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The Rev. Meg BarnhouseMeg Barnhouse

The Rev. Meg Barnhouse, a uuworld.org columnist, is senior minister of the First UU Church of Austin, Texas, and the author of several books, including Did I Say That Out Loud? Musings from a Questioning Soul (Skinner House, 2006). She is also a humorist, singer-songwriter, and commentator for "Radio Free Bubba" on North Carolina Public Radio.


Articles

Tarantula
I faced my fears and they faced me. It wasn't that big a deal.
By Meg Barnhouse 1.12.15

O gremlins, O St. Anthony!
My faith is in science, but I try to keep an open mind.
By Meg Barnhouse 10.20.14

When pigs fly
Do we try too hard to grasp joy when it comes?
By Meg Barnhouse 8.4.14

Breaking on through
Language helps us make meaning of what is happening to us, when it isn’t a barrier.
By Meg Barnhouse 2.3.14

A lie, or just editing?
How much can you alter a story before it’s not itself any more?
By Meg Barnhouse 11.4.13

A pond behind the church?
In my experience, no one improves by way of a scolding.
By Meg Barnhouse 9.2.13

The Honey Springs worship committee ponders joys and sorrows
‘I’m just a fool for church people and the things that happen in church.’
By Meg Barnhouse 7.8.13

I'm going to have to let me go
Who is really in control here?
By Meg Barnhouse 5.6.13

Kite mother
I kept hoping that one day I would up and be the mother from the greeting card picture.
By Meg Barnhouse 3.4.13

The next Jesus to come through the door
When I meet a Jesus, I like to keep an open mind.
By Meg Barnhouse 12.24.12

When God is a baby
A soul story is a dream from the depths of a culture.
By Meg Barnhouse 12.10.12

The green after
'When I die, I want to have my ashes buried under this tree.'
By Meg Barnhouse 10.1.12

Heroes with feet of clay
Where did I get this idea that the people in my shrine should be perfect?
By Meg Barnhouse 8.20.12

Bethlehem's hospitality
I'm chagrined to learn that our Christmas pageants have the birth in the stable all wrong.
By Meg Barnhouse 12.19.11

A little change
Pretending I'm self-sufficient at the Family Dollar store.
By Meg Barnhouse 10.17.11

Sing me to sleep
I wanted things to go back to normal. I wanted none of this to be happening.
By Meg Barnhouse 5.9.11

Chaos cats
They will spring your traps with impunity and lie in wait just to show you who's in charge.
By Meg Barnhouse 2.7.11

Responding to holiday depression with compassion
She stomped up and down the aisles until she saw her Christmas tree.
By Meg Barnhouse 12.20.10

The Honey Springs worship committee ponders a revival
What would a Unitarian Universalist revival be reviving?
By Meg Barnhouse 11.1.10

The Honey Springs congregation confronts its ant problem
Conflict resolution in a congregation not unlike yours.
By Meg Barnhouse 9.6.10

The wisdom tree
Sometimes the place where you used to find wisdom gets destroyed.
By Meg Barnhouse 8.2.10

Broken Buddha
The enlightened one as imperfect, cracked, and chipped.
By Meg Barnhouse 7.5.10

The Honey Springs worship committee plans its Easter service
A minister, a Pagan, a Christian, a Humanist, and an anthropologist set to work, in a congregation not unlike yours.
By Meg Barnhouse 3.29.10

Mary Daly changed my life
I am not sorry that I used to be ‘one of those angry women.’
By Meg Barnhouse 2.15.10

Who says Unitarian Universalism's Principles are easy?
The UU Principles are demanding enough to make me whine.
By Meg Barnhouse 11.23.09

What do you need a potion for?
Maybe I went too far mixing V8 and Pop Rocks, but life isn't always sweet.
By Meg Barnhouse 10.26.09

From mother to gypsy
Saying goodbye to the home where I raised my children.
By Meg Barnhouse 8.10.09

The church board and the Illuminati
What did the Décor Committee know, and when did they know it?
By Meg Barnhouse 5.4.09

The love truck
The Karma Fairy is laughing her head off at the SUV in my driveway.
By Meg Barnhouse 4.13.09

Flat tire and a beating heart
A heartbeat is one thing you want to do like everyone else.
By Meg Barnhouse 2.9.09

The devil and Martha Stewart
Don’t give in to the voice that fuels the fires of perfectionism—especially here at the holidays.
By Meg Barnhouse 12.22.08

It's all about family
There's no better context than a family reunion to get over your fears.
By Meg Barnhouse 11.24.08

The church and the unicorn
One of them is a mythical creature worth believing in.
By Meg Barnhouse 10.13.08

Love can't fix everything
I knew the gunman who killed two in a Knoxville church, but I don't need an explanation for his actions. I need stories of heroes and kindness and compassion.
By Meg Barnhouse 8.25.08

Letter to a new parent
Your heart will be worn and joyous, wise and beat up, and full of sorrow and amazement.
By Meg Barnhouse 6.30.08

The daffodil rescue mission
People say, ‘Bloom where you’re planted,’ but things happen.
By Meg Barnhouse 5.5.08

Do you feel loved?
On alternating days, a resolution to stop beating myself up.
By Meg Barnhouse 2.11.08

Rekindling the flame
Tickets to the Keith Urban concert weren't just a gift. They were a miracle.
By Meg Barnhouse 12.24.07

The floating life
Going with the flow sounds nice, until the river tries to kill you.
By Meg Barnhouse 9.17.07

Fireworks at the wedding
Fireworks and church may not seem to go together, but in my family they do.
By Meg Barnhouse 7.2.07

Fortune cookies for the soul
If I owned a fortune cookie company, here's what I'd put in the cookies.
By Meg Barnhouse 11.13.06