First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin

Guest minister Rev. Mark Skrabacz's sermon delivered on October 23, 2011. Widening our circle of compassion, opening our hearts, embracing life, and living large... these are expressions of growing out, the theme of today's examination of maturing.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 16, 2011. The third in the series on the seven UU Principles. We talk about acceptance, spiritual growth, encouraging one another. What is "spiritual" for Unitarian Universalists?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 15, 2012. Our seventh principle is that we affirm and promote "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."... What does it mean to respect that web, to be a part of it?

Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 19, 2012. Susan B. Anthony was a Unitarian during the days of fighting for abolition and women's suffrage. She was fierce and complicated, and her life is an inspiration.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 20, 2011. Holidays crank up the expectations for food, decorations, family time, and perfectionism rears its ugly head. How do we deal with not having the perfect life, the perfect home, the perfect job, with Aunt Millie asking us again when we're going to be married..?

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 6, 2011. How do we forgive? Do we have to forgive and forget? Does it make us more vulnerable to be forgiving?

Rev. Marisol Caballero's sermon delivered on May 26, 2013. We celebrate our annual Flower Communion with stories of hope. We remember Rev. Norbert Capek who began this annual festival in the 1920's and died at the hands of the Nazi's.

May 26, 2013 service. The Senior High Youth Group holds its annual youth service and bridging ceremony. The featured speakers are Audrey Lewis and Max Wethington. Bridging is a rite of passage celebrating the movement of our high school seniors into adulthood.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on May 10, 2026. The origin stories of Mother's Day were a cry for peace and an attempt to acknowledge the work of nurturing that goes unrewarded in a patriarchal society. While the day has become about the physical act of bearing and/or rearing children, the origins speak to something more radical, the transforming power of nourishing and providing care. Rev. Carrie unpacks this holiday and any gifts it might have for us.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on May 3, 2026. If we hold values such as equity, interdependence, and justice, what are we obligated to do when we encounter situations that violate those beliefs? And what do we do when we feel overwhelmed by the number of situations that violate our beliefs? Can we do anything? Rev. Carrie explores these questions through the lens of May Day using our UU values.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on April 19, 2026. This Sunday we celebrate all our volunteers who keep our church alive in a million different ways and make it possible for us to live into our mission. Our theology teaches us about the inherent worthiness of all and the beauty of our interdependence. In this church, when we put those beliefs to work, we generate beautiful things both inside and outside the church. Together we nourish each other, we journey with each other through transformation, and we do the work of building the beloved community.

Guest speaker Dr. Elias Ortega's service delivered on April 12, 2026. Dr Ortega explores how the Love Ethics of our Universalist tradition extends a radical welcome to a world marred by deep divisions, conflict, and growing uncertainty. Our shared Unitarian Universalist tradition invites us to choose Love as our guide in our relationships with one another and the world. This is a daring faith. A faith of a radical welcome where justice-seeking and justice-making lead to healing, transformation, and community.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt and Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on April 5, 2026. Rev. Chris and Rev. Carrie challenge each other with questions about this time that is so sacred to so many. Join us as we seek to understand and experience Easter in a Unitarian Universalist theological context.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt and LB Lomeli's service delivered on March 29, 2026. The early warning alarms of genocide directed towards transgender people are starting to sound blaringly loud. How do we turn anger against transgender, nonbinary and intersex people into love? Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt and LB Lomeli are offering a special Trans Day of Visibility worship service. Can we collectively challenge the systems of oppression by strengthening our spirituality?

Rev Chris Jimmerson and Sol Cornell's service delivered on March 22, 2026. Everybody has to start somewhere. We tend to focus more on our endings, though, what we've accomplished, what we've lost. But what if we turned our attention back to the beginning? What if we held our first steps and awkward starts with the same honor we do our successes? This Sunday, we'll pause to notice these beginnings and to appreciate them for getting us where we are.

Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on March 15, 2026. The ability to keep our attention focused on the present moment has been shown to benefit us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Yet sometimes, doesn't it feel like the past many present moments (years?) have been filled with drama, trauma, and a constant deluge of factors vying for our attention? How might we develop the spiritual resources and practices that will help us direct our attention toward that which centers us and brings us love and joy?

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on March 8, 2026. What do you do when the onslaught of bad news floods our nervous system and causes us to feel shaky in our faith? Rev. Carrie explores that question and leads us through a spiritual practice of lament.

