Shows
First Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFlower Communion and FarewellRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 29, 2022. In this intergenerational service we celebrate the traditional Unitarian ceremony of flower communion. We remember its origins as a vivid resistance to Nazi oppression. We bid farewell to Rev. Meg Barnhouse as she retires.
2022-05-3141 min
Behind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsTHE LAST CONFESSIONS OF SYLVIA P. by Lee Kravetz, read by Maggi-Meg Reed, Karissa Vacker, Teri Clark LindenLee Kravetz’s fictional account of Sylvia Plath and her circle of confessional poets is wonderfully performed. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Sandi Henschel discuss a story of three notebooks containing handwritten notes of Plath’s THE BELL JAR. Points of view shift between Estee, curator of a contemporary auction house; Boston Rhodes, Slyvia’s literary rival; and Ruth Barnhouse, Plath’s psychiatrist. Reed’s cultured tones provide Estee with intelligence and dignity, while Linden’s voice drips poisonously as Rhodes reveals her venomous side. Vacker’s Dr. Barnhouse is forward-thinking, determined, and sympathetic. Well-written and well-read, this is choice listeni...
2022-04-1406 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinRight ConcentrationRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 28, 2021. Today Rev Meg discusses "Right Concentration" which is the eighth part of the Eight-fold path in the Buddhist tradition. There are many ways to meditate.
2021-11-2928 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinAll Souls and All SaintsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 31, 2021. Halloween Celebration this Sunday! Let's celebrate together. Meg reads a story from her book "Did I say that out Loud" and discusses how we build a strong community.
2021-11-0127 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinGreat Big Celebration SundayRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 10, 2021. It's a Great Big Celebration Sunday. Each year we mark this day as the beginning of the Stewardship season as we make our pledges for the year to support First UU and its mission. This year, though, it's an even bigger celebration as we come back together for the first time in 19 months as well as celebrating Rev. Meg's 10th anniversary with First UU Austin. It's a big day with a lot going on so come worship in-person or online, and let's celebrate our homecoming together.
2021-10-1137 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinResilienceRev. Meg Barnhouse & Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on September 19, 2021. Revs Meg and Chris will talk together about resilience. What helps them be resilient? What helps you?
2021-09-2030 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBlues Theology (Revisited)Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon originally delivered on February 10, 2019. Wynton Marsalis, in his book "To A Young Jazz Musician: Letters From The Road", talks about the philosophy of the Blues, how it both expressed and healed the lives of black people as they lived in a society which was structured to marginalize them. How do we learn from the Blues to express suffering, to face it, and to build and celebrate resilience?
2021-05-0232 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWhen Harold Hatcher gave up, He grewRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 4, 2021. Join us this Easter Sunday for a sermon about a man who reinvented himself after giving up on people. His name, appropriately enough, was Harold Hatcher. He was a member of the UU congregation Rev. Meg served in South Carolina and he may have touched more lives after he gave up on people than he did before.
2021-04-0532 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinPoetry as MeditationRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 29, 2020. Join Rev. Meg as she explores the idea of meditation through poetry. We will explore lines, writers, and work together to better understand how to find our center through the art of words.
2020-11-3030 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBe a stream and not a swampRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 9, 2020. Autumn is upon us, school is starting back up, and we hope life is getting back to as regular a rhythm as can be in these days. All of that means it is time for us to gather together and share water communion. Join Rev. Meg as she speaks about letting joy flow through us rather than binding it to us and holding it all for ourselves.
2020-09-0632 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinUsing your Anger, Holdng on to your HopeRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 9, 2020. So many of us feel ourselves unraveling, from time to time, feeling helpless, or traumatized, or horrified at what has been revealed about our neighbors' view of the world. What do we do with the anger we feel? How do we hold on to our hope?
2020-08-0931 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinQuestion Box Sermon 2020Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 2, 2020. Rev. Meg is back from her study break and starting off strong with sermon questions from a box. Join Rev. Meg as she answers your questions.
2020-08-0231 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe History of American PolicingRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 14, 2020. All eyes are on the brutality of many law enforcement interactions with people of color. How did we get the system of policing that we have today? What are its roots in US history?
2020-06-1527 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinUseful Ignorance and Beginner's MindRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 7, 2020. In Zen Buddhism, it is called beginner's mind. Thoreau called it useful ignorance. When we choose to approach scary things with curiosity instead of defensiveness, suddenly our mind and body are open to adventure and transformation.
