UUABQ Voice

January 30 “Eulogies” The Ministers & Spare Parts

The popular, annual service dedicated to notable (if sometimes unknown) people who died in the last year. We’ll celebrate some of the regular people whose lives touched ours, even if we never knew their names. Inventors, activists, scientists, musicians and more… come for good music and good stories; leave with a spring in your step.

January 23 “Unintended Consequences” The Rev. Angela Herrera

Sometimes we set out with the best intentions, and then things go hilariously or terribly wrong. What then?

January 16 “Within, Among, Without” The Rev. Bob LaVallee

The work of anti-racism and anti-oppression requires that we encounter it on a variety of levels; within ourselves, in our relationships, and in the systems and institutions of the world. A big first step is understanding what kind of effort is required for what level. On this Sunday before Martin Luther King Day, Rev. Bob LaVallee will explore how we might do this as individuals and as a congregation.

January 9 “Intention” The Rev. Angela Herrera

In physics, “inertia” describes the way things that are in motion continue in that motion until some external force interrupts. It’s what you might call the “same old, same old” quality of matter. Our lives can also take on an inertia-like quality, perhaps heading in a less than satisfying direction, unless we apply intention to them.

December 26 “The One Where We Talk About Boxing Day” Matt Pargeter-Villarreal, Intern Minister

The day after Christmas, December 26, known to many people as Boxing Day, is celebrated in many different countries around the world, but unknown to most people in the U.S. Join Matt, our Intern Minister, for the history of this celebration— and what it has to teach us about what is truly important in this holiday season.

January 2 “Emerging into Joy”

The Worship Coordinators In these pandemic years, we have been waiting. Though in many ways the world still holds its breath, can we begin to emerge into joy? This interactive service will incorporate our annual worship stations, both in person and on Zoom.

December 19 “Thieves of Joy” The Rev. Bob LaVallee.

Sometimes we work against our own joy without realizing that we’re doing it. Rev. Bob will talk about the corrosive power of sarcasm, cynicism, and envy.

December 12 “Lighten Up! The Spiritual Practice of Cultivating and Expressing Joy” The Rev. Katie Culbert.

Do you dance like no one is watching? Have you laughed so loud that it can be heard across the room? These are ways we express and cultivate joy. How do we create a life of blissfulness, a life that prioritizes happiness? How do we surrender to the expression of jubilation? The Rev. Katie Culbert has worked as a Director of Religious Exploration and is a Chaplain, most recently employed at Tampa General Hospital. Katie lives in Tampa with her two teenage boys, Desi and Casey.

December 5 “Joy” The Rev. Angela Herrera

What is the relationship between pleasure and joy? Between joy and justice? We’ll delve into these questions and how to increase joy in our lives in this introduction to December’s theological theme.

November 28 “Mostly Grateful” The Rev. Angela Herrera

A sermon about practicing gratitude, even if we can’t do it perfectly. Updated for today, Angela originally preached this sermon in 2013.