An observation on how food in the US has declining flavor as part of the continuing efficiencies in commercial growing and distribution. Talk will also concentrate on how ideally a UU Community like Tapestry can overcome these deficiencies.

Have you ever seen or held a newborn baby?
How about, have you ever been with someone who you watched take their last breath?
Life is so miraculous, isn't it?

Join us for a video sermon from the late Rev. Johnny Peden who was scheduled to preach at Tapestry UU this day. The world lost a wonderful man this year and we honor him by sharing his sermon on Vows of Life.

Bring the stories of your traditions of sharing and break bread with us. Bring a loaf if you may, enjoy a slide or two from around the congregation as we learn and partake in this blessing of joy.

Rev. Alisha shares her understanding of vibrational frequencies and how to use them in order to help us maintain our value of equity as we enter the holiday season. Every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion (even our more difficult family members).

We all have seasons of stress, fear, and anxiety. In those times you may feel the weight of making impactful decisions, the pressure to “do the right thing”, or the fear of how your decisions and emotions might impact your future. All these feelings and more can lead to heightened emotional distress.  With the increasing intensity surrounding this current season, it is important to take proactive steps to manage emotional distress and increase mental health awareness.

We hit the road, we worked the phone banks, we sent postcards, we held a party to power the disability vote, and now it's time to work the polls and pray. Spend your time with us today in prayer and reflection for Democracy is our only hope.

Worship with us today to find comfort, healing, and ideas during a time of increasing heartache in Palestine, Israel, and surrounding lands. Dana Fisher Ashrawi is the President of UUs for Justice in the Middle East, has Palestinian and Jewish relatives, has traveled to the region, and finds meaning in helping people to heed the call of justice.

Children's Defense Fund's annual Children's Sabbath comes to Tapestry UU of Houston again this year. Come and support the children and youth of our congregation as we lift the voices of children in need. Levi Mills will join Rev. Alisha and offer his first sermon words on Unleashing Joy!

Life will always expose you to risks, uncertainty, chaos, and random shocks. Being able to get better and better as you grow from these types of life stressors takes a growth mindset. Improving the quality of your life takes daily growth actions that create your own physical, mental, and emotional antifragility. Andy Savidge will talk about some of his daily antifragility strategies and actions that help him thrive.

We will be meeting off-site this Sunday due to CJCN Rosh Hashana services. Please see the newsletter for details.

Throughout religious history, revivals have marked periods of resurgence in people’s commitment to their faith traditions. Classic American tent revivals took people out of the four walls of the church and into the world. They brought the community together and served as a galvanizing force for the future, often during times of great change or anxiety.

In the midst of overlapping climate crises and mounting social injustice, we are in a time of great change and profound anxiety. Taking a note from those who have gone before us, the UUA Climate Justice Revival is meant to be a time to come together and re-commit. As we have framed it in these materials, this may be time to re-imagine a way forward for Climate Justice in your congregation as it relates to a changing world. Though we may not be gathering in a tent or under the stars, we invite you to bring the revival spirit to your worship together.

Celebrate Mabon with us in worship and fellowship!

For our annual Dirt and Water Communion, James Moore will explore the nature of the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part, via a discussion of panentheism. To celebrate the UU tradition of Dirt and Water Communion, congregants are encouraged to bring a bit of dirt and/or water that we will join together to represent our community's diversity and unity.

Tapestry's worship service will be dedicated to the spirit of teamwork and preparedness. The Safety Team has been very active this year working with the good folks at CJCN and their preparedness efforts. Join us for an experience that will lift your spirits, remind you of the power of teamwork, and call us into action and readiness.

Tapestry UU of Houston will be including Safety Drills in our Worship and Fellowship on Sunday, September 8, 2024. For those with limitation in their mobility please know we will provide an alternative for you or you may choose to zoom that day.

A talk about our 4th Principle: A Free and Responsible Search for Truth and Meaning

Social concepts of sin and morality have long been a central part of religious communities, but all too frequently involve shaming members into cooperation or are based on laws so old that the original purpose of those rules is no longer relevant. Join us as Daniel explores a reimagined definition of a modern social contract and its implications for Tapestry's covenant.

Tapestry UU of Houston's theme for August is Unconditional Friendliness. How does an attitude of "unconditional friendliness" help us maintain our relationships with others and ourselves? How do we tap into friendliness when it seems to be so hostile everywhere we look? Join us as we explore ways to embrace unconditional friendliness in potentially hostile relations without faking it.

Blood is thicker than water.

Friends are the family that we choose. Bonds formed by choice are stronger than those established by
DNA. Which means that the relationships you choose are stronger than the ones you inherit.

Food for thought and a call to action toward compassion. Especially a call to compassion and action to root out the poison of speciesism. Join us as our beloved "Wally" shares his passionate love of animal activism tied together to his new enjoyment of Unitarian Universalist Principles.

Bring your school bag, teacher bag, lunch bag, anything you take with you into the 2024-2025 school year. Tapestry UU of Houston will offer you a blessing to remind you ALL YEAR LONG that we've got you & YOU'VE GOT THIS!

Tapestry honors Buddha by offering gratitude for the teachings, dharma, given by the Buddha. You will have the chance to center your focus on gratitude and engage in active practices that bring healing to the senses.

Due to storm damage at CJCN, this Sunday’s service has been cancelled. Please check your email for more information.

This week we will watch portions of the Weaving our Lives service from General Assembly 2024.

This is the last Sunday of the Church calendar year. Rev. Alisha will share updates from General Assembly and celebrate YOU! We love and appreciate our Tapestry Weavers!

Justin Changalpet shares their thoughts about community, connection and the nature of relationships.

Guest Speaker, David Throop will be joining Tapestry today to share his inspiring message.

Spring ripens to summer, and we take inventory – what has broken? What must we keep, what must be mended first? Certainly our shame, our regrets, resentments and anger – we can throw those away now, right? Not so fast – our dark moods still serve us still, if only as compost.

David Throop has been a UU since 1978, and a member of Bay Area UU Church (SE Houston) since 1993. He and his wife Kathy have raised 4 children in that church. David does occasional lay-preaching as a spiritual practice.

We welcome our newest members in covenant, commitment, and fellowship.

Unitarian Universalists’ Flower Communion is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community.

We ask everyone in the congregation to bring a flower to share. Each person will place a flower on the altar before the service begins, then picks a flower during the service.

This year, Tapestry’s Women Aligned Spirituality Group will speak about their work with the 2nd half of Brene Brown's “Atlas of the Heart”, which explores the world of emotions and their impact on our lives.

This is the last Sunday in our Mental Self-Care themed month. Tapestry's worship service will continue with a special service offered by our very own Allan Perkins dedicated to our Veterans. Allan will share about mental health for Veterans and their families.

Allan T. Perkins, MSgt USAF (Ret.), M Ed, S Ed
MOC Supreme VAVS Chair and Poppa Clown
Chaplain, District 4, TexasVFW
Chaplain, MOC, Grand of Texas

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Erika Calderon and Rev. Alisha share how they listen to their mental health daily needs. Encouraging our congregation to stigma free dialogue about living with the mental health ups and downs we all go through. How can Tapestry hold our covenant promise to listen to one another with empathy, compassion, and respect around mental well-being.

Mothering your own self-compassion and holding your own needs with the same tenderness you might a newborn child. Calling on ancient wisdom and honoring our own inherent dignity and worth on a special day in recognition of our mothers, our mothering of others and ourselves.

Tapestry welcomes our Board of Trustees President, Geoff Sanders for a look-back at the past year and a view of the coming year. Tapestry has been doing some wonderful things and has much to hope for in the future.

Religious texts from around the world describe miraculous acts of God or gods taking place in eras long ago. But what about today? Where are the miracles of yore? Perhaps the events taking place around us every day are more miraculous than we think. As Peter Mayer sings in Holy Now, "When I was in Sunday school, we would learn about the time Moses split the sea in two, Jesus made the water wine. And I remember feeling sad, miracles don't happen still, but now I can't keep track cause everything's a miracle."

Earth Day is an important awareness and action time of year. Not just a day, but a global focus that can often span the entire month. Tapestry UU is in the position to start taking some action by looking at our congregational and personal consumption. Join us as Rev. Alisha guides us through a compassionate review and reduction of our consumption patterns.

Teacher, author, artist, publisher, and beloved Tapestry UU member, Debbie Robison wants you to help her fulfill her legacy by listening to her story, exploring her art, and remembering her as a caring person who did something beautiful with her life. Join us for our Sunday Worship and experience the transformative blessing that is cultivated by exploring the legacy of our lives. This sermon will be a conversation between Rev. Alisha and Debbie and a display of her art and books.

This Sunday we will explore the NeUUrodiversity of you! The message for all ages will include an interactive FUUN message and so will our sermon. Come, join us as we celebrate NeUUrodiversity at Tapestry!

Michelle will tell her story of how and why her spirituality progressed along a feminine line and the role nature plays in helping to remain centered.

Tapestry will be meeting off-site for a Salon Style discussion on our stewardship campaign. See our newsletter for updates and address for location.
We will offer the opportunity for the congregation to share what they believe about topics relating to Stewardship, our ministries, and retaining a minister to lead those ministries.
Bring a picnic lunch if you would like to stay after worship and enjoy the outdoors in fellowship with others.

Come listen as Dawn, Michelle, and Tracy share what feminine wisdom they have gained on their spiritual path.

My journey from religious to spiritual

Join us as we celebrate Tapestry UU of Houston's 5th Birthday! We will have a fun puppet show to share our story and learn why our Tapestry is a beacon and a refuge. Chili & Cupcake Cookoff after the service & Geocache with Allan Perkins at 1:30. Join us on this festive Day!

A practice of intentional loving-kindness can transform suffering within yourself and then our suffering world.

Rev. Alisha will speak about a new Welcoming Congregation Renewal ministry, Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (ASAW). ASAW is an annual, international event meant to spread awareness and acceptance of aromantic spectrum identities and the issues we face, as well as making more people aware of our existence while celebrating it. Tapestry will be including this annual event into our annual Welcoming Renewal ministry actions. Join us to learn about 2024 Welcoming Renewal and learning about ASAW.

Join us as Daniel Raines explores what it looks like to listen to others with radical empathy and curiosity, especially during an era of unprecedented polarization and tribalism.

Join Grace as she shares what it is like to celebrate the Vietnamese Lunar New Year with 2024’s year of the lucky dragon. She will also explore her interpretation and perspective of what it means to be “lucky."

What is masking and unmasking? Rev. Alisha will share about being a neurodiversity affirming community and call to encourage unmasking.

Today is National Religious Freedom Day which affirms the freedom to explore faith from within religious institutions. No matter the route, true freedom is the destination. But, true freedom can only be found when we open ourselves to the whole tapestry of presence and love.
#ReligiousFreedomDay

Tapestry UU member James Moore will share his perspective about the history of social justice in the Unitarian Universalist movement as well as his own personal experiences. How have the teachings of Jesus (Yeshua) influenced a multitude of social justice warriors throughout our shared history?

Why isn't everyone a free thinker? What cost comes with our religious freedom, and do we pay it gladly and knowingly? Does our free and responsible search have any boundaries, and if not, who benefits from that lack of boundaries? What do we get if we take the conversation beyond Freedom 101?

We will gather as a spiritual community to release anything that no longer serves us. As we write down our burdens, regrets, or negative patterns on slips of paper, we do so with intention and the willingness to break their hold on our lives. With reverence and love, we gather around our chalice, placing these written burdens into the flames. As they are consumed by the fire, we symbolically let go and create space for transformation, healing, and newfound freedom in our hearts and spirits.
Zoom Link

Stories & Fun with Scandinavian Christmas Traditions

We welcome our newest members in covenant, commitment, and fellowship.

In the middle of this bright and bustling holiday season, we hope you'll join us this Sunday when Leslie Aaron returns to Tapestry and shares her thoughts on learning to embrace the darkness.

The retreat, the get-to-know-you meetings, the worship roundtables, and marketing mindset has been accomplished. What does this mean for 2024? Rev. Alisha will share the visioning and culmination of input with our congregation as we look forward to our future together.

A look at both the history and science of giving thanks and gratitude.

Join us for Tapestry's Bread Communion Service held annually on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This is a special time that we can share with each other bread from our homes and abundance. If you would like to share bread that has meaning or symbolism in your life please bring and share your story. Our Tapestry of Love and Action will radiate gratitude as we share stories, blessings, and delight in one another.

We often talk about compassion for everyone, regardless of gender or race or sexual orientation, but sometimes we forget to include OURSELVES! Reverend Patti Henry shares her ideas on how to direct your compassion toward YOURSELF! A fun sermon you won’t want to miss!

Dig deeply into your weary heart and for there you will find a renewed spirit.

Our minister and many of our Tapestry Members and Friends will be at our Annual Tapestry UBarU Retreat this Sunday, however for those who can't go to the retreat Allan Perkins will speak at CJCN about Fall Holidays, and looking at October and early November with a twist.

The Children's Defense Fund has been lifting the needs of Children for fifty years! On the 3rd weekend in October they call on worship communities to share in their celebration known as Children's Sabbath. They hope people of faith will focus on prayer, spiritual practices, and education to help grow awareness of the challenges facing our nation's children. Rev. Alisha has enjoyed working with children to engage in services for this event for many years. She hopes this year to introduce this to Tapestry!

Join us on Sunday for a thought-provoking sermon exploring the power of perspective. Discover how considering your context can unveil new possibilities and reveal the abundance that already surrounds you. Shift your outlook and open your eyes to the transformative potential within your own life.

When we think of how far we have come with racism within our lifetimes, it is impressive, but at the same time, we have so so far to go. Please come and hear Reverend Patti Henry talk about changing things.

Find out about what it takes to create a ministry for the future in these times of obvious climate change, and also partake in our beloved UU water communion tradition by bringing water from your travels or your tap to mingle the drops as one community.

