First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston Podcast

There are many seeming dichotomies in our lives. But sometimes the forces interact and interconnect so that the whole is greater than the parts, a yin and yang. Self-differentiation and acceptance contrasted with community; these are important both in our congregations and in the LGBTQ world. On the eve of Pride month, Rev. Scott considers being unabashedly oneself in community.

Our experiences, hopes, griefs, and joys around mothering are some of the most complex in our lives. But the act of nurturing those and that which we love is a strong thread that connects us to each other and our shared future. Join us as we approach this revolutionary holiday with reverence, kindness, and love.

Dr. Elías Ortega, president of Meadville Lombard Theological School, is with us for this sermon. Through struggles rooted in faith and in the conviction that no one's labor is invisible or expendable, farmworkers, immigrants, and other vulnerable communities have defended their worth and dignity while sustaining the life of this nation. Grounded in spirituality and the deep ethics of community car...

Recorded on March 22nd, 2026

Unitarian Universalism has a theological affinity with Islam that dates to the opening decades of the sixteenth century. We start an exploration of how the idea of theological pluralism is fundamentally connected to religious dissent with an examination of the relationship between Islam and Unitarian Universalism and a celebration of the Sufi poet well beloved by many contemporary Unitarian Univer...

What we believe is true about the world shapes the way we live and love in it. But truth these days feels hard to find. What, and who, can we trust? Nina, recently back from her Witness & Solidarity Pilgrimage to Palestine, will explore how our shared theology equips us to be bold and brave in the face of paradox and seemingly conflicting truths. Recorded on March 8, 2026.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was an abolitionist, writer, and Unitarian. The author of some of the earliest novels by an African American woman she believed that we are all bound up together and that the fate of each is inextricably linked to the fate of all. She will serve as a guide for us as we explore the connections between abolitionism and feminism.

In our covenant we promise "to seek the truth in love." Sometimes we get so caught up in the truth part of that statement that we forgot the love. How can we better communicate hard truths while abiding by our commitment to love? Recorded on February 22, 2026.

The Unitarian minister and revolutionary Robert Wedderburn believed in the abolition of slavery and the abolition of private ownership of the land. He believed that both were necessary to build a multiracial society where the spark of the divine within each person was honored. What do such radical abolitionist teachings offer us in these times? Recorded on February 15, 2026.

Dr. Mtangulizi Sanyika is a veteran scholar activist, with 57 years of experience as a social justice warrior, academic, organizer, trainer, lay theologian, and global citizen. He was the founding chair of the Black Unitarian Universalist Caucus, and an architect of its Black Affairs Council during the Black power struggle in the UUA during the late 60s and early 70s. Recorded on February 1, 2026.

As Unitarian Universalists, practicing and protecting democracy is one of the ways we live our values and widen love's circle. Join us for a call to action from Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke. Recorded on January 25, 2026.

In his sermon in honor of Dr. King, Dr. Bossen reflects upon the evil that besets our city and our country. He calls for us to live lives guided by love. Recorded on January 18, 2026.

W.E.B. Du Bois considered the Unitarian and Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner one of the country's greatest heroes. Sumner developed a vision for the United States that Du Bois later renamed "abolition democracy." How can we reclaim Sumner's religious vision as a force today? Recorded on January 11, 2026

"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you," she often reminded her audiences. "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." These are the words of groundbreaking anthropologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who died this year at the age of 91. Continuing his annual tradition, Rev. Scott reflects on...

Do you anticipate being on the Naughty or Nice List this year? In the musical "Into the Woods", the Witch tells the others, "You're so nice, You're not good, You're not bad, You're just nice." Perhaps this year, our New Year's Resolution should be to be a little less self-stiflingly nice, and a bit more effectively naughty. John Lewis taught us, "Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in...

This episode contains the homily from our Christmas Eve service. The finale of our Christmas Eve activities this year was the Candle-Lighting Service. Be sure to visit our YouTube page to watch this moving and beautiful service in its entirety. Recorded on December 24, 2025.

Even in a totalitarian society the powerless retain some power to organize. In December, we look for inspiration to Vaclav Havel and other dissenters who maintained hope for the human spirit under the brutal grind of European totalitarian regimes. The month also marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. We celebrate the beloved author with a special service and book group devoted to her!...

This sermon will explore how the actions of the current MAGA Administration have seriously disturbed the American democratic consensus.  But Like A Storm passing Over in the Night, The Morning Light Will Appear.  Faith and Hope will guide UU's through this Storm because they 'have been preparing for a "New Democracy" for some time.  That is one of the many lessons that the 8th Principal discussion...

June is Pride Month. On Sunday, June 28, 2015, forty-six years to the day after the historic Stonewall Riots, Rev. Scott preached one of his first sermons at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Two days before that, US states were required by the Supreme Court to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On how firm a foundation is this ten-year-old decision during today's contentious and div...

We close the year's programs with reflections on the future of religion. What does it hold? How will it impact our community?

"Our church community is full of opportunities to work together to make things happen. It is a place with wonderful role models, who forge paths and inspire us. And it is a place to grow roots, that we may thrive, as best we can, in this broken world. In her last service as Director of Religious Education, join Carol Burrus as she leads worship, weaving a story of 40 years at First Unitarian Unive...

We mark the start of the summer with the annual flower communion service. We also recognize that this is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the American Unitarian Association. 

Perhaps there is no greater grief than for those who left us far too soon. Rev. Scott reflects on the importance of remembering the dead. As in past years, he expands the annual Memorial Day Candle Ritual beyond remembering military personnel. We remember others who passed away too soon, including those who died from gun violence and Covid.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to change human society. How will it change religious communities? Will it impact how we understand the nature of humanity? Of God? Of being itself?

This will be the first Mother's Day sermon Rev. Scott will preach since the passing of his parents. Less than a year into grieving their deaths, much of the country began collectively mourning what has been described as the 'death of our country.' Rev. Scott will look at the emotions tied to Mother's Day as well as the ways we all may work through our grief.