Ian Grey returned to our pulpit with "Soil and Stars: A Stardust Communion -- Born of fire, rooted in Earth, ever turning in the great dance of creation and renewal."

Kathy Grey shares readings and a special message setting up our "Service Sunday" project of revitalizing our Sankofa Garden in collaboration with the wonderful folks from the Oak Cliff Veggie Project.

Keiani Smith asked us "why the practice of love is needed now more than ever." She also addressed the question of exactly what Winnie the Pooh and the landmark case, Loving v. Virginia, have in common.

Sarah Ricke shared a candle affirmation of resilience.

We do not need the permission of our rulers, oppressors, and abusers to build a better world. We are ALL called to find our place in building the beloved community, where we all have what we need to thrive.
Renée Brill looked at how to start today and how to keep going from the perspective of a disabled parent.

Ryan Conly revisited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Ware Lecture (Don't Sleep During the Revolution) presented to the UUA on May 18, 1966.

Sarah Ricke asked if old lessons are still relevant today?

Rev. Tyler Coles joined us on Sunday, January 5th and asked us to make a place for love as a holy thing within our Unitarian Universalist faith.
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As people gather in religious community, we are tasked with co-creating a space to engage the Holy. While defined in a variety of ways, Love has often been described as the most significant value among us as a faithful people. For it is, indeed, both the pathway to, and is of itself, the most holy thing. But how do we come to know Love among us, and how do we come to fully embody it when things are most challenging?
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Rev. Tyler Coles (they/he) serves the Southern Region as Congregational Life Staff. Inspired by the good news of Unitarian Universalism, Tyler believes the best of our collective ministry strives towards conjuring "the Beloved Kin-dom on earth as it is in heaven." They engage this mandate through the work of multi-religious organizing, supporting young adults, and movement chaplaincy.

Tyler has served the greater faith as the Young Adult Community Leader of SPARK, Intern Minister of Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, and respectively as a steering committee member of Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) and the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism's (BLUU) Steering Committee for youth ministry.

As the new year approaches Renée Brill prepared us for change and making room for hope.

"Don't throw Jesus out with the Bathwater" - With Leah Pittmon
In 2016, Rev. Kate McKenna (Bury Unitarian Church, Lancashire, England), penned a brief piece on how Unitarians (and UUs) relate to Christmas. Leah Pittmon took the opportunity before our annual church Holiday party, Potluck, and Grinch Gift exchange to touch on how we all relate to Christmas.

We celebrated Yule with Sarah Ricke as she prepared us for our upcoming Winter Solstice Celebration on December 19th.

Ryan Conly examined our Transcendentalist Roots and how they may help guide us through the near future.

Bobbye Eachus served in the Gulf War as an activated Citizen Soldier in 1990-91. Finding a faith that worked has been a journey.This journey includes searching cultures and finding a personal faith that works for her. Her journey includes 12-step Recovery and it includes current work with the VA on complex PTSD issues and the pursuit of mental health. Solutions that require tolerance and admission.

Sarah Ricke took a deeper look at a dark holiday.

"Blessing of the Animals" returned to UUCOC.
On October 6th, we celebrated the animal companions and neighbors that bless us with their presence. A number of well-behaved and well-managed pets joined us for church. Pictures and mementos were also welcomed for the Altar.

Sarah Ricke asked how we can be welcoming and hospitable?

Without a neighborhood supermarket, our ancestors had to plan and prepare to survive the winter. With Mavis Belisle.

Local labor activist Gene Lantz shared a very special presentation in recognition of Labor Day 2024.

Leah Pittmon presented a family-style, religious exploration service including a special Blessing of the Backpacks! We sought inspiration from Hosea Ballou whose childhood curiosity blossomed into an influential Universalist ministry. Everyone came prepared for crafts that were only a little bit messy!

on Sunday, August 4th, Sarah Ricke presented our bread communion in celebration of Lammas, the first harvest of the wheel of the year, and the idea of reaping the benefits while planning for more.

On Sunday, July 28th, we welcomed special guests, community activists Gene Lantz, Olinka Green, Linda Coleman, and James Kille, who presented a short play entitled "The Ballad of Jane Elkins." Jane was the first woman officially executed in Texas -- she was an African-American slave hanged in Dallas for the murder of her owner.

The organization Olinka Green mentioned at the end of the performance is Chebe. It is an organization led by black women that helps women who have been sexually assaulted and who are survivors of domestic violence. "Chebe" means to protect the Woman in the Igbo language. If you would like to help support their efforts, Olinka has a Cash App site at $Pelink69

All donations go toward research, art supplies, costume making, and exhibit materials.

