as presented at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, September 11, 2021 Welcome to this service marking the twentieth anniversary of the attacks on September 11th. I am the Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen, and along with the Rev. D. Scott Cooper, and on behalf of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, I thank you for your presence and participation on this solemn occasion. Today...
When the Spirit Says Do
as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, August 29, 2021 Thank you, Sophia for that exquisite violin performance. It is a blessing to have such talent in our congregation. I think that I can speak for the entire community when I say that we are proud of your achievements and wish you the very best as you continue your musical education. I am certain that you will bless...
When Our Heart in a Holy Place
In this sermon I ask, what makes a place a holy place?
Growing Generosity; Rooted in Faith
The sermon to launch the 2021-2022 stewardship campaign.
A Unitarian Universalist Response to Evil
The policy choices that led to the winter storm disaster in Texas are a moral evil. In this sermon, I argue why.
Truth and Lies
We are arguably living through the great age of propaganda. The rise of social media and its resulting social fractures and competing claims of truths led to a dynamic that played out in the recent presidential election and its aftermath.
How can we find the truth at such a time? And how can direct experience of awe and wonder help us to discover it?
Pre-inauguration Prayer
A prayer prior to the Inauguration of President Joe Biden.
1876, 1968, and Today: The Need for a Radical King
In this sermon, I reflect on how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. combined the prophetic with the pastoral in his effort to dismantle white supremacy. He taught that our efforts towards a more spiritual life for ourselves and more just society for all can only be pursued together.
The Senate Should Expel Senators Cruz and Hawley
Note: I wrote this op-ed on Friday and sent it to the Houston Chronicle with the intention of sending it on to the Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch if the Chronicle declined to run it. Since writing it the editorial boards of all three newspapers have written editorials calling for resignations and so I have decided to just post it to my blog. The Chronicle’s op-ed calling...
Stirring the Embers
Fire, like our connection to the divine, needs to be nurtured, needs to be maintained, if it is to continue. This is a helpful lesson to remember during these difficult days. For it prompts the question: In these times when it can feel like the fires of our spirits flag, what shall we do to maintain them?