take Up All That Remain
November 03, 2021 20:00 - 10 minutes - 6.99 MBSome Pagans and witches consider the end of October as the end and beginning of the liturgical year. Called Samhain, Hallowtide, or All Hallows, it’s a time to take one last look at the year: all that’s grown, all that’s come to fruit, and all that’s passed on. Everything in our world eventually comes to an end, and this can allow new things the room to come into being. Through this season, we can find the insight to see this interaction in our daily lives. Support the Show.
Four Noble Truths and Some Great Big Lies
November 03, 2021 20:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBWhat is the relationship between Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism? join us for a look at how Buddhist thought and UUism fit together, and on the way we'll talk about yoga mats, Dollar stores, and a little bit more! Support the show
Ghosts
October 20, 2021 19:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBThere are things we hold onto long after they have dried up and faded away, like the ghosts in a ghost story. Let's talk today about the relationships we have with the things we want to leave behind, the new things we have learned, and how to cut the ropes that tie us to dead ideas we want to leave behind Support the show
Volkswagen Salvation and Sacred Sushi
October 14, 2021 22:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBHearing the call of the sacred isn’t about stained glass windows or Sunday clothing, though it may include both. What calls and supports you, over and over again? How do you know when you are in the presence of the Holy? Support the show
Listening the Circle Wide
October 14, 2021 20:00 - 14 minutes - 10.3 MBWe must tell and LISTEN to stories of individual experiences in order to draw the circle of love wide. Join Rev. Kimberley Debus for this sermon about love and inclusion. Support the Show.
Exploring Belief in our own Identity as an Act of Self-Love with Dr. Rebecca Gibson
October 05, 2021 17:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBJoin us for this fascinating service. Rebecca Gibson is an independent scholar, whose published works include “Desire in the Age of Robots and AI: An Investigation in Science Fiction and Fact” (Palgrave Macmillan 2019), “The Corseted Skeleton: A Bioarchaeology of Binding” (Palgrave Macmillan 2020), and "Gender, Supernatural Beings, and the Liminality of Death: Monstrous Males/Fatal Females" (Lexington Books 2021). She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from American University, and when not writ...
If It's Mental Illness There's No Lasagna with Patty Notch
September 30, 2021 18:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBMental illness has been called the “non-casserole disease”. When your child is seriously physically ill, it is common for neighbors and friends to bring casseroles, and offer to help. But if we learn that someone’s son is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, or that their daughter has attempted suicide, we stay away. As Unitarians, we understand the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and our interdependence on one another. Erik Erikson, the German-American psychologist, said “Life doesn’...
Pouring Out Our Hearts
September 17, 2021 18:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBAfter over a year of COVID isolation, we long to embrace the possibilities of returning to community. Join us for this water communion service, and celebrate our beloved community Support the show
Making A Joyful Noise
September 08, 2021 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBRosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year- a time for both being judged and letting go of old mistakes. It is time to begin the work of new creation, and to allow life to lead you in new ways. Come and see how this holiday can make a difference in your life, and make a joyful noise! Support the show
The Merits And Moral Imperative of Smiting
September 01, 2021 23:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBIt has been said that all that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing. What does it look like, then, for good people to interrupt evil? Must we be rude? In a word: yes. Yes, we must. Support the Show.
Friends, Family, Fishin’ and Filosofy: The Wisdom of Pat McManus
August 25, 2021 17:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBSometimes friends, family, fun, and shared philosophies are what it is all about. Join Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw for this warm look at finding joy and support in our daily lives. Support the show
Why Do I Need a Bookmark When the Book's 12 Pages Long?
August 16, 2021 20:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBLife is often complex. Sometimes wisdom comes from the simplest things. Let's come together and talk about the wisdom we find in the stories we tell to children. Support the show
Creating the Beloved Community
August 14, 2021 00:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBAustralian Indigenous activist, Lilla Watson, says, “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Join our guest preachers, the Rev. Laura Randall and Heather Vickery of UUSC, as we explore how to create together the beloved community. Support the Show.
