First Universalist Unitarian Church of Wausau Podcast

Reclaiming a Lost Connection, Led by the Rev. Iain McIntosh

A person is a she/he/they. A spoon is an it. A tree is a …?

The science we were taught as youngsters is not the science of today. Course corrections have come as new discoveries have been made. Yet with all we now know about the cosmological and microscopic, we still hold fast to certain understandings about our world. Let’s look at one of them.

The Rev. Brian Mason preached "Unheroic Acts"

On blockbuster heroes, the people who never make the highlight reel, and what it means to believe in the supreme worth of every human personality.

The Rev. Brian Mason preached "A Fidget's Guide to the Galaxy"

There’s a particular restlessness that shows up whenever life asks us to stay put — through a meeting, a marriage, a silence, a decade in the same pew. This week: what our fidgeting doesn’t know, what the old monks built entire vows around, and what tends to appear only after we’ve stopped watching for it.

Becoming A Way Across the River – led by Jay Coldwell and Mary Testin

How can we become stepping stones for each other in the stream of life? What is being asked of us to help each other reach the other side? With meditation and dance, we’ll explore these ideas together.   

Bios: Jay Coldwell and Mary Testin are UU members and also sing in our choir. Jay has an extensive training in Yoga meditation and Mary has a Masters degree in liturgy.

Football Is Life, and So Are Second Chances – led by Jessica Zimmer-Saltzman, DRE and aspirant for UU ministry

What can a mustachioed American football coach teach us about soccer, forgiveness, and living a good life? Quite a bit, it turns out. Drawing on the unexpected wisdom of the television series Ted Lasso, this service explores why stories of redemption resonate so deeply and what they reveal about our own hopes for forgiveness, accountability, and grace. Whether you're a devoted fan or have never watched a single episode, join us as we consider what it means to be a community that refuses to let people be defined by their weakest moments, and instead believes in the strength they can show when given the chance to begin again.

The Rev. Brian Mason preached "A Race the Losers Win"

Building is an act of creativity and courage. So, sometimes, is tearing down. How do we know which one the moment is asking of us, and what moves us to answer?

The Rev. Brian Mason preached "When Good-Enough Isn't Good Enough"

Be all you can be. We’re #1. Second place is just the first loser. Somewhere along the way, ordinary became the same as failing. Even to ourselves. Even in private. You finish something, and before the satisfaction has a chance to land, you’re already noting what you’d do differently next time. A sermon about why “enough” never feels like enough, and what it might cost us to actually believe it is.

The Rev. Brian Mason preached "Does Anyone Remember Why We're Mad?"

Have you ever gotten irritated with someone, said something mean, and then later asked yourself, Why am I even mad? But kept it going anyway because the other person seemed mad now too, and you didn’t want to lose an argument you don’t remember starting. It’s okay, you’re not alone. A sermon about staying mad long after we’ve forgotten why.

Masking for Jesus: Religion and Neurodivergence – Danika Monarksi, Guest Speaker

Our minds are as beautiful and diverse as our religious and spiritual journeys and beliefs. Bring your fidget toys and jittery legs to celebrate our differences and explore the intersections of religion and the neurodiverse experience as told through personal experience, peer-reviewed research, and everything in between.

Solstice: Certainty in Uncertain Times – Randy Jefferson, Member of the Religious Services Committee

Join in our observation of the summer solstice, celebrating the high sun as we express gratitude for our oneness with the natural world and its steadying influence. The midyear is a time for reflection, looking back with thanks and ahead with hope.