{"id":142005,"date":"2026-11-12T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T17:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/?p=142005"},"modified":"2026-11-12T11:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T17:00:21","slug":"spiritual-practices-for-heretics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/spiritual-practices-for-heretics\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Practices for Heretics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_5357\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-142005-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2026-11-08_Spiritual_Practices_For_Heretics.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2026-11-08_Spiritual_Practices_For_Heretics.mp3\">http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2026-11-08_Spiritual_Practices_For_Heretics.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2026-11-08_Spiritual_Practices_For_Heretics.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/?powerpress_pinw=142005-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinuuav.org\/audio\/2026-11-08_Spiritual_Practices_For_Heretics.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"2026-11-08_Spiritual_Practices_For_Heretics.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Listen to the sermon by clicking the play button above.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Rev. Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt<br \/>November 8, 2026<br \/>First UU Church of Austin<br \/>4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756<br \/>www.austinuu.org<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Unitarian Universalists inherit a tradition that has (imperfectly) challenged traditional assumptions, popular status-quo beliefs, systemic injustice, and harmful cultural norms (the definition of heretics). It&#8217;s been a bumpy road for heretics lately, and, even with recent wins, no doubt, we have more challenges ahead. How do we keep ourselves grounded in both times of celebration and stress?<\/p>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"4\" width=\"300\" \/>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Welcome<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">Prelude: &#8220;Rondo alla Turca&#8221; (W.A. Mozart) &#8211; Valeria Diaz, piano<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Chalice Lighting<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">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 we share with one another as our struggle becomes our salvation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Call to Worship<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">&#8220;If you have a chest full of clothing and leave it for a long time, the clothing will rot inside of it. It is the same with the thoughts in our heart. If we do not carry them out by physical action, after a long while they will spoil and turn bad.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">&#8211; Abba Poemen<br \/>A Christian monk and influential figure in the early desert monasticism living around 340 to 450 AD.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Affirming Our Mission <\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Anthem<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">&#8220;I Can See Clearly Now&#8221; (Johnny Nash) &#8211; The First UU Vocal Ensemble &amp; Band; Noah Reinhuber, lead vocal; Valeria Diaz, piano; Efrain Davila, bass; Brent Baldwin, drums<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>Reading<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">AN ALTAR IN THE WORLD<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">&#8220;What is saving my life now is the conviction that there is no spiritual treasure to be found apart from the bodily experiences of human life on earth. My life depends on engaging the most ordinary physical activities with the most exquisite attention I can give them. My life depends on ignoring all touted distinctions between the secular and the sacred, the physical and the spiritual, the body and the soul. What is saving my life now is becoming more fully human, trusting that there is no way to God apart from real life in the real world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">&#8211; Barbara Brown Taylor<br \/>An American Episcopal priest, academic, and author known for her influential writings on spirituality and faith.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>Centering<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">Music for Meditation: &#8220;In Paradisum&#8221; (Glover Gill) &#8211; The First UU Vocal Ensemble; Brent Baldwin, conductor<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Sermon Notes<\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR HERETICS<br \/>Rev. Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICES?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>That which grounds me. Shuts down the &#8220;chattering monkey&#8221;, the overthinking <br \/>&#8211; meditating at night.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Ultimately that which connects me with something greater than myself which for me is an ineffable sense of our vast interconnectedness, held together with the presence of a fierce love that I call God.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Intentional practices that bring me home to myself<br \/>&#8211; the core of who I am And\/or bring me back to that which is greater than me. They are the foundation of how, whenever I am successful of living into my values.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">WHAT ARE THINGS YOU CONSIDER YOU DO THAT ARE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT OTHERS MIGHT NOT IDENTIFY AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>The gym &#8211; working out (sometimes meditative).<br \/>Doing small but kind romantic things for Woodrow &#8211; this is new for me and something that I think arose out of my grief for Wayne and what I learned from it.<br \/>That even small acts of love become a spiritual practice because love itself is a practice and these help keep it alive and growing stronger.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Same idea more broadly. The things we do here at church. Joining with others for justice.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Also realizing that letting my grief come and letting myself feel it is actually a powerful spiritual practice.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Sessions with the many people I am privileged to work with my anti-racism, SD, Therapist, and mentor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">SO EVERYTHING WENT BETTER THAN EXPECTED ON TUESDAY. WHY ARE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES STILL IMPORTANT?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>Not over -Stephen Miller. Holding the newly elected accountable.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">We need them during times of celebrations and stress, otherwise, we can lose our faithful vision.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Also, we have to remember that celebration, joy, play, fun are spiritual practices, especially when done in relationship\/community<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Because we are still human and being human is hard even in the best of times.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Because its easier to react to things that happen with all this programming we have been given <br \/>&#8211; from society like White supremacy, hetero-patriarchy. <br \/>&#8211; From our family, like the trauma we have inherited or the other lovely stuff we get from our family.