First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston Podcast

Each of us is the descendant of countless generations. And all of us, whether we have children or not, will some day be the ancestor. In this service, we will explore what it is to be learned by being conscious of where we in the cycle of descendants and ancestors.

Throughout their life cycles, trees give and receive. In this service we'll consider how both giving and receiving are necessary parts of the Cycles that form our lives.

Rev. Colin uses the photographs of Libuše Jarcovjáková's from our current Fotofest exhibition, and the imperfections found in them, as a metaphor to how we can live more authentically to ourselves.

When the idea of making the world a better place sometimes seems insurmountable, it is always good to use the NOW to create things that will come to fruition later.

Being a part of a congregation is to be part of a conversation. Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen returns from sabbatical to talk about how important it is for YOU to join this conversation.

Music is a universal language. Through music we are able to process and express emotions and events that we experience throughout this journey called life. A song can plant a seed of remembrance, reflection, or resolution. Let's remember to open ourselves to receive, to share, to give, to feel, and to appreciate the ability to express ourselves through music.

Chatting with a visitor one Sunday in Channing Hall, a congregant wondered out loud if "Unitarian Universalism" has run its course as a good descriptor of our current theology, mission, or even church communities. Let's consider our theological roots and how they inform who and where we are today.

Jason Oby reflects on his personal journey from near-death illness to wholeness. A single man, living alone, he will talk about the lessons he learned about friendship, family, and surrender. He will reflect on how, through the experience, he hopes to inform his life going forward, and what others can glean from such an experience.

Bishop Carlton Pearson shares his journey as he went from a nationally celebrated Pentecostal preacher who taught how to fear God to where he developed his "Gospel of Inclusion" where he declared that because of Christ, no soul will spend eternity in hell, which ultimately lost him his church.

Carlton serves and has served on the boards of several charitable and humanitarian organizations, including the Interfaith Alliance, an organization which celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism; the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) of Washington DC, an organization promoting the civil rights of America's GLBTQ community; The Fellowship of Affirming Churches and Ministries (TFCAC); and is on the adjunct pastoral staff of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has authored a variety of books and booklets, two published by Simon and Schuster.

In addition to many spiritual and justice elements that connect to Unitarian Universalist values, indigenous worldviews commonly connect to democratic ideals as well, including non-hierarchical, intolerance of injustice, emphasis on community welfare and resistance to authoritarianism. What do we find when we compare and contrast these worldviews?