On Sunday, July 28th, we welcomed special guests, community activists Gene Lantz, Olinka Green, Linda Coleman, and James Kille, who presented a short play entitled "The Ballad of Jane Elkins." Jane was the first woman officially executed in Texas -- she was an African-American slave hanged in Dallas for the murder of her owner.

Sarah Ricke set up a group discussion will information on the 8th principal, and also a bit about the proposed changes to the original seven principles.

Renée Brill kicked off our service theme for July on Covenant with a timely message on how "there is no Freedom without Accountability."

Sarah Ricke presented "A Spiritual Reflection of the Summer Solstice."

UU Who’s Who: Missions Past and Future

Sarah Ricke presented a special interactive service on Sunday, June 16th, featuring a number of famous UUs, including:

* Dorothea Dix * Ethelred Brown * Frances Harper * Beatrix Potter * Arthur Altmeyer * Robin Tanner *

After brief introductions to these figures, Sarah posed two questions:
What were their missions?
What will be ours?
We then talked in small groups about the different missions, how we relate to them and what we feel we should focus on moving forward.

With Renée Brill. We're on a mission from God/Spirit/Justice. So, what is it?

Renée Brill addressed the quedtion - How do we care for ourselves and each other in hard times?

Sunday, May 19th, featured an abbreviated service before our Parish Meeting with Kate Sanders leading us in a guided meditation.

Sunday Sermon, May 5, 2024: Flower Communion & Beltane - To Bloom in Abundance

Sarah Ricke celebrated Beltane and our annual Flower Communion. Note that due to the storm-triggered power outage the previous week, this is the service we had planned for April 28th!

Sarah Ricke presented a special service in celebration of Earth Day before the start of the Oak Cliff Earth Day Celebration at Lake Cliff Park. Sarah's message explored the UU resolve to Respect the Interdependence of ALL Existence.

Building a New Way:Experiments in Community & Justice-Building Renée Brill talked about exciting experiments in community and justice building being planned for this summer at UUCOC with a focus on rest, renewal and creativity.

The video mentioned in our Widening the Circle of Concern moment, "Abortion Storytellers Want You To Know..." can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QQDmnU0CvE

In recognition of the International Day of Transgender Visibility, Leah Pittmon presented a brief exploration of the 2022 US Trans Survey (www.ustranssurvey.org) The U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) is the largest survey devoted to the lives and experiences of transgender people across the United States. The USTS was created by trans people, for trans people.

Additional information can be found on these sites:

https://bi-trans-alliance.tumblr.com/post/706970019688562688/anti-trans-bills-proposed-by-year-2018-19-2019 https://translegislation.com/

https://www.cathedralofhope.com/transgender-information

https://reports.hrc.org/an-epidemic-of-violence-2022?_ga=2.65091886.147922703.1711768917-1617743272.1711768917#introduction

The poem Sherri refers to in the Widening the Circle of Concern moment can be read here: https://tdor.co/poetry/

Aftab Siddiqui, Board President of the Dallas Peace & Justice Center, presented a look at the war in Gaza and its implications for peace in the region. The poem by Porsha Olayiwola Sherri Randall mentioned in the Widening the Circle of Concern moment can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/298693046218865

"Of Life, Growth, and the Divine" with Sarah Ricke

Building a New Way:The state of our church & way forward

Renée Brill asked several important questions. Including: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How to get there from here?

Rev. Slack talks about what is Unitarian Universalism and explores the question, is Unitarian Universalism more than just Principles and People? From the Sunday Morning Worship held as part of the Virtual UUA General Assembly held in 2020.

This Sunday, we shared a homily presented by Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray at the UUA General Assembly, held in Spokane in 2019. Additional programming from GA 2019 can be found on the UUA website: https://www.uua.org/ga/past/2019

You have likely been hearing about the adoption of an 8th Principle to add to the seven we've all known as UUs for ages now. Renée Brill took to our pulpit to talk about how it came to be and where it might lead us.

Preparing for the year to come. With Sarah Ricke.

The chair of our Social Justice Ministry, Mavis Belisle, presented a reading from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Riverside Church speech.

The Langston Hughes poem mentioned by Sherri within the Widening the Circle of Concern moment can be read here: https://poets.org/poem/let-america-be-america-again

The President of the UUA, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, poses several interesting quesions in this sermon to kick off our new year:
What seeds are you planting for the new year?
How are you weaving your magic into your relationships with others?
How can we center beauty and goodness and love in all that's ahead?

