UUABQ Voice

September 26 “The Possibilities of Gratitude” The Rev. Bob LaVallee

Everything is just so much more these days, and it’s hard to stay present, joyful, and above all, grateful. We talk a lot about how being grateful changes the way we see and feel, but how about the impact on other people? And why is it so hard to accept gratitude from other people?

September 19 “The Possibility of Imperfection” The Rev. Angela Herrera

The rest of this sermon title might as well be “and the Impossibility of Perfection.” We all know it’s impossible to be perfect, and, well, sometimes that really stinks. But it also opens the door to one of our superpowers as humans.

September 12, 9AM Zoom service “Embracing Possibility” The Rev. Angela Herrera

First Unitarian has had two Sunday services for many years. Now that one is on Zoom and one is in the sanctuary, what possibilities lie before us? In our personal lives as well as at church, how do we embrace possibility?

“About Hope” Matt Pargeter-Villareal, Ministerial Intern

In the midst of the global pandemic and rising new cases due to the Delta variant, there is much uncertainty about what the future will hold, and whether we will ever return to a sense of “normal” again. Matt offers a message of how we can find hope, inspired by the life and the words of Julian of Norwich and the music of UU minister/songwriter Rev. Meg Barnhouse.

August 29 “Question Box Sermon” The Revs. Angela Herrera & Bob LaVallee.

This month we’re tackling some big questions in church… and giving you a chance to ask yours! Throughout August we’ll collect your spiritual, moral, and theological questions via email and the chat box. Today, Bob and Angela will take turns responding to them.

Sunday, August 22 at 11:00 AM “Resilience” The Rev. Christine Robinson

Last March, we felt resilient for locking ourselves down for the greater good, and last September we hunkered down for a long winter, and last Spring we got our vaccinations so we would be able to breathe freely and see each other’s faces and travel the world again, and now…here we are, masked again, worried, and, perhaps, sticking close to home. In the meantime, the world is not just heating but burning, and it looks like that is going to go on for the rest of our lives. How is your resilience? Are you ready for the long haul? If not, let’s talk about it. We get some help from my dog, Mosby, who had a trauma of his own to deal with last year and sailed through. Christine Robinson is our Minister Emerita, after serving as the Minister, then Senior Minister of this congregation from 1988-2017. She says she learned a lot about resilience from us!

Sunday, August 15 at 11:00 am “Doubt” The Rev. Angela Herrera

Doubt has gotten a bad rap in Protestantism, but it wasn’t always that way. In

fact, it is an important part of spiritual growth, and UUs especially embrace it.

Sunday, August 8 at 11:00 am “Interfaith” The Rev. Angela Herrera

Not every church would place giant interfaith symbols in the center of its worship space. As we prepare to return to our beloved sanctuary, we’ll take a closer look at our mural in this sermon about First Unitarian’s interfaith faith.

Sunday, August 1 at 11:00 am “Braiding Sweetgrass” The Rev. Bob LaVallee.

One of the strengths of Unitarian Universalism is our willingness to embrace spirit AND science. In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass, botanist and Potawatomi Nation citizen Robin Wall Kimmerer does just that. Rev. Bob will explore how her dual wisdom helps us to navigate the climate crisis.

July 25 “Life Hack: Communication” The Rev. Angela Herrera

From time to time, we all get frustrated in our attempts to communicate. If you’ve ever wished you could understand someone better, or feel heard yourself, then this sermon is for you.