How’ve you been? My sabbatical is over and I’m grateful for that time to find rest and renewal. Thank you so much for it. I did some reading, a little traveling, and loads of hiking. Mostly, I got the chance to think deeply about all sorts of things. And I...
- Aug2022
Can’t Wait to See You!
August 31, 2022
- May2022
Faith Development News
May 24, 2022
- Mar2023
Texas UU Legislative Action Day at the Capitol
March 15, 2023
Monday, March 13, Unitarian Universalists from 20 congregations across Texas gathered at the state capitol for Texas UU Legislative Action Day, sponsored and orchestrated by the Texas UU Justice Ministry. Including members of Live Oak! Our own Music Director, Curtis White, directed all the UUs in a singing our hearts...
ELEVATOR!
March 8, 2023
This past Sunday, after passing all of the necessary inspections, we cut the ribbon and officially announced that our elevator was ready for use. For long-term members, this day took so long to get here. When Live Oak first took ownership of this building, they began talking about how important...
- Feb2023
Oatmeal Love
February 24, 2023
Stirring the Oatmeal, excerpted from the book We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert A. Johnson. “Whether in our birth family or one of our own creation, we find a connection there that makes even ordinary occurrences meaningful. “Many years ago, a wise friend gave me a name for human love....
Jimmy Carter and the Guinea Worm Straw
February 21, 2023
Seven years ago, I gave an oddly-titled sermon: “The Guinea Worm Straw.” I am thinking about that today, as the news is spreading that President Jimmy Carter has opted to go into hospice care. The story of the Guinea Worm Straw is still one that fascinates me, and fills me...
Our Turn to Get the Phone Call
February 14, 2023
content warning: school shootings My middle daughter, Lily, called me Monday night. “Have you seen what’s happening at Michigan State?” “No, what?” Lily goes to Michigan State. Someone yelled into her workplace that there was a shooter nearby. Her school sent out an email: Run, Hide, Fight. In that brief...
Closed Practices and Appropriation
February 8, 2023
In my sermon on Sunday, I talked about how we are a Big Tent religion, drawing wisdom and inspiration from all the world’s faiths, but we’ve learned about how to do this in a respectful and responsible way. I received a few questions about why, for example, it wouldn’t be...
Gathering Around the Crowded Table Again
February 1, 2023
Our Fed & Informed Potluck luncheon on Sunday was wonderful. Our Fellowship Hall was full, our tables were filled with delicious food, and I know that I was not the only person to feel a little emotional at the normalcy of it all. Committees, teams, and groups shared about what...
- Jan2023
Our History of Being an Ever Widening Circle
January 25, 2023
Some members have asked for some of the quotes and timeline points from this past Sunday’s service, about Unitarian Universalism’s evolution from two Christian denominations to the open, pluralist faith we are today. Here you go! 1777 Universalist George deBenneville writes: “As no church is pure in all things, so none...
Living with Amazement
January 18, 2023
Mary Oliver was a poet especially beloved by Unitarian Universalists for her ability to bring a spiritual lens to the ordinary. In her poem Sometimes, she writes: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. This past Sunday, I talked a little bit about the importance...
The Art of Nimbleness
January 11, 2023
The ability to be nimble should never take the place of careful planning and organization, but part of being a congregation is the role of “the unexpected.” It can be serious and unfortunate, such as when one of our pipes became uncoupled January 23rd, causing a flood in our education...