First U Think

Send us Fan MailThis Sunday we honor all those who are or have been mothers. How might the experience of motherhood help us all awaken our curiosity for the world and one another?Support the show

Send us Fan MailAs we begin this month’s theme of “Awakening Curiosity”, we take this Sunday to honor Vesak and the Buddha’s quest to understand suffering in the world. How might the Buddha’s journey help us to become more curious and wise?Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt takes preparation, stamina, and patience to embrace possibility. In a world that seems to measure possibility in quarterly earnings, how do we reclaim the perspective to plant trees whose shade we will not be here to enjoy?Support the show

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Send us Fan MailThe Green Sanctuary Team is highlighted as we celebrate the upcoming Earth Day 2026 and our church's commitment to environmental action.Slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sUSN080hWFqv2uSb1Ux-IZrp-6LEvU1L/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115773222253600430449&rtpof=true&sd=trueSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWe’ve been meeting some of the amazing people out in the city of Des Moines doing the good work. This episode we’re keeping it local, meeting with an amazing person right here on our church staff doing the good work!Support the show

Send us Fan MailSometimes difficult experiences in life teach us to be cautious of embracing possibilities. Join us for a powerful service focusing on the work to nurture a trauma-informed community.  Support the show

Send us Fan MailWe’ve been meeting some of the amazing people out in the city of Des Moines doing the good work. This episode we’re keeping it local, meeting with an amazing person right here on our church staff doing the good work!Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt takes courage to see which possibilities might emerge out of present challenges.  Join us for an Easter service that explores abundance as a mindset, the art of improv, and the power of radical acceptance.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this month of Paying Attention, this Sunday we honor the power of being seen and heard.  We’ll begin with a 30-minute service focusing on Trans Day of Visibility, and then move into small groups for an hour to support AMOS’ work to listen to what’s on the minds of  “we the people” in Iowa.Support the show

Send us Fan MailSpeaking: Aaron RosenfeldWhen we cultivate our capacity to pay attention, we may start to notice patterns in ourselves or our relationships. How can this practice support us in growing ethically and spiritually together?Support the show

Send us Fan MailHow does our work of paying attention affect our relationships with others? How might the practice of attention deepen our capacity to love one another?Support the show

Send us Fan MailWe are drowning in input to compete for our attention. How do we navigate the constant distractions of contemporary life to steward our attention where we want it to go?Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat we choose to attend to is where we direct our time, energy, and love. How can we be good stewards of the resource of our attention?Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat does resilience look like in community? Join us this Sunday as we explore stories of communities that have faced remarkable challenges and found ways to spring back, let go, and transform.   Support the show

Send us Fan MailAge, wisdom, experience, with reflections from the congregationSupport the show

Send us Fan MailAs we deepen our exploration of resilience, what role do our expectations play in our ability to adapt and respond to life’s challenges? Support the show

Send us Fan MailAs we begin our February theme of Embodying Resilience, we look at the nature of resilience and how it differs from resistance. In a world that frames most conflicts in win-lose zero-sum terms, how might embodying resilience improve our lives? Support the show

Send us Fan Mailwww.alexitoiowa.orgSupport the show

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Send us Fan MailJoin us as we honor Rev. Dr. King and lift up the ongoing work to build the Beloved Community. As we work to resist racism, what might each of us have to change?Support the show

Send us Fan Mail https://www.amosiowa.org/Upcoming Events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QezrU0h9kXqJM4gUL19j6QqAYN2AUwpEHiYp_jU8wjU/edit?usp=sharingSupport the show

Send us Fan MailIn the abstract, it’s always right to resist injustice or harm. In reality, it can often be risky, even dangerous, to resist. How do we navigate these daily decisions? How might our UU values guide us through the thorny calculus of resistance?Support the show

Send us Fan MailAs we begin our January theme of Practicing Resistance, we acknowledge that “resistance” is a term and set of practices used by many different people to justify many different actions. What makes resistance good or bad? This service includes a special Turning of the Year ritual to release 2025 and welcome 2026.Support the show

Send us Fan MailHope – and despair – are ‘contagious’. We usually feel more or less hopeful depending on how those around us feel. Join us this Winter Solstice Sunday to claim the power of Active Hope together, to celebrate that even in the darkest time of the year, the sun still shines.Support the show

Send us Fan MailTo donate or volunteer: https://ubfmdsm.com/donate-volunteer Support the show