Economic inequality has been a growing concern for many people today. In order to address issues of increasing poverty, we can look to various sources around the world throughout our shared human history for guidance.

Note: This service will not be held at CJCN, but the neighborhood Clubhouse of Dawn & Elisa located at: 17515 Fairway Oaks Dr, Spring, TX 77379. There will be no Zoom offered.

Join us in this unique experience where we will engage with the United Nation's International Day of Peace, annually on September 21. In a European style Salon Gathering, we will attempt to create an idyllic setting where an exchange of ideas about the UN's Call to Sustainable Actions, can be beautifully peaceful, civil, and honest. Bring a dish to share & your running shoes if you'd like to join a kickball game in the field after the service.

Is all your stuff in order? If I asked you for a safety pin, would you know where one was in your house? How about some manicuring scissors? A screwdriver? Come hear Rev. Patti Henry share pieces of magic from the practice of decluttering

Contemplate the "many contributions workers have made to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being" (US Dept. of Labor) with a contemplative service that holds oppressive systems in the light of our 2nd Principle. We will cultivate our compassion and cast our love toward the working poor.

We all depend on water: to stay alive, to grow our crops, to quench our thirst. 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water— with 96% of it is in the oceans. Which brings me to the miracle of tides. Everyday the vast,great huge oceans are pulled off the beaches 18–36’. And then flow back again. Everyday— no exceptions.This sermon is about our connection to that ebb and flow—since 60% of our bodies are comprised of WATER! Come hear Reverend Patti Henry share her research about how the daily tides impact us.

Finding hope in the world full of despair.

It's National Honey Bee Awareness time! Let's talk about our little frenemies and how we an help them, and us, as it gets hotter and hotter. Guest Beekeeper, Michelle DeRouen, will join us to share her thoughts on regenerative and spiritual practices deeply important to her work.

Teachers, Students, Administrators, and Support Staff! Come One, Come All with your special school bag! (Backpacks, Messenger Bags, Purses, Planners, whatever you use for the school year) You will receive a fully charged energetic celebration to carry with you for an amazing 2023-2024 year!

Through thought-provoking reflections, uplifting stories, and meaningful insights, this sermon from Rev. Patti Henry will remind us of the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, reinforcing our commitment to justice, love, and understanding. It will encourage us to extend a helping hand to those in need and walk alongside our brothers and sisters in times of both joy and hardship.

Join Grace Ngo and Rev. Alisha as we explore how easy it is for you to help Tapestry grow!

The voice of Tapestry has been heard and we want to bring more FUUN! Join us as we explore ways to empower our youngest voices to bring some inter-generational FUUN!

This Sunday July 9th, Andy Savidge will talk about his website: MySeasonalCommandments.com
This is his first personal website and shares the daily seasonal work he's been doing since the Winter of 2021-22.
His daily practice helps to exercise memory and improve skill sets for self-care and well-being.

We will look at the 4th through a new lens.

On June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale that a prayer approved by the New York Board of Regents for use in schools violated the First Amendment by constituting an establishment of religion. The following year, in Abington School District v. Schempp, the Court disallowed Bible readings in public schools for similar reasons. This last school year 2022-2023 Texas passed a law that requires an "In God We Trust" sign that was donated to be displayed and HB 763 is in the process to allow a public school board to hire a chaplain. On this anniversary of such important legislation, what are we to do? Share this Facebook story on your social media to spread the word.

We will share some touching letters to and from gay Dads that show the value of embracing our Pride as a family.

Someone asked me to write a sermon about maintenance, and after I rolled my eyes thinking how boring that would be, I decided to accommodate his request. Lo and behold, it turned out to be more important than I had ever thought possible. I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I have researching it. See you Sunday!

We want to highlight this year's study of "Atlas of the Heart" in the Women's Aligned Spirituality Group and how the experience has brought us together

Honoring some of our heroes of the past through those with us.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this year's NAMI (National Association on Mental Illness) is More Than Enough #MoreThanEnough. We invite you to intentionally recognize the inherent worth and dignity of every person regardless of our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability. You are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you is more than enough.

Our service today will celebrate mothers. It’s for anyone who’s been a mother or had a mother. That includes YOU. Come join us Reverend Patti Henry for this Mothers Day celebration, Sunday May 14th.

The third of a three-sermon-series for the mid-spring celebrations of Earth Day, Beltane, and the 100th Anniversary of Flower Communion. Last week we wore floral or leaf crowns and this week we again ask you to bring a symbolic expression of your love. Please bring a flower to share in the 100th anniversary of this special ritual. In 1923 the minister of a UU congregation in Prague turned to nature to help his congregation honor their different beliefs in a ritual that expressed their devotion to each other. The reflection will explore the spiritual practice of "re-membering" and the way this practice honors the newness of our union and histories that are important in the mission of Weaving a Tapestry of Love and Action.

"A Crown of Flowers" is an open dialogue about the fertility of our new union. Rev. Alisha will share the "Top 5 Intentions" she created when discerning the choice to pursue this role with Tapestry and ask congregants about their hopes for Tapestry. Everyone is encouraged to wear a crown of flowers or foliage that symbolizes something especially important to you in your spirituality and/or shared love at Tapestry. Our unique crowns weave together into a Tapestry of Love and Action.

Here is a link to my Beltane Pinterest Board with a few options for crowns:
https://pin.it/5Ozl68U
OR - you may find pre-made crowns at Party City or area craft stores.

The first of a three-sermon-series for the mid-spring celebrations of Earth Day, Beltane, and the 100th Anniversary of Flower Communion. Planting with Purpose, is Rev. Alisha's first sermon as a minister for Tapestry. "Planting with Purpose" is a reflection on the intentional preparation we have each made on our separate paths, winding their way to a now joined path with the shared purpose of weaving a Tapestry of Love and Action.

The world is faced with multiple environmental dilemmas, which are often exacerbated through human interaction. Among other things, our consumption lifestyle has led us down a path of possible extinction, but we can undo what we have done much faster than people realize. The most pressing of these dilemmas include soil erosion, deforestation, and pollution. Permaculture seeks to address these problems by partnering ecosystem interactions through intelligent ecological design.

Let’s talk a little bit about Easter — since it IS Easter, the Christian High Holiday, or Holy Day. The traditions we celebrate today like the Easter bunny delivering brightly colored eggs and chocolate bunnies, began in England in the early 1700’s. This service will dig a little deeper. Please join us with Reverend Patti Henry.

Your Ministerial Search Committee is pleased to announce that Rev. Alisha Mills has been invited to speak to our congregation this Sunday, 4/2. She is a candidate to serve as Tapestry’s Minister. We hope everyone who is able will attend this important service.

Alisha will be joined by her husband and two young children. Please help us make them feel welcome during the service and afterwards in the social hall.

The MSC has been favorably impressed by Alisha’s experience, qualifications and demeanor, so we invited her to appear in our pulpit as a step in our negotiations. We will be most interested in everyone’s impressions this Sunday. Below is a brief description of Alisha’s background.

Alisha was a UU at Miami Valley UU Fellowship in Dayton, Ohio, went to seminary at a Quaker Seminary in Richmond, Indiana, and was ordained in the United Church of Christ. Most recently she has been serving Plymouth UCC on Louetta Rd., but “I've been feeling pulled back to UU, which is where I started.” Alisha has also been serving as a Chaplin in the Memorial Hermann Health System, and she started and owns a small company, https://www.divergentspirit.com.

Climate Change Activist Nan Hildreth will be joining us to talk about our climate. Remember, we need the environment, it doesn't need us!

A humorous and serious view of Jesus as a normal human and how a normal human would deal with all the knowledge Jesus had.

Come learn how to unleash your most powerful tool in this world. Come prepared to laugh and wonder with UU minister, Patti Henry.

Come and enjoy Tapestry's 4th birthday. We will have lots of fun thoughts and off course CAKE!

We all have a limited time here, so we need to look at what's really important to experience before we give up this body. Come hear a delightful sermon on this by Reverend Patti Henry.

What is healthy living? Food, Sleep, Relationships, come this Sunday and let's explore this topic.

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Join us for service as we explore the intersections of healing and decriminalization. As Unitarian Universalists, we believe in creating a just and loving world for all. Come together to delve into this important topic, and discover how we can be a part of creating positive change for all

As we hold these spiritual themes of democracy and interdependence side by side, we invite you to come together and learn about how Tapestry is honoring our principles.

With the start of a new year, what opportunities do we have for change. Gain new Habits, get rid of old ways, or just look for what is happening. Let's explore this question on this Sunday.

With the start of a new year, what opportunities do we have for change. Gain new Habits, get rid of old ways, or just look for what is happening. Let's explore this question on this Sunday.

Having just returned from two weeks in Nepal, I was reminded of how committed the Napolis are to peace. Everywhere you go they are praying for peace: in the forest, in the restaurants, on the airplanes, even bartering on the streets. Come hear Reverend Pattie Henry tell the stories to help you remember to make peace your prayer as well.

Template For Copying

We greet the new year with our annual Burning Bowl service! It is good to begin the new year by clearing out old regrets and resentments. We toss those things into the fire and get a fresh start. Join us at CJCN.

For Sunday, December 25th, Tapestry will not have a service. Instead, on Friday December 23rd at 6pm to 9pm, Dawn and Elisa are hosting a Holiday party for everyone at their newly renovated home. If you wish to attend, please bring food and cheer, and be ready to sing and share holiday joy.

17115 Rustington Dr, Spring TX 77379-4814

Yule is a holiday celebrated by the Germanic people. It is a celebration of the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of the winter season. Yule is a time for feasting and celebrating, and it is believed that the sun is reborn during this time. Join us in celebrating the warmth and light of the season.

Life is full of treasures that are inside ourselves and outside ourselves. This season, discover the hidden treasures that are meant for you.

Finding the sacred during the holiday crazy hustle is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

It's Thanksgiving! The time to connect with all the things you are grateful for -- especially to connect to the miracle of YOU. You have a gift to give the world -- different from everyone else's gift. Your gift is your Spirit: living and giving openly. In the sermon, Reverend Patti Henry shares how to rev up your spirit and learn how to let it soar! Please join us. And Happy Thanksgiving!

All members, friends, former members, visitors and guests, please take part in our annual bread communion service at Tapestry Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston. Our cooking covenant group is busy baking bread, while everyone else is cooking traditional holidays recipes (NO PORK or SHELLFISH please, in observance of CJCN’s Jewish faith). After service we will partake in our community potluck so please bring a covered dish or dessert, while we reconnect with each other by playing games, doing crafts and having great conversations.

We will be looking at veterans Allan has personally known. All the music is protest songs from the 1960s. Come sing along.

Since most of the folks will be at UBarU on November 6, including worship team, we have arranged to have a Zoom service with UU Church of the Hill Country. Rev. Phillip Schulman has kindly extended an invitation to their Nov. 6 service. For those folks who've been around a while, you may remember Rev. Schulman was a wonderful part time minister for us in the past. Here is the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/98637909568?pwd=ZU9nZmVpbHdjYW1tMGIreWFESHBzQT09. Service will start at 10 AM. Yup get the coffee on early, service starts at 10 AM. We will be joining from UBarU.

Please bring a photo of or trinket from a loved one that has moved on from this life this Sunday so we can create our memory altar.

Acceptance of One Another and Encouragement to Spiritual Growth in Our Congregations

Suicide wreaks havoc among the survivors and causes unbearable pain. To be relevant in the world today is to be aware of the pain of other's. Let's work toward suicide prevention.

Some might ask: Why come out at all? Isn't it safer to hide? Why make yourself vulnerable to other people's judgment and hostility? Our society seems more open than ever, and yet for some, it's as dangerous as ever to be openly gay, lesbian, or transgender. As Unitarian Universalists, we envision a world in which all people are not only safe and welcome, but are celebrated for who they are. When we acknowledge that hiding may be safer, we can see more clearly that coming out is still an act of profound bravery and resistance to oppression. It's a step toward creating the world we envision.

Please come out this Sunday as Linda Irish joins us in person to celebrate National Coming Out Day!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, so Rev. Viola Abbitt will be speaking to us this Sunday on this important topic. Come find out more about why it takes more than courage to end this. And, if you're interested in doing more, you can join in the National Network to End Domestic Violence Action Week from the 17th to the 23rd. https://nnedv.org/content/week-action-2022/

Comparative conversation between a UU and a fundamentalist, that ends well.

"We are born helpless and dependent, and only through the love of others will we ever become autonomous selves," sociologist Robert N. Bellah said. The self does not exist outside of community but is a function of our network of relationships. Do you love being in community? Join us for a sermon about our inherent worth as people.

Albert Einstein taught us there are two ways to live: You can live life as if nothing is a miracle, or you can live life as if everything is. Please join us on Sunday as Reverend Patti Henry speaks to us about being open to miracles.

We will preview key points in American Labor history and ask if we have learned the lessons of that history.

As part of the beginning of a new church year, members and friends of Tapestry are invited to renew their commitment to the Sixth Principle during our Water Communion service. Please bring a small amount of water from your home or summer travels to fill our bowl. We will also have our first in-person joining ceremony since the pandemic started.

The new school year is here and that means it’s time for the return of children and youth RE! Join us for our back-to-school backpack blessing and a history of how society has shaped our use of backpacks. After the service we will have a parents, volunteer, and youth meeting in the social hall to plan what we will be doing this year for RE!

This sermon is about the Beatitudes: thoughtful and fun. Please come to hear Reverend Patti Henry share with us THIS Sunday!

This Sunday, Andy Savidge will be with us to talk about four significant roadblocks to personal well-being and happiness, and more importantly, his approach to overcoming these roadblocks! Inspired by Randy Partain's original Personal Transformation course, Andy's spiritual practices are focused on overcoming some of the bigger roadblocks he's come to in his life. Join us Sunday for an inspiring journey that highlights some ways of building gateways to well-being and happiness. From that course work and subsequent experiences he's come to better appreciate his own values and difficulties.

