First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston Podcast

"Be Who You Are With Us"

There are many seeming dichotomies in our lives. But sometimes the forces interact and interconnect so that the whole is greater than the parts, a yin and yang. Self-differentiation and acceptance contrasted with community; these are important both in our congregations and in the LGBTQ world. On the eve of Pride month, Rev. Scott considers being unabashedly oneself in community.

"There Is A Love"

Our experiences, hopes, griefs, and joys around mothering are some of the most complex in our lives. But the act of nurturing those and that which we love is a strong thread that connects us to each other and our shared future. Join us as we approach this revolutionary holiday with reverence, kindness, and love.

"Faith, Courage, and the Common Good"

Dr. Elías Ortega, president of Meadville Lombard Theological School, is with us for this sermon. Through struggles rooted in faith and in the conviction that no one's labor is invisible or expendable, farmworkers, immigrants, and other vulnerable communities have defended their worth and dignity while sustaining the life of this nation. Grounded in spirituality and the deep ethics of community care, their movements for justice reveal how nonviolence, organizing, and prophetic leadership can inspire and sustain solidarity in the face of exploitation. This Sunday, we will honor these communities as faithful ancestors and living partners in the work of justice, and we will ask: What does their courage and resilience ask of Unitarian Universalists in Houston—and across the United States—today? Recorded on March 29, 2026.

"Living Our Mission"

Recorded on March 22nd, 2026

"No God But God: Unitarian Universalism's Islamic Roots"

Unitarian Universalism has a theological affinity with Islam that dates to the opening decades of the sixteenth century. We start an exploration of how the idea of theological pluralism is fundamentally connected to religious dissent with an examination of the relationship between Islam and Unitarian Universalism and a celebration of the Sufi poet well beloved by many contemporary Unitarian Universalists: Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi. Throughout the month we will also lift up universalism, a theological perspective our tradition shares with some traditions within Islam. Recorded on March 15th, 2026