Several of our members add their voices and their stories of the holidays to our service and Sarah Ricke talks about what Christmas, Paganism, and UU mean when taken together on this December 24th service.

The article Sherri Randall mentions in the Widening of the Circle of Concern Moment - "Searching for Black Santa: The Contested History of an American Holiday Tradition" by E. James West, can be found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14775700.2023.2275959

In celebration of the upcoming Winter Solstice - with Sarah Ricke

With Renée Brill - Right to comfort, Fear of open conflict, & Power hoarding. Renée wrapped up her sermon series based on the Tema Okun article, White Supremacy Culture - Still Here.

The video, by Rev. David C. Carter of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Wichita, about Rev. Egbert Ethelred Brown, and mentioned in the WCOC moment by Sherri Randall can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Or9BjU24sx8

Kate Sanders led us in a Guided Meditation in preparation for a congregational meeting and our annual holiday party and potluck luncheon.

Covenant, listening, vulnerability and hope. The spiritual practices of Unitarian Universalism and beloved community. Renée Brill was in our pulpit with the second part of her service on the significance of convenant to us as UUs. In case you missed it, you can watch the first sermon on our website, on YouTube or on Facebook.
https://www.oakcliffuu.org/our-services/listen-to-our-services
https://youtu.be/GGPyXcYvbtM?si=SV0FT2CRzyTbr0X3
https://www.facebook.com/UUCOC/videos/3563175037343556/

Poetry. Painting. Fabric Arts. Sand-sculpting. Song. Dance. Dinner. A garden. A curated display shelf of aesthetic trinkets. Make something, because the act and practice of making is a spiritual practice, regardless of the marketability or "professionalism" of the finished product. Sherri Randall presented an encore presentation of this timeless message.

Renée Brill continues with "Defensiveness & Denial" as we begin to wrap up our current discussion of "What is White Supremacy Culture Anyway?"

Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Band of the Shoshone Nation, spoke about tribal land taken and still used by the Nevada Test Site for testing US nuclear weapons...and the resulting contamination of the land and people. Zabarte is Secretary of State for the Western Shoshone National Council and has been recognized by the National Alliance for Nuclear Accountability for his outstanding resistance work!

Observing the Season of Samhain with Sarah Ricke

Renée Brill presented a centering Guided Meditation as part of an abbreviated service preceding our Fall 2023 Parish Meeting & Potluck Brunch.

Long-time community activist Olinka Green joined us for a special service. Olinka is a fierce crusader for justice. She has been directly involved in activism for over 20 years, most recently focused on the issue of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Covenanting and Re-covenanting: Participating in covenanted community is perhaps the central spiritual practice of Unitarian Universalism. With Renée Brill

What does it mean to form a covenant? How long does a covenant last? How is it maintained? What happens when it breaks? How might it change your relationships? Or change the way you live? Or change you?

Sarah Ricke presents a special service in recognition of the Autumnal Equinox.

This Sunday was our annual InGathering celebration. Sarah Ricke led with service centered on water and life.We had our traditional water communion as well as people brought water from their homes, travels, or special places to share.

With Sarah Berel-Harrop, Intern Minister at the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry The 8th principle calls Unitarian Universalists on a journey toward spiritual wholeness through accountable, anti-racist and anti-oppressive action. Ethicist Walter Earl Fluker characterizes spirituality as an action and further states, “In its active, dynamic expression, spirituality is life-generating and disfiguring.” This type of dynamic spirituality challenges us to be vulnerable and to hold the heart open to others’ experiences. We’ll explore the potential of such vulnerability to transform ourselves, our communities, and the world.

About Sarah Berel-Harrop:

Sarah Berel-Harrop is the Intern Minister at the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry and a seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School. She grew up UU in Houston, Texas and has been engaged in congregational life in Houston and the Dallas Fort Worth area in many capacities - religious educator, social justice chair, and board leadership. She is passionate about nurturing groups and communities grounded in relationship and trust that offer alternatives to organizations based in domination and control.

About Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry (TXUUJM):

Guided by Unitarian Universalist principles, TXUUJM educates & organizes member congregations, and partners with sympathetic organizations in order to advocate effectively for public policies that bend Texas toward justice. Your justice ministry adopted the 8th principle last year.

With Renée Brill

Sarah Ricke takes us on a mental nature walk.

With Renée Brill:
Look, our plans to bulldoze your neighborhood to make way for a freeway have been on public display [in the basement of your library] and published in the local paper [on the bottom of the middle page in between the lonely hearts column and the used car ads] for the required 40 days and you've had plenty of time to raise an objection [via filling out the 100 page form found in the basement of the town hall]. You only have yourselves to blame. * * For all fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Renée did not recite any Vogon poetry during the service!

