Please feel free to listen and/or download any of our podcast files.

iTunes users should click here to subscribe to our podcast feed.

For users of other podcasting software -- To subscribe to this podcast and future All Souls podcasts, right mouse button click on this RSS feed link (Macintosh users control - click on the link) and copy the link to your clipboard from your web browser.  Then you can use the RSS feed link to subscribe to this podcast feed with your podcast listening software.

• "Life Passages:  Stages of Life, Stages of Faith, Part I" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (4 May 2008)
  
• "Living on a Living Planet" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (27 April 2008)
  
• Note -- No 20 April 2008 sermon podcast due to technical difficulties.
  
• "Non-Competition:  The Way of Winning" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (13 April 2008)
  
• Excerpts from "Our Place in the Web" by Members and Friends of All Souls (6 April 2008)
  
• "The Dogs That Bark Within" by Debbie Stille (30 March 2008)
  
• "Rise Up and Go Forth" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (23 March 2008)
• "Alone and Not Alone" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (16 March 2008)
• Excerpts from "Songs of the Soul" by Carol Graywing, Barbara Jarrell, and the members of All Souls (9 March 2008)
  
• "The Strength of a Woman's Spirit" by Chloe Haygood (2 March 2008)
  
• "Companions for the Journey" by Russell Pease, Abbas Moussaoui, and Kim Convertino (24 February 2008)
  
• Excerpts from "With All the Windows Open" - An Intergenerational Worship (17 February 2008)
  
• "Outside the Box" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (10 February 2008)
• "A Moving Horizon" by Chaplain Barbara Jarrell (3 February 2008)
  
• Excerpts from "A Celebration of World Religions" by Ron Babers-Hagar and friends (27 January 2008)
  
• "The Joys of New Beginnings" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (20 January 2008)
  
• "What Is This Thing Called 'Love'?" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (13 January 2008)
  
• "A Question of Place:  The Grounding and Creation of Meaning" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (6 January 2008)
  
• "Does Religious Truth Have To Be True?" by Chester Kelley (30 December 2007)
  
• "The Joys of Living Traditions" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (23 December 2007)
  
• "Belonging:  Need or Luxury?" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (16 December 2007)
  
• "Confessions of an Anglican Unitarian:  The Trinity of Episcopalianism (Scripture, Reason, and Tradition)" by John Baldwin (9 December 2007)
  
• "Glad Tidings" by Gustaff Besungu (2 December 2007)
  
• "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Rev. Ron Robinson (25 November 2007)
  
• "How Can We Grow?" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (18 November 2007)
  
• "Moses and the Covenant" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (11 November 2007)
  
• Excerpts from "Remembering" Worship Service (4 November 2007)
  
• "Commitment to Gratitude" by Rev. Susan Smith (28 October 2007)
  
• "Feed Your Soul, Feed the World" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (21 October 2007)
  
• "Hypocrites, Hairshirts, and Holy People" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (7 October 2007)
  
• "How to Live in Glass Houses" by Dr. Richard Hutchinson (30 September 2007)
  
• "Blessed are the History Makers" by Lady Carlson, North and Central Louisiana Interfaith, guest speaker for the UU Christian Fellowship Worship Service (30 September 2007)
  
• "Life's Greatest Questions" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (23 September 2007)
  
• Selections From "Jena Six" Prayer Service by North and Central Louisiana Interfaith (16 September 2007)
  
• "Beyond Community:  Living Religiously in a World of Fundamentalism and Secularism" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (16 September 2007)
  
• "Welcome Home, Welcome Back:  The Spirit of Community" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (9 September 2007)
  
• "Impression of Cyprus" by Susan Bettinger (2 September 2007) -- the slide show for this presentation can be downloaded as well using this link (required Adobe Acrobat Reader)
  
• Selections from annual Artist Sunday Worship Service (29 August 2007)
  
• Selection from "Clean Hearts - Dirty Feet" by Rev. W. T. Steed - Guest Minister for UU Christian Fellowship Worship Service (26 August 2007)
  
• "Truth, Reason, and Terrorism - or Why Tolerance of Intolerance is Intolerable" by Bill and Jen Yenke (19 August 2007)
  
