as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, April 30, 2023 I have been in Houston almost five years. I have gotten to know the city pretty well, the congregation better, and the state of Texas somewhat. In that time, I have come to appreciate the role that Unitarian Universalism and Unitarian Universalist communities can play in a state governed by what I sometimes name the...
Being a Descendant, Becoming an Ancestor
as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, October 23, 2022 Listen more often to things than to beings,‘tis the Ancestor’s breathwhen the fire’s voice is heard,‘tis the Ancestor’s breathin the voice of the waters. The words come from the Senegalese poet Birago Diop. The music is from Ysaye Barnwell. She is the renowned singer and former member of the well-known a cappella...
The Transient and the Permanent
as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, September 26, 2021 It is good to be back in the pulpit. I have missed you. I have not been gone from First Houston these past weeks. But I have been absent from Sunday morning worship. And worship, this thing the congregation does together–whether online or in-person–sits at the core of the life we share. The title of...
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.