Mortality is our companion on the human journey, whether we acknowledge it or not. . . Lately, I turn and nod. Mortality smiles gently back at me. We see each other. We are not yet well acquainted, but I expect we will be in due time. She has become [...]]]> Living with vulnerability

Rebecca Hecking’s forty-seventh birthday brings reflections about mortality.

Mortality is our companion on the human journey, whether we acknowledge it or not. . . Lately, I turn and nod. Mortality smiles gently back at me. We see each other. We are not yet well acquainted, but I expect we will be in due time. She has become a companion, this goddess of the finite. And I’m finding that instead of fearing her, I rather like her. She keeps me grounded. She nudges me in the direction of being mindful. She points to the night sky, to billions of unknowable galaxies stretching back countless eons, and keeps me in my place. (Breath and Water, May 16)

John Beckett writes about loving Nature during tornado season in Texas.

Nature is beautiful and terrible, creative and destructive. We are a part of Nature, but only a part: not the center and not the head. When we learn to see things as they are, we can develop a deep connection with Nature and a love for Nature, even as we mourn the losses caused by Nature. (Under the Ancient Oaks, May 16)

Terri Pahucki affirms the underlying trust that upholds us in the uncertainty of life.

Life whispers—I cannot give you promises that you will not die. I cannot give you promises that you will succeed. I cannot give you promises that there will not be pain. But I do know—yes, I know this rose will open. Get closer, and let your fears burn away by the quiet fire. Get closer, and listen, Life cries—touch me. Touch me and let your soul unfurl its wings.  (Walking the Journey, May 15)

Losing ourselves, gaining ourselves

The Rev. Tom Schade invites Unitarian Universalists to see our “peculiar history” as a path toward increasing universality.

The present generation of Unitarian Universalists are anxious and full of self-doubt. They live in a world where they think that it 5% or 10% growth in our tiny numbers would be astonishing. They think that only those who understand their very peculiar historical path would be willing to join them.

What they don’t realize is that their very peculiar history has been a process of shedding everything that stands in the way of their universality. They now stand naked, shorn of dogma, shedding their ethnicity and class, clothed only in their willingness to be open, to be reverent, to be in solidarity with others, to embrace the limits of their knowledge, to hold to their own self-possession. (The Lively Tradition, May 15)

For the Rev. Dr. David Breeden, the day when marriage equality became the law in Minnesota was “a bad day for creeds,” and a good day for the living, ever-evolving revelation of Thoreau and Emerson.

A bad day for creeds;
a bad day for stares;
a bad day for blind
obedience to blundering

oracles, as Henry put
it long ago. A bad day
for obedience. . . .

A good day to speak
of Henry and Ralph
erasing themselves

into revelation, to
you, on and on, a good
day to write ourselves. (Way of Oneness, May 16)

Walter Clark makes an extended metaphor from the skin-shedding “blue period” of his daughter’s corn snake, whose eyes are clouded and colors muted during the process.

When we think of change, we often think about our “blue period” where we will be itchy and our vision will be clouded. We may think that hibernation is a better option than change, to just sit still and let everything grow around us. We cannot grow without changing in some way, and we are always growing. Like Butterscotch, change can be difficult to adapt to, but without it, our colors will always be a little gray. (Lack of a Clever Title, May 11)

Jessica Ferguson creates a graphic from the words of the Rev. Jim Robinson:  ”Being part of a Unitarian Universalist community means being on an adventure of discovery.” (UU Media Collaborative Works, May 14)

Practicing good manners

The Rev. Lynn Ungar writes about the importance of consent in negotiating boundaries between ourselves and our neighbors.

Civility presumes a) that you understand that you are not the center of the universe, which means that other people have needs and desires that are different than your own and b) that you can find out people’s needs and desires by asking. Really, does that seem so very difficult?

. . . . We human beings are a community. We belong with one another. But we do not belong to one another, and the sooner we start acting like it, the better. (Quest for Meaning, May 15)

Thalassa shares her list of “Interfaith Etiquette” guidelines, including a “netiquette” version geared toward blog posting and commenting.

Disagreement is not a statement of unworthiness of another, or superiority of one’s self. . . . But maybe we need to learn to disagree with one another better. This is where manners come into the picture.  I don’t think that having manners means leaving disagreement behind. In all actuality, I think that part of having manners is being respectfully honest. (Musings of a Kitchen Witch, May 15)

Questioning ‘beloved community’

The Rev. Christine Robinson questions a too-glib use of the term “beloved community.”

This bit of jargon might be best used only with church leaders who can appreciate its history and unpack its meaning. Less committed folks might feel like they are being sucked into something more than they bargain for or, alternatively, may discover that the church actually can’t promise them the level of help and intimacy which is implied by that term, “beloved.” (iMinister, May 12)

June Herold wonders if “beloved community” is aspirational, particularly considering the challenge of living in right relationship.

The way congregants treat each other and ministers, and vice versa, is often way out of line.  The way the UUA and congregations relate to one another at times appears disingenuous, if not in direct conflict. . . . Meanwhile, many congregations can feel like  community centers and not houses of faith tied together by a denominational identity, despite the UUA’s best efforts to bring us all together. (The New UU, May 16)

Snubbed by an usher at a bricks-and-mortar UU congregation, and welcomed by friends in an online worship service, Sean Neil-Barron writes about the differences between the two experiences.

I found God more in a Hangout than in flesh and blood church last week. I found more connection from singing awkwardly in my living room than singing with hundreds of fellow UUs in a historic church. I found more relief from seeing my friends’ faces than listening to a great sermon in a community that seemed to pass me by.

Church is more than community. It’s more than a message. It’s more than a welcome. It’s more than just living out your values together. But when one of these things isn’t there, no matter how good the rest of it is, I know I won’t be staying. (Spark Within, May 12)

Advocacy and celebration

Talking with a stranger on a flight out of Orlando, Diane Daniel reveals that she is partnered with a woman, but stays in the closet about the fact that her wife used to be her husband.

I was digging myself deeper and deeper, all the while telling him how I felt like living an authentic life was important, and the more people could “come out” the better. . . . While I was “coming out,” I was also “staying in.”

. . . . So, who knows, maybe our exchange will help make a closeted lesbian’s life a little better and further the push toward gay marriage. I certainly didn’t help the transgender cause one little bit. Maybe next time? I’ll see how I feel. (She Was the Man of My Dreams, May 16)

The Rev. Meg Riley shares why Minnesota’s marriage equality victory is so sweet for her.

The self-righteous, narrow-minded, divisive thinking that led Republicans to put