• "Dressing Up for Sunday -- What a Community Ought to Look Like" by Lady Carlson --Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith -- a local affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation (12 August 2007)
  
• "The Holy Pursuit of Liberty" - John Hodge (5 August 2007)
  
• "Growing a Ship" - Barbara Jarrell (29 July 2007)
• "Is It Reasonable to Believe in God?" - Rev. W. T. Steed - Guest Minister for UU Christian Fellowship Worship Service (29 July 2007)
  
• Note -- The 22 July 2007 sermon podcast is not available at this time
  
• "World Peace - More Than a Punch Line - Our Reponse to Violence" - Claudia Harris (15 July 2007)
  
• Selections From Annual Blessing of the Animals Worship Service (8 July 2007)
  
• "Interdependence Day" - Ron Babers Hagar (1 July 2007)
  
• Note -- The 24 June 2007 sermon podcast is not available due to a software malfunction
• Note -- The 17 June 2007 sermon podcast is not available due to a software malfunction
• Emerson Award Acceptance Speech - Rachel Powell (10 June 2007)
  
• "Transitions" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (3 June 2007)
  
• "Shared Memories in the Spirit of Memorial Day" (27 May 2007)
  
• Note -- The 20 May 2007 sermon podcast is not available due to a software malfunction
  
• "Supermoms:  The Myths and Realities of This Profound Role" Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (13 May 2007)
  
• "Works of Love" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby and Members of All Souls (6 May 2007)
  
• "What's Going On And Why Should We Care?" by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (29 April 2007)
  
• "Why Pride?" by Rev. Jonalu Johnstone (22 April 2007)
• Easter Sermon by Rev. Dr. Lyn Oglesby (8 April 2007)

To assist All Souls with our ministry and community outreach, we have created online vendor partnerships with businesses and companies who partner with congregations and other non-profit groups.

These partners are the retailers who have committed to return a portion of their earnings to All Souls when purchases are made using the online links listed below:

Amazon.Com Text Link (Use this link if the search box graphic is blocked by your home or office firewall)

(Posted - 1 January 2007)

The history of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church and Fellowship is a story of repeatedly making the apparently impossible possible, of overcoming insurmountable odds. It should be told, so that everyone may share in the sense of continuity, growth, responsibility and accomplishment that those who have been part of our history feel keenly. Our present-day congregation has its roots in a romance and marriage in the late 1940s.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, this liberal religious movement continued--some years with slight ups and some years with slight downs in interest, membership, and attendance. The congregation met in many diverse locations: the old Junior League House on Azalea Drive, the old playhouse at Centenary College, the Beck Building in downtown Shreveport, and--by 1956--the old B'Nai Zion Temple. At B'Nai Zion, we thought we had found a permanent home at last. However, this dream lasted for only six weeks. The old Temple building was sold to the Knights of Columbus. Then a house for our meetings and worship was found on 626 Jordan Street for the price of $100.00 a month. But this location was short-lived also. Phillip Lieber challenged us to raise any amount of money up to $7,500.00, and he would match our funds so we could buy our own land and eventually our own building. The congregation met this challenge and we were blessed with a location for our first building.

Our first building was formally dedicated on 27 January 1959 while we hosted a meeting of the ministers in the Southwest Unitarian Conference. The location of our first building was on Shreveport-Barksdale Highway (site of the present-day Video One video rental store). Our architectural design firm was Meleton and Massey. The young architects viewed our building as a challenge by making our money stretch along with supplying a building that combined the best of ecclesiastical tradition with modern design. They came up with the first A-frame church structure in Shreveport, and their design won an award from the Gulf States Architectural Honor Awards Competition.

For a while, we were content to enjoy our lay-led worship services and religious education for children and youth. Some of us wanted to transition from a lay-led fellowship to becoming a church with a full-time minister, but most felt that this was a dream for the distant future rather than a present-day goal. However, in 1973, we took this next step of congregational growth seriously. Searching for a minister took longer than we hoped and there were many unsuspected setbacks, but our habit of doing the impossible prevailed yet again. On 9 May 1975, the Rev. Burton Carley (currently the Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Memphis, TN) was installed as our first minister at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church.