What is it we do to nourish our souls? What feeds us on our spiritual journey? With Sarah Ricke

Eric Wallace presented a guided meditation on inner spiritual life using the metaphor of a garden.

With Rev. Peter Johnson & Rev. Don Robinson Peter Johnson was only 23 when he came to Dallas, but he was already a civil rights veteran. (Jerome Weeks, MetroNews) His early career included work with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the movement to establish Freedom Schools, and the Southern Leadership Conference, where his colleagues and supervisors included Andrew Young and John L. Lewis. In the mid 1960s, he was heavily involved in voter education and registration in the South, and in the anti-war movement.

Rev. Johnson arrived in Dallas in 1969 to organize the showing of a movie on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was immediately faced with the knowledge that out of 800 cities in which the movie was to premier around the world, Dallas would be the only city to say "no." Rev. Johnson’s decision to remain in Dallas laid the foundation for a series of highly successful and historic events that occurred in the city over the next 40 years. These ranged from addressing food insecurity to bias inherent in the Dallas City Council to establishing the most successful gun buy-back program in the country.

Rev. Johnson was joined by Rev. Don Robinson, Executive Director of the Peter Johnson Institute for Non-Violence. You can learn more about their work on their website: https://www.pjinv.org/

Renée Brill asks: What is progress? Success? Growth? Who gets to define it?

Either/Or and the Binary: Even more restrictive than thinking inside the box. With Renée Brill

The significance of the solar holiday and how you can celebrate it. With Sarah Ricke.

Upon the shoulders of the ancestors, looking to the pathways ahead -
With Ernest McMillan

Which qualifications "count" and which don't? With Renée Brill.

With Eric Wallace in our pulpit.

Alex Kennedy provided a guided meditation to help center our congregation as part of the abbreviated service we held before our Spring 2023 Parish Meeting.

With Renée Brill

On April 30th Sarah Ricke honored the past and embraced the future of a sacred UU tradition, The Flower Communion. The Flower Communion is an act of community and everyone was invited to bring a flower to share and exchange with our fellow church members.

Stephen Silva Brave will touch on various topics important to the Native American community including the Indian Child Welfare Act, Land Rights, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Stephen Silva Brave is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu (pronounced She-Shan-Gu) Lakota Nation, also known as the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. He was born and raised in Oak Cliff and currently resides in Grand Prairie, where he is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern and a consultant for Texas’ first statewide Native American Studies course. Stephen is currently enrolled in UTA's Bachelor of Social Work Program, where he won the Outstanding Student Activist award in 2022. He is conducting undergraduate research on grassroots Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women organizations. He is also a member of MMIW TX Rematriate, in which he facilitates Uncle Time, an innovative community gathering for male-identifying members of the local Native American community to bond and support each other.

Objectivity? Is it actually possible to be neutral and is that a good thing?   With Renée Brill. 

Member Leah Pittmon recounts her struggles with her religion of origin, her discovery of Unitarian Universalism, and what it means to be a Christian Unitarian. (Hint: It’s about radical love.)

One Right Way... How "one right way" thinking and paternalism support white supremacy culture.  With Renée Brill

With Sarah Ricke and featuring our Two Cookie Communion.

Renée Brill continues discussing elements of Tema Okun's paper - "White Supremacy Culture - Still Here"

We are tempted to think of being a perfectionist as a good thing, who wouldn't want to be perfect? But perfectionism dehumanizes us while stifling growth and learning. With Renèe Brill

The qualities of white supremacy culture harm us all and make the work we are trying to do even harder. This week we will start to talk about the characteristics of white supremacy culture named by Tema Okun in "White Supremacy Culture - Still here." With Renée Brill in our pulpit.

Joy and Joyness with Alicia Kalich
It's time to reconnect in JOY as a blessed community! Joy unites us, feeds us, and gives us the strength to make it through dark times. Joy will help us as we fight together, grow together, and love together. Join us as we discuss the benefits of a small church and the joys we can all contribute as we move forward.

In the pulpit: Renée Brill

For more information: https://nmaahc.si.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/resources/racialhealinghandbook_p87to94.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1PyB3wmUAzHUYcl463_TXVaDPVIohlxwp4Jd4ZuQe80hEBQV

Saying Goodbye: Grieving old versions of the self and celebrating new beginnings. With Rev. Deneen Robinson

During the holidays there is an expectation of celebration; but for those grieving it's probably the most difficult time of the year. Beth Ferree presented this sermon on honoring and letting go. This Sunday's service featured our two cookie communion.