<br \/>&#8211; Want to act from my values<br \/>&#8211; Stimulus and response (Viktor Frankle)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">IS IT HARD FOR YOU TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SPIRITUAL PRACTICES?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>Yes, and tend to become undisciplined about them exactly when I need them the most.<br \/>Scheduling time for them<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Yes &#8211; Over functioner\/work ethic (inherited) \/ productivity<br \/>&#8211; I have to schedule it in.<br \/>When I am most consistent it&#8217;s because I give myself times to do it<br \/>&#8211; Emergency spiritual practices<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">WHAT ARE SOME SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY RELYING ON?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>Walking meditations, a daily reminder to not just give love but to accept love &#8211; let it embrace me. Let Woodrow take care of me.<br \/>Ask for help and support when I need it.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Prayer beads, g-d box, wednesday ritual, and journaling<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">WHAT PROOF DO YOU HAVE THAT SPIRITUAL PRACTICES ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>&#8211; so many actual studies &#8211; neurology studies &#8211; prayer\/meditation rewire the brain<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>&#8211; Emergency practices like prayer bead- calm<br \/>&#8211; Because I am more aware and more open to living into the seasons of my life. Example This week<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">WHAT IF MY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE STOPS WORKING FOR ME?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>&#8211; find another one that does. Data on long-term use of spiritual practices<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Agreed. I think there are seasons of our lives and our spiritual practices need to adjust. During seminary, I went to a christian seminary, I found it important to center my studies in Unitarian Universalism so that I could get the most out of my experience, even if I was a heretic in so many ways, so I would write a chalice lighting and a prayer that went with it almost everyday<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">WHAT&#8217;S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AND A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE?<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Chris:<\/u><br \/>&#8211; discipline to keep doing the practice but also the practice fortifies our spiritual discipline<br \/>&#8211; staying true to our values even when it is hard, even when our feelings get hurt. Haley Stevens\/Al-Sayed example.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Those with privilege can too easily fall into betraying our own values when the going gets tough or our sense of privilege gets challenged<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><u>Carrie:<\/u><br \/>Spiritual discipline: to me is operating from my values. Not my whiteness, christian supremacy, or hetero-patriarchy, or even the over-functioner in me, but what I believe at the core &#8211; liberations<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">My spiritual practices are the tools that get me there.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Extinguishing the Chalice<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth, the warmth of community, or the fire of commitment. These we hold in our hearts until we are together again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><b>Benediction <\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">BELOVED IS WHERE WE BEGIN <br \/>by Jan Richardson<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">If you would enter<br \/>into the wilderness, <br \/>do not begin without a blessing.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Do not leave<br \/>without hearing<br \/>who you are: <br \/>Beloved, <br \/>named by the One<br \/>who has traveled this path <br \/>before you.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Do not go <br \/>without letting it echo<br \/>in your ears, <br \/>and if you find <br \/>it is hard<br \/>to let it into your heart, <br \/>do not despair.<br \/>That is what <br \/>this journey is for.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">I cannot promise<br \/>this blessing will free you <br \/>from danger,<br \/>from fear, <br \/>from hunger<br \/>or thirst, <br \/>from the scorching<br \/>of sun<br \/>or the fall <br \/>of the night.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">But 1 can tell you <br \/>that on this path <br \/>there will be help.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">I can tell you <br \/>that on this way <br \/>there will be rest.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">I can tell you<br \/>that you will know <br \/>the strange graces<br \/>that come to our aid <br \/>only on a road<br \/>such as this, <br \/>that fly to meet us<br \/>bearing comfort and strength,<br \/>that come alongside us <br \/>for no other cause<br \/>than to lean themselves <br \/>toward our ear<br \/>and with their <br \/>curious insistence whisper our name: <br \/>Beloved.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Beloved.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Beloved.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Go in peace<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<hr align=\"center\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"4\" width=\"300\" \/>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/category\/sermons\/indexes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>SERMON INDEX<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Most sermons during the past 26 years are available online through this website. Click on the index link above to find tables of all sermons for each year listed by date (newest to oldest) with topic and speaker. Click on a topic to go to that sermon.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/podcast\/first-unitarian-universalist\/id372427776\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>PODCASTS<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">Podcasts of this and other sermons are also available for free on iTunes. You can find them by clicking on the podcast link above or copying and pasting this link. https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/podcast\/first-unitarian-universalist\/id372427776<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the sermon by clicking the play button above. Rev. Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Carrie Holley-HurtNovember 8, 2026First UU Church of Austin4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756www.austinuu.org Unitarian Universalists inherit a tradition that has (imperfectly) challenged traditional assumptions, popular status-quo beliefs, systemic injustice, and harmful cultural norms (the definition of heretics). It&#8217;s been a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19,194,27,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio-available","category-carrie-holley-hurt","category-chris-jimmerson","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142005"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":142006,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142005\/revisions\/142006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/austinuu.org\/wp2013\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}