2020-06-0733 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFlower CommunionRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 31, 2020. It is once again time for one of our most beloved traditions. In a more usual year we would gather and bring a flower from somewhere along our path to share and take one from the altar. Bring a reminder of new life and the movement of the seasons and sharing it with the others gathered is a beautiful way to enjoy the bounty and goodness of our green earth. This year, due to sheltering and striving for safety within our lives, we are doing it differently. We need your help to make...
2020-05-3130 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLiving with Brain TraumaRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 17, 2020. The human brain has its ways to react to trauma, either one big one or an ongoing series of daily dramas. It makes us react differently, and understanding trauma might help us understand ourselves and one another a bit better.
2020-05-1732 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinAll will be well - Really?Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 10, 2020. "All Will Be Well" This song is my "hit single" in the Unitarian Universalist world. I feel like it came through me, and that it changes its meaning somewhat in my life as I get more experience. From the letters people write me about it, I see that it has a life of its own, and shift its meanings for each person who listens.
2020-05-1028 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinPunk TheologyRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 3, 2020. Join Rev. Meg as she talks about how the rise of Punk gave outlets for marginalized voices and new ways to cry out against opression.
2020-05-0332 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinA Trip to the UnderworldRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 12, 2020. Rev. Meg tells one of the oldest human religious stories, a story from almost 4000 years ago, a story about resurrection often called Inanna's Descent into the Underworld. We are descending these days, deeper and deeper, and we do not know what the world will look like when we come back out again.
2020-04-1226 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLosing my ReligionRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 5, 2020. Rev. Meg looks back on her days in seminary.
2020-04-0532 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinSocial Distance, not Spiritual DistanceRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 22, 2020. Join Rev. Meg and Rev. Chris as they discuss community and what it means to them, while reflecting on questions such as: What does community do for us? How do we need it in our lives? And, what do we do when we cannot gather in person?
2020-03-2327 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinTwo Parables of the Beloved CommunityRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 1, 2020. Another in our sermon series on the elements of baking. We look at bread and yeast. Rabbi Jesus told a parable about how the kingdom of heaven, or the Beloved Community is like yeast. What could that mean for us?
2020-03-0129 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinSugar: What is enough?Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 16, 2020. So many beings seek sweetness. Fruits invite the bees with it, It can make a meal delightful. What happens, though, when civilizations go after sugar production without thought for ethics or balance?
2020-02-1728 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinMilk & Butter: Creativity within constraintRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 9, 2020. Today we are talking about butter, and about creativity within constraints. Sometimes it's when we fail or when we are limited that our creativity is brought to the fore. Agitation can bring transformation.
2020-02-0934 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinHow not to break a horseRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 2, 2020. All Ages Service with our Annual Blessing of the Pets. There are several theories about how best to train horses and dogs. Might these theories work concerning humans as well?
2020-02-0225 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinSaltRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 26, 2020. The second in the sermon series inspired by the elements of baking, we will talk about everything from the history of salt in the shaping of civilization to the Christian scriptures' admonition to be the salt of the earth.
2020-01-2728 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinHeat and TransformationRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 12, 2020. The first in a sermon series inspired by the elements of baking. Sometimes transformation takes heat, it takes trouble, agitation or discomfort. We will have just finished two days of talking about our religious education program with an interim facilitator. Telling stories from the past can turn up the heat, but as in baking, the results can be something nourishing.
2020-01-1228 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Burning BowlRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 5, 2020. Is it possible to let go of grudges? Is it a good idea? We take things that we want to let go of from 2019 and we give them to the Burning Bowl. Then, from a second bowl, we will draw a word which can inform our intentions for the new year.
2020-01-0722 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLessons and CarolsRev. Meg Barnhouse's Christmas Eve service delivered on December 24, 2019. Come join our annual Christmas Eve worship service of Lessons and Carols. We will read, from the Christian texts, the story of Rabbi Jesus' heralded birth as well as sing Christmas carols and hymns for the holiday.
2019-12-2931 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWhen God was a babyRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on December 22, 2019. Our Annual Christmas Pageant with costumes provided for Angels, shepherds, and more as we hear and perform the famous story.
2019-12-2324 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinPerfect MiraclesRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on December 15, 2019. What can we say about miracles? Are they supernatural interferences with the laws of nature? Are they proofs of divine power? Are they everyday beauties and interactions we can see if we have an eye for miracles?