As the 1970s passed into the 1980s, the church continued to grow--not just in number of members but also in spiritual consciousness. In 1984, the Rev. Bart Gould replaced Rev. Carley. Our congregation experienced growing pains as we moved from our former Shreveport-Barksdale Highway location to our present location on Ellerbe Road. During this time, our membership rose above 300 members including people from all walks of life and religious backgrounds. In 1999, Rev. Gould resigned from his post as Senior Minister at All Souls and we resumed our lay-led status with a membership of roughly 200 members.

We, the congregation of All Souls, covenant to create a sanctuary where we can explore, express, and fulfill our spiritual lives. We value our diversity, knowing that each of us perceives and responds differently to the reality that many of us call God. We open ourselves to any source that inspires us to intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth. We see doubt and trust as virtues in our open-ended search for religious truth. We cherish our spiritual freedom to feel, to risk, to choose, and to think. We uphold the right and responsibility of each of our members to determine their own beliefs and to live them with conviction. We seek to unite heart and head, science and spirituality, humanity and nature in our search for truth and meaning. We share a common sense of responsibility for our church family where we freely commit our time, talents, and treasure. Having benefited from the sacrifices of those who went before us, we gladly convenant to provide a home for this and future generations who follow the path of liberal religion.

We are committed to putting our values to work in the world. We feel called to this mission by personal conviction and compassion. We may follow paths set by spiritual guides from all traditions. We are sustained in our endeavor by our personal visions, our mutual support for one another, and the source of all that is good, true, and beautiful which many of us call God. In our dealings with others, we seek to lead by example. We respect the dignity and worth of all people. We welcome diverse viewpoints. We encourage a free and open search for truth. We use and advocate nonviolent means of conflict resolution. We nurture, educate, and empower others. We acknowledge our responsibility for the interconnected web of being which sustains our lives. We commit our time, talents, and treasures to make peace, harmony and justice on Earth a reality for all people.

In August 2004, our newly called interim minister, Rev. Angeline Theisen, arrived and we continued our spiritual journey with the companionship of an ordained minister and to assist us in preparing the way for a settled minister.  Rev. Theisen departed from All Souls in July 2005 when we called Rev. Lyn Oglesby to be our settled minister in August 2005.  In January 2008, Rev. Oglesby departed All Souls and we resumed our lay-led status with Chaplain Barbara Jarrell serving as our worship leader.


Please come join us at All Souls to be a part of these changes and to make the future happen at All Souls.

(Adapted by Stephen R. Caldwell from the Forward, Food for All Souls, a Cookbook by the Members of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church)

(Posted - 28 March 2008)

2.  What programming is available for my children on Sunday morning?
Our children and youth join all of us at the 11:00 AM worship service, where children and youth stay with their parents and guardians for the first 15 or 20 minutes and then go to their Religious Education classes for the duration of the service.  Our children and youth join us during the first part of the 11:00 AM service to remind us that we are a totally intergenerational religious community.

Religious Education classes are available for Preschool (beginning at age 3) through High School.  Nursery care for infants and toddlers under age 3 is available from 11:00 AM till 12:30 PM.  On selected Sundays (see our church calendar for details), our children and youth remain for the entire 11:00 AM service for a completely intergenerational worship.

We are flexible with children making the transition from nursery to preschool, realizing that some young three year olds and even older two year olds are more than ready, while some three year olds need a little more time to adjust. We work with children and their parents at the child's own pace. See question #3 for additional information.

3.  If my child isn't ready to leave me, can my child stay with me in the service?
Yes, absolutely!  We only ask that you be mindful of your child's attention span and ability to respect this time and space as set aside for worship. Our Director of Religious Education and our Religious Education teachers are also willing to work with you on helping your child integrate into Religious Education activities, always taking your child's cues and moving at your child's pace.

4.  Are people of all races welcome in this congregation?
Yes, resoundingly!  In our worship, in our religious education programming, in the causes we support, and in all aspects of congregational life; we strive to respect and affirm racial diversity and acceptance. We always welcome suggestions for making our congregation and our denomination more racially inclusive.

5.  Are bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people welcome in this congregation?
Yes, wholeheartedly!  They are a vital part of our congregational life.  Knowing that church should be a safe and supportive spiritual haven for all who attend, and also knowing that for many bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people, their past church experience has been anything but that, we strive to be a sanctuary of love and acceptance.

