First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque’s weekly sermon podcast. We are a liberal, non-creedal congregation grounded in love and justice, gathering in Albuquerque, Socorro, and the East Mountains. Welcome!
August 23, 2026: “Life on Earth Is Hell Enough” Kelsey D. Atherton, Pulpit Guest
Kelsey D. Atherton’s Universalist grandfather defined his faith as “life on earth is hell enough,” a phrase that unlocked a central contradiction of Kelsey’s own Universalist faith journey: how can he reconcile a belief in universal salvation without believing in any hell worse than what is experienced on earth? His answer is in the world as we live it, one whose horrors need no exaggeration, and one where the holy work of care and repair is in the hands of everyone. What we do here matters, and the existence of suffering on earth is sufficient reason to work to alleviate it.Kelsey D. Atherton has been attending First Unitarian since his preschool days, and is a member of the interim transition team. He met his lovely spouse Alymay in a class talking about Our Whole Lives, and together they’re raising two fifth-generation Universalists, or at least will be once the toddlers can master sharing. He worked for a decade as a military technology journalist, before moving to work advocating for a kinder, more diplomatic, softer world.Music: Lydia Clark.
25 Aug 2026
August 16, 2026: “The Search Committee Won’t Save You” The Rev. Jake Morrill
It is tempting to believe that somewhere out there is the minister who will heal our wounds, solve our challenges, and secure our future. Yet thriving congregations are not built by exceptional ministers alone. They are built by ordinary people who take shared responsibility for the life they want to create together. The search ahead matters. But perhaps the most important work is already underway.
Rev. Jake Morrill, a UU minister from East Tennessee, has consulted with this congregation throughout this year, supporting its resilience in a transitional time. A longtime UU minister, a former Chaplain in the US Army Reserve, and a licensed marital and family therapist, Jake is on the Faculty of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and is a consultant with the Family Business Consulting Group, through whom he helps family enterprises navigate challenging transitions. Jake and his wife, Molly, are the proud parents of two young adult children.Music: Lydia Clark.
25 Aug 2026
August 9, 2026: “The Bus as a Holy Place” Alymay Atherton, Pulpit Guest
Where in the City of Albuquerque do you encounter the divine search for truth and meaning? While many members of our congregation are returning to school in this new academic year, all of us can find new rituals for learning and spaces for connecting with our spirituality. For Alymay, one of the most holy spaces they experience outside of church is on the bus. They will share about how the bus became one of their most beloved spiritual places and how they bring Unitarian Universalist values on board with them and in the community as a bus rider advocate. This service will also include a Backpack Blessing for anyone interested. Bring your backpack, messenger bag, laptop sleeve (whatever represents your learning or work!) to receive a blessing.Althea “Alymay” Atherton (they/them) is a community-based homemaker, toddler parent, and current chair of the City of Albuquerque’s Transit Advisory Board. They signed their first congregational book at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon, Massachusetts as a teenage convert. Alymay has been a member of First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque since 2016, where they teach the faith-based sexuality curriculum Our Whole Lives (OWL) and serve on the UUABQ Religious Education Council. They also ride the bus.Music: Lydia Clark.
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