Every September, we change the liturgy. I like that it keeps things fresh and is a guard against certain things becoming tin gods that we can never change. But even more than that, it allows us to use more materials – e.g. last year we used the historic UU “Blake...
- Sep2024
Liturgy Changes and Why
September 18, 2024
Tips for Critical Thinking in an Election Year
September 11, 2024
Many people chuckled in amazement at the presidential debate when one candidate repeated a couple of conspiracy theories considered by most experts to be “really out there.” But in this time of artificial intelligence, deep fakes, hired “trolls,” and news media being directed by adversarial foreign governments, what are some...
Semper Reformanda!
September 5, 2024
“I don’t even know who I AM anymore!” I laughed to my best friend. She’s known me for more than twenty years. There’s a conversation I’ve seen on Facebook before where people ask, “What could I say that would indicate someone was trying to impersonate me?” and then you answer...
- Aug2024
Ordination!
August 28, 2024
Saturday, at 2:00, we will join with First UU Austin at their church to do one of our sacred duties as a congregation: we will ordain our former intern, Carrie Holley-Hurt. In our tradition, only a congregation can ordain a minister. Not the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), or the Ministerial...
Potluck and Plans
August 21, 2024
Action Items for this Sunday: Bring a dish to share. And bring your calendar to fill out. I will confess, one of my favorite things about church community life is the traditional potluck. We have some excellent chefs in our congregation, and there’s just something about “breaking bread” together, isn’t...
Getting Ready to Get Down
August 14, 2024
Like most people who went to standard public school in the United States, this time of year feels more like the beginning of a new year than January. As Joe says in You’ve Got Mail on the topic of fall: “It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would...
Prayer Given at Gatesville Vigil
August 7, 2024
Holy Spirit, that we call by many names, or no name, but who calls each of us, and all people, “beloved,” we come together today in anguish. We are a temporary congregation, with different beliefs about the nature and existence of God, and how it is that justice and mercy...
- Jul2024
“Ask Me Anything” Live Oak Version July 9
July 9, 2024
On June 16, we held our annual “Question Box” service. Those present were invited to submit questions and I answered as many as I could in the amount of time given. There were many great questions left, so I’ll be answering them in today’s and upcoming columns. Question: I was...
“Ask Me Anything” Live Oak Version July 2
July 2, 2024
On June 16, we held our annual “Question Box.” Those present were invited to submit questions and I answered as many as I could in the amount of time given. There were so many great questions left, so I’ll be answering them in today’s and upcoming columns. Question: Is Live...
- Jun2024
“Ask Me Anything” Live Oak Version June 25
June 25, 2024
On June 16, we held our annual “Question Box.” Those present were invited to submit questions and I answered as many as I could in the amount of time given. There were so many great questions left, so I’ll be answering them in today’s and upcoming columns. Question: How is...