Selected Sermons

(in reverse chronological order)

The HUUB: Building an Urban Ministry, by Charlie Wirene, at The Unitarian Society, a UU Congregation, New Brunswick NJ, October 15, 2017 (video file)

Our Faith Story, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, June 7, 2015 (audio file)

Mother’s Day, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, May 10, 2015 (audio file)

Should UU’s Pray? by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, April 12, 2015 (audio file)

Life Purpose, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, March 8, 2015 (audio file)

A People Without a Vision Perish, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, February 15, 2015 (audio file)

Return to Selma 2015, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, February 1, 2015 (audio file)

Keeping the Faith, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, January 25, 2015 (audio file)

Black and White Vs Gray, by Rev. Dr. Heidi Swarts, January 18, 2015 (audio file)

So Is That All There Is?, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, December 21, 2014 (audio file)

Let It Go, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, December 7, 2014 (audio file)

Thanking Howard, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, November 23, 2014 (audio file)

Our Ministry Begins When We Leave This Place, by Rev. Donald E. Robinson, November 16, 2014 (audio file)

Strange As Folks, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, November 9, 2014 (audio file)

The Falling Leaves, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, October 12, 2014 (audio file)

Adam and Eve Remembered, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, September 28, 2014 (audio file)

Water, Wonder, and Resolve, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, September 14, 2014 (audio file)

Time To Change, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, May 25, 2014 (audio file)

Mother’s Day, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, May 11, 2014 (audio file)

Unitarian Universalists as a Justice-Seeking People, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, April 27, 2014 (audio file)

Spring Into Renewal, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, April 13, 2014 (audio file)

Who’s Fooling Whom? by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, March 23, 2014 (audio file)

What is the Religious Liberal to Make of Lent?, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, March 9, 2014 (audio file)

A Nation Without Us, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, February 16, 2014 (audio file)

Remembering Kemet/Egypt and All We Owe Her!, by Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey, February 9, 2014 (audio file)

Langston Hughes – In Poetry, and Jazz , by Rev. Ben Bortin, January 26, 2014 (audio file)

If There Were No Limits, What Would You Choose?, by Rev. Charles Ortman, September 22, 2013 (MS Word)

I’m a Stranger Here Myself, by Rev. Charles Ortman, March 24, 2013 (MS Word)
I’m a Stranger Here Myself, by Rev. Darrell Berger, March 24, 2013 (MS Word).

“More Light”, by Rev. Darrell Berger, December 23, 2012 (MS Word). These are traditionally considered the last words of the poet Goethe. It is also what we are both experiencing and celebrating at this time of year. This sermon gets to the fundamental physical and metaphysical reality that motivates all Winter Solstice celebrations.

Racism and Global Warming, by Rev. Darrell Berger, November 4, 2012: Two topics that have been conspicuous by their absence in the presidential campaign. Available in Audio file (MP3) or MS Word.

On the New Jim Crow, by Rev. Darrell Berger, October 7, 2012 (MSWord), Based on the book by Michelle Alexander.

The Civil Rights Struggle in 2012, by Rev. Darrell Berger January 15, 2012 (Audio file). Martin Luther King Day tends to be a celebration of the history of the civil rights struggle, but what of its future? Two Unitarians were killed in Selma. What are we putting on the line today?

Coming Home to Zucotti Park, by Rev. Darrell Berger, November 20, 2011 (audio file)

The Once and Future Rapture, by Rev. Darrell Berger, June 12, 2011. (MSWord) Reflections on endings and absence of endings.

Restoring the Fractured City: Mighty Work for a Small Church, by Mindy Thompson Fullilove, M.D., February 20, 2011. (MS Word) The church that sits in a struggling city is called to be part of the healing. How is that to be done? What does our spiritual practice as UUs offer to guide us in making our contribution?

Obama Turns the Other Cheek by Rev. Darrell Berger, January 9, 2011. (MS Word) Reflects on the prevalence of angry ignorance in America, discusses the nature of President Obama’s Christianity, and explains one of the most misunderstood concepts in the teachings of Jesus.

Tyler Clementi: the New Emmet Till? by Rev. Darrell Berger, October 17, 2010 (Audio file). The death of Emmet Till at age 14 in Mississippi proved a rallying call for civil rights. Will the death of Tyler Clementi do the same?

The New Christian Universalism, by Rev. Darrell Berger, September 26, 2010. (MS Word) Since the merger of Unitarians and Universalists in 1961, Universalist Christianity has almost entirely died out of our denomination. Yet it seems to have been reborn, partially within the UUA and partially as an independent movement claiming this part of our spiritual birthright that we have ignored.

Lanbi, by Martial Bonhomme, May 9, 2010 (audio file). “Lanbi” means conch shell in Haitian Creole. During the Haitian Revolution, the lanbi was used as an instrument to rally and galvanize the people in support of ending slavery and achieving independence. Today, through the creation of the Lanbi Center for Humanities and Civics, the conch shell will serve as a trumpet to awaken disenfranchised constituents in Northern New Jersey. Our congregation is pleased to partner with The Lanbi Center, which meets in our church and parish hall.

Confessions of a Promiscuous Syncretist, by Rev. Darrell Berger, March 21, 2010. (MS Word) How Unitarian Universalists draw from many sources of inspiration, and how that relates to health care legislation.

The Lost Shepherd, by Barnaby Feder, March 14, 2010. This sermon is about the Rev. Luke Garner (1899-1979), minister of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Newark from 1929 to 1937. View in: HTML or MS Word

When Gospel got the Blues: a Valentine’s Day sermon, by Rev. Darrell Berger, February 14, 2010. (audio file). This sermon speaks of the emotional power of music, and how gospel music has been changed over the years by its innovative masters from Thomas Dorsey to Anthony “Tonex” Williams. While Dorsey is now revered as “The Father of Gospel Music,” his background as a blues pianist caused the early rejection of his style. Today “Tonex” Williams uses various new musical styles from hip hop to techno, yet his acceptance has been even more seriously challenged when he became the first Black gospel star to come out as gay.

Charity or Solidarity, by Rev. Darrell Berger, November 29, 2009.

Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Community, outline of talk by Kesha S. Moore, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology, Drew University, May 24, 2009 (MS Word)

Weaving Community by Rev. Darrell Berger, May 3, 2009 (MS Word). Also available as audio file.

Zarathustra and His Legacy, by Josef Machac, M.D., Apr.26,2009 (MS Word)

Earth Day Message, by Prof. Fred Curtis of Drew University, April 19, 2009 (MS Word)

“Not the End” – the Easter Sermon, by Rev. Darrell Berger, April 12, 2009. (MS Word)

The Church of Whatever Works, by Rev. Darrell Berger, Oct.19, 2008

Follow Your Bliss: The Various Paths of Human Love, by Amy Glenn, September 14, 2008 (MS Word)