Nov. 15 - Maurice Sendak, the author of children's books, once observed, "There must be more to life than having everything." In that sense of something "more to life" is a yearning that can be expressed as having a ministry. In this service, Rev. Bruce offers some thoughts about the nature of ministry and how each of us might find the ministry that is ours. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Nov. 8 - As part of the congregation's visioning process, we will be considering our name-Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church-and whether it ought to be changed. In this service Rev. Bruce Marshall offers some background on each element of this name. His intent is not to take a position but, rather, to offer perspective on issues involved in considering a name change. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Nov. 1 - All religions address the question of trust. What do we rely upon to guide us through life's uncertainties? Is our trust centered in a holy book? The creeds of a specific tradition? A guru or a priesthood? Or...is there another way? In this sermon, Rev. Bruce tries to articulate a liberal religious response to the question of trust. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Oct. 25 - We often know little of our history.  Knowing our history and how new beginnings happened in the past can be instructive to us as we consider our possibilities in the present.  The guest minister, Rev. John Gaffney, is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister now living in Bowie, Maryland.  He comes to us with a diverse background having started off in ministry as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church who found his home in the Unitarian Universalist Church.  He has a website at: www.reverendjohngaffney.net This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Oct. 18 - A book Rev. Bruce found quite fascinating is entitled, "A History of the World in Six Glasses," by Tom Standage. The book's premise is that by looking at the development and meaning of six beverages, one can span the course of human civilization. He shares some of these insights, as well as add a seventh beverage that will be crucial in shaping the future. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Oct. 4, 2009 All religions address the same questions. The answers vary, but the questions don't. In this sermon I would like to begin a series that I'll continue all year with one sermon a month. In this series, I'll state those basic questions and then offer the responses I find in our own liberal religious tradition. I hope this will be a way to clarify, affirm and celebrate the long and powerful religious tradition in which we participate as Unitarian Universalists. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Sept. 27, 2009 Sometimes it would be nice to start over: put things behind and get a fresh start. But is that possible, really? That's a theme of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, which begins at sundown today. In this sermon anticipating Yom Kippur, Rev. Bruce Marshall reflects on repentance, renewal, and what guidance this tradition offers during those times when we might yearn to put the past behind and start anew. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

09/20/09 - Bruce starts by having a conversation with the children to introduce himself as their new minister. What guides us through life's challenges? The process of doing crossword puzzles helps give us some insight. This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

During the first service of the fall season, new interim minister, Rev. Bruce Marshall, talks about how church can be like coming home and also like not-home. "Home/not-home. Comfort/challenge. The warmth and acceptance that enables us to relax into ourselves. The awareness of things that are wrong that spurs us back into the world, into action." This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

Perspectives on President Abraham Lincoln were offered with spirituals, readings and reflections from Van Caldwell and Chris Bell. Great blues music was provided by the Swamp Dog Blues Band http://www.myspace.com/anthonyclarkakaswampdog

Over 500,000 children and youth remain in foster care each year in America due to abuse and neglect, while over 50,000 youth annually sleep on our streets as homeless youth.  What does research tell us about the plight of these youth and what has been the national policy response?  What are the solutions offered to nurture foster youth and end youth homelessness?  Find out what the 'youth and child advocacy' circle within the beltway is doing to meet our moral and legal obligations to these vulnerable populations.
    
Richard Hooks Wayman, Davies church member, foster parent, and children's advocate, shares his insights from his own advocacy work for a part of our population that does not always have a voice. From a lay sermon/discussion he gave on Aug. 26, 2009.

The photo shows Rich with foster children who are now adults as minor foster children are not allowed to be pictured. His powerpoint presentation is available in PDF here: http://dmuuc.org/lay/vulnerableyouth_pp.pdf

June 28, 2009 - Sheri Verdonk, who has carried much and crossed many boundaries, says "We are not bound by the baggage we carry." The service supported Prince George's Child Resource Center which "helps create healthy and nurturing environments for children by supporting their families and educating their caregivers." This sermon was given at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs, Prince George's County, Maryland, where we come together in the spirit of mutual caring and respect to celebrate life, offer service, and work for a better world. Room for different beliefs. Yours. Visit us at www.dmuuc.org.