2019-12-1827 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWhat happens in familiesRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 24, 2019. In time for Thanksgiving, we will talk about family dynamics, focusing on "cut-off", when someone decides they can't be around the rest of the family.
2019-11-2631 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinHow to comfort someone who is sufferingRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 10, 2019. How to Comfort Someone Who is Suffering. Lessons from the recent "Lunch with Meg" study of the book of Job from the Hebrew Bible.
2019-11-1231 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBattle for HarvardRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 3, 2019. Jedediah Morse and the Battle for Harvard." Another juicy slice of Unitarian history. What about this story from the 19th century might still be affecting Unitarians and Universalism?
2019-11-0529 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinRoom on the BroomRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 27, 2019. This is a child friendly service. We bring photographs of those we would like to claim as our ancestors and teachers.
2019-10-2924 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinProtected on the JourneyRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 13, 2019. With the help of some folks at the church with Judaism in their heritage, we will have a traditional booth in the courtyard that reminds us of the story about how the people were protected on their long journey through the desert. What protects us on our journey?
2019-10-1422 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Concord Genius ClusterRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 6, 2019. A Juicy Slice of Unitarian History: Transcendentalism and the Concord Genius Cluster. We sometimes forget that our forebears in this faith were human. Thoreau, Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne. How were they all in relationship to one another?
2019-10-0832 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThis AppleRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 29, 2019. It's Celebration Sunday. We hold an apple and talk about how apples developed. Were they developed by humans or did they develop themselves in order to appeal more to humans, insects, birds, and animals so their DNA would be spread far and wide? How smart is this apple?
2019-09-3032 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinCelebration SundayRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 22, 2019. It's Celebration Sunday. This is our 65th birthday as a congregation. We kick it off with a celebration of faithful giving, dedicated leadership, and maybe just a bit of cake.
2019-09-2333 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinHow to Change MindsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 8, 2019. How to Change Minds: Notes from the FBI Hostage Negotiators' Handbook. Continuing last week's glimpse into the satisfactions and challenges of relationships, we'll talk about loving and being loved by people with very different beliefs, sacred tenets, and styles from our own.
2019-09-1030 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinMany Rivers to CrossRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 1, 2019. Annual Water Ceremony: We bring water from a place that has fed our souls and spirits over the summer months and mingle these waters together to remind us of our connection to one another. In connections with friends, family, work mates and church members there is both joy and learning. How do we find ease and joy as we cross the rivers that present themselves?
2019-09-0319 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWhat does that pin on your backpack mean?Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 18, 2019. All-Ages Service. Who are we as UU's? Our children in schools need to know who we are. In their classes we say the 7 principles and the classroom covenants they wrote at the very beginning. This is not a non-denominational church. It is a church with strong roots in Central Europe and in New England. Unitarians shaped this country in mostly good ways. How did Unitarianism take shape?
2019-08-2230 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWalking Toward the Deep EndRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 11, 2019. It's hard to feel belonging, but that is something we are thirsty for. What are some ways to build community here at First UU? How can deeper conversations happen?
2019-08-1229 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinIn My LifeRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 4, 2019. What are some things to know in order to be a good ally to LGBTQ people? What are the answers to some questions about being gay you might have been scared to ask.
2019-08-0631 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinOut from Silence: Writing your LifeRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 30, 2019. Poet Adrienne Rich says in her poem Transcendental Etude, "no one ever told us we had to study our lives, make of our lives the study, as if learning natural history or music..." How might we go about studying our own lives?
2019-07-0232 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBeing a blessing to the childrenRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 16, 2019. How do you walk through this world being a blessing? How do you give your blessing to your children? How do you live as a blessing to your friends and your community? How do you increase your blessing power, your soul power?
2019-06-1834 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinHomecoming and DedicationWorship service delivered on June 2, 2019. Rev. Meg Barnhouse dedicates our new worship space and facilities and is joined by Mr. Barb Greve. Barb is co-moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
2019-06-0826 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBeautiful 'Flower Girls'Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 26, 2019. We celebrate the ritual of Flower Communion, created by Unitarian minister Norbert Capek, which lifts up the beauty of diversity and inclusion on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
2019-06-0727 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinPlaying ball on running waterRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 19, 2019. Western psychotherapy has emphasized insight as a way of healing emotional pain. Dr. Shomo Morita, a Japanese doctor, created a way of treating patients' emotional pain that draws wisdom from Buddhism.
