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Rev. Chris Jimmerson
June 5, 2022
First UU Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
www.austinuu.org
While change be difficult sometimes, it is also ever present in our lives. Out of change and even loss, we so often find enhanced faith, greater resilience, and creative renewal. Out of it, new beginnings emerge. We will engage in a ritual of faith and renewal.
Chalice Lighting
This is the flame we hold in our hearts as we strive for justice for everyone. This is the light we shine upon systems of oppression until they are no more. This is the warmth that we share with one another as our struggle becomes our salvation.
Call to Worship
Transitions are a part of life, allowing for perpetual renewal. When you experience the end of one chapter, allow yourself to feel the emotions of loss and rebirth. A bud gives way to a new flower, which surrenders to the fruit, which gives rise to a seed, which yields a new sprout. Even as you ride the roller coaster, embrace the centered internal reference of the ever-present witness.
– David Simon
Affirming Our Mission
Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.
Meditation Reading
NOTHING IS STATIC
by Rev. Manish Mishra-MarzettiThe ground shifts, sometimes slowly,
sometimes like an earthquake,
reminding us that the solidity
we often love and seek
is an illusion.The crumbling dust of the desert plains,
the moist fertility of farmlands,
the eroding coastline of tidal shores,
all are changing.Committees dissolve or are created,
leaders retire or step away,
ministers come and go,
by-laws are amended.New experiences
lead to new truths,
which foster evolution;the natural course of life
always pushing us
toward greater understandings
of what it means
to be human.Everything about our existence
points toward change,
flexibility,
and dynamic re-creation.And it’s hard because
change involves loss.Can we hold the losses well,
while not holding ourselves back?The ground shifts, sometimes slowly,
sometimes like an earthquake;
nothing is static.
Sermon
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