From trans rights to reproductive justice, voting rights to the environment, this is a crucial time in Texans' fight for justice. Rev. Erin Walter, Minister & Executive Director of the Texas UU Justice Ministry, joins us to reflect on opportunities and challenges our statewide justice ministry is facing at its 10-year anniversary this year, and to invite us all to deepen our practice of showing up for justice.

Laughter is a powerful force, learn to use it for good.

Join Tapestry member, Jenn Boepple, as she shares why mindfulness meditation is an important part of her daily life and leads us in guided meditation.

One of my best friends who is very successful in many ways remembers both her dad and mom often saying to her, "Oh, my! You are so cheerful!" And she is. And pleasant to be around. And fun. And through tragedies in her life has remained the source of cheerfulness to others. So in this sermon, Reverend Patti is going to dive deeply into the benefits of being cheerful, what that means and how to get there. You are invited to join us, cheerfully. And if you don't come to the service cheerful, may you leave with a bag of cheer in your back pocket to use as needed.

It's Party time! We didn't say everything is great, but it's time for U.S. to have a birthday Party.

This Sunday we welcome Linda Irish to Tapestry in person! Come join us as Linda talks with us about seeing our spiritual selves, recognizing our self worth, and learning to Love your selfie!

Linda Irish will be leading us this Sunday about the history and significance of Pride Month and why we still need Pride.
And at the core of it all, the real message is Love Is Love!

Based on John Ortberg’s book by the same title asking, ”what walking on water adventure awaits you if you just get out of the boat?” Come hear Reverend Patti Henry as she explores this topic on June 12. Be sure and mark your calendars!

Join us on Sunday, June 5th as Lisa Pedersen explores the question asked by every child 5 minutes after the start of any road trip, "Are we there yet?"

It's Memorial Day Sunday and time to honor those who have served and fallen in the line of service. Before we have our cookouts and vacations, let's pause and remember the reason we're free to do these things. Join us this Sunday as our own Allan Perkins recognizes the Lifelong Service of those that served this country.

This week's service will be available on Zoom, or Dawn and Elisa's house, due to a function happening at CJCN (see details below.) Immediately after the service there will be a potluck at Dawn & Elisa's house, and at 2 pm our annual meeting will begin. Please be sure you plan to attend this special day. We will need quorum to vote on our new board members and budget. We need UU so that everyone can have a voice!
We'll return to CJCN and Zoom services again next week.

Get ready for another great service this week as Linda Irish speaks with us about Wonder Women!

What do you call God? Higher energy? Great mystery of life? Come hear Reverend Patti Henry talk to us about the 99 names of God to help you know what you believe just a little bit better. Please join us for this fun and informative service.

Come celebrate Beltane with the CUUPs group leading the service this Sunday.

Is life on our planet likely to change dramatically in the near future? Many intelligent people are studying this question, and they’re coming up with some innovative responses. Come, let us ponder how we might respond to a changing world.

It's time to celebrate our Flower Communion together! Please bring a few flowers to share with everyone and hear updates on our annual stewardship drive. Please remember to fill out a pledge card for next year if you haven't already done so. We hope all who can will join us in person for this special Sunday service.

One of NWCUUC's founding members, Allan Perkins will be leading us this week for this special Sunday when we resume services at CJCN. In case you've joined us while we have been zooming, CJCN is at 5400 Fellowship Ln, Spring, TX 77379. Allan's message this week is You Do It: Take It Seriously. Come worship together and enjoy our potluck after service.

Come join us on Zoom this Sunday as we welcome back Linda Irish who will be speaking with us about Walking Miracles. What's your walking miracle story? What's hers? Come find out this Sunday.

Looking for some hope and some grounding in these chaotic times? Please join us for a special virtual UUSC Sunday worship service guided by the Reverends Jacqueline Brett, Ned Wight, and Aisha Ansano. Together we will journey around the world, grounded in courage and gathered in justice, to hear from our UUSC partners. We are encouraging March 27, 2022 as UUSC Sunday which is a single day of learning, support, and action for congregations focused on uplifting UUSC's work.

We'll be zooming from the Tapestry retreat at U Bar U! Come sing some of your favorite hymns along with us!

It's another great Sunday ahead with Linda Irish returning to speak with us. Please join us this Sunday on Zoom!

Time, Talent, Treasure - Tapestry Turns 3!
Come listen to Tapestry's first three presidents share their thoughts on giving their time, talent, and treasure as we begin our annual stewardship drive.

Do you have boundary problems? Have you been told that you need better boundaries? Do you have trouble understanding boundaries or defending your boundaries? Join us for another week with Linda Irish as she continues her exploration of boundaries and the beauty we can find in them.

Knock Knock. Guess who's coming to Tapestry? Join us this Sunday as Linda Irish explores the ways in which we can be welcoming to others. How do we show up? What should we bring? And who will be welcoming us when we arrive?

Sometimes, doing something new or different can be incredibly terrifying. It’s the kind of fear that can stop you in your tracks and keep you frozen in fear, paralyzed. In honor of the year of the tiger, I want to focus on overcoming fears and doubt, finding courage, and taking that first step outside our comfort zone.

Tapestry member, Dawn Newcomer, tells her story of following her passion for flying, and how, as a young aviator, trust saved her life and the lives of her passengers.

We welcome guest minister, Rev. Betty this week as she explores Buddhism as a spiritual practice. Rev. Betty serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for U-Bar-U, and she leads worship online every Friday evening as part of her work with the Unitarian Universalist Free-Range Ministry.

30 Days of Love is Side with Love's annual celebration that runs approximately from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January through Valentine’s Day in February. It is an opportunity to collectively nurture our spirits, deepen our understanding, and take action on our values for collective liberation.

In 2022, the 30 Days of Love series will focus on Side With Love’s four intersectional justice priorities, with opportunities each week for communities and people of all ages to ground, grow, and act together for justice.

This Sunday is Week One: Reproductive, Gender, & LGBTQIA+ Justice. We hope you can join us!

Join us Sunday as Tapestry President, Brandon Boepple, presents the second annual "State of the Congregation" address for 2022. Come listen as he details Tapestry's accomplishments during 2021, and the important issues facing Tapestry in the year ahead.

When we think about courage, we may conjure up images of knights wielding swords, or someone overcoming great physical adversities, or maybe we think of some folks who are famous for their courage - like Mahatma Gandi or the Dalai Lama, or Harriet Tubman. But what about those smaller acts of courage, ones that we could do? Please join us as our own Leslie Aaron talks about everyday courage this Sunday on Zoom.

Special Notice: This Sunday's Service will be on Zoom only!

Please join us thisSunday as we say hello to a new year, and say goodbye to the old one. While many are more than ready to say goodbye to 2021, we are all a little uncertain what 2022 may have in store for us. One thing is for certain, we will continue to connect each week and support each other as we face the future together.

It's Christmas Sunday and Allan Perkins will lead us again this week as we celebrate A Traditional Christmas!

Join us this week as Allan Perkins leads us in an exploration of some winter holidays of different faiths that are celebrated around the world.

Much of our lives is spent waiting in some varied form or another for some good thing to happen. A great love, marriage, a birth of a child or transitioning from studying in preparation to launching a career. A time of planning and patience. Advent is the season of waiting in expectation, preparation and spiritual reflection on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for this season of giving in the world as it is today.

Why does it seem like wounds from our past resurface and bubble up even if years have gone by? Sometimes, we think we've completely healed from certain harmful relationships and trauma, but our past continues to come back to haunt us. What does it mean to truly heal? How can our spiritual practices help with the healing process? Are there ways that individual healing can benefit the community at large?

We hope you will join us this Sunday as our own Sarah Boudreaux leads us in honoring Indigenous Peoples Day.

As a result of climate change, global temperatures and the frequency and intensity of heatwaves will continually rise, bringing some localized benefits, such as fewer winter deaths and increased food production in certain areas, but the overall health effects of a changing climate are overwhelmingly negative to community's most vulnerable, the young and the old. Let's explore ways to work toward Unitarian Universalist sixth principal that calls us to the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

This week, we hope you'll join us as our own Allan Perkins tells us about "The Nine"
as we honor Veteran's Day. The Nine is a story of extreme service to God and man.

Bring a picture of yourself or your loved ones who have served in the Armed Forces to share.

Come join us this Sunday for another great message from Linda Irish as she explores the work of Rumi. "I am at rest and remaining". You won't want to miss this!

How can we emerge from adversity if only sustained by our beloved community? We are invited to come as we are, as raw and vulnerable as we may be and just be sustained. Our beloved community is here to not only be spectators of our transformation, but to hold us while we evolve while facing adversity. Let’s be brave together.

"Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives." - Unkown
Come enjoy another wonderful sermon with Linda Irish this Sunday when she will focus on the emotional freedom that comes from healing.

“Baby, We Need a Barn-Raising” -- Pandemic isolation has had a deep impact on mental health and community dynamics. Today we reflect with Rev. Erin Walter on spiritual resources for mental health and our calling to community care. For this service, Rev. Walter draws inspiration from music, Mr. Rogers, womanist theologian Monica Coleman, and more.

This Sunday, we hope you join us to find out what lesson Patti Henry has in store for us with her sermon, "There Was This Teacher".

Join us this Sunday with the CUUPs group, bring your furry,feathered, or scaled companion for a blessing of the beasts. We will explore how these animals enrich our lives, while learning about the Gods Apollo and Artemis in their role with life.

We invite you to come on back for more from Leslie Aaron this Sunday as we dig even deeper into 8th Principle work, Anti-Racism and Intersectionality and what that might look like for Tapestry.

The 8th Principle affirms and promotes “journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppression in ourselves and our institutions.”

Our final week of the UU Principles Series is for our proposed 8th Principle - Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. Please join us Sunday as Leslie Aaron speaks on this important principle.

Join us this week as our own Sarah Boudreaux discusses the 7th UU Principle - Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Join Tapestry's own Dana Ashrawi as we continue our UU Principles Series. This week, she will lead us as we consider the 6th Principle - The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

Join us this Sunday as our exploration of the UU Principles Series continues. This week, our own Allan Perkins will lead us as we consider the 5th Principle - The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.

Our 4th installment in our UU Principles Series is brought to us by the Big Questions, Deep Listening Covenant Group. Please join us this Sunday as we explore living life with no regrets as part of our 4th Principle - A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

We are not the same as we were before the pandemic. Even in a seemingly uneventful 17 months --if there ever is such a thing!-- people grow and change. Thankfully, the third principle of Unitarian Universalism, calls us to "acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations," so we are acting faithfully as we grapple with growth and change in these times. UU minister and musician Rev. Erin Walter returns to reflect on the third principle with us this Sunday.

There will be a special "Backpack Blessing" during the Moment for All Ages. We invite all students and educators to bring your backpacks or school supplies (literal or figurative) to be filled with well wishes for the start of the new school year.

Join us this Sunday as we continue our UU Principles Series with special guest speaker, Patti Henry for her sermon -
I Have A Dream, A Look at Our Second Principle promoting Justice, Equity, and Compassion for All.

Join us this Sunday as we begin our UU Principles Series when special guest speaker Linda Irish joins us to discuss the 1st principle - The inherent worth and dignity of every person.

** Linda has asked that we each bring pencil & paper with us for her sermon Sunday. This will be good!!

July starts the harvest with beans, spinach, zucchini, summer cabbages, and other early vegetables. July 25th we are celebrating the early harvest with an Icelandic Freyrfaxi. Please feel free to bring birdseed or wildflower seeds to return to the earth, and some fruit juice or a drink of your choice to celebrate with us.

It can be difficult to think about giving when you feel you haven’t been getting much from life. It’s painful to think about sharing when you feel depleted of personal resources. But the only way, my dear friends, to save yourself from the hell of unhappiness, and find a personal kingdom of contentedness is in taking the risk of giving, serving, and sharing. Please join us this Sunday as we explore those risks, and consider the rewards of finding happiness in giving.

Please join us Sunday as we hear about ways we can participate in Plastic Free July from our own Dawn Newcomer.

Join us for another inspiring service by our very own Allan Perkins as he takes us on a journey beginning at the first Independence Day, July 4th, 1776 and what it means to us as Unitarian Universalists.

Don't be late! We're live streaming the service from UUA GA starting at 11am.
Today’s challenging times require a nimble and resilient spirituality. We need a demanding, inspiring faith and a love strong enough that it will not let us go. Join us as we draw the circle wide, gather our strength, and promise to stay in the struggle and joy until love wins.

Musicians, Franco Holder, Aimee K. Bryant, and Dr. Randal Buikema
Religious professionals, Lauren Wyeth, Julica Hermann de la Fuente, and Revs. Arif Mamdani, Karen Hutt, and Jen Crow will lead the service

We are often encouraged to speak the truth in love, but how often do we hear honest feedback as coming from a place of love and care? As we reflect on words from Randy's ordination about how to ACT in love toward one another, we consider a vital element of our covenant and the journey ahead as a community of faith.

You might remember superheroes from childhood that set an example for you to follow. Some of your heroes may have modeled moral and ethical behavior in a way that seemed impeccable. And yet, in more recent movies and television series, we see a lot of superheroes behaving rather unheroically. Instead of offering an example of morality, they seem to reflect the worst of human struggles and shortcomings. What happened to our idea of heroes? And what do changes in our view of heroes teach us about building beloved community?

Have you ever felt proud of something you'd done until another person questioned or criticized it? It's as if we have our own personal shame gremlin lurking in our brains waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Maybe you don't think of it as shame, but most of us engage in a bit of self-sabotage from time to time. Especially when it comes to the things that bring us joy and give our lives a sense of purpose and meaning! As Unitarian Universalists, we have a big vision for our relationships, our communities, and for the world we all share. How can we tame our personal shame gremlins and live into an ambitious and hopeful vision for justice, equity, and compassion?