I was at Davies 7 years 8 months.  Today I ramble a bit about what the ministry needs to do to get pass some of its most pressing concerns, as well as what the congregations has meant to me and my spiritual development.

This sermon is a reading from an upcoming book this fall by Skinner Publications.  Here I lay out suggestions and share stories about how to create a multicultural congregation.

This message includes a sermon discussion from members of the Davies congregation. 

How do you find meaning in life when you experience or hear about a tragedy?  Financial corruption, economic disruption, kidnappings, murders, and robberies leave us with a feeling of hopelessness and despair.  How do you find meaning with this madness?

This sermon was given during our annual Flower Communion / Earth Day service.  The All Souls Jubilee singers were present and there was also a special presentation where members' gardens were shown to the congregation.  It was a great service.

So, do plants and people have similarities?  Sure.  Check out this special Earth Day sermon and some good singing from the Jubilee Singers.

Thanks,

Rev. John

This is my Easter 2009 sermon where Joe Jencks performed, however, we lost the audio so this is a studio version of it where I read the text.  Hope you still get the spirit of the message!  Easter = Hope.  Peace and love.

Here are a few songs from my friend Joe Jencks, a folk singer and songwriter who travels the country moving people with his melodic tenor voice, guitar and powerful lyrics!  

I used my facebook friends for this message to help me define what organic spirituality means to me.  Check it out...

James Luther Adams was perhaps one of Unitarian Universalism's most well-known theologians.  Today I study his teachings around giving for Davies' annual Stewardship Sunday--what we call the "sermon on the amount" ;-).  This message was preached on March 8, 2009.

In this podcast you will hear some of the music and liturgy that add to our spirit-filled service at Davies Church.  The sermon will play afterward...

Who is the master?  I use an old Chinese tale along with Hindu concepts to weave this message together about finding the master within you.  Enjoy!
This sermon was preached at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, an intentionally diverse congregation in Camp Springs, MD.

Hello again.  This is some of my personal story of why I chose this faith and some of what I gave up to be a UU.  This sermon was preached at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fairfax, VA.  Stay tuned at the end for my favorite hymn "Building a New Way" with the UUCF Choir and House Band.  They rock!  Enjoy!

http://cdn1.libsyn.com/uucf/3.15.09_Podcast.mp3?nvb=20090317221829&nva=20090318222829&t=01263f7a8d3557667adea

So how do we get off the wheel and create the life and world we want?  Eric Holder's statement "nation of cowards" lifted up in this message.  This sermon was preached at All Souls Church, Unitarian.  Enjoy.

 

This sermon focuses on how the UU liberal principles challenge us to maximize the minimum and NOT minimize the maximum by reinventing ourselves time and time again until we reach Beloved Community.

You will also hear "Amazing Grace" and "I Believe I Can Fly" performed by the Davies Choir and House Band, featuring guest soloist Precious Joubert.  Enjoy.

 

This sermon was preached during a family service and it's interactive so I called on our new DREAM --Director of Religious Education & Music Director to help me share why creating a salad bowl society and church is the true American ideal.  Check out why I love salad so much and why our faith is at a critical point of needing to become diverse in many facets if we are to be vibrant and vital in this new century.

Four Decades after King's death we witness his dream as more real today than ever before.  In this sermon, I look at how our hope and faith in Democracy has been restored with this remarkable election of President Obama.

This sermon was preached at the White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church in Minnesota, an absolutely beautiful congregation.  Enjoy!

This sermon is on alcoholism but focuses on the importance of community and why radical individualism still requires communal support.  Enjoy! 

This sermon was preached at Davies Memorial UUC an intentionally racially diverse congregation in Camp Springs, MD. near Andrews AFB.

These are words King Solomon used many years ago and they are apropos for today.  Life is hard, brings us tragedy and sadness often times however there is a way to maintain in the midst of misery.  Listen in for details...

Here's what I wish for in 2009.  Enjoy!

These are words Sophia Fahs spoke some years ago and they are apropos even today.  Some beliefs lift us and others up while others depress and diminish us and others.  It does matter what we think and what we believe.  Listen in for more details...  The hymn I use in this sermon, "We Utter Our Cry", is simply beautiful and the words are powerful as well.  Peace and love.

Rev. John