First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston Podcast

The Sunday before an election is often a time of hope and anticipation. Is hope warranted? What would it mean for us to live in a world beyond or without hope.

Sermon from October 20, 2024

The congregation voted to call the Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen as its eighth settled minister. Before the vote, he shared something of his vision for the future. He asks the question, what kind of community do we want to be in 2050?

Is society on the cusp of a "Great Turning," as Joanna Macy has claimed? How do we prepare ourselves for a great moral awakening and spiritual revolution? What is the nature of revolution? Since it is a political season, we'll focus on this question from a political perspective and take adrienne maree brown as our guide.

Vidas Robadas is a state-wide installation campaign, where congregations, universities, and any other interested locations display t-shirts that name or represent victims from their community whose lives where stolen by gun violence.This project seeks to connect the various silos of advocacy and violence prevention, and to unite communities of faith with other advocates to create positive change. The project starts with municipal initiatives, connecting city leaders with advocates to enact gun violence reduction measures. First Unitarian Universalist participated in this project and honored our participation through a service calling for gun reform.

We begin our series "Future Visions, Future Selves" with a look to the past. We ask a simple question: How do our understandings of the past shape our dreams for the future?

Religion has long helped people envision the future. The 2024-2025 program year will be one in which the congregation is oriented both its future and the futures of its members. Over the course of the year there will be a pivotal national election, the adoption of a congregational strategic plan, and a vote to elect a settled minister. Throughout the series questions about how the climate crisis, the global rise of right-wing populism and white supremacy, and escalating inequality will shape the coming years will form a backdrop. As we grapple with them, we will aspire to deepen the spiritual life of our community, and the spiritual lives of our members and friends, by offering a program devoted to exploring three aspects of the future—societal, personal, and planetary--from a variety of religious perspectives.

Summer often sees an influx of visitors and people seeking a new faith community. Rev. Scott again takes this opportunity near the beginning of the new church year to give a quick review of what Unitarian Universalism is - for their benefit and as a refresher to others. Come and hear why he thinks this faith is more important than ever.

We observed Labor Day with a service devoted to celebrating the accomplishments of the labor movement. We explore why and how solidarity can be a spiritual practice. Also included are two testimonials from local labor organizers.