From Languishing to Flourishing
August 14, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBAs the landscape around us continues to shift seemingly from one day to the next, how do we transition from a state of languishing – not quite depressed, but not really thriving – to one in which we can flourish? Join us as we explore what positive psychology has to teach us about living into wellbeing, even in the midst of uncertainty. Join us for this service lead by Heidi Levine. Support the show
Fill Up Your Cups
August 14, 2021 00:00 - 9 minutes - 6.7 MBAs Unitarian Universalists, we're compelled to heal and help others by refilling their vessels. But sometimes, we're refilling from our own empty vessels. This service is about learning to fill and heal ourselves first, before we take care of others. Join music therapist and UCDSM member Meghan Westphal for this engaging service using music and imagery. Support the show
Change the Harvest
August 14, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBFor some witches and Pagans, Lammas is the first of three points in the year honoring the harvest. It asks us to focus on the “first harvests” of our lives and in the world around us. Literal harvests often go through changes to become the products we love, and we can also apply this observation to our metaphorical harvests. Join us in considering what we harvest in our lives, how we transform it, and how it transforms us in turn. Join us for this service with Birch Spick which explores th...
Interdependence Day
August 14, 2021 00:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBOur Unitarian Universalist faith values independence -- freedom of belief, freedom of thought, and more -- but we also value interdependence -- connection to and support of one another, connection to and honoring of the earth and its creatures. So for this holiday weekend we'll look at how to hold these things in balance in our faith and in our lives. Join Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum and explore connection. Support the Show.
Spiritual is Not Enough
August 14, 2021 00:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBHolly Near sang "I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God," but as UUs prove religion is about so much more than individual spiritual beliefs. As the pandemic lessens and we begin the work of finding a new normal, today we're going to talk about the deep value of religious community. Support the show
Francis David and the Light of Reason
June 06, 2021 22:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBFrancis David founded the Unitarian Church of Transylvania and was the leading figure in the Notrinitarian movements during the Protestant Reformation. Come and learn about the early years of our free faith. Support the show
Through Fields of Fire: A Flower Communion
June 02, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.86 MBA church is not a building. A church is a community of human hands and hearts. 2020 and 2021 have been a church year like no other, and today we will honor with joy our beloved community, and recognize that we have come through Fields of Fire to reach this day. Support the show
Vesak
May 21, 2021 20:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBThe Awakening Hearts Sangha of the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines presents this lovely celebration of the Buddhist holiday of Vesak Support the Show.
Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys
May 11, 2021 17:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBMothers help to shape the lives of their children. For good and bad, it’s a role that never ends. Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw recognizes today all those who share the responsibility for shaping another human life. Support the show
On This Journey Together
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBNo matter who we are, making sense of our lives and seeking out direction is a profound commonality we share as human beings. It is a journey that many people make in each other’s company, often in religious or spiritual communities. But for a variety of reasons, many LGBTQ people struggle to feel welcome in joining and staying in these communities. Join us as we consider what it means to be LGBTQ and spiritual, religious, or seeking deeper meaning in our lives. Support the Show.
Pathways to Creating a New Earth Day Story with Pachamama Alliance Iowa
May 03, 2021 22:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBJoin Janice Hawkins, Linda Lemons, and Ron Heideman as they discuss Earth Day and Pachamama Alliance of Iowa Support the Show.
Always Look on the Bright Side
April 20, 2021 22:00 - 14 minutes - 9.94 MBCome and explore faith and the wonderful world of Monty Python. A lighthearted look at absurdism, religion, and the meaning of life. Support the show
Growing Beyond Our Stereotypes: Dismantling Rape Culture
April 13, 2021 17:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBBoys will be boys. Feminism. Womanist. Separatist. Sexist. Misogynist. When images of men and women are often dictated by popular literature and the media, how do we live our values and embrace people of all genders? How do we move beyond “Rape Culture” and reach Beloved Community? Support the show
Rise Up (Easter)
April 07, 2021 17:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBCome and join us for a joyous Easter celebration. The gloom of any tomb can be overcome by the light of hope. Support the show
Holi, the Festival of Colors
March 30, 2021 22:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBHoli celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love, and for many it's a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. What can you learn from this Hindu holiday? Support the show
Oh Freedom
March 24, 2021 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MBPassover is a Jewish commemoration of liberation and a holiday as personal as your own story, and as large as the story of all humanity. What does it mean to you, and where is your "narrow place"? Support the show
Fundraising and Ferengi
March 16, 2021 22:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBSpace may be the final frontier, but fund raising in a pandemic surely comes close! Join Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw and the Stewardship Team for a look at what it takes to be good stewards of community. Entire service video available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ESAbCGSA0 Support the show