We come together to celebrate the life of Rev Meg Barnhouse. Rev. Erin Walter and Rev. Joanna Crawford read two of Meg's published stories. Invited guests who shared their personal stories include: Rev Chris Jimmerson, Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt, Rev. Tandi Rogers, Rev. Jake Morrill, as well as her two sons, Ned and Sam Durrett. Rev Kiya Heartwood performed songs.

Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on March 1, 2026. As the song says, "Well, you know, we all want to change the world." The thing is, we can't romanticize the revolution. Revolutions can be hard and messy, and last beyond singular lifetimes. The world resists change mightily, at times with the starving of souls and the spilling of blood. How do we sustain ourselves through the long revolution? Perhaps, in the words of author and justice activist Dorothy Roberts, "We have to start with ourselves, and our most intimate relationships..." Perhaps we start by building what have been called "Islands of Sanity" together.

Guest Speaker Rev Dr Leona Stucky-Abbot's service delivered on February 22, 2026. Infants begin to develop their brains in the context of a mothering matrix, which involves the important relationships of their early years. Internalized relational patterns gradually establish expectations and structures for how babies think. Their novice experiences also distort who mother is and why she exists. These distortions mirror the ways humans construct their relationships with the Divine.

Bis Thornton's service delivered on February 15, 2026. Our world is full of so much greed, violence, and hatred. Many of us have begun to wonder: "Is love really enough?" Recently, the Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) joined 30 partner organizations in a procession to the ICE family detention center outside of Dilley, Texas. Join TXUUJM Intern Minister Bis Thornton for a journey through the events of that day. Together we will explore what it means to hold love at the center of all things.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on February 8, 2026. Fear is the reason we are here. It is a tool for survival but it can also get in the way of living into our values and meeting the moment. Rev. Carrie explores how we might honor our humanity, listen to our body, and live in alignment with our values.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on February 1, 2026. To paraphrase Parker Woodland, "The world's on fire, and we are still going to find joy." Joy that nourishes us and joy that sustains us. In that spirit, please join us to bless the beloved animal companions in our lives. In these challenging times let us honor our animal companions who are such a vital source of our joy and resilience.

Rev Erin Walter's service delivered on January 18, 2026. Rev. Walter will hold space this Sunday through the words and music of the Rev. Meg Barnhouse, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, and more. Join us in community as we hold the joys and sorrows of the world, the nation, and our own hearts.

Guest Minister Rev Leona Stucky-Abbott's service delivered on January 11, 2026. This sermon fosters understanding of erroneous Biblical expectations regarding God's actions, of the human longing that informs people's faith, of differences between polar perspectives and where they might coalesce, and of how UU principles may prompt action rather than remain just words. It tells stories that provoke, explore, and suggest.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on January 4, 2026. As we enter a new year, we enter a liminal space. A time in which we are between the known and the unknown. All the joys and sorrows that we faced in 2025 have changed us. Sometimes those changes have been good or enriching, and sometimes they have not. During our burning bowl service, we contemplate what we would like to let go of so that we may more easily find our center as we move into the new year.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on December 28, 2025. Storytelling is a powerful way to connect with one another, to understand ourselves and the world around us, and it just feels really good. Rev. Carrie explores the power of a good story.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on December 21, 2025. We join together for this annual tradition of retelling the Christian Faith Story through song and holiday merriment.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on December 14, 2025. It's the season of peace or so they say. What does peace mean when there is so little of it in the world? Where do we find our peace? Rev. Carrie explores peace and how we might think about it in times of chaos.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on December 7, 2025. What if hope is not the same as an optimistic belief that things will turn out the way we imagined? What if hope is grounded in the stories we tell ourselves about the past and present, and an unwavering belief that what matters most is how we show up in the present moment?

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on November 30, 2025. Transcendence and Transformation are two of our religious values at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin. We'll explore how our experiences of transcendence can lead to personal growth and transformation, and paradoxically, how working to transform ourselves and our world can lead us into transcendence.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on November 23, 2025. We know that gratitude can lead to a wealth of psychological, spiritual, and even physical health benefits. Yet, how do we truly cultivate gratitude? If it is as simple as expressing thanks for the good things in our lives, what happens when life seems just mundane or when things get really hard? What happens when folks with power and privilege demand gratitude from those over whom they hold power? How do we make sure our "thanks giving" is an authentic spiritual practice?

