First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin

Assistant Minister Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on June 22, 2014. A recent article in the UU World magazine by Doug Muder, entitled, "I Don't 'Believe in' the Seven Principles," brought up the difference between a belief and a vision. This assertion has the potential to change the way we as UUs respond to the often-asked question, "What do Unitarian Universalists believe?" What about some...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 15, 2014. The Fifth Commandment talks about honoring our parents. What does that mean? We reflect on the things we were taught that we should hold fast, and the things we were taught that we should let go.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 8, 2014. This week we learn about justice and politics in the nineteenth century. Did you know that the man who was chief of the Cherokee during the Trail of Tears was a Harvard graduate? Did you know there were missionaries living in Georgia amongst the Cherokee who vigorously protested their removal?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 1, 2014. The Fourth Commandment is to rest. What do you do to rest? What might a "sabbath" be in your life?

Assistant Minister Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on May 25, 2014. We join in this much-loved tradition of Flower Communion that celebrates beauty, diversity, and uniqueness in community.

First UU Youth Group service delivered on May 18, 2014. The Senior High Youth Group invites you to share in the exploration of the topic of love. The service includes poems, stories, and mini-sermons about love, from the unique perspective of our teens.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 11, 2014. Michael Servetus was one of the martyrs of our faith. He lived during the Reformation and wrote a pamphlet called "On the Errors of the Trinity."

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 4, 2014. Does a concept like George Lucas' "The Force" represent most Unitarian Universalists' idea of the Divine?

Assistant Minister Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on April 27, 2014. The phrase "the banality of evil" refers to how evil can often wear a fairly "normal" exterior. On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, we'll explore the concepts of "evil," "good," and all of the gray area in between.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 20, 2014. Who were the women in Rabbi Jesus' family tree? What did their oddness say about him?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 13, 2014. So many people suffer from bouts of depression. What helps? How does one be a friend to someone who is depressed? What causes it? How is it different from sorrow?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 6, 2014. The Third Commandment forbids taking God's name in vain. So many people say "God bless you!" to the poor but do not help to change the situation. So many politicians say "God bless America" at the end of their speeches, but what do they mean by that? Might using God's name for ulterior motives be taking that name in vain?

Assistant Minister Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on March 30, 2014. The way we speak about our beliefs is powerful. Language can either serve to connect or distance us from others, based on our emotional associations with the words chosen by others. We will explore the possibility of religious language as limitless metaphor and poetry.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 23, 2014. How do we keep our balance as life around us swirls? Is balance something to be desired, or should we just enjoy the roller coaster ride?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 16, 2014. What might redemption be? What are some of the views of the world's religions about it? In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we'll look at how the Celts saw it differently from the more common Roman Christianity.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 9, 2014. The second commandment says humans make a mistake when they make idols, or when they worship something other than the One Spirit. What might be some of the idols of our culture? Physical beauty? Youth? Capitalism?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 2, 2014. Is gossip always a bad thing, or can it be community-building? What does it indicate about our state of mind? Could it have to do with learning social intelligence?

Assistant Minister Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on February 23, 2014. Not much happens in February. It's still pretty cold, but there are signs of spring beginning. This is an ideal time to consider all that is to come in what seems like an in-between time and to notice beauty in unexpected places.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 16, 2014. Susan B. Anthony's birthday was February 15 and we reflect on the important work and legacy of this Unitarian and Quaker.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 9, 2014. We begin our series on the Ten Commandments with the first one. From Rumi to Emerson, we talk about a UU understanding of the truth and usefulness of the commandments.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 2, 2014. We bring our well-behaved, house-trained animals to an intergenerational animal blessing service. Rev. Meg preaches about animal companions, and the First UU Intergenerational Choir serenades our animal friends with a variety of songs.

Assistant Minister Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on January 26, 2014. Many of us are already mired in self-judgment over our "failure" to keep our New Year's resolutions. What do our sources have to say about goal-setting and personal criticism?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 19, 2014. They say that magic is changing consciousness at will, and music certainly does change how we see the world. Can music cheer or spook you? What does music do to your brain?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 12, 2014. As we think about how to make our church more hospitable, let's talk about the language of space, how buildings communicate. If "architecture is frozen music," what tune are we playing?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 5, 2014. Here at the first of the new year, we bring things for the fire, to let them go from our lives. Outmoded habits, grudges, practices, ideas, maybe a relationship that has become destructive, a worry you are willing to release... any or all of these things can go into the burning bowl.