First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin

Guest speaker Luther Elmore's sermon delivered on June 23, 2013. Joseph Priestley was a scientist, philosopher, educator, and Unitarian minister. His positions forced him to flee his homeland for America. We will look at his life and contributions to our Unitarian history.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 16, 2013. The sermon topic is "salvation." What does the word mean? Is it something we want? How do we get it? We have yielded the ground on words like this to the more traditionally religious communities, but we really can go there. It will be okay.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 9, 2013. We hear in songs that love is a rose. We read the poets, who say life is a rose. From Rumi to Emerson to the Grateful Dead, the rose is used to evoke beauty, pain, the ephemeral nature of life. It's summer, and the roses are blooming.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 2, 2013. Our stories tell us who we are, where we've been. They let us know what is expected of us and what we can expect. Sondhaim says "Beware the tales you tell, the children are listening. Your tale is your spell. The children are listening."

Rev. Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on May 26, 2013. We celebrate our annual Flower Communion with stories of hope. We remember Rev. Norbert Capek who began this annual festival in the 1920's and died at the hands of the Nazi's.

May 26, 2013 service. The Senior High Youth Group holds its annual youth service and bridging ceremony. The featured speakers are Audrey Lewis and Max Wethington. Bridging is a rite of passage celebrating the movement of our high school seniors into adulthood.

Rev. Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on May 12, 2013. We celebrate mothers and their willingness to speak truth to power for the sake of children worldwide.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 5, 2013. "Right Action" is the next element in our series on Buddhism's Eightfold Path. We avoid suffering by doing the right things: 1. not harming anyone or anything, 2. not taking what is not given, and 3. not using our sexuality in a destructive way. Doing these things doesn't make you "bad," Buddhism just asks you to notice what brings happiness an...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 28, 2013. Rev. Olympia Brown, a suffragist, is seen as the first woman to graduate from theological seminary, and the first woman ordained to full-time professional ministry in the U.S. This is a story of a person living her soul. This is the story of one way social justice happens.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 21, 2013. Earth Day Service / The Gaia Psalms. A meditative celebration of the creatures of the earth and our relationship with one another. For more information about this service visit our web site at http://austinuu.org/wp2013/the-gaia-psalms/

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 14, 2013. The third element of the Eightfold Path of Buddhism is "Right Speech." What does "right speech" entail?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 7, 2013. Immigration is an issue that is getting a lot of attention in the public arena. What are some of the elements to consider? How does our stance relate to First UU's goal of being an intentionally hospitable church?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 31, 2013. There are dying and rising gods all over human history. What might the resurrection be about?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 24, 2013. This is a service with special music, drama and a sermon speaking about our common ancestor, Mitochondrial Eve. The First UU Adult Choir performs music by Kiya Heartwood.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 17, 2013. Sometimes you are halfway to a good answer when you finally formulate your question in a helpful way. What are some ways to come up with better questions?

Guest speaker Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on March 10, 2013. We are living in an extraordinary time and many of us will see significant social progress within our own lifetime... struggles for justice have not been easily won. Join us as we look back in order to move forward.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 3, 2013. The second element in Buddhism's Eightfold Path is "Right Intention." Your intention is the lodestar by which you steer your life. What is that, given your understanding of life, you intend to do and be?

Guest speaker Rev. Stefan Jonasson's sermon delivered on February 24, 2013. Rev. Jonasson is a Unitarian Universalist minister, historian, and the Unitarian Universalist Association's Director for Large Congregations.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 17, 2013. What is fundamentalism? Why is its world view compelling? What is destructive about it? How do you let go, not only of the content of its thinking, but of the structure of its thinking?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 10, 2013. A Juicy Slice of UU History: Theodore Parker, "The arc of the Universe bends toward justice," he said. Parker was a Unitarian minister, a tireless and militant abolitionist, and a proponent of women's rights.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 3, 2013. When you think of God as female, how does that change thoughts and feelings about God? When you think of God as a huntress, what kind of stories does that evoke? How would people, animals and the planet be affected by this picture of God?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 27, 2013. The Eightfold Path. Buddhism teaches that there is a way to overcome suffering by coming to an understanding of the way the world is, and by living in a certain way. There is no requirement that you believe in it, they say, you just try it to see if it works.

Guest speaker Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on January 20, 2013. Evangelical minister Rob Bell, in his book, "Love Wins," articulates the concept of God's unconditional love, and he has been widely condemned for it by the evangelical community. Join us as we explore Universalism's history and delve into why this idea still causes such an uproar.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 13, 2013. What does forgiveness entail? Does one have to "forgive and forget?" How do we forgive ourselves? Another sermon having to do with our Covenant of Healthy Relations.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 6, 2013. It is good to begin the new year by clearing out old regrets and resentments. We toss those things into the fire and get a fresh start.