First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin

Guest minister Rev. Kathleen Ellis' sermon delivered on July 15, 2012. As Bollywood brings glimpses of India into our consciousness, the overall impression is that India is complex on multiple levels. Beauty competes with squalor; spirituality competes with greed; generosity competes with corruption; elders, children and homeless people compete for scraps of welfare. Compare it all with the United...

Guest speaker Jim Checkley's sermon delivered on July 8, 2012. According to polls, "trust" is at an all time low within our country. Government, lawyers, the media, politicians, and others are setting all time low marks for trust. They say that when trust is broken in a relationship, it is very difficult to repair and it is usually time to move on. But how do you move on from yourself? Moreover, t...

Guest minister Rev. Mark Skrabacz's sermon delivered on July 1, 2012. On the Sunday before the Independence Day holiday, let's examine the idea of patriotism and its varying degrees, interpretations and practices. We like to think we are patriotic. How do we define patriotism? What does it mean?

Guest speaker Tom Spencer's sermon delivered on June 24, 2012. A reflection on the transformative power of paying attention to the everyday occurrences of our lives.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 17, 2012. In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, the beekeeper tells her apprentice "the world is really one big bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places: Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and long pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting." Here's how we're...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 10, 2012. It is often said that our nation's ethics derive from the Ten Commandments of Moses. If you look closely at them, though, they don't reflect American values very well at all. Solon the Athenian was born around 638 B.C.E. In 594 B.C.E he was elected to create a constitution for Athens, in the process becoming the founder of Western democracy a...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 3, 2012. Rev. Carl Jung spoke of the "shadow side" of personalities and concepts. In the shadow are all of the elements we would rather not acknowledge. If we believe that pride makes us bad, our pride will be in the shadow side of our personality. If we believe that leisure is lazy, our resting self will be in the despised and hidden shadow. There is...

Guest minister Rev. George "Kim" Beach's sermon delivered on May 27, 2012. Rev. Meg Barnhouse and Barbara Stoddard lead the Flower Communion litany. By bringing and exchanging flowers in this service, participants are part of a particularly Unitarian service created by Rev. Norbert Capek. The communion we celebrate has taken place all over the world in Unitarian and UU churches since 1923.

Annual Youth Service delivered on May 20, 2012. The theme is "Individualism vs the social contract". The service is delivered by Audrey Lewis, Max Wethington, Kate Windsor, Jara Stiller, and Andrew Young and includes a bridging ceremony for our youth.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 13, 2012. Mama had a particular view of the world, shaped by her strong Christian faith, her love for children, her growing up as a missionary kid in India. Spiders in the house's windows? No problem. Twelve cats? Fine. Missing a tithe payment to the church? Very Dangerous!

Guest minister Rev. Brian Ferguson's sermon delivered on May 6, 2012. Many of us identify as Unitarian Universalists, but do we mean the same or even similar things when we identify as such? Or is our biggest commonality our doubt about having any centralizing religious concept that pulls us to together as a religious movement? Something - or the lack of something - keeps inviting us back to be pa...

Guest speaker Eric Hepburn's sermon delivered on April 29, 2012. Cutting-edge researchers in psychology and cognitive science increasingly refer to the "two selves" of our in-the-moment self and our reflecting or remembering self. We will explore this abstract dichotomy through the lens of my very personal struggle to find a meaningful relationship with humility.

The Gaia Psalms are nine pieces written as part of a special Unitarian Universalist Earth Day Service. The concept of this work is to create a worship experience that is both moving and simple. The minimalist, meditative quality is intended to create a spiritual connection in the listener and move the listener to both celebrate and reconnect as a member of the Earth's community. Composer: Kiya Hea...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 15, 2012. Our seventh principle is that we affirm and promote "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."... What does it mean to respect that web, to be a part of it?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 8, 2012. "Quartet For the End of Time," premiered in Stalag VIII-A in Gorlitz, Germany (currently Zgorzelec, Poland) on Jan. 15, 1941, to an audience of about four hundred fellow prisoners of war and prison guards. The story of this music is an inspirational example of freedom and beauty rising in the midst of death and destruction, a fitting story fo...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 1, 2012. What do UU jokes tell us about ourselves? How true are they? Some sting: a UU family moves into a new neighborhood. Their little girl finds a new playmate, and they are happily getting to know each other. One day, the playmate says, "We're Episcopalians, what are you?" The UU child thinks for a minute and says, "I'm not sure, but I think we'r...

Guest speaker Luther Elmores's sermon delivered on March 25, 2012. How Shall We Live? In the first half of the nineteenth century approximately one hundred utopian societies were established across the United States, several by Unitarians and Universalists. We will look at those UU utopian societies and see what lessons they offer us today.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 18, 2012. The Spring Equinox is coming, when the day and night are the same length. It's a good time to talk about balance, about living gracefully. Do we want to grow deep roots that can hold us steady while all around us things are pushing us one way, then the other? Do we want to learn to be light-footed so we can, as the Zen teacher says, "play ba...

Guest speaker Dick Pierce 's sermon delivered on March 11, 2012. Each of us must do what we can so that all human creatures - big and small, young and old, here and elsewhere - have enough nutritious food, shelter, clothing, and meaningful work to meet the minimum requirements for survival. Then, and only then, should we in the US and the developed world work toward "seconds" or "thirds" for ourse...

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 4, 2012. Purim is the Jewish festival celebrating a time long ago when the Jews were saved from destruction by the brave Queen Esther. What's the story? Get ready to boo the bad guy.

Guest speaker Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on February 26, 2012. Both the Unitarians and the Universalists have a long history of prophetic ministry - speaking truth in the public square and, perhaps more importantly, taking action on social issues. Will we continue that tradition into the 21st Century and beyond?

Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 19, 2012. Susan B. Anthony was a Unitarian during the days of fighting for abolition and women's suffrage. She was fierce and complicated, and her life is an inspiration.

Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 12, 2012. Our fifth Principle talks about liberty and justice for all, with a goal of world community. How are we supposed to get this done?

Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 5, 2012. In the Christian scriptures is a story about Rabbi Jesus doing a miracle where 5,000 hungry people were fed. It began with a boy offering to share what he had. What kind of miracle was it? What is its message for us?

Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 29, 2012. The choir performs three of Kiya Heartwood's choral works and Meg Barnhouse collaborates with readings. Science is showing us that we are all related to an African woman we call Mitochondrial Eve, and we can trace each person's ancestry through their mother's mitochondrial DNA, from mother to mother, all the way back to one of 26 "daughters of...