2019-05-2328 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFiery and FearlessRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 12, 2019. Olympia Brown is one of the "mothers" of Unitarian Universalism. This morning we'll take a look at some UU history and let it inspire us.
2019-05-1426 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinHow to grow a seedRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 21, 2019. If you were planted, what would grow? What is left in a room when you leave the room? What is left in a group when the group scatters? What would be left here on Earth when you leave?
2019-04-2326 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Power of StoryRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 14, 2019. In advance of a church storytelling event the first weekend in May, we will talk about the power of our stories. We will talk particularly about the stresses put on us by the stories told about people with our particular identities, women, LGBTQ, people of color, white men, Etc. How do those stories shape us and put pressure on our thinking?
2019-04-1629 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinIf I needed youRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 7, 2019. Using the music of Townes Van Zandt, combined with the April Soul Matters theme of Wholeness, we will talk about how we need one another in order to be whole. How can we care for one another? Is there a way to be loving and challenging at the same time? How do we reach out with compassion? Is compassion always the best approach to another person? How much are we supposed to take care of ourselves and how much do we take care of others?
2019-04-0928 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Kindness ConnectionRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 24, 2019. Using the children's book Zen Ties, by Jon J Muth, we will tell the story of the summer when Koo, a young panda bear, came to visit his Uncle Stillwater. Uncle Stillwater encourages the neighborhood kids to help an elderly neighbor in need, and friendships blossom. All ages service.
2019-03-2633 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinCeltic ChristianityRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 17, 2019. The Celts developed a Christianity that was intricately intertwined with the earth based faith of the land. Friendlier toward the body, toward women, and celebrating good beer, the Celts' version of Christianity might be a delightful and refreshing insight into other possibilities than those some of us were raised with.
2019-03-1827 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Promise and the PracticeRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 3, 2019. James Baldwin said "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." On this Sunday we will be lifting up one chapter of our Unitarian Universalist history, the black empowerment controversy of 1969. What can we learn from these ancestors, if we can call them that when many of them are still lively and very much with us? What is the 6th end of this congregation? What is the 8th principle of Unitarian universalism? The Promise and the Practice is hopeful lifting up of our commitment...
2019-03-0433 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Magic of MusicRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 17, 2019. Music can change the way your brain behaves, it can change moods, it can bring people together, Inspire and comfort us. Tyrants often fear the songwriters more than the rebel soldiers, as songs have toppled unjust regimes.
2019-02-1828 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinAnimal Blessing ServiceRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 3, 2019. Join us for an All Ages service to bless the beloved animal companions in your lives. All friendly, well-behaved creatures young, old, great and small, furry and scaly are invited to this cherished annual tradition.
2019-02-0521 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLessons and CarolsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on December 24, 2018. Readings and carols, candlelight on Christmas Eve. One of the church community's favorite services of the year.
2018-12-2541 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinSpray it Gold and post it on InstagramRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on December 16, 2018. Everybody else's life looks glowy and great. How do they do it? Perfectionism can really get its claws into us at this time of year. We compare our insides with other people's outsides and it makes us feel bad. How can we see beneath the surface, grow our roots, and strengthen our core?
2018-12-1729 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLive from PflugervilleRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on December 2, 2018. Meg, Chris, Jules, and Brent will be live-streaming from Meg's house while you worship from your own cozy spot of choice since the church building is closed with no entry until Saturday, December 8th. We will be talking about mystery, family, and whatever else comes up as you call in on the live-stream page.
2018-12-0228 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinCome, ye thankful people, comeRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 18, 2018. As Thanksgiving approaches, let us talk about gratitude in the midst of difficult circumstances.
2018-11-1932 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFall down 7, Get up 8Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 11, 2018. Persistence, endurance, resilience, grit - is it a mistake to be goal-oriented? Is there a better way to think about forward movement?
2018-11-1126 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinA Little MercyRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on November 4, 2018. What does the word "mercy" mean to you? When do you need it? When do you give it? Where does it come from?
2018-11-0531 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThose who have gone before usRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 28, 2018. We have a Clootie Tree again, from the Scottish/Irish/Appalachian tradition. We will put our wishes and our remembrances on pieces of cloth and drape them on the tree. What would we like to claim from our ancestors? What would we like to let go?
2018-10-2933 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinSafe Space/Brave SpaceRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 21, 2018. Our second End (goal) as a congregation is "We support and challenge one another in worship, spiritual growth and lifelong learning to practice a rich spiritual life" What forms can a spiritual life take? The job of a church is often described as "to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable."