Join us for our annual Memorial Day Service as we remember those who gave all and honor their legacy.

The AMA (or Ask Me Anything) concept first gained popularity on Reddit, but UU's have held our own version of AMAs for longer than Reddit has been around! As one of our hymns suggests, “even to question truly is an answer.” This Sunday, we’ll explore a practice common among many UU congregations: the Question Box service. You'll have a chance to write down a question that you have wondered about, and Randy will answer as many as he can during the service. And your question may become a sermon all its own later on!

This Side With Love Sunday worship service lifts up those themes: Living our values, Hospitality & inclusion, Educating for Liberation, and Restoration and Reparations. What if to "side with love" meant making bold, faith-full choices?
And, after service today, remember to stay for the annual congregational meeting and vote!

We might think about punctuation less and less with our evolving habits of texting and tweeting shorthand, but a friend's tattoo of a semicolon got me thinking about how much meaning there can be to these seemingly insignificant marks. For instance, how does the meaning of a teaching change with the placement of a comma? And how can we be intentional about the spiritual framework we use for our lives by paying attention to the details? When it comes to our approach to spirituality, it turns out punctuation matters!

Join us as we celebrate Beltane by honoring the fertility of the ages. Beltane celebrates fertility of life, we want to honor all aspects of that life.

It may seem like a challenge to make Earth Day personally relevant. Part of Tapestry's vision statement is that we commit to protecting and enhancing the environment through our time, energy, and resources. But the environment is a pretty big responsibility! How can we approach our responsibility as stewards of nature without feeling overwhelmed? And how can we focus our intentional efforts in the year ahead so that we live with integrity to this vision of caring for the world around us?

In honor of Earth Day this year, please join us this Sunday as Robyn Stout, the Executive Director of U Bar U talks to us about the history and the future of U Bar U, and the nature it is working to preserve.

Sometimes, folks think of stewardship as being exclusively about finances. Our stewardship conversations took a much more expansive approach, and we heard so many wonderful stories and ideas about what Tapestry means to you and what you envision going forward! Your commitment to creating a place of belonging, where you are both personally fulfilled and able to mindfully care for others, is simply amazing. We want to honor the vision you are casting, and we want to invite others into that vision, with a service of gratitude and joyful celebration.

We've been holding our collective breath for awhile. Maybe the last year has felt like hibernation for some of us. A year of social and emotional winter can feel like a long time. Easter reminds us of the promise of new life, and life exuberant! How do we prepare ourselves for spiritual springtime? How do we welcome new life, even as we remain patient? And how do we bloom in such a way that the world around us blossoms into wholeness?

Join us this week as we focus on Transgender Day of Visibility. We'll hear from Tapestry's own Autumn VanKirk about her journey and we'll also hear from Dana Ashrawi who will give us an update on what UUs can do to be active allies for Transgender rights and equality.

In a letter to his son, Albert Einstein is said to have written that life is like riding a bicycle, "Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance." As we celebrate the spring equinox this week, we consider the element of balance in our lives. How do we recognize when we need to invest more effort and when we need to surrender ourselves to things beyond our control? What does it mean in our spiritual lives to keep moving so that we maintain a sense of balance?

Osho wrote, “Music is the easiest method of meditation. Whoever can let himself dissolve into music
has no need to seek anything else to dissolve into.” What role has music played in your spiritual journey? In this week's service, we begin to explore the deep connection between music and spirituality.

Happy Birthday Tapestry! We look back at how far we've come in the past two years and cast vision for what's in store.

In his book "When Colorblindness Isn't the Answer," Rice professor Anthony Pinn suggests that we often see racial and cultural differences as a problem to be solved rather than an opportunity for expansion and growth. Sometimes, people of privilege claim to be "colorblind" as a way of personally resolving the challenge of racial inequities. This approach can protect us from examining our own discomfort, but it may not be the best pathway toward meaningful and sincere multiculturalism. How do we build resilient community that celebrates differences and honors the full spectrum of human colors and identity?

Reflections on the Winter Storm Uri

The proposed Eighth Principle of Unitarian Universalism (which is expressed in Tapestry's own bylaws and congregational covenant) calls us to journey "toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community." Another way of saying this is that we all deserve to be accepted, included, and loved exactly as we are. What does it mean for a community to be "beloved"? And what does love require of us in the context of a community? Maybe a love poem or two can help us find our way on this journey!

Imbolc celebrations took the form of a festival in honor of the pagan goddess Brigid, who was evoked in fertility rites and oversaw poetry, crafts and prophecy. Brigid was considered one of the most powerful Celtic gods. The celebration of St. Brigid’s Day on February 1 was put in place by the church to replace Imbolc. On her feast day, an effigy of St. Brigid of Kildare is traditionally washed in the ocean and surrounded by candles to dry, and stalks of wheat are transformed into cross talismans known as Brigid crosses. Come celebrate with us this Goddess and create your own Brigid Cross.

Anxiety is a part of all our human relationships, but we may feel like we've been getting a supercharged dose of it lately. With continued pandemic concerns, our divided political landscape, plus all of the personal worries that persist through it all, it can feel like there's no cure for our constant stress. How can our spiritual practices provide an antidote to our anxiety? And can we be one another's remedy through how we engage in intentional connection?

Join us Sunday as Tapestry President, Dawn Newcomer, presents the first annual "State of the Congregation" address for 2021. Come listen as she details Tapestry's accomplishments during 2020, and the important issues facing Tapestry in the year ahead.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the person who wields it. He also clarified that nonviolence is not just the avoidance of physical action, but also avoiding internal violence of the spirit. As Unitarian Universalists, we aspire to dismantle racism and other oppressions within our communities and within ourselves. It is a spiritual battle fought for the freedom of our own spirits as well as freedom for the world. How do we become skillful at wielding a sword that heals?

We want a lot of things as a religious community. We want to honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and we want to create a safe space for people of all ages to grow in their spirituality and connection with one another. We want to provide opportunities for each person to engage in a free search for truth and meaning, while ensuring that our searches are responsible to one another as we create community together. Our freedom requires boundaries. That may seem like a paradox, but as a community, we can each be the fenceposts that help us all find freedom.

We have a tradition of using a burning bowl ceremony at the beginning of each year, to release the things we want to let go of in our lives so that we can open space for something new. This year, gathering together for a burning bowl ceremony isn't feasible, but there are still ways that we can viscerally symbolize releasing those things we no longer need in our lives and creating room for a vision of deeper wholeness and well-being. As we cross into a new calendar year, we gather to consider how we grow from pain and release ourselves from the limiting beliefs, experiences, and habits that keep us bound. In so doing, we open the way to freedom, hope, and newness of life.

We hear and read a lot about self-care. So much so that self-care might seem to be another burden or obligation in our schedules! Even when we feel the need for something to alleviate the stress of everything going on in our lives, we might have accepted some damaging myths about self-care. How do we care for ourselves in a way that doesn't just leave us feeling more exhausted or overwhelmed? And what is really at the root of meaningful self-care?

The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, when daylight is at its weakest. Some of our ancestors may have held rituals and ceremonies to "call back the sun" and reawaken the earth in anticipation of spring. We'll delve into what it means to reawaken light in our lives and in the world around us, and we'll explore the spiritual symbolism of wreaths together. Special thanks to our Spinning Wheel CUUPS chapter for collaboration on this service of connection and hope.

Pandemic life can be a rollercoaster. Some days we feel almost normal, while other days bring us to our knees. Drawing upon the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke and her own spiritual practice of music-making, UU Rev. Erin Walter will reflect on how we may endure painful uncertainty while also embracing moments of joy and gratitude where we find them.

Some of us find the holidays particularly emotionally taxing. Some of us have loved ones that require a great deal of care and patience. Some of us find ourselves overwhelmed by constant reminders that there is always more to do if we care about repairing and healing the world around us. We may feel guilt about our inability to attend to every worthy need, or even shame about our own needs. When our compassion wears thin and we feel emotionally threadbare, how can we find replenishment? How can we intentionally honor both our own worthiness and our personal values pf care and compassion?

Lots of myths and misinformation still abound regarding LGBTQ+ identities. We may not spread all of these myths in Unitarian Universalist communities, but some people in our communities have dealt with these myths, and the grievous harm caused by them, all of their lives. A panel of people from diverse perspectives within the LGBTQ umbrella will share their reactions and responses, with the hope that we can be more welcoming and compassionate as we build a stronger community of radical hospitality. What LGBTQ myths have you been believing?

Focusing on the power of gratitude in our lives, we share one another's bread recipes and exchange stories about why a special bread is meaningful to us. If you have not submitted a recipe, but would still like to bake bread submitted by another Tapestry member, please email recipes@uutapestry.org this week.

Please join us this week as we commemorate our veterans with Allan Perkins. We will be looking at the story of a unique time at a unique place where remarkable love was shown to remarkable service.

We have been through a very contentious and stressful election season. And the strife probably feels far from over. How can we act with purpose in the midst of our anxiety about the future? Who do our Unitarian Unversalist principles call us to be in the midst of turmoil? As people throughout our nation continue to react in various ways to the political landscape, we must do our very best to be vulnerable, caring, and compassionate community with one another, even as we embrace our opportunity to shine as a beacon of hope for others.

In this special service, we will have the opportunity to honor those who have left us behind. It can be anyone who has departed from this world: your ancestors, a close family member, a friend, a public figure you admire. You can honor anyone who contributed to your life in a positive way. Please bring a portrait and/or some items or images that represent what this person meant to you.

Some of the stories we hear about the LGBTQ community are heartbreaking stories of marginalization and injustice. But there are other stories. Throughout human history, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual. and non-binary have been world-changers. Sometimes, their achievements are overlooked or dismissed because of their identities. Sometimes, their accomplishments are acknowledged, but their identities are hidden or ignored. This Sunday, we celebrate the complete identities of some truly remarkable people, who also happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Some of their names you'll recognize right away, and some of them you won't be able to forget!

This week, as part of our ongoing Welcoming Congregation Certification process, we will be presenting some of the highlights from Tapestry's first Welcoming Workshop held last weekend. Come join us as we explore what it means to be welcoming, what steps are required to gain certification, and most importantly, what you can do to help!

Some might ask: Why come out at all? Isn't it safer to hide? Why make yourself vulnerable to other people's judgment and hostility? Our society seems more open than ever in some ways, and yet for some people it is as dangerous as it ever has been to be openly gay, lesbian, or transgender. As Unitarian Universalists, we envision a world in which all people are not only safe and welcome, but are celebrated for who they are -- a world in which everyone is able to be fully alive. When we acknowledge that hiding may be safer, we can see more clearly that coming out is still an act of profound bravery. An act of resistance to oppression. A step toward creating the world we envision.

During the month of October, we are focusing on our commitment to being a welcoming community toward people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Many of us already strive to be accepting and welcoming toward everybody, and we may wonder why this commitment to be a Welcoming Congregation is so important. Beyond just being a safe space for people to be celebrated for who they are, what does it mean for us to embrace a commitment to radical love? How does our vision for the world call us to create justice in the larger community?

In these midst of global pandemic, rising authoritarianism, and uprising, lives hang in the balance and the future of democracy is on the line. In response, Unitarian Universalists are answering the call of our faith, building powerful partnerships to mobilize our communities to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate in the 2020 elections. Join UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray, the UU the Vote team, and a lineup of powerful, prophetic UU voices as we explore the intersections of faith, justice, and democracy in this collective virtual service.

The UU the Vote effort will also be the special Share the Plate recipient for this Sunday.

The Autumnal Equinox may not feel very different from summer in the Houston area. It can still be a time when we consider the need for balance and focus. As the day and night are balanced at the equinox, we need a sense of balance in our communities and our personal lives. Sometimes we think of finding balance as a daunting effort to keep an overwhelming number of plates spinning, like an impressive circus performer. But what if we don't need acrobatic training? What if balance is more about finding a point of convergence -- a center of focus for our collective and individual visions?

Our society continues to express collective grief. Although it isn't pleasant to witness, we can strive to understand the suffering underneath the anger, denial, bargaining, and depression we see in others, and that we ourselves feel. In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths assert that human suffering is caused by attachment, and that letting go of our attachments is a way to end suffering. But releasing attachment can sometimes seem like releasing our sense of growth and meaning. Can there be a way of acceptance that doesn't leave us without vision and purpose? Is it possible that letting go of attachment can set us free to act on a bolder vision for the world?

Whether we are engaging in a personal spiritual practice or gathering in community with others through virtual connection, more than ever we need to be conscious and intentional about creating sacred space. There may be special places we have experienced in the past that felt particularly sacred to us, where someone else has put effort into providing a space that exudes welcome and spirituality. How can we enter into a new season with purposeful attention to our physical surroundings? And how will that effort on our part create a more resilient community?

Too often we as a society look to external powers to change the world – some magical miracle to fix the world’s problems. In actuality, the power lies in each of our own hands, and it is up to us to be the change that we want to see. It is up to each of us to be the miracle.

Although we are unable to meet in person, we still want to celebrate all that water symbolizes in our lives. Water is often seen as a symbol of purification and healing. For Taoists, water symbolizes wisdom. The ancient Greeks considered water to be a symbol of transformation. Among the first peoples of North America, water was a symbol of life itself. Water has a great deal to offer us as we seek a sense of healing and flexibility in our changing world, and as we seek deeper connection within ourselves and with one another. We invite you to bring a vessel of water and a bowl with you to this virtual service.

So many people have said that "normal" is just a setting on the washing machine. Many of us take pride in being unique. Maybe we want people to think of us as edgy or cool or independent thinkers. And yet, when it comes to the way we judge or accept others, it often comes down to how well another person fits our personal definition of "normal." When we say, "How could someone believe that?" or "People shouldn't behave that way," so often it's based on our own opinion about what "normal" should look like. How can we draw the circle of welcome wider and still embrace our own sense of individuality? How we grow as a community depends on this question.

