Our intern minister, Carrie, has a poster up in her office, reminding her that “We are many, they are few.” These days, it’s an important reminder. The laws passed by our legislature, and around the country, try to tell us otherwise. It is easy to believe that those of us...
“May 29, May 29, May 29,” I have been singing naively in my head since about, well, since about January. Monday was “Sine Die,” the last day of the Texas Lege regular session, their 140 days of what has often felt like brutal assaults against our religiously pluralist society and...
One of the remarkable aspects of Asian food is its ability to bridge generations and create connections. For many Asian Americans, food holds memories of family gatherings, celebrations, and shared meals. Traditional dishes prepared with love and care bring back fond memories from times past. The aroma of fragrant spices,...
As I’ve shared before, I create videos on TikTok, mostly to teach about Unitarian Universalism. When my father was a young man, out in the panhandle of Texas, he heard a Unitarian minister named A. Powell Davies on the radio, preaching and occasionally challenging fundamentalist Billy Graham to a debate....
Mahatma Gandhi’s approach to social and political change through nonviolent means resonated with several prominent figures in the Civil Rights Movement, most notably Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was deeply influenced by Gandhi’s teachings and methods, which he discovered during his studies of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi’s concept...
Ministers of UU churches in blue states have reached out to me, wanting to know how they can help. We are all at a loss and we search in vain for historical references that might provide instruction: do we need an underground railroad, church partnerships like the American/Transylvanian churches, are...
Last fall, I gave a sermon about moral panics such as the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s. A moral panic involves whipped-up hysteria about an identified “folk devil.” The folk devil is usually a marginalized group, and a narrative is made about them that outrages the public as they see...
Being a part of the Live Oak community means that each of us is a member of the pastoral care team, even if we never attend a meeting. We have created an intentional, intergenerational “village” here, where we both give and receive care. What is pastoral care, anyway? I imagine...
At the May 21st Congregational Meeting a proposed change to the bylaws will be presented for member approval. The changes are to Article 5: Membership. If you have questions or wish to provide feedback, please email stewardship@liveoakuu.org The proposed changes were developed by the Stewardship Committee. In the past,...
Someone I know called me this week to say they had been hit by scammers. But the more they told me about it, the more alarm bells were ringing. Guess what? There are scams based in protecting you from scams! It’s called phishing, and even though we most often hear...