2018-10-2232 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLove is the
Spirit of this church, and Service is its LawRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 7, 2018. Most people look for ways to feel useful, to find good meaning in their lives, and to connect with others as they seek to leave the world a better place than they found it.
2018-10-0827 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWhat I Learned from Being a WriterRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 30, 2018. Being edited, rejected, praised, criticized, inspired, and uninspired; I'll create circumstances in which you have to just keep your head down and write anyway.
2018-10-0131 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinUU101, UU201, UU301Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 23, 2018. This Sunday will be a party. We will talk about UU 101, 201, and 301 with original songs and stories from Rev. Meg. We will all be invited and encouraged to make our pledges together as a celebration of faith and hope, expectation and promise.
2018-09-2436 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFaith Out LoudRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 16, 2018. As we begin a sermon series on our church's ends/goals, we will talk about living our UU faith and values, teaching them to our children, and acting on them in the world.
2018-09-1722 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWade in the WaterRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 9, 2018. We bring some water from a place special to us for the common bowl as we speak together about places that move us, have meaning for us, or hold comfort for us.
2018-09-1030 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinYou are magicRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on July 29, 2018. The service is created in collaboration with the Camp UU Hogwarts. Celebrate the magic we make here at First UU and the magic you make in your world!
2018-07-3024 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLet's talk about depressionRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on July 22, 2018. So many people suffer from blue days, sad weeks, or stormy months. How do you know if what you have is depression? Is it related to events, or is it hereditary? Does it come to you out of nowhere? Let's talk about what we know.
2018-07-2435 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Genderbread PersonRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on July 8, 2018. Unitarian Universalist Children and Youth learn about gender identity, sexual preference, gender presentation, and all the other terms in the multicolored universe in our curriculum called Our Whole Lives. There is an adult version, too. Here are some bits of information that might be new to you!
2018-07-1036 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinA feeling for the holyRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on July 1, 2018.Throughout human history there have been moments, places, and events which have seemed holy. What does that mean? How do we mark those times and places in our own lives?
2018-07-0423 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinUnitarians and AbolitionRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 17, 2018. Unitarians and Abolition. Some were heroes, others not very heroic at all. It seems that we have always been, and still are, a mixture of passion and fear, militant and hesitant, part of the solution and part of the problem.
2018-06-1836 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinQuestion Box SermonRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 10, 2018. People in the congregation write their questions down and Meg will read the questions and answer as many of them as she can.
2018-06-1233 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinDoes it hurt to bloom?Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 3, 2018. In this intergenerational service we celebrate the traditional Unitarian ceremony of flower communion. We remember its origins as a vivid resistance to Nazi oppression.
2018-06-0424 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThings I Learned From My MotherRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 13, 2018. My mother didn't like being called cute. She wanted to be tall and elegant, but she was cute. She tried to teach me to "drive like a lady," and she won all the belching contests when we were camping. There are things we want to keep from our mother's lives and voices, and things that don't help us, things we can let go of.
2018-05-1418 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinSeedsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 22, 2018. On this Earth Day, we talk about the life of seeds as they interact with the life of humans, about how diversity is crucial to protection against disease, and how well-meaning people sometimes create unintended consequences when solving short-term problems.
2018-04-2330 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBroken ThingsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 8, 2018. The Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken things are repaired using material that has been mixed with gold. This is a way of embracing damage, where a bowl or plate becomes even more beautiful because of its "scars."
2018-04-0927 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinA "Foolish" EasterRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 1, 2018. Easter is a time of new beginnings, celebrating babies, renewing our awe at the rampant resurrection of the natural world, turning our thoughts to the life that comes out of death. "All that dies shall be reborn," says the neo-Pagan chant. In the major arcana of the tarot, the Fool is an archetype of the beginning of the journey. What might the Fool have to teach on this, his day?
2018-04-0232 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFinding Our BalanceRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 25, 2018. We are trying to do challenging and long-term soul work, and it can be overwhelming. How do we find our balance again? (Intergenerational service)
2018-03-2630 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinFaith in UUsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 4, 2018. When some people use the word faith, they are talking about faith in a personal God, or faith in the trustworthiness of another person. When someone refers to "the Unitarian Universalist faith," what are they talking about?