Join us this week as our members and delegates who attended share their experiences about the first ever virtual UU General Assembly conference earlier this year. Hear about the votes and about our larger UU faith community.

Mountaintop pilgrimages are a common theme in many religious traditions. People go to the mountaintop for different reasons. Sometimes, the mountaintop is the place where we commune with the divine. The mountaintop might also be where we proclaim something to the world. Either way, though, getting to the mountaintop requires a climb. A pilgrimage. Sometimes, that pilgrimage can be figurative—the hard work that we do to get ourselves to a place where we are in touch with the divine and shout a clear vision for the world. Ready to do some climbing?

In our mutual covenant, we promise to cultivate trust with one another. It seems like an easy thing to say yes to. We all want trusting relationships with people who are purposefully committed to being trustworthy. But what does it really mean to cultivate trust with one another? What are we willing to do to fulfill our piece of this promise that forms the foundation of our relationships as a community? When we have a blueprint to clarify what we can do, cultivating trust doesn't have to be scary or challenging. (And don't worry... we won't be doing any virtual trust falls!)

When we were children, we learned a lot about the world through our sense of curiosity. As we grew older, many of us began to think we know all we need to know about other people. We may not consciously think we can read minds or predict the future, but we sometimes act like we can! Recognizing how little we know and reclaiming an intentional curiosity about other people and the world around us might just help us honor our commitment to one another and our commitment to our Unitarian Universalist principles. Are you curious?

Human relationships are never just between two people. We naturally form triangles and more complex interconnected shapes in our relationships. We talk about triangulation as a reaction to anxiety, but can the natural shape of human connection help us honor our covenants and hold one another accountable with compassion? And how can intentionally building healthier personal relationships transform the world around us toward greater justice?

For this Independence Day weekend our theme is “One Voice”. How does that concept fit with the country we are living in today?

There are a lot of steps in the process of becoming certified by the Unitarian Universalist Association as an LGBTQ+ Welcoming Congregation. Tapestry is just beginning that process, and our entire community will be a part of it. You may think we're already quite welcoming, and you're right! But what does it mean for us to practice radical hospitality as a community? And how are you called to express that welcome?

In collaboration with the Tapestry CUUPS chapter, we celebrate the summer solstice. Ancient communities built stone monuments dedicated to the worship of the sun. Solar cycles guided many aspects of their lives. Their standing stones and temples remain as legacies of their cultures. We consider what intentions we want to guide our lives and what legacy we want to leave behind for future generations.

Come listen to voices among us as we speak about these important current events.
June is... the anniversary of the Stonewall and Juneteenth!
June is... A time for grieving, protesting, and speaking out against police brutality!
June is... A time for us to work together to create and find rays of hope in the midst of all the new reality caused by Covid.

June is Pride Month. Why "Pride," though? Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins? Doesn't pride cometh before a fall? Why would people who identify as lesbian, gay, or trans embrace a word like "pride"? We explore the history of Pride as a celebration of LGBT identity, and consider the challenge for people in a marginalized social group to honor their dignity, equality, and capability for self-affirmation. And we sincerely ask the question: Are you proud of yourself?

Human beings have long known that laughter helps us through difficult times. You might even find it challenging to think about smiling without physically smiling. There are so many serious things happening in the world and in our lives, we might forget what a powerful force humor can be. Or maybe we're reluctant to seem irreverent by laughing about important things. Is it possible that a little irreverence can provide a greater sense of well-being and wholeness in our lives and in the world around us?

Allan Perkins will again be speaker for Tapestry's annual Memorial Day Service. This year, we will focus on those we lost are not strangers. We hope you'll join us in our remembrance of their service to our country and their connection to us.

Moments, thoughts, memories and emotions come and go. Days pass by, turn into weeks, then months, then years, then generations. You, and the life you lead in the world itself are both constantly changing because nothing is permanent. The concept of impermanence (called ANITYA in Sanskrit) is at the cornerstone of many eastern religions' teachings and practices. It can even be easily said that it was the very heart of the Buddha's teaching. Let us then appreciate and understand how we can apply this powerful insight into our modern, fast paced and complex lives.

In many cultures, sacred places are protected by guardian statues. Nio guardians, like the one depicted in this photo by Irene Coll Ingles, are one example. Gargoyles on Gothic cathedrals are another. Unitarian Universalists also have guardians in our communities of faith, but we don't depict them in statuary. Our guardians are a little more mundane than the powerful gods and fierce creatures featured in the art of many religious traditions. In fact, you may even be one! Are you up to the task? Come explore who guards our sacred space -- and who relies on you as a guardian.

We express our enthusiastic vision for our community through the way we invest our time, talent, treasure, and presence. Even in times of uncertainty, we have a powerful sense of who we want to be as a congregation. Today we celebrate that collective identity and the plans we have to deepen that identity in the year ahead. So many exciting ideas have emerged from this year's stewardship campaign, and we're looking forward to another amazing year as we continue to grow together.

Join us as we honor Mother Earth with a Native American celebration hosted by the Tapestry CUUPS group. Enjoy drumming and singing as we send out healing energy to Mother Earth.

As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to fostering multicultural community. Even in this time of change and transition, there are things we can do to evolve our understanding and develop our multicultural competence. Who do we expect to be bridges for us? And how can we be strong bridges to our deepest selves, so that we build the world that we envision? We are capable of responsibly forging new paths of multicultural community. Let us engage in that learning together.

Easter is a time when Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection, symbolizing new life and healing through a restored relationship with the divine. All of us have a need for spiritual healing and restoration, and some may be especially feeling that need during this time. Whether we locate the divine in nature, in a separate spiritual realm, or as a part of what makes us human, we intentionally set our hearts toward reconciliation and healing in this special ceremony.

Recently, I played a game called Gris. It had beautiful art, but more importantly, it had a beautiful message about recovering from trauma, discovering our voice, and building personal resilience. Maybe I superimposed some of these lessons onto the game. They weren't overtly stated in any way. And yet, the games we play may hold powerful lessons we can carry forward in our lives. The ways we spend our "down time" can reinforce a compelling vision we hold for our lives and our world.

In Rumi's poem "A Community of the Spirit" he wrote: Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open? Some of us may be thinking of our current situation as something of a prison. Some of us may be feeling overwhelmed. What if we are refusing to open a gift, just because it is wrapped in an ugly box? Yes, we need to commiserate with one another. There is no doubt that our circumstances are challenging. But also, what encouragement can we offer one another? What inspiration? What hopeful vision for the world must we prepare for? Join us for a time of reflection on the spirituality of staying home and what it can mean for our community.

The vernal equinox marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Throughout the world, the rituals that welcome spring are celebrations of life and renewal in the natural world, and within ourselves. We virtually gather together to consider the seeds that we can intentionally plant in our lives, and also to celebrate what is ready to hatch because of the work we have done in the past. We take time to recognize how we can nurture new life in the people around us, and to honor those who have nurtured new life within us.

Dear Tapestry Members and Friends,

Because we care deeply about your well-being and because we want to be as proactive as possible in preventing the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, the Board has decided Tapestry will NOT meet for worship or fellowship at CJCN beginning this coming Sunday morning (March 15). Instead, the Worship Team invites you to worship with the Church of the Larger Fellowship online Sunday at 7 pm CST https://zoom.us/j/224988882.

This decision was based on recommendations from our Unitarian Universalist Association, and in agreement with other area UU congregations. For the near future, we are choosing not to have in-person gatherings of 25 people or more. We would encourage our small groups to consider using an online forum for meeting such as google hangouts as much as possible.

Our first priority as a religious community right now is the health of those who are most at risk for COVID--19, both within our church and in the greater Houston area. While there are only a very small number of documented coronavirus cases in our city and region at the current time, health officials tell us that taking major steps right now is the only way to slow the spread of this virus.

If you feel you are at higher risk, please stay home as much as you can and know you are not alone. All of us here at Tapestry are with you in spirit. Even if you are not concerned about your personal risk of exposure, please be mindful to avoid public gatherings, stay home as much as possible, and wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water. Please urge your family and friends to do the same. This is the best way to prevent this virus from spreading and making more people sick.

This is a time for us all to take care of each other. If you have an urgent need, please call our message line at 281-301-7999 or contact the lay ministry team at caring@uutapestry.org. We invite you to join our Facebook Tapestry Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston Community page if you haven’t already. In the coming days, please check in with others by phone or email. Reach out to anyone who you think might be feeling overly fearful or isolated. And please feel free to contact Randy Partain at minster@uutapestry.org any time if you need to talk. If you have more general questions, comments or concerns, please contact us at board@uutapestry.org.

Stay tuned for further updates on the status of other upcoming church activities.

We are a strong, loving, and resilient community and we will get through all this together.

Sincerely,
Your Tapestry Minister and Board

When we embrace our capacity to be aware of ourselves and also inclusive of others, we build stronger bonds with one another. So often, we try to protect ourselves from others, or we defend our own needs to the point that we stop hearing and seeing one another clearly. We're able to do things differently, and be confident in nurturing healthy community. Our Unitarian Universalist values challenge us to do so. How can we measure our multicultural competence? And how can we balance care for ourselves and care for others in beloved community?

Come celebrate our first anniversary! We'll officially welcome our newest members, take a look back at what we've created together, and cast vision for the year ahead. Tapestry's story is a story about you. And our community's exciting journey is just beginning! After the service, we'll continue the celebration with a potluck and some great activities for all ages.

Embracing multiculturalism requires us to confront White privilege. This isn't an issue of individual character. Confronting privilege means challenging an oppressive system through intentional action. But even the word "privilege" can stir up some challenging emotions. Rather than feeling powerless or shameful, we're going to identify meaningful ways that we can intentionally dismantle barriers so that all people "matter" in our congregation and in our society. Our Unitarian Universalist principles call all of us to develop the capacity and the skill to take meaningful and hopeful action.

Cultural philosopher Charles Taylor said that each of us has an original way of being human. If we are not true to ourselves, we miss the point of our life. We miss what being human is for us. Part of embracing multiculturalism is recognizing that our unique way of being human can allow space for other people's unique way of being human. Our Unitarian Universalist values call us to celebrate other people's original way of being human, even as we fully express our own blend of identities. How can we rise to this challenge more consistently? How can we deepen our love for ourselves and others, and thus build greater wholeness in the world around us?

UUs have a long history of taking a stand against racism. But what about the grey areas we deal with both publicly and privately? Is racism ever justified? How does racism manifest itself in your life? To what extent are you a racist? Join us on Feb. 9th when Tom Parker addresses these and other questions about what UUs can do about racism both in and around them.

Science fiction stories often imagine multiple realities co-existing or colliding in some way. But what if the experience of multiple co-existing realities is real? What if our capability to embrace multiculturalism is rooted in our ability to recognize multiple realities? Our stories may be stories of inclusion or exclusion. Stories of mattering or marginalization. Or all of the above! Telling our stories requires vulnerability. Welcoming stories from others -- stories that are very different from our own -- might require some vulnerability too. Join us as we explore our multiple realities and learn to truly share our diverse stories with one another.

Our society has been talking more openly about toxic behavior in recent years. Maybe you've ended a relationship with someone at some point in your life because they seemed toxic to you. We can't always disengage easily from people we think of as toxic. They may be in our workplace, in our social organizations, or even in our families. Sometimes, there might even be a hint of toxic people in church communities. What would it feel like to be equipped to fearlessly handle toxic material? Would you believe that our Unitarian Universalist principles provide us with guidance about addressing toxicity? Join us as we explore our capability to create a less toxic world.

Whenever we want to begin anew, it can be terrifying. Fear can paralyze us, and taking that first step is always the hardest, but what exactly causes us to be immobile? Is it the unknown or the fear of failure? Whatever it is, hope is an important part of the process. Join us this week, as our special Guest Speaker, Grace Ngo shares her story of how hope allowed her to open up to new experiences and new relationships.

Last Sunday, we held our burning bowl ceremony, burning the things we're ready to let go of in order to move in the direction of wholeness and well-being for ourselves and the world around us. What rises from those ashes? What intentional passion can be ignited by our purposeful commitment? Or even, in times of tragedy, when things are taken from us that we aren't ready to let go of, how do we find hope to create something anew? Join us as we explore sources of inspiration and hope.

When we turn the page of a new calendar year, we also often consider the new things we want to create in our lives during the year ahead. Sometimes we make "New Year resolutions," and jokingly predict how many days it will be before we break those promises to ourselves. Whether it's a promise for the year ahead or a commitment to our Unitarian Universalist values, the things we carry from the past can sometimes get in the way of us living fully into a compelling vision for wholeness and well-being. In our burning bowl ceremony, we have an opportunity to release regret, sorrow, or pain from our past and look forward to a brighter future. We can give ourselves a chance to feel some closure, and move on intentionally. What do you want to let go of so that you can live fully into your vision for the year ahead?

You may remember, last month's service, when Randy explained "warp" threads are the foundation of a tapestry. The warp is the tightly-held strings upon which an image is built by interwoven "weft" threads. The warp is completely covered in traditional tapestry weaving, yet it is the necessary core of the structure. Sometimes, our spiritual practices are things that no one else sees. They may notice when we're particularly centered (or when we've neglected our practices!), but they may not know the work that we do to show up with authenticity, compassion, integrity, or serenity.

Join us for a second special service in this Introduction Series when we'll learn about four spiritual practices that serve as foundations for some of the men of Tapestry. Hopefully, you'll discover some opportunities to strengthen your own grounding as well!

Tapestry UU Church of Houston cordially invites you and yours to join us for our First Annual Carols, Candles and Cookies, A Christmas Eve Celebration. Singing in the Sanctuary 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Sweet Treats in the Social Hall 7:00 PM - 9 PM. Please bring snacks and treats to share with others.

