A sermon reflecting on the nature of religious dissent in the 21st century United States.
Seeds
S
New Article: Populism as Political Ontology
N
Populism is a political ontology, in which political being is centered on the question of collective identity. It is also a political theology embedded within constitutional democracy.
A Side Trip to Saltaire (or the Commoners Choir)
A
The British punk collective Chumbawamba has long been one of my favorite musical groups. While they’re best known for a pop hit they had in the 1990s they actually have an extraordinary range that spans from hard core punk to various kinds of house and techno pop to traditional folk music. I never got a chance to see them live. They broke up about a decade ago so that their members could pursue...
Manchester
M
I am in Manchester for a little less than two weeks. The city was historically the heart of British Unitarianism–and I am told that even now about half of the Unitarians in the United Kingdom live within 50 miles of the city center–and the University of Manchester has one of the largest collections of Unitarian books and archival materials in the world. They actually have two separate...
May Day: A Tribute to the Workers Holiday
M
as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, May 1, 2022 I want to begin by thanking everyone who contributed to last night’s fundraiser. It was a wonderful celebration of First Houston and our musical program. Thanks to Dr. Rocke and Chelsea, the choir, the string band, Paige Powell, Jim McGehee, Karoline Mueller, Traveler, the Clear Creek Girls, Rev. Scott, Alma, Tawanna...
Troubling the Truth (Easter 2022)
T
In my Easter sermon for 2022 I challenge us to go beyond the idea that there is such a singular thing as the truth.
Struggling with Revolutionary Love
S
In this sermon in honor of MLK's birthday, I consider where we might find revolutionary love today.
Joe Manchin Might be a Senator from West Virginia but he’s Paid for by Corporations
J
Joe Manchin is doing everything he can to undermine effective legislation to address the climate crisis and stop any sort of expansion of the social safety net. Like a lot of people, I have been feeling a lot of anger and despair over his power to dictate the Democratic Party’s legislative agenda at a time when it seems clear that a major consolidation of right-wing and white supremacist power is...
Mourning the Past
M
In this sermon I consider how we might re-imagine mourning the past.
Grieving the Future
G
In this sermon, I consider how we might grieve for losses that will occur in the future.