First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on November 20, 2016. Studies have found that intentionally practicing gratitude can improve our daily lives in numerous ways. We'll get grateful together as we discuss gratitude spiritual practices.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 13, 2016. There was a big election upset. "Upset" is how many of us feel. How do we talk to those we love, those who claim to love us, when they have chosen to vote for "change," (the kindest word I can find for this conflagration of American Constitutional values.)

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 6, 2016. In the third strand of the Noble Eight-Fold Path, the Buddha recommends that we abstain from lying, divisive speech, abusive speech, and idle chatter. How might we do this?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 30, 2016. As we approach Halloween, All Saints and All Souls days, we might think about which ancestors we would choose to honor, and what actions we could take to honor them.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 23, 2016. When making a decision, the 10-10-10 rule is used to think about where you'll be in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years after the choice. Similarly, the second strand of the Buddhist Eightfold Path is sometimes translated as right intention.

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on October 16, 2016. After the last weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival, in this church where music is such an integral part of our religious and spiritual experience, we look at the unique ways in which music moves our spirits.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 9, 2016. In Reinhold Niebuhr's prayer, "We Must be Saved," he talks about what makes us whole as we try to do right in the context of history. Rev. Barnhouse explores the beautiful complexity of this poem.

Ministerial intern Susan Yarbrough's sermon delivered on October 2, 2016. The night of October 2nd marks the beginning of both the Jewish and Muslim New Year, a rare occurrence occuring only once every thirty-three years. Both of these faiths have something to teach us about new beginnings.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 25, 2016. The second UU principle is that we affirm and promote justice, equity and compassion in human relations. How can you get wise enough to balance justice and compassion?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 18, 2016. The first strand of the Buddhist eight-fold path is "Right Understanding." Do you understand how things work? What causes suffering? What is the way to be happy?

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on September 11, 2016. Fifteen years after the attack of September 11, what are the ways we remember those whom we lost? How does ritual help us make sense of the events of our lives?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 4, 2016. Water Communion Service. We each bring our water from a place that has meaning to us and pour our waters together. We sing water songs and have a child-friendly sermon.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 28, 2016. There is a set of memes (photos) on the internet where we are shown what our picture of a certain occupation or activity is, and then next to it, a picture of its actuality. They can be very funny. People's dreams of parenthood, of having one's own business, of being a college student, etc. What is our picture of how church should be? What...

Assistant Minister Rev. Marisol Caballero's final sermon delivered on August 21, 2016. It is a gay pride celebration of love, justice, and perseverance.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 14, 2016. When the Unitarians merged with the Universalists, they decided to write a list of ideas we all "affirm," which means to say "yes" to, and "promote," which means we talk about these things, not only amongst ourselves but with others as well. Let's take a look at how they speak to what is going on today.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 7, 2016. My attempts at cooking and baking have taught me some things. More recently, Kiya and I spent three weeks in Mexico learning Spanish, which has taught me even more.

Assistant Minister Rev. Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on July 31, 2016. Hogwarts Intergenerational Service. We celebrate the closing of another Camp UU year by looking to Harry Potter and the lot from Hogwarts to teach us life lessons.

Guest speaker Andy Gerhart's sermon delivered on July 24, 2016. We know that knowledge is power, and in our UU faith we emphasize the free search for truth. But what does it mean when answers lead to new questions and new forms of ignorance? How do we cope with our ignorance and simultaneously act in good faith? We'll discuss our current climate crisis as we explore how uncertainty might ground ou...

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on July 17, 2016. As a religion without creed, one of the cornerstones of UU spirituality arises from the covenantal nature of how we gather our religious communities. The covenant, a set of promises we make with one another about how we will be together, comes out of an ancient tradition.

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on July 10, 2016. When senseless violence happens like what we've seen so much in the news recently, when the unexpected and unwelcome occur in our personal lives, how do we continue our search for meaning and beauty? What do we do with our grief and anger?

Ministerial intern Susan Yarbrough's sermon delivered on July 3, 2016. "Who's Calling, Please?" These are the words I always use when I don't recognize the caller ID number or the name of the person on the other end of the line. This Sunday, let's think together about what we have been called to do as individuals and as a congregation, who or what is calling us, and the fact - yes, the fact - that...

Guest Minister Rev. Nell Newton's sermon delivered on June 26, 2016. So much around us seems fragmented and unsustainable, like the world around us seems broken. But is it? We will look at theology and possible responses to the idea that our world is a broken mess.

Assistant Minister Rev. Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on June 19, 2016. The word rahmah appears more times in the Qur'an than any other to describe God's attributes. In English it is often translated as "mercy," but that doesn't begin to describe what it means to a Muslim.

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on June 12, 2016. Rev. Chris Jimmerson and leaders from the Austin Area UU White Allies for Racial Equity will examine how, in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." Homilies are by Phil Richardson, Nicole Mietzen, and Julie Gillis.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 5, 2016. What can we learn about community from pecan trees? From the three sisters: corn, beans, and squash?