Send us Fan MailIf the future is unknowable, why choose hope? What value does a hopeful outlook bring to our lives? Join us for a celebration of possibility.Support the show

Send us Fan MailVolunteer: https://www.dmymca.org/locations/supportive-housing-campus/volunteerDonate: https://tinyurl.com/4au85ndmSupport the show

Send us Fan MailIs the glass half-full, half-empty, or twice the container for the volume required? Join us this Sunday as we explore how gratitude helps us see the world more clearly and shake us from habitual resentment. Support the show

Send us Fan MailDonate to 26 For Her: https://thebeacondm.org/26forher/Volunteer: https://thebeacondm.org/volunteer/ Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt was the best of times; it was the worst of times… Join us for a service that imagines what the world might look like if everyone made gratitude an integral part of our daily practice – and what it might look like if no one did. Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat is the difference between feeling gratitude and practicing gratitude? Join us on Sunday as we dive deeper into our theme of Gratitude, reflecting on how the active practice of gratitude helps both the giver and receiver. Support the show

Send us Fan MailCISS donations: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/cissgeneralfunddonationsCISS upcoming events: https://centraliowashelter.org/events/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis November we explore the practice of Nurturing Gratitude. On this weekend traditionally associated with All Souls Day, we remember those we have lost, and we consider how to express our gratitude for those we love. Come for a heartfelt service of gratitude and remembrance and stay for the forum to learn more about putting together your end-of-life documents. Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat does it mean to cultivate compassion in a challenging world? As national figures debate whether empathy is a sinful weakness, how do we as Unitarian Universalists respond to challenges with compassion? Join us for a service that engages our hearts and minds to love radically, grow ethically and spiritually, and serve justly.Support the show

Send us Fan MailLinks from the Show:Donate to DMARCDonate food to DMARCSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWe would move out of defensiveness, see another's perspective; we would honor silence; be more curious; not keep score.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to give the same compassion to ourselves as we do to others? What drives our resistance to self-compassion? How do we balance the need to care for ourselves with the need to care for the world? Join us for a powerful service of light and love. Support the show

Send us Fan MailLinks from the show:https://www.aclu-ia.org/get-involved/https://onrealm.org/FirstUnitarian/give/ITMAFSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat is compassion? What does it feel like to receive compassion? What does it look like to be compassionate? This Sunday we welcome in the October theme of Cultivating Compassion by exploring what it means to be fully present for one another.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt's Great to Meet You, Episode 3: Max Mowitz, OneIowaLinks from the show:Oneiowa.orghttps://onrealm.org/FirstUnitarian/give/ITMAFSupport the show

Send us Fan MailFour Board of Trustee members will introduce themselves and tell you why they chose to belong to this church, and why they chose to take the leap and landed on the Board.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt’s Great to Meet You, Episode 2: Wes Mullins, Executive Director, Capitol City Pride Links from the Show:   Capitol City Pride: Home - Capital City Pride   Pride Storyteller Event, Nov. 13: Apply to Be a Pride Storyteller - Capital City Pride   Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund fundraiser: Give Now Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn order to build a sense of belonging, we need covenants to keep ourselves safe in community. Hear the stories of Jonah, Jonah, and Karl as we explore the limits of belonging.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat does a college writing class, Doug, and the Platinum Rule have to say about building belonging? Join us this Sunday at 9:30 as we explore the commitments we make to one another to create a community of belonging. And then find your places of belonging at our Community Faire after the service!Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt's Great to Meet You, Ep. 1 - Connie Ryan, Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.Rev. Steve Sieck has a new podcast! Welcome to "It's Great to Meet You!" where he gets to know the good people of Des Moines doing the good work in our city. Enjoy Episode #1 today!Support the show

Send us Fan Mailwith Rev. Steve SieckThe Water Ritual, a tradition we share with UUs around the world, was created by leaders in the UU feminist movement more than four decades ago to help us all remember how deeply we are each connected to one another, and to all life. Support the show

Send us Fan MailHighly selective account of the music in our church from its founding until today. What may it have been like, what have been its purposes, and who were the musicians?Support the show

Send us Fan Mailwith Rev. Steve Sieck and CompanyWhat is your vision for First Unitarian Church of Des Moines for 2040? In that future, what do you see? Who do you see? What is familiar, and what has changed? Join us as we look into the future together.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIt is good to ask questions! Unitarian Universalism believes that wonder is an important spiritual practice, and so we continually support one another in learning and growing. Support the show