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on November 16, 2025. We are people who have beautifully joined ourselves to the work of building the Beloved Community, but what does that look like in a fractured world where some have more than they will ever need and some will never have enough? Rev. Carrie explores the role of solidarity in our work and in our lives.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on November 9, 2025. Courage and Community: These are two of our religious values at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin. How do our values of courage and community intersect and interact? In what ways do they call us to be and act in our world? Rev Chris explores how these values bring our religious community alive to meet the challenges of our times.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on November 2, 2025. Loss is an inevitable part of the human experience, and yet we often give ourselves so little time to acknowledge it or to spend time with our grief. This Sunday, we will spend some time acknowledging the loss we have experienced and the grief that has shown up in its place. Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt leads us through a ritual of acknowledgement.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on October 26, 2025. Play is the most natural state for children, but it somehow disappears from our lives along the way. But it doesn't have to be this way! Rev. Carrie explores the power of play.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on October 19, 2025. Each year, we make celebration a spiritual practice. We celebrate the differences we make in our world together, the joy that comes from being a part of and supporting this religious community, and our gratitude for all life has to offer.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on October 12, 2025. Anger, like all our emotions, can be a powerful tool for awareness, motivation, and value creation, but it has also been misused and abused. So what do we do with all this anger? And how do we disentangle it from all its baggage? Rev. Carrie explores anger and how we can cultivate a healthier relationship with it.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on October 5, 2025. One of the religious values our church community vows to uphold is compassion, which we define as "to treat ourselves and others with love." How does treating ourselves with love open us to acting with compassion toward others?

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on September 28, 2025. This church has often stood against the societal tides of dehumanization and marginalization. We have been a soft place to land for those of us who did not fit in and have felt alone. This church has been and will continue to be needed by those here now and by those to come. But what does that say about our role and responsibility to one another and to those we will never meet? Rev. Carrie explores who we are, what we are about, and how living love can help us.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on September 21, 2025. Unitarian Universalism has centered our faith in love. In this church, we often speak of an ocean of love that flows through our universe. Our stewardship campaign's theme this year is "Living Love". What might these beautiful abstractions look like in the concrete world of our daily lives? What if love is not just a feeling but is also something we do? How might we make love a verb?

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on September 14, 2025. When we work towards justice we are building a world of belonging. But what does that look like in our community, and what do we need to do? Rev. Carrie explores how we might build belonging and how our religious roots can help us.

Rev. Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on September 7, 2025. Water Communion is a special day when we all come back together after the summer bringing with us water that symbolizes something meaningful to us. We will engage in a ritual together through which we share with one another that symbolic meaning as we blend and mingle the waters to remind us of our shared faith.

Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on August 31, 2025. Every generation in our church brings something beautiful and unique to our living tradition. This Sunday, we will explore how the youth have helped shape our faith and how those of us who are older can encourage and provide space for them to grow and contribute.

Rev Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on August 24, 2025. Rev. Chris and Rev. Carrie will answer questions about the church, life, the universe, and everything (though neither will pretend to have the answers to all that).

Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on August 17, 2025. On this very special music Sunday, we'll pay tribute to some of the musical greats and examine the spiritual messages and legacies they have given us.

Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on August 10, 2025. Our world can feel challenging, if not downright scary these days. Add to that the challenges and losses in life we will all encounter, and it can feel as if renewal, hope, and change for the better are no longer possible. And yet history and human resilience have shown us over and over again that there is a wellspring of love that makes hope, peace, and joy always still available to us.

Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on August 3, 2025. Pride was a riot ...and pride was a party. Pride is also liberation, self-actualization, and so much more. Let's celebrate Pride in community as members of our congregation share the ways they experience pride in their own lives.

Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on July 27, 2025. One of our church's most transformative ways of deeply connecting with fellow church members and experiencing profound spiritual growth is by participating in a Chalice Circle or Wellspring ministry group. Join us and hear four participants share their experiences and the real differences they make possible.

Rev Chris Jimmerson and Rev Dr Nicole Kirk's service delivered on July 20, 2025. For this special service we stream Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk's sermon delivered at our annual Unitarian Universalist General Assembly. She examines how our ancestry, heritage, and religious values have prepared us for the challenges and opportunities of our time.