Amanda Udis-Kessler

Amanda sits, arms crossed lightly. She is wearing a dark blazer and wire-rimmed glasses.

Amanda Udis-Kessler (she/her) is a queer feminist hymnwriter, sacred music composer, writer, sociologist, lay preacher, and antiracism educator who works as a college administrator in Colorado Springs, CO. When not working on creative or intellectual projects, Amanda especially loves snuggling her pets, watching British baking shows, and revisiting selected Star Trek series. You can find Amanda's writing on the Amanda Udis-Kessler website.

From Amanda Udis-Kessler

Displaying 1 - 10 of 10

From above, a person with light brown skin, wearing jeans and an olive shirt, plays an electric keyboard.

Holy Reconciler, help us make peace with each other.

Reflection | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | November 15, 2023 | From Braver/Wiser
Tagged as: Arts & Music, Conflict, Division, Friendship, Peace, Politics, Relationships, Secular, Worship
A close-up of a person wearing glasses, gazing into the distance.

Many: This morning* and all mornings, we are called to pay attention. One. We are called to pay attention to our individual lives, to our delights and pains. We are called to understand and cherish ourselves, to take good care of ourselves, to know ourselves as loving and worthy of love....

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | January 2, 2020 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 6th Principle (World Community), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Caring, Compassion, Direct Experience, Earth-Centered, Interdependence, Justice, Mindfulness, Presence, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships, Respect, Unitarian Universalism
3women_blueshirts_shoveling_dirt_foundation_tyvek_background

One: On Labor Day we honor our work, physical and mental, paid and unpaid, joyous and heartbreaking. Many: We give thanks for work’s gifts, suffer its difficulties, and strive to make labor just and joyous for all. One: Our work can build our society, provide for our material needs, and give our...

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | December 7, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: Character, Direct Experience, Gratitude, Integrity, Labor Day, Living Our Faith, Meaning, Purpose, Service, Unitarian Universalism, Work
BLUU Organizing Collective

Editor's note: This sermon was prepared for a white congregation, and thus speaks to those who identify as white, centering the dismantling of white supremacy from a white perspective....

Sermon | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | July 27, 2018 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, Anti-Oppression, Race/Ethnicity
A speckled egg and leaves inside of a bird's nest

One: Despair is sapping our spirits, damaging our souls, hurting our hearts. Many: We need to be resurrected into hope, faith, and trust. Today, may we be resurrected. One: Violence is shortening our lives and robbing us of our joy. Many: We need to be resurrected into peace and its many blessings.

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | September 12, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Brokenness, Despair, Direct Experience, Failure, Good Friday, Grace, Hope, Redemption, Salvation
A person's hands and lower arms: the hands touch at the fingertips, palms separated, pointed upwards as if in prayer.

One: It may be the hardest thing we will ever do, Many: Caught up in our self-righteousness, honing our pain. One: The one who offended may not deserve forgiveness Many: And we are not obliged to offer it. One: Why, then, should we forgive? Many: Because we have all caused pain....

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | July 3, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Direct Experience, Fire Communion, Forgiveness, Growth, Healing, Humanism, Letting Go, Limitations, New Year, Spiritual Practice, Transformation, Yom Kippur

One: We would go deeper. Many: We would become the selves we cannot even imagine today. One: We would become courageous. Many: We would grow to delight in congregations filled with different perspectives. One: We would know unutterable joy. Many: We would be filled with gratitude. One: May we go...

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | July 3, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Awe, Courage, Direct Experience, Gratitude, Spirituality, Transformation, Wonder
The back of a person's denim jacket says, "Born this way" in metal studs, with a unicorn. In the background, people wave rainbow flags.

One: Today, Pride Day, we affirm with joy that we are proud. Many: We are proud to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and questioning. One: We are proud to have survived and thrived despite challenges to our dignity, well-being, and sometimes even our lives. Many: We are proud to be...

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | June 10, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Anti-Oppression, Direct Experience, Humanism, Identity, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Multiculturalism, Pride Sunday, Secular, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism
Black lives matter bandana at Portland GA rally.

Given that Unitarian Universalists believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people, not just black people, why should we say “black lives matter” rather than “all lives matter”? To answer this question, we must draw a distinction between a faith stance and a description of reality.

Sermon | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | March 14, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: #BlackLivesMatter, America, Anti-Oppression, Justice, Race/Ethnicity, Secular
A small menorah with six lit candles, with a person's face obscured in the dark background

We light the Hanukkah candles in wonder, joy, and gratitude, each candle a miracle. When the Holy Temple was rededicated at the time of the Maccabean liberation battle, only one day’s worth of oil remained, yet it burned for eight days so we light candles in remembrance....

Responsive Reading | By Amanda Udis-Kessler | January 18, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
Tagged as: Anti-Oppression, Awe, Freedom, Hanukkah, Judaism, Trust, Wonder

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