Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings. Composed of inspiring words and stirring music, our worship services seek to provide spiritual sustenance for our living.
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 9:30am and 11:15am:
The Meaning of Our Tears
Rev. Hardies
The first movement of the Broken Hallelujah is lament—grief for the brokenness of our lives and the world. What do our tears teach us? How can they lead us back to life?
Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 9:30am and 11:15am:
This, Too, Shall Pass
Rev. Hardies
Sometimes our suffering and despair bring us to a crisis of faith that feels like an attack on our very being. How do we endure such crises? And how do we find our way back to “Hallelujah”?
Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 9:30am and 11:15am:
Last Words
Rev. Lynngood
Rev. Shana Lynngood's final sermon before leaving All Souls.
All Souls Church, Unitarian is a progressive religious community located in the heart of Washington, DC, at the intersection of the Mt. Pleasant, Adams Morgan, and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. We walk diverse spiritual paths to find meaning and purpose in our lives, but we are united in our belief in the worth and dignity of all people, and the obligation to express our faith through acts of justice and compassion. We hope you'll join us as we create a diverse, spirit-growing, justice-seeking community that is true to our name, All Souls!
An historic wedding is celebrated at All Souls Church
Dear All Souls Members and Friends,
In a brief but historic ceremony this afternoon in the All Souls sanctuary, I had the privilege of celebrating one of the first same-sex weddings in our nation's capital.
The couple I married are Terrance Heath and Richard Imirowicz, an inter-faith and inter-racial couple who've been together for over ten years and share their lives with their two sons, Parker and Dillon.
Their marriage became official when I spoke these words:
"By the authority vested in me by this church and, at long last, by the District of Columbia, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce you, Terrance and Richard, duly married."
I share these words to remind you that every wedding I celebrate is by virtue of the authority that you—the members of All Souls Church—have conferred upon me. Every couple I bless I do so, in part, on your behalf, which is to say that during today's ceremony you were present in spirit if not in body.
The role All Souls played in this particular wedding was special. When Mayor Fenty signed the marriage equality bill in our sanctuary last December, he acknowledged the important role this church played in this and previous human rights struggles. So again, I want to thank everyone at All Souls who helped make this day possible.
Today is an historic day for the District of Columbia and for All Souls Church, and once again, I feel very privileged to serve as your minister.
Love,
ROB
KUUMBA Players spring production
March 5-7 and 12-14.
Click on image for more information.
Sermon series
Broken Hallelujahs: The Psalms, the Blues, the Spirituals, and Our Sorrow
How do we affirm life in the midst of sorrow, suffering, and brokenness? This is one of the most important questions of the spiritual life; for herein lies the key to our soul's resilience.
In a series of sermons in March, Rev. Hardies will seek answers to this question by drawing on the wisdom of the Psalms, the blues, and spirituals, lyric traditions that share an ability to praise life in the midst of—and without denying—suffering. Because of their ability to both lament and praise, Rev. Hardies thinks of each of these genres as "broken hallelujahs" (to borrow a phrase from Leonard Cohen).
In these services, we will look to the Psalms, the blues, and spirituals for instruction in how we can affirm the fullness of life in the midst of sorrow and despair. Join us for this musically rich and spiritually significant series of Sunday services.
March 7. Broken Hallelujahs. How do we affirm life in the midst of sorrow, suffering, and brokenness? Joined by blues singer Cheryl Jones, Rev. Hardies searches for answers to this question in the Psalms and the blues, two traditions that share an ability to praise life amidst suffering. What do these "Broken Hallelujahs" have to teach us?
March 14. The Meaning of Our Tears. The first movement of the Broken Hallelujah is lament—grief for the brokenness of our lives and the world. What do our tears teach us? How can they lead us back to life?
March 21. This, Too, Shall Pass. Sometimes our suffering and despair bring us to a crisis of faith that feels like an attack on our very being. How do we endure such crises? And how do we find our way back to "Hallelujah"?
Help the people of Haiti
The Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee have set up a relief fund to aid the devastated nation of Haiti. Click on the UUSC button to contribute.
It is that time again in our All Souls Church year to launch our annual budget drive, the Generosity Campaign. As the country works to hold steady and rebuild in difficult times, so does All Souls Church. This will be a church year of careful stewardship of our resources; we will work to do more with the same level of resources as last year. We are also coming back together as a whole community and will strive for greater solidarity. As Rev. Hardies said in his Homecoming Sunday sermon, solidarity is more than a political strategy; it is a spiritual practice, a recognition of our interdependence, and an opportunity to be more generous to the neediest in our neighborhood and community. If you are interest in joining the Generosity Committee or in discussing your financial commitment for 2010, please contact Aaron Knight (aaronmknight@hotmail.com).
Coming to DC? Stay in an All Souls Church, Unitarian B&B. All proceeds from the program benefit our historic church and support our many spiritual and social justice ministries. More information here.
Joyful music is central to our life together at All Souls Church. The All Souls Choir, one of the first multiracial choirs in DC, celebrates a half century of musical excellence, singing a repertoire as diverse as our congregants. The artistic versatility of the singers allows the ensemble to perform everything from ancient church chant to Fauré, spirituals to South African songs, jazz to gospel.
The Ministers' Journey towards Social Justice
1821-Present
We still deal with many of the same issues today that the All Souls ministers have been challenging their members to consider through almost 200 years in the nation’s capital: race, rights, environment, peace and more. The Ministers’ Journey tells a story of leadership, courage and justice through almost two centuries of work in contentious times.
Silver Souls cordially invite you to visit this fascinating exhibition in the main hallway of the lower level, weekdays 11:00 am - 5:00 pm and weekends 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Or view it online.
1500 Harvard Street NW, Washington DC 20009 (at the corner of 16th and Harvard); (202) 332-5266
