We begin again

Susan Yarbrough
October 2, 2016
First UU Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
www.austinuu.org

The night of October 2nd marks the beginning of both the Jewish and Muslim New Year, a rare occurrence occuring only once every thirty-three years. Both of these faiths have something to teach us about new beginnings.

Prayer

God of many names, whose highest name and form is human love, the prayers of the people are gathered before you in the midst of a great cloud of witnesses as our joys and our concerns are made known.

Thank you for new beginnings, day by day and moment by moment. Thank you for the easily received gifts of love and joy and forgiveness, as well as for the painful teaching gifts of pain and resentment and separation. Thank you for this congregation and its ministry to this community and to each other. And thank you for all people of good intentions, good will, and good hearts, wherever they may be.

Kindly and gently remind us of your presence everywhere, and invite us to reach for you, to speak to you, and to listen for you, even though you are frustratingly and maddeningly mysterious to us. If you have hands, hold us in the palm of them. If you have a heart, keep us close to it. If you have tears, weep for us when we resist and move away from you. And if you have ears, hear us now as we thank you for the new beginning that is in every breath and every step.

Amen

Text of this sermon is not available. Click the play button to listen.

Podcasts of this and other sermons are also available for free on iTunes. You can find them here.

Most sermons delivered at the First UU Church of Austin during the past 16 years are available online through this website. You will find links to them in the right sidebar menu labeled Sermons. The Indexes link leads to tables of all sermons for each year listed by date (newest to oldest) with topic and speaker. Click on the topic to go to a sermon.