News: October 4, 2026

Dear First Unitarian Universalist Community:

This is an exciting month for our congregation. Today through Sunday, we have our Solidarity Summit, with events at Emerson, First, and a TMO accountability session at Congregation Beth Israel. On the 15th, our new Ministerial Intern, Barrington L. Walker, Jr. starts. On the 24th, we have our first fall festival, organized by our Acting Director of Religious Exploration, Ari Miranda. And outside of congregational life the Commission on the HISD Takeover, which I have been co-chairing and for which Ruth Hoffman-Lach has served as clerk, will release our report on the 8th. It is a major civic effort and I hope that as many people from First as possible can join us at the board of managers meeting that evening.

I will only be in our pulpit on Sunday, October 11th, when we hold a 9:30 a.m. Spanish-language service for Día de los Pueblos Indígenas and an 11:30 a.m. service related to our annual theme on “Revolutions: Body and Soul.” At that time I will be preaching on “The Cause of Freedom versus Tyranny.” It is a sermon I will be offering throughout the month -- initially on October 4th during our pulpit exchange with Northwoods, and then on October 18th and 25th at First Parish Church Weston and First Church in Boston while I am on the Massachusetts leg of my book tour.

I will out promoting The Political Theologies of Populism: The Garveyites, the Klan, and the Wobblies, 1905-1930 (https://wsupress.wayne.edu/9780814351574/) from October 16th to 26th. I have book events at Unitarian Universalist congregations in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts, will be sharing my research at seminars at Harvard’s Graduate School for Arts and Sciences and Divinity School, and will be offering a public lecture at Boston University. If you’re curious you can find the complete list of my tour dates on my Substack (https://colinbossen.substack.com/p/book-tour-for-the-political-theologies).

While I am in gone the congregation will be in good hands. Barrington will be covering emergent pastoral care needs. Leading worship pulpit are Rev. Sarah Pricket (for our pulpit exchange, October 4th), the Rev. Duncan Teague (October 18th), and Rev. Katie McQuage-Loukas (October 25th). Barrington is connected with Rev. Duncan’s congregation in Atlanta. There will be a celebratory welcome for our new Ministerial Intern the Sunday Rev. Duncan is here.

As always, I think it is an exciting time to be part of the First Unitarian Universalist community. I hope that you will join us for some of our many events and services throughout the month.

love,

Colin

Where Are the Ministers

Rev. Colin will be preaching at the Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church on October 4th as a part of our Houston-wide pulpit exchange. On October 8th he will be attending the HISD board meeting to share the findings of the Commission on the HISD Takeover. He’ll be in the pulpit at First Unitarian Universalist for both the Spanish and English languages services on October 11th. He will be out of town on a book tour from October 16th to 26th.

Barrington’s first Sunday is October 18th, but he won’t be on the chancel until October 25th, when he’ll be assisting Rev. McQuage-Loukas.