First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston Podcast

J. Edgar Hoover called the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "the most notorious liar in American." This Sunday we'll celebrate Dr. King's legacy with a consideration of the roll of lying and truth in religion and politics.

"Religion is the human response to being alive and having to die," wrote Unitarian Universalist theologian Forrest Church. And so, we will started the year with a focus on that most religious of topics: death.

Dame Maggie Smith said, "If you're lucky, I think you know what you want to do with your life." Kris Kristofferson agreed," To me, if you love it enough to devote your life to it, then you're doing the right thing." These were just two of the many talented people we lost in 2024 who devoted their life to something they became respected and renowned for. Continuing his annual tradition, Rev. Scott reflects on some individuals who left a legacy.

Unitarian Universalists have historically focused on the immediate future rather than attending to that which lies beyond the grave. We strive to love and to work to achieve justice now. The next four years will no doubt be eventful. How do we plan for an uneasy time spiritually, emotionally, and politically? How do we not lose focus on the Beloved Community that is to be?

During the winter holiday season we will focus on an issue that impacts many people in our community: religious trauma. For those that wrestle with it, working to heal from it, in a congregation like ours, can be a way to prepare for a more wholistic spiritual future.

We kicked off a series of three occasional services on the spirituality of music with a special service devoted to the spirituality of Nina Simone.

We include clips from the following:

"Black Journal", 1969 hosted by Lou House and William Greaves

"BBC Hard Talk", 1999 hosted by Tim Sebastian

"Nina: A Historical Perspective", produced by Peter Rodis in 1970

Rebecca "Artie" Throop reflects on what art has taught them about mistakes--how to make better mistakes, enjoying the process, and showing others imperfections. They are a member of our congregation and a senior at Rice University, double majoring in Religion and Studio art. They plan to attend seminary after graduation and become a Unitarian Universalist Minister.

Families convene around the dining table, partygoers are drawn like magnets to the kitchen table, colleagues work around the board room table, and a Christian religious ritual famously focuses on a table. Nourishment and community both happen around the table. Our Bread Communion expresses the gratitude we hold for both the nourishment and community that happen around the table.

The winner of the 2024 auction sermon has chosen "generative artificial intelligence and religion." We'll honor their wishes with sermon exploring how Large Language Models and other kinds of artificial intelligence are shaping religious experience and religious communities. Rev. Colin also delivers a "Pulpit Editorial" to address current events.

As a result of the 2024 presidential election, the country and the world remains at a crucial turning point. New technology, rising inequality, the climate crisis will continue to shape what it means to practice democracy. We focused the month on imagining a more participatory democracy.