2018-03-0520 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinBe the SparkRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 25, 2018. Fire is one of the central metaphors and symbols of our faith. The fire of commitment, the warmth of community, the spark of truth, the spark of the divine inside us all. What reignites your spark when it is going out? How might we tend one another's spark?
2018-02-2621 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinWhy do bad things happen?Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 11, 2018. Why do bad things happen? Are there evil people? In the "Question Box" sermon a couple of years ago, this was one of the most frequently asked questions.
2018-02-1226 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinLove, like a carefully loaded ship...Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 4, 2018. As we begin to look for a new Director of Faith Development, how do we describe their job? What do we want our program to look like?
2018-02-0519 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinAnimal Blessing ServiceRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 28, 2018. All creatures young, old, great and small, furry and scaly are invited to our intergenerational service honoring our beloved animal companions.
2018-01-2922 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinGathering in CommunityRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 17, 2017. As we welcome Rev. Meg Barnhouse back from her sabatical we begin an examination of our mission, with a question in our minds: "Do we need to change this mission, or does it still express who we want to be?"
2017-09-1835 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe final form of love, which is forgivenessRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on October 9, 2016. In Reinhold Niebuhr's prayer, "We Must be Saved," he talks about what makes us whole as we try to do right in the context of history. Rev. Barnhouse explores the beautiful complexity of this poem.
2016-10-1030 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe boy who drew catsRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on June 7, 2015. Rev. Meg continues her fairy tale sermon series with a classic Japanese story, "The Boy Who Drew Cats." How can we know what will make a difference? How do we know which efforts are large and which are small? How are the things which bring you joy used for the good of the whole?
2015-06-0831 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinGoldilocks and ElijahRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on May 24, 2015. Next in our sermon series on fairy tales, Rev. Meg explores the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." What does this story say about sharing? Manners? Entitlement? Home invasion? How welcoming are we called to be? Are we Goldilocks or are we the bears? And what does all of this have to do with Elijah of the Old Testament?
2015-05-2533 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinThe Impossible TaskRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 26, 2015. Second in our fairy tale sermon series, "Rumpelstiltskin" tells the story of a girl asked to spin straw into gold. She meets a trickster who solves her problem, but at what price? Rev. Meg recalls the tale of "The Impossible Task."
2015-04-2835 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinQuestion Box SermonRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on March 8, 2015. The Question Box sermon is a tradition in many UU congregations. Today Rev. Meg answers questions submitted by members of the congregation.
2015-03-0941 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinAnimal Blessing ServiceRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on February 2, 2014. We bring our well-behaved, house-trained animals to an intergenerational animal blessing service. Rev. Meg preaches about animal companions, and the First UU Intergenerational Choir serenades our animal friends with a variety of songs.
2014-02-0316 min
Song of the SoulAll Will Be Well - Meg Barnhouse's Song of the SoulMeg Barnhouse is a singer/songwriter/storyteller, plus she is minister of Austin UU Church. Raised in southern evangelical Christian circles, ordained Presbyterian, Meg's faith was lost and reborn transformed as a UU when she was 40. She sings and passion and deep heart.
2013-03-3155 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinA Relationship of PromisesRev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 16, 2012. In this first in a series of sermons on the First UU Convenant of Healthy Relations, Rev. Barnhouse talks about being a "covenant community," and how to nuture one another's spiritual growth.
2012-09-2128 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinEarthday: Gaia PsalmsThe Gaia Psalms are nine pieces written as part of a special Unitarian Universalist Earth Day Service. The concept of this work is to create a worship experience that is both moving and simple. The minimalist, meditative quality is intended to create a spiritual connection in the listener and move the listener to both celebrate and reconnect as a member of the Earth's community. Composer: Kiya Heartwood, Words: Meg Barnhouse and Kiya Heartwood, Narration: Meg Barnhouse
2012-04-2530 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinAfri-KinMeg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on January 29, 2012. The choir performs three of Kiya Heartwood's choral works and Meg Barnhouse collaborates with readings. Science is showing us that we are all related to an African woman we call Mitochondrial Eve, and we can trace each person's ancestry through their mother's mitochondrial DNA, from mother to mother, all the way back to one of 26 "daughters of Eve."
2012-01-3027 minFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of AustinInstallation Service of Rev. Meg BarnhouseInstallation Service at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin on January 15, 2012. Rev. Peter Morales, President of the UUA delivers the homily and a host of guest speakers give readings in the installation of Rev. Meg Barnhouse as First UU of Austin's new settled minister.
2012-01-1657 min