About Amanda Udis-Kessler
"Thanks again for your amazing work, Amanda!!! What a gift to the whole progressive Christian movement!" - Rev. Jim Burklo, author/songwriter/pastor
Amanda Udis-Kessler is a hymnwriter, songwriter, composer, and writer who specializes in music and lyrics for liberal/progressive religious people and communities, including inclusive, social justice-minded Christians, Unitarian Universalists, and other open-hearted religious traditions. Amanda's religious music is in use across the US and in Canada, the UK, South Africa, and New Zealand. GIA has published several of her hymn texts. The August 2024 issue of American Organist includes this website as a resource for church musicians seeking inclusive music. In late 2024, she served as a judge for the Affirming Connections PIE Day song contest, celebrating congregations that are publicly, intentionally, and explicitly inclusive and affirming of all 2-Spirit/LGBTQIA+ people.
Her hymns have appeared in Sing Justice! Do Justice! (Selah/Hymn Society, 1998), Shaping Sanctuary (Reconciling Congregation Program, 2000), Singing the Journey (Unitarian Universalist Association, 2005), Sing Your Faith (General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (UK), 2009), Selah Songs of Rejoicing (Selah Publishing Company, 2011), Songs for the Holy Other (Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, 2019), Resounding Voices (Women's Sacred Music Project, 2023), Then Let Us Sing! (United Church of Canada, 2025), Sing Out Love (Unitarian Universalist Association, 2025 and forward), and Take Up the Song (Selah, 2025). Some of her music and liturgical writings appear in the 2023 collection A Liturgy for All Bodies: New Words for a New World. Her hymn "The Kingdom of God is the Queerest of Nations" will be included in The Hymn Society's 100th anniversary song collection. Several of her pieces are included in A Sanctified Art's 2023 music list for Advent and Christmas.
Amanda's work was covered in a June 23, 2024, Colorado Springs Gazette article entitled, "The Hymn Giver."
Her responsive readings are available on the Unitarian Universalist WorshipWeb (www.uua.org/worship) and in Lifting Our Voices (Unitarian Universalist Association, 2015). Other sermons, academic writings, and video clips are available at https://amandaudiskessler.com and on her YouTube channel.
Amanda’s worship music and readings are also available at progressivechristianity.org, hymnsandbooks.blog (UK), at worshipwords.co.uk/authors/ and at the Australian site Singing from the Lectionary (lectionarysong.blogspot.com). Practical Resources for Churches lists this website as a music resource, as does the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Amanda is a member of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. She serves on the Board of the United Church of Christ Musicians' Association as Director of DEI and Member Education, and is on the Convergence Music Project planning team.
Amanda currently serves as Transitional Pastor at Vista Grande Community Church (United Church of Christ).
Contact Amanda at amanda@amandaudiskessler.com with questions and requests for particular hymn settings, songs, or other creative materials. This includes requesting scores in other keys or requesting recordings for scores in which a broadcast-ready recording is not posted.