We are also one of few denominations who formally recognize and celebrate same-sex unions, and who formally ordain non-celibate bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender clergy. We take enormous pride in the fact that for more than 30 years, Unitarian Universalism has been an advocate of acceptance and justice for all.

6.  If I am Wiccan and my partner is Christian, will we both be accepted in your church?  Are interfaith/multifaith relationships accepted in your church?
Yes, unconditionally!  Many individuals in multi-faith relationships and families find our church an ideal place to be together and grow spiritually without forcing any one individual to give up a personal religious path.

We are a covenantal church rather than a creedal one.  Our members represent a wide variety of spiritual paths (Agnostics, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Pagans, Humanists, Atheists, Wiccans, etc.) but we come together in community around a covenant or mutual agreement based on our Seven Principles to support others in their individual faith journeys.  We find our shared belief in how we treat one another and relate to each other in our congregational community.

7.  What goes on during the worship services?
As in many Unitarian Universalist congregations, our services vary in both content and character, and we often encourage newcomers to attend at least five or six services in order to experience fully the practice of worship at All Souls. Generally, however, the weekly format of our services is very similar to that of a liberal Protestant congregation.

We always light the chalice, the symbol of our faith, to begin the service, which includes a Unison Affirmation, various readings, hymns, prayer or meditation, and a central sermon or message -- delivered by our Chaplain Barbara Jarrell, a lay reader, or a guest speaker.

Readings come from various sources, including the Bible and the scriptures of other traditions, but may also include poetry, literature, philosophy, science, or even the morning newspaper, depending on the theme of the service. Hymns and special music selections are also likely to come from a variety of sources and styles.

8.  What will my child be learning in Religious Education classes?
Religious Education (commonly referred to as "RE") at All Souls is a combination of worship, classroom, social action and recreational experiences built around five major themes, or "Pillars":

• Unitarian Universalist Identity

• Jewish and Christian Heritage

• World Religions

• Peace, Social Justice and the Interdependent Web

• Personal Spiritual Growth

For more information about our Religious Education program for children and youth, please contact our Director of Religious Education, Susan Caldwell.

9.  Are you a Christian church?
The short answer is "Yes and No."

Yes, we are "Christian" in the sense that our faith is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition. We respect and honor that tradition as well as the Jewish tradition that gave birth to Christianity and continued its independent growth alongside Christianity. We celebrate its holidays and teach our children its stories. We attempt to follow Jesus' teachings and examples in how we interact with others both within our congregation and in the wider community.

No, we are not "Christian" in the sense that we would ask all prospective members to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior in order to achieve salvation. Our views on the concept of "salvation," even on the meaning of the word itself, are as numerous as our members, and we feel that our coming together in community enhances and enriches our individual faith journeys

Judaism and Christianity are just two of the many sources of our living tradition:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.

• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

We do have members who identify themselves as Christian, and even some who have had a personal conversion experience. They are here because they appreciate the accepting, inclusive, and justice-affirming attitudes of our church.

However, many of our members are not Christian. Although they may acknowledge the Christian history of our faith, Christian stories and symbols are no longer primary for them. They draw their personal faith from many sources: nature, intuition, other cultures, science, civil liberation movements, and so on.  We cherish the rich tapestry created through our shared vision and our personal spiritual journeys in our community where those who are Christian and non-Christian work together for the greater good.

10.  I want to know more about Unitarian Universalism?  Where can I learn more?

• "100 Questions that Non-Members Ask About Unitarian Universalism" (copyright 1994-2000, Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, NH)

• Unitarian Universalist Association (Denominational Web site)

• Southwest Unitarian Universalist Conference (Regional Denominational Body)

And you can always contact the All Souls Office by phone (318-868-3313) or by email if this "frequently asked question" resource doesn't answer your questions.  We are more than happy to help you.  Please contact us if you need any more information.

(Posted - 9 March 2008)

This video can also be downloaded from the UUA web site. ]]> tag:allsoulsuushreveport.org,2007:/blog//1.70 2007-12-31T18:30:00Z 2007-12-31T19:46:57Z