So many religious traditions consider the winter solstice sacred. From a time of increasing night, the sun is reborn with a promise of new life to come. Whether it is with candle light or a Yule log or sparkling lights on a tree, the season is full of ways we look for the light of the sun reborn to vanquish whatever unseen anxieties we imagine await us in the darkness. But times of quiet darkness are important for us as well. And we might forget to look in the most obvious place when we find ourselves or the world around us in need of light. In this solstice celebration, we explore what we gain from the darkness, and how we embrace our roles as bringers of light.

One of the common holiday tropes is whether someone has made it onto the Nice List or the Naughty List. People on the Nice List have earned a present for their good behavior, but people on the Naughty List get a lump of coal instead! Even in a time when we focus on generosity and giving, we have a sense that we have to earn our presents. Our Unitarian Universalist principles suggest something different -- that every person has reason to celebrate who we are. This holiday season, how can we more joyfully celebrate who we are? And what simple, intentional action can we engage in to help people around us joyfully celebrate who they are?

Mother Teresa’s “Do It Anyway” is ageless wisdom. It reflects thoughts that resound through many spiritual practices. Intention is a prime way of life in which to stay in the moment. Judy will share some of the inspirations that have come from this classic.

Avery Alder once made a "game" called Brave Sparrow. It was a way of building one's capacity to bear witness to quiet beauty and act with bravery. Avery didn't publish Brave Sparrow commercially, but their simple creative idea suggests that we might need a little help sometimes to meaningfully address wonder and mystery in our lives. Can playfulness help us engage in curiosity and courage more intentionally? How can we be more intentional observers and agents of wonder?

The Unitarian Universalist Bread Ceremony is a celebration of our connection with one another. We each bring unique experiences and gifts to our relationships and communities. This symbolic ceremony of sharing reminds us how deeply we are able to share of ourselves and receive one another gracefully. Prepare a bread that is special to you, or just buy some bread you enjoy, and bring it to share as we celebrate this uniquely Unitarian Universalist service.

The Enneagram is one approach to understanding human personality, based on the theories of Russian mystic George Gurdjieff. According to this model, people have three basic ways of responding to the world around us: through our intellect, through our emotions, and through our instinctual action. None of these is any better than the others, but each of us may find that we rely on one of these three "minds" more comfortably or naturally. Understanding our own tendencies and understanding the tendencies of others can help us engage more deeply in building our community with respect, compassion, and gratitude for the diverse perspectives that strengthen our interconnection.

An emotional, informative, and inspirational look at the families that veterans find themselves in.

"Warp" threads are the foundation of a tapestry. The warp is the tightly-held strings upon which an image is built by interwoven "weft" threads. The warp is completely covered in traditional tapestry weaving, yet it is the necessary core of the structure. Sometimes, our spiritual practices are things that no one else sees. They may notice when we're particularly centered (or when we've neglected our practices!), but they may not know the work that we do to show up with authenticity, compassion, integrity, or serenity. In this special service, three participants in Tapestry's Women's Spirituality Group will share their own "warp" threads -- the spiritual practices that form their foundation. Hopefully, you'll discover some opportunities to strengthen your own grounding as well!

Día de Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is an annual event that unfolds over two days of color and life-affirming joy, when people demonstrate love and respect for ancestors. In towns and cities throughout Mexico, revelers don bright makeup and costumes, hold parades and parties, sing and dance, and make offerings to lost loved ones. As we honor this traditional Mexican feast for the senses, you are invited to bring a picture of a departed loved one.

In Hunduism, a deva is rather like what Western religion might call an angel. Some devas represent the forces of nature and some represent moral values, each symbolizing the essence of a focused area of knowledge or creative energy. Whether we believe in such beings or not, it might be interesting to think of the focused, creative devas of various aspects of our lives. How might our "relationship deva" guide us toward deeper connection and vulnerability? Or how might our "professional deva" guide us in our career decisions? How might a "Tapestry deva" guide us in our community building? Together, we'll explore an imaginative spiritual practice as well as our congregational covenant.

UU Lay Minister, Patti Henry, will be joining us once again on October 13. Her sermon, "Do UUs Pray?" will explore the different types of prayer and what to do if you've got no one to pray to. This is a fun sermon you won't want to miss!

Living fully into our spiritual identity is not just a matter of what we do, but how we do it. With so many meaningful and worthwhile actions and activities in our calendars, we can forget to take time preparing for how we want to connect all the events of our busy lives with our deepest values. As we enter into a series on spiritual practices, we consider the spirituality of our relationship with time. How might we adopt a more intentional approach to nurturing ourselves inwardly in the midst of nurturing the world outwardly?

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, also known as Virgen de Guadalupe, is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a Marian apparition and a venerated image enshrined within the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. We'll hear the parable of Juan Diego's encounter with the Queen of Heaven and consider how we might be more intentional in how we ascribe power and how we empower others.

We all complain about our noisy, over-stressed lives. Seems we are right— the decibel level is rising. Can we find the quiet our minds, bodies and hearts need?

When we talk about "power," what are we really talking about? And where does power come from? What kinds of power work against our Unitarian Universalist principles, and what kinds of power are in alignment with our principles? We continue our conversation about power by considering the roots of power in our own lives, in our relationships, and in our communities.

In this distinctly Unitarian Universalist liturgical service, we celebrate the places we have been, the places we are going, and the symbolic power of water to carry us, challenge us, and sustain us along the way. Bring your water to pour into our communal bowl as we celebrate our connection with one another and our capacity to nurture one another.

Have you ever felt powerless? Many people do. Some more frequently than others. Often, though, this feeling of powerlessness isn't true. Sometimes, all it takes is one purposeful action in a meaningful direction to shift a situation. Are you willing to embrace your personal power?

"In the beginning there was Isis: Oldest of the Old, She was the Goddess from whom all Becoming Arose. She was the Great Lady, Mistress of the two Lands of Egypt, Mistress of Shelter, Mistress of Heaven, Mistress of the House of Life, Mistress of the word of God.“

Merlin Stone, sculpture, and professor of art and art history writes in her book “When God Was A Woman”, “In the beginning, people prayed to the Creatress of Life, the Mistress of Heaven. At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman." Do you remember?

Maybe we do not think of ourselves as healers. There are so many ways in which we may feel the need for healing. Perhaps we think that we must be healed before we can heal others. Or perhaps we think that only special people with special gifts or special training have the capacity to heal others. But what if our spiritual tradition implicitly calls us all to be healers? How can we embrace that identity more deeply as Unitarian Universalists?

When we can honestly recognize our old wounds, we can begin to heal. Sometimes we expect that healing to come from outside of ourselves, but we can also be a source for inner healing. We engage in a special experience of personal healing with spiritual practices that can be a regular part of your self-care.

Over time, we all learn to put on emotional armor to protect ourselves. We learn early on that we have vulnerabilities that can be painful. We get wounded in our relationships and figure out what we need to do keep from feeling that kind of pain again. Armor isn't a bad thing, but the thicker our armor, the tougher it is for us to connect, feel love, and offer love to others. In other words, the very things we need to be able to do in authentic community. How can we embrace our vulnerabilities and honor the vulnerabilities of others in mutual safety and connection?

When we journey with others, our behavior matters. When in a well-defined space like a vehicle on a road trip, it may be clear how our behavior affects everyone in the car with us. When the borders of our relationships are a bit more diffuse, our influence may not be so clear. How can we be more mindful of our contributions to powerful, meaningful relationships with the people with whom we journey in this community? In our city? In our world?

Who are Unitarian Universalists called to be in this moment? In a time of increasing dehumanization causing great challenge and heartbreak in our world, what does our faith demand from us? At this year’s General Assembly we explored the power, possibility, purpose, struggle and joy of finding the path forward together as Unitarian Universalists. Attendees left inspired, with the tools needed to carry on the work for collective liberation into their own congregations and communities. How we discern and carry out the work is an example of faith formation, AKA religious education.

Having a covenant for community is good. Essential even! But sometimes promises made with the best of intentions get broken. Relationships sometimes need to be repaired. How do we restore and rebuild relationship in alignment with Unitarian Universalist principles? What role does accountability play in a healthy, thriving community? Come explore how our purposeful commitments to one another grease the wheels of authentic community.

We talk about covenant a lot in UU settings. One reason is that we don't embrace a creed -- a set of established beliefs that everyone must accept to be in community with one another. Instead of creeds, we build covenants -- a set of promises we commit to with one another. Covenants are mutual boundaries that cast vision for the kinds of relationships and communities we want to build. They are compasses that point the way toward deeper authentic connection with one another. Sounds great, right? So why aren't we better at keeping covenants? Come learn how to create and keep covenants that truly help us create the relationships and communities we most deeply desire.

Independence Day is the one patriotic holiday which has been a party from the very beginning. Come celebrate it with us.

My title for this service asked why we, as UU’s, should pay attention to the changing of the season. Our 7th principle states: “We the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” My hope is that we can share a connection to nature and to selves.

There's a comedy group that specializes in taking video clips of movies and speeches and recording more humorous lines over the original images. And they do it in such a way that it looks like the person speaking is actually saying the more humorous lines instead of their original quote. This is good for a laugh. But we often do this with human beings around us too. We engage in "bad lip reading" when we assume that we know what other people need better than they understand their own needs. That can make creating justice, equity, and compassion a real challenge. Are there simple ways to clearly hear the needs expressed by others instead of thinking that we have all the answers?

It's common for us to think in binary terms. Hot or cold. Winners or losers. Wizards or muggles. We often do this even when it comes to something as diverse as human identity, whether it's gender, ideology, skin color, or who we love. Our brains love to put things in clear-cut categories. And yet, one way we can live with greater integrity to our UU values is to recognize human identity as a continuum rather than a set of toggle switches. How can intentional spiritual practices help us navigate that continuum?

The 1990 documentary "Paris Is Burning" focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their "house" culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. It also highlights some of the unique terminology of their community dance styles at the time, which found its way into the mainstream even though many people were unaware of its history. How else do we inadvertently adopt elements of marginalized cultures without honoring their origins? And how can we be better stewards of those ideas?

We'll also welcome new members in a special ceremony!

When we look at those we honor on Memorial Day, many of us think of 'Freedom', 'Patriotism' and their service. We are thankful for the rights of our freedom. But do we know the 'flavor' of freedom?

We live in a fast paced culture that either glorifies suffering or tries to stamp it to the ground through positive thinking. When is suffering authentic and when is it the product of cynicism, pride, and our addiction to drama? What unexampled assumptions do we have about life and how do these assumptions create a stressful life? Even though life has difficult periods, it is not hard all the time. How can we extricate ourselves from our self-imposed suffering and live a more joy-filled life?

As we continue to form an intentional vision for Tapestry, we consider how each of us has something valuable to contribute to that vision. As we bring our full selves forward, we change and shape the world around us. As we engage purposefully in our lives, we influence all of our relationships and systems. What we do matters. How can we deepen our sense of belonging through awareness of our transformative and creative power?

Do you ever feel like you have to wear a mask? In other words, have you ever hidden part of yourself in order to be acceptable to other people? Has the need for a sense of belonging won out over the need to be seen and appreciated for who you truly are? Many people feel that they can't be completely themselves and also be accepted in a place where they want to belong. Imagine having both of these competing needs met more often! Let's explore the possibility of the balance of belonging.

Bring a flower to share as we honor the unique gifts we bring to community in a uniquely Unitarian celebration! The founder of the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia, Rev. Norbert Capek, saw the need to unite the diverse congregants of his church, from varying Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish backgrounds, without alienating those who had left these traditions. For this reason he initiated the Flower Celebration in Prague on 4 June 1923, honoring the universal beauty of nature by having a communion of flowers instead of the Eucharist. Though Unitarian Universalists often refer to the ritual as a Flower Ceremony, Festival, or Communion, Capek's term "Oslava Kvetin" is more accurately translated as "Flower Celebration," a term which continues to be preferred by Czech Unitarians today.

The resurrection story is a universal theme within the Christian faith, but all of us have experienced personal resurrections in times of hardship. We will explore both in our Easter service.

Creating something new in collaboration with other people is exciting! It can also stir up some anxiety. Even though we may know about the effects of anxiety, it can still creep into our vision casting unintentionally. When we manage our anxiety, we're better able to live into our hope for meaningful, authentic community. How can we recognize anxiety when it's affecting our community or our own behavior? And what spiritual practices can help us manage our anxiety better?

It may seem early in Tapestry's development to think about awards and honors. It may seem morbid to think about Tapestry's epitaph. And yet, these are ways that people convey how others have made a difference in the world. As we think about identity and a vision for Tapestry as a community, one way to clarify that vision is to imagine what we hope people will say about us. It's a great way to clarify our personal creative vision too. Come wonder together as we gather with hope and purpose!

We gather to celebrate the mutual gifts we offer to one another and the commitment we make to build authentic, meaningful community together. We are creators by nature, and we have the potential to create amazing things, especially when we work together. So how do we turn our commitments of time, talent, and treasure into purposeful and intentional expressions of who we are? Come find out as we celebrate together this Sunday!

Join us Sunday as we begin discussion on our Five Smooth Stones of a Liberal Religion -
The first Stone can be paraphrased as Growth - Ours, is a living tradition because we're always learning.

Stewardship is about wisely identifying and using our resources to build and sustain our work in this church, while caring for each other and ourselves. Being present, donating money, volunteering our time, sharing our talents. We offer these treasured resources to help us fulfill our vision of putting our Unitarian Universalist principles into practice, while promoting balanced giving. We'll be exploring what it means to be good UU stewards without overextending ourselves.

And, it will be FUN, with opportunities to earn door prize tickets. Did we mention there will be door prizes?! You will not want to miss out, I promise!!

As we begin to form the mission and vision for Tapestry, we must decide where we are going. In planning our path, we must understand that saying yes to some things will mean saying no to others. To enable us to say yes, we must also say no with intention and purpose.