Microaggressions with Winter Dunn: Growing Up as a Black Woman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAtXZ9SKmuw

Susan Ammons and Jim Klipp presented a special sermon on Sunday, December 4th. This was a Not to be Missed! service as two of our church elders discussed a topic that effects all of us, young and old, and the future of our church.

Change is inevitable. What can you do? With Bobbi Blanch

"I Am" - A Special Meditation Event
With Rev. Dr. Autumn VanVolkinburg

“Who do you think you are? What makes you think you’re special?” Together we meditate on these things.

What is it we call darkness?
Myths and musings on the holy nature of the dark. With Sarah Ricke.

Living Through Our Legacies: Stories handed down from the ancestors. With Beth Ferree. And stories shared by our members and friends.

With Susan Ammons. For many years UUCOC has had a tradition of celebrating our 7th principle and the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Our members and visitors were invited to bring pictures, shells, feathers, stuffed animals, drawings, or the real thing (if they promised to behave - they did!). We shared our stories and a blessing.

With Leah Pittmon

In light of the upcoming return of Religious Exploration for our children, we are revisting veteran RE volunteer Leah Pittmon's look at the benefits and challenges of religious education and exploration at any age.

With Rev. Dr. Autum VanVolkinburg
Why forgive? Who is it for? How can I make forgiveness a vital part of my spiritual practice? These questions and more will be explored.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse & Religious Trauma

Child Abuse: If you are a victim of child abuse or know someone who might be, call or text the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1 800-422-4453 to speak with a professional crisis counselor.

Domestic Violence: If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

Sexual Assault: If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member at a local RAINN affiliate.

LGBTQIA+: If you are seeking support for issues with coming out, relationships, bullying, self-harm, and more, contact the LGBT National Hotline at 1-888-843-4564.

For additional information on one of the meditation techniques described:

https://youtu.be/P9w2ymuZoeE

With Rev. Dr. Autum VanVolkinburg
Why forgive? Who is it for? How can I make forgiveness a vital part of my spiritual practice? These questions and more will be explored.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse & Religious Trauma

Child Abuse: If you are a victim of child abuse or know someone who might be, call or text the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1 800-422-4453 to speak with a professional crisis counselor.

Domestic Violence: If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

Sexual Assault: If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member at a local RAINN affiliate.

LGBTQIA+: If you are seeking support for issues with coming out, relationships, bullying, self-harm, and more, contact the LGBT National Hotline at 1-888-843-4564.

For additional information on one of the meditation techniques described:

https://youtu.be/P9w2ymuZoeE

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, concluding that there was no constitutional right to an abortion. This decision allowed TX's extreme anti-abortion legislation to go into effect almost immediately, limiting Texans' ability to obtain an abortion in practically all circumstances. This presentation will discuss the current legal landscape of abortion and reproductive rights in Texas and its present and future impacts on peoples' lives. It will also explore how we move forward as a community to not only protect a person's right to obtain an abortion, but also to build, or transition to a different legal, political, and cultural landscape to create a truly just and more equitable Texas for all.

Melissa Thrailkill took our pulpit to deliver this important update. Melissa describes herself as a lawyer and a lover of music, fashion, coffee, politics and running for days.

We as a society have become accustomed to defining how far a person has come on their journey through life by the measure of the successes they have achieved. But, as much as we may not like to admit it, our failures also have a lot to say about how far we have come...and often they have more to say about how we view life than success.

Matt Pargeter-Villarreal takes us through a sermon journey of some of the failures that he has encountered and have impacted his life...and how he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Water Shaman Lawrence Jordan presents the message that God is everywhere. Lawrence also talks about the Lion's Gate and forgiveness.

Stan Yoder takes our pulpit to ask: What if the search for Truth led us through laughter? An explorer checks out religions in a parallel universe and shares his thoughts. (Hey, nice shots from the James Webb Space Telescope on the way back,

Stan Yoder taught music for many years in public and private schools before switching to teaching science after getting into trouble for teaching students to think critically. (Not appreciated in North Texas music class, apparently.) However, teaching critical thinking is also not appreciated in high school science class in North Texas, either, if it's not specified precisely in the TEKS. So he retired early, tutored students, told jokes, and thought deep thoughts. Now he collaborates with folks who need a co-writer on their autobiographies—and still tells jokes. He also loves reading. Reading and thinking. Reading and thinking deep thoughts and hugging.

Daniel Polk returns to our pulpit with stories of the Highs and Lows at First Unitarian Church of Dallas.