An 8th principle has been proposed for adoption by the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Dana Fisher Ashrawi will explain the proposal and explore the following questions:
Where did the proposal come from?
Why now?
Why in the UUA?
Why single out racism?
What is beloved community?
What does it mean to be accountable?

Our Unitarian Universalist 7th Principle is “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” How can we live this principle in the face of Climate Change?

We take a look at our 6th principle and examine what it would take to have a world community that is peaceful, just, and free.

What if your social outlet that is your passion was banned by the government and participation considered illegal? As UU's our 5th principle addresses that question.

One of the precepts of Unitarian Universalism is that truth is not absolute. It changes over time. How can this be? Join us on February 3rd when Tom Parker explores the relationship between fact, truth and Unitarian Universalism.

The third UU principle is Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations. Let us reflect on the diversity of those around us.

In this day and age, do we really have a world that is just, equitable, and compassionate or is what we have ¨just the way it is?¨ We explore the 2nd UU principle of justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.

The first principle of the Unitarian Universalis is "The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person". We will explore why such a simple principle can be so hard at times and ways to keep your faith, as well as your integrity.

What binds spirit to matter? When we have a diversity of cherished beliefs and belongings, what connects us in sacred relation within the liberal church? Join us as we explore the power and the possibility of covenant as scaffolding for the growth of the soul. The Rev. Dr. Joanne Braxton will be our special guest in the pulpit (streaming video). She is the CEO and President of the Board of the Braxton Institute, is an ordained minister in the Eastern Virginia Association of the administrator, public speaker and workshop leader, as well as the author and/or editor of several published books, including Black Women Writing Autobiography.

Join us as we consider closing the door on 2018 and the possibilities for the new year.

Please invite your friends and family...

Most of our winter holidays originate with the solstice celebrations, which recognized human dependence on the sun as well as our symbolic relationship with light and darkness. How do we honor our times of darkness, and how do we release the darkness we don't need to carry with us? Join us for a service of music and reflection.

Tapestry Ensemble will be performing Winter Solstice & Christmas music.

A potluck will follow - so please bring a dish to share and a beverage, as we celebrate this wonderful time of year!

When we think of mystery and wonder, we sometimes think about the grand majesty of nature or the origins of existence. Of all the mystery in the universe, though, sometimes the greatest mystery is within other human beings. We can fool ourselves into thinking that our assumptions and biases are reliable, but how can we set our assumptions aside to truly discover the wonder of the people around us?

Don't do it half way. Your life is worth full-on attention. 'Tis the season for miracles to happen. Show up for yours!

This sermon will tend to ways Unitarian Universalist communities can be places of welcome and sanctuary during periods of crisis and transition.

Democracy across the globe is in crisis. No matter who wins the midterm elections, this will continue to be true. How should Unitarian Universalist
communities respond during times such as these?

This multi-generational service is uniquely Unitarian Universalist, and a special one for bringing a friend or relative. All are invited to bring bread that connects to your ancestors or your current family traditions. We will share our bread and stories of our bread with each other after a blessing, and offer gratitude for our beloved community. Our children will be with us throughout this service for all generations, while child care for ages 4 and under will be available in the Mahjong room.

On Sunday, our guest speaker, Patti Henry, will look at the first of the Four Agreements, as suggested by Miguel Ruiz in his best-selling book of the same name, that you must make with yourself to have a happy and effective life. This agreement, make your word impeccable, is the most important and difficult of the Four. Come join us for a fun and thoughtful service!

Sometimes things change without our permission, like someone has changed the rules on us mid-game without warning us. This often provokes some anxiety for a lot of us. Sometimes, there are changes we long for, though. Changes we want in our own lives or in the world around us. How do we determine whose rules we have to play by when we want to change the game? And how do we ensure that the changes we strive for truly align with our life-affirming values?

Whether we celebrate it as Dia de los Muertos, All Saints, Samhain, or by some other name, this time of year is often a time that we think about ancestors and how to honor them. Maybe we think of special items or activities that make us feel close to people we care about who have died. Maybe we look back to more distant ancestors, people we never knew but who shaped our life and circumstances nonetheless. One way we can honor those who came before us is by the legacy we leave behind for the future generations who will call us ancestors. Come delve deeper into how we honor both the departed and generations to come in this special celebration.

A sense of belonging is fundamental to our experience as human beings. Most people are grateful to find a community where they feel at home, or they are seeking one. Unitarian Universalism provides such an environment for many, and yet not all. How do we walk the line between creating cohesive communities and making room for the stranger?

This title comes from a dialogue between the great practitioners of liberation education Paulo Freire and Myles Horton. The sermon will be a chance to reflect upon how we can collectively engage in spiritual practices to nourish us as we struggle for social change. Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen will be with us for his first visit to Tapestry.

Many of us have spiritual practices that are a meaningful part of our daily routines, but sometimes those daily routines can get so hectic and stressful that it seems like we don't have time for one more activity, no matter how helpful we think it might be. What would it be like to have a way of deepening our connection with ourselves that didn't require blocking out more time in the calendar?

Being accepted is a fundamental human need, yet we often struggle with how to welcome others without hiding or giving up some part pf ourselves. The easy answer is to only welcome people who seem to be like us, but our shared principles call us to a greater sense of hospitality. Is there a way to welcome people into our lives and still have the sense of belonging and acceptance we need for ourselves.

This Sunday Rev. Dan King returns to the Tapestry campus to bring his personal reflections about how we can choose to embrace necessary changes in his service “Welcoming the Stranger: There’s No Place Like Home!”

Just as teachers and students settle into structured learning routines during early September, those of us who choose to be involved in religious community are given the opportunity to consciously pledge the time and energy necessary for our own spiritual growth. Our Minister, Rev. Dr. Dan King shares some helpful ideas about how to sustain our good intentions. (Read by Tom Parker)

Bring water from your Summer travels, back yard birth bath, rain gauge, or other places that have a special meaning to you for adding to our communal water in this uniquely Unitarian Universalist service.

Sometimes, we may think of “hope” as unfounded optimism. And we may feel despair when our hopes for our lives or for the world seem unlikely to come true. Is there a way for us to engage our hope that can consistently inspire our creative purpose and empower us to live fully?

We live in a period of profound cultural, ecological, moral, and political crisis. In this service we will ask: what is the calling of the church during such an unsettled time?

The title of this service comes from Alice Walker’s book of the same name. She offers wisdom about how to move forward during a time of disappointment and heartbreak writing, “healing begins where the wound was made.” No matter the reason why a ministry ended, it often concludes with a sense of disappointment and pain about what has been lost and what might have been. In this service we will contemplate how to move forward despite and because of whatever pain has existed in the past.

Are you familiar with the Bigger and Better game? For example, Canadian blogger Kyle MacDonald started with one red paper clip, and after 14 trades, ended up with a two story house. What if we all did that? Traded UP? Come join us and speaker Patti Henry to find out how!

If you've been to The Point, you know what a fun, inspiring and educational five days it is. If you haven't been yet, come learn
why many of our members make it a regular part of their summer schedule. All SWUUSI/The Point alumni will be invited to share their experiences.

The Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly (UUA GA) is a lively annual event that brings together thousands in our own interdependent web to sing, worship, learn, witness and take faithful action. Dana Ashrawi has ether attended or been a delegate for most of the last 10 years. She gives an in-person interactive impression for all ages on the exciting highlights of this year’s gathering.

Small thinking leads to small living. How do we become "mountain minded" and learn to expand our lives becoming all we can be? Come hear our guest speaker, Patti Henry, in this inspiring and fun service!

When did you last feel a sense of wonder and say “Wow!”? Was it some kindness or beauty? Were you blown away by something you learned or saw? Our stories are made up of pieces we put together from our world. What would happen if more of the pieces were things that WOWed us?

Rev. Dan returns from the UUA General Assembly in Kansas City with a renewed sense of the importance of our 7th Principle: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” He'll share personal reflections of the multiple levels of meaning he finds in that principle for this Independence Day themed sermon.

In this time of dissension and government cruelty, who is our family and how do we treat the members of this wider family?

When the song of the earth resonates in your heart, what do you hear? What feelings rise up from the depths of your being? Is there wonder at the beauty and complexity that surrounds us? Does there come a sense of gratitude? Or perhaps grief and sadness for how we have treated the world? Can there be hope and possibility that we might more deeply apprehend our place on this amazing and precious planet?

Every Fall for thousands of years, Jewish traditions have called for ten days of self-reflection as observant Jews approach the rituals of Yom Kippur, the Day of Forgiveness. The practices of Rosh Hashanah ask each of the faithful to forgive those who sincerely repent for their “trespasses” AND honestly to face the reality of their own imperfections, their trespasses of others, and, where appropriate, to ask for forgiveness and healing of their mutual relationships before God.

In this service, Rev. Dan shares reflections on these universal themes of forgiveness and healing.

How much will you pay for a free lunch? What price is peace of mind.

We'll hear about the state of the church, and elect new nominating committee and board members. Service will be held at Museum District.

We know how important forgiveness is, especially for our own well-being. Yet, it often seems that we have to make a choice between forgiving someone and seeking justice. Between forgiving someone and healing our wounds. Can a road map to forgiveness also lead to justice and healing?

As we transition from our Eldridge location to CJCN, we will meet at the Museum District Campus this Sunday at 10:30 am.

Why forgive? And we decide to forgive, how do we do it?

As we transition from our Eldridge location to CJCN, we will meet at the Museum District Campus this Sunday at 10:30 am.

In honor of Mother's Day we celebrate our multi-generational Flower Communion and tell the story of its originator, Rev. Norbert Capek. Bring a flower per person to decorate the altar and take home a different blossom when you leave!

How much sleep did you get last night? While there are pockets of hope, especially among the young, too much is wrong. It’s creating widespread anxiety. What shall we do about it?

If you are a member of First UU-Copperfield Campus, please be sure to stay after the service to vote on the future location of our campus!

Thomas Jefferson said "all are created equal, all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Notice he did not say anyone had a right to be happy, but you do have the right to chase happiness. By the way unalienable is nice word for un-sellable. So if Jefferson is right, you cannot sell your soul to devil. You can only rent it to him.

Note — This service will be held at Congregation Jewish Community North to try it out as one of two choices for our next church home.

Note: We will have this service at a different location as a trial of future rented space - Celebration Lutheran on KZ Road in Cypress.
Service summary: There are two kinds of hope...hope that requires the likelihood of positive result and hope that is paired with action moving toward a desired outcome. The second is Active Hope. We assert that this is the kind of hope required in today’s uncertain circumstances. We will awake to the realities we face and find individual paths to our collective community’s action. Everyone, no matter what age, will find inspiration as we explore and create our Active Hope together.

What does it take to find yourself with an entirely new perspective, one that gives energy and purpose to your life? For many of us, daily routines and obligations can feel like they get in the way. But when you look back, how many different "selves" can you count? Our emotional and spiritual lives include many stops on an infinitely variable path. We'll reflect on how many times we have journeyed to a new beginning.

Thomas Jefferson said "all are created equal, all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Notice he did not say anyone had a right to be happy, but you do have the right to chase happiness. By the way unalienable is nice word for un-sellable. So if Jefferson is right, you cannot sell your soul to devil. You can only rent it to him. You can always redeem it.

Some Unitarian Universalists have a Christian orientation, many do not. Both the Unitarian and the Universalist religions sprang out from Christianity. What do we believe about Jesus? About resurrection? About the meaning of Easter? Come find out.

"From Birthing to Living to Dying: The Ultimate Transformations?"

One uninterrupted human lifespan could encompass a range of multiple liminal transformation experiences in our own birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, parenthood, maturity, senescence, decline, and finally, our deaths.

The difficulties some of us encounter at the threshholds of entering or leaving these stages of life (and other times of transitions for ourselves and for those we love), can seem overwhelming; for many of us, there are no mentors or guides to show us how to deal with the essence of our shared mortality.

What we focus on, we invite. If we focus on what we don't want and don't like, we may find ourselves getting more of it anyway. How often do you complain? Want to find out?

Humanism says that we don't need or can't rely on God or gods. Okay. So why do we create all these superheroes? Is merely being human enough? We seem to crave more from our myths.

Many observers of the catastrophes of history- wars, Holocaust, and genocides around the world- have lost faith in the concept of an all-seeing, all-caring Divinity. In this service, Rev. Dr. Dan King shares reflections on some of the ways that many of us (including several prominent Unitarian Universalists) have resolved our cognitive dissonance about the necessity of a belief in the existence and centrality of God in living an ethical and meaningful life.

One need not have a deity to provide religious experience, one only need to be truly awake. We’ll explore another source of our UU faith: “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.”

In this service, Rev. Dan King shares reflections on how and why the brief life of Rev. Theodore Parker, someone almost forgotten in our time, actually had extraordinary influence in the development of modern Unitarian Universalist theology as well as our progressive ideas about social justice.

A 19th century American Calvinist girl grew up to become a Universalist woman and changed America forever.

Have you ever felt there is something important missing in your life? Something you can or can’t put your finger on– something that if you only had it– you would feel complete? Finally and completely whole & content? We’ll also take a peek at our dreams for the year ahead.

We are members of a prophetic faith. And we have the martyrs and heroes to prove it. Advice about working on social justice, Moses never entered the promised land. Susan B Anthony never got to cast a vote. But the promised land would never have been reached, and women would never have gotten the vote unless someone did the hard work that they did.

Much of contemporary Unitarian Universalist theology and common practices show deep roots from both our Jewish We and Christian ancestry. In this week's service, our Campus Minister, Rev. Dan King, reflects with us on how those particular roots inform our mid-Winter consciousness in "Owning the Darkness and Welcoming the Light".

Social anthropologist tell us that societies over the millennia have responded to the natural recurrent rhythms of the earth by creating rituals at the changing of the season. In the Northern hemisphere, as humans perceived the longer nights of winter, we created stories which assure us that life-sustaining light will return. In this service, we will "reflect" on the persistent appeal of some of the common elements of our modern experience of the timeless stories of Chanukah and Christmas.

As the Wheel of Life turns again, we dedicate our children; name new births; new marriages; honor anniversaries, and recall the departed. Please contact the office if you would like your children dedicated in the church today, and provide us with names and ages.

Jesus was a Jew. All of his disciples, the ones he selected, were Jews. So how did the Christian church separate from Judaism and what do we still have in common?

Come join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on the evening of December 24, from 5 PM - 6:30 PM.

The title of this sermon does not refer to Unitarian Universalists, but rather to all religionists (and atheists) in the world and the questions we have in common, such as “Where did we come from, and why are we here?” Instead of focusing on one religion, let’s look at these common questions as a framework for broadening our own hearts and minds, developing interreligious competence, and working with others to repair the world, even when their answers are different from our own.

The Sanctuary Choir presents a special Music Service featuring Vivaldi's baroque masterwork, "Gloria." This celebrated work offers inspiring music that explores the foundation of Christianity through themes of hope, gratitude and peace. Mark Vogel, music director, leads the service.

Western culture over the past millennium has developed antipathy toward the religion of the Qu'ran. In this service, Rev. Dr. Dan King explores some parallels with Unitarian Universalist theology as well as several of the commonly-held myths and truths about cultural variants and "heresies" associated with self-proclaimed adherents of the religion revealed by the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh).

We have not always thought of the divine, our god(s), or other people's, as we think currently think of the divine. God evolved, or our thoughts about the divine evolved.

Please bring some bread to share, perhaps associated with your heritage or has some other special meaning. We will share our bread (and the stories of our bread). This uniquely Unitarian Universalist service is a fun one to bring a friend to.

We will look at the three jewels of Taoism: humility, moderation and compassion in a UU context and see that "peace is who you are without a story."

More than one theologian has noted that Unitarian Universalists don’t have sacred texts. Instead, each of us studies our own direct experience of transcendence and lets that shape our theology. Uh...okay. But how do we communicate those experiences to each other? And what is transcendence anyway? When we gather on Sunday, let’s reflect together about our First Source, and about the delights and dangers of building our own theology.

Our annual Day of the Dead service. You are invited to bring a photo or memento of a departed loved one to church for our memory table.

Many religions start with a creed, a sacred text, or a singular prophet. The Unitarian Universalist religion starts with your own direct religious experience.

How extreme Zen meditation can lead to sprained ego and brief flashes of addictive euphoria.

For some of us, compassion has always come easy and it is a strength we use in moderation. Others of us suffer from "compassion fatigue" and find ourselves becoming more uncaring than we'd like. And how do we muster compassion for people who really, really don't "deserve" it?

We've often heard that love makes the world go'round. More likely, however, it is compassion - a deep stirring of the heart - that leads to small and large actions to walk with others in their joys and sorrows. On Sunday, let's reflect together on the inner sources and outer expressions of our compassion as individuals and as a church body, the limits of compassion, and how to refill our own spiritual wells when compassion fatigue overtakes us.

As our newest addition to the First UU ministry, Rev. Dan K will share reflections on how we might approach others, especially in the context of his own past experiences with Houston and Unitarian Universalism.

These words by the 13th-century Persian Muslim poet Rumi remind me of why many of us came to Unitarian Universalism. Not only were we looking for something in it, but we also felt pulled by something toward it. This week, let's think together about what we continue to seek when we gather here every Sunday, and what we offer to those who may be seeking us.

Orthodox faith insists the fear of eternal damnation and the promise of heaven are the only motivations to turn inveterate sinners in to good people. Unitarian Universalists have a different take.

Whoever you are, wherever you've been - the uniquely Unitarian Universalist Water Communion offers you a chance for a Welcoming Community. Feel free to bring a little water from your summertime - either from a vacation spot, or from your kitchen faucet. And prepare to write a sentence about its origins or meaning to you now.

Note from Daniel: You can certainly bring water for water communion, but more importantly, you might
bring the following: non-perishable food items, toiletries, and ‘practical’ clothing, especially for men.

Church canceled due to Hurricane Harvey. Stay safe folks!

How do we contemplate, and plan for inevitable death and possible disaster and maintain a healthy mind?"

In these rapidly changing times, we are required to find new ways of remaining engaged and active. Join us to explore what it will take to be "down" with current movements of resistance."

Our Universalist heritage has been long summed up by the decleration "God is Love." Yet our seven Unitarian Universalist Principles do not use the word "love." What is the place of this key concept when we look at the source of our faith?"

Agnostics are often understood as people who admit that they do not know if there is a God or not. Yet, can there be more to agnosticism? Rev. Angela Henderson will share about this spiritual path that is described by Lesley Hazelton as one that "takes a spirited delight in not knowing."

The Unitarian Universalist faith has done a great job of opening its doors and welcoming the GBLT community. We have stood firm on the side of love. How can we do the same with the black population, the Hispanic population, and others? How do we truly become the faith of ALL people?

Abraham Lincoln once said "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." To improve character, our religious forebears lifted up virtues to adopt as part of our lives. Maybe these virtues have a place in our time.

Generations are now living an average of 34 years longer than our great-parents did. Jane Fonda presents life and spiritual journey after age 60 as "Life's Third Act." This Sunday, we will hear reflections on Life's Third Act from members of the Thoreau Campus.

All news sources are reeking with the confusion fed by failures of truth-telling in our political life. How did our culture become so casual about the distinction between truth and lies? It's time to shed our light on Truth.

The Rev. Lewis B. Fisher wrote these words almost a century ago, yet they still apply today: "Universalists are often asked to tell where they stand. The only true answer....is that we do not stand at all, we move. "We'll explore what is worth working for in our lives and what might become of our movement as Unitarian Universalists.

What does a UU father figure look like?

Are most churches ''women's club with a few male officers?'' We'll explore some reasons women outnumber men in church, and why we at First Unitarian may have a greater proportion of men than usual.

We'll hear about the state of the church, and elect new nominating committee and board members.

We'll explore the construction of gender and reflect on what a woman learned after posing as a man for a year.

Generally speaking, religion has a terrible record on Women's Rights, GLBTQ rights, and Racial Justice. Join us this Sunday to discover how our UU faith calls us toward a world of equity and compassion.

In honor of Mother's Day we celebrate our multi-generational Flower Communion and tell the story of its originator, Rev. Norbert Capek. Bring a flower per person to decorate the alter and take home a different blossom when you leave!

In the midst of our busy lives, some of us enjoy finding the calm in the hurricane's eye.

Our logical minds tend to reduce complexities to easily understood concepts. Yet, the world we live in is more complicated than logic wants to believe. Today we look beyond the black and white of “prayer” or “no prayer” as we consider the rainbow - with the help of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay.

While prayer is often recommended as a regular practice, we most often feel the desire to pray in times of questioning, confusion, and grief. What are ways to pray that UU's find helpful in times of need?

Has there been a time– or two?– when you have been “afraid and amazed?” Something in your life is ending. Or has just ended. And things don’t seem to get better right away? And you are “afraid and amazed?”

The Easter story begins with death & fear. But it doesn’t end there.

Many of us are uncomfortable with the words "God" and "prayer." Often this rejection comes from outgrowing or having to "unlearn" what our old religious tradition taught us. Can we claim or reclaim this word and practice?

Our cultural understanding of "evil" changed when psychologists such as Carl Jung began to talk about the "shadow" in human experience. How do we hold to our values of "inherent worth and dignity" alongside our own capacity to demonize and blame?

Religious Liberals generally don't talk about this much. But sometimes we have to. Most of all, it’s important to acknowledge our own propensity to evil.

In Chemistry when too much of a substance is added to a solution, there is a reaction, either a flash, a precipitation or a crystallization. In our lives, in our society, when too much evil is present there will be a reaction. But will it be a flash of violence, a rain of sorrow or a crystallization of conscience?

In Chemistry when too much of a substance is added to a solution, there is a reaction, either a flash, a precipitation or a crystallization. In our lives, in our society, when too much evil is present there will be a reaction. But will it be a flash of violence, a rain of sorrow or a crystallization of conscience?

The spiritual journey reminds us not only to be grateful for love, peace, and joy, but also for failure, pain, and loss. We celebrate the wholeness of our being as we reflect on Gratitude today.

During the course of one day, countless amounts of information is absorbed by the brain. Our thoughts swirl around introducing new ideas or conjuring up old memories. Learn how to reclaim some of your mental space and change your life by changing your mind.

Is gratitude a requirement for Happiness? Can you be happy if you are ungrateful?

Have you ever wanted to help someone so much, but they just wouldn't listen to your incredibly wise advice? When helping might be our first response to another's sorrow, we can learn that love can also be in the letting go.

"Houston, we have a problem" goes the saying. Some of our UU values are under siege. From denigration of Muslims to discrimination against transgender folks to vilifying atheists– the list of problems grows. But our church has a history of being a haven for religious liberals and a beacon for liberal religion. Come learn our history and how we’re saying now "Houston, we have a solution!"

When I was first a summer hospital chaplain, I had an irrational fear of being near dying people. And then I saw a woman die of her own irrational fear. Fear can be a great self-defense mechanism; and, it can kill us. Fear isn’t just about life & death– it’s about wanting, getting, relationships and loss. We’ll explore fear, it’s opposite, and how to get to the other side.

Wheels, spirals, doors, corridors; life is like that. Anxiety can be calmed with a little Faith. Ralph Krog, preaching.

If we find ourselves in hell, how do we save ourselves? We build our own heaven … and bring in our family and friends and neighbors and strangers. Copperfield Campus Minister, Ralph Krog, preaching.

As the Wheel of Life turns again, we dedicate our children; name new births; new marriages; honor anniversaries, and recall the departed. Service led by Ralph Krog, Campus Minister.

Service has been pushed back to NOON for this very special occasion....
Come and join us at Noon for Brunch and Burning.  Bring a dish and your New's Years Resolution.  We'll have a nosh and a ritual.  Start the New Year off right with great food and fellowship!!
Coffee, Orange juice and Tomato juice provided.

Copperfield Campus will not be open on Sunday, Christmas Day, because we will all be tired from attending the Christmas Eve Service.  
Also at Copperfield there will be no Sunday Worship on New Years Day; however, there will be Brunch and Burning starting at Noon.
There will be a Christmas Day service by Rev. Angela at Museum District at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome.

Our annual candlelight service at 6:30 p.m. with readings and carols. Service led by Ralph Krog.

Music, readings, and reflections on the lights of the season seen through Hannukah, Winter Solstice, and Christmas. Our annual traveling Music Service. We will also receive your special financial year end donation.

Rev. Dr. Daniel O’Connell and the Museum District Sanctuary Choir, directed by Mark Vogel.

Did you know Jesus was a heretic? He taught that some values were more important than the rules of his day. Join us this Sunday to hear how the life of Jesus influenced Unitarian Universalism. Rev. Angela Henderson, preaching.

The word, “God,” is a powerful word with a lot of baggage. Respecting that this word or idea of God does not work for everyone, we also recognize that it is an essential part of the spiritual life of some among us. Rev. Angela will explore how we can welcome God into our spiritual life in a n authentic way.

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As a colleague reminded me many years ago, we’re not the church that says you have to believe in God. But we’re also not the church that says you can’t believe in a god, or gods, or God Almighty. We’re the church that says– you have options, and we’ll love you no matter your decision. Really. You’re the expert on your own theology– and we’ll help you build that theology. Rev. Dr. Daniel O’Connell, preaching.

Please bring some bread to share, perhaps associated with your heritage or has some other special meaning. We will share our bread (and the stories of our bread). This uniquely Unitarian Universalist service is multi-generational (kids stay with us in the sanctuary), and it’s a fun one to bring a friend to. We will take a special collection for our international UU Partner Churches today.

The democratic process is intended to empower people - to give every person a voice and a seat at the table. But without trust for one another, democracy falls far short of its potential. How do we trust others -- and how do we engender trust -- so that the democratic process becomes a more powerful way of relating to one another and building community?

What does Unitarian Universalism have to say about the upcoming presidential election? About democracy? How might our UU Principles affect how we vote? We'll look at the hard parts of the 1st and 5th Principles along with a 3 step action plan of how you can advocate your values through voting and advocacy work.

Our annual Day of the Dead service, a multi-generational service to be celebrated simultaneously at all 3 of our campuses. Bring a photo or memento of a departed loved one to church for our memory table.

Our fifth principle states that “we affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” How did the idea of democracy become so fundamental that it is one of our seven formative statements? We will consider the theological roots of democracy.

There are obstacles to our voices and votes being heard. Every year someone brings up the electoral college and now we have Citizens United even further flooding our political process with money and personal agendas. This Sunday,
we are going to take a step back to look at Democracy to remember and maybe even revise the reasons we vote.

The idea of home permeates much of our lives including our dreams for our personal future and our family's future, disputes over land, and the many refugee crises. We long to be at home and feel at home. This Sunday, leave your house and discover home. Rev. Angela Henderson preaching.

We see a lot of hostility in our world. Our society encourages us to choose sides and stay safe. Can we accept the challenge of our UU principles to think and act differently -- to boldly welcome people who seem different into our lives? Randy Partain Preaching.

It can feel a bit scary reaching out to strangers, but doing so can make you a better person. We'll hear the top 5 regrets of the dying, what we might do about that, and the connection to hospitality.

With our religious freedom comes a responsibility to match our actions to the values we profess. This Sunday you will learn more about how our justice ministry helps turn our values turn into action.

Why is UU so difficult to explain? Can it really be a religion if it has no single creed, no single belief? What do UUs believe in common? Come find out.

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How do you measure a life? The Broadway Musical, RENT, reminds us how perspective and perception can make a powerful impact on the value of our lives.

Healing the world requires us to bear witness to the wounds because, as Rumi once noted, “The wound is where the light enters you.”

If you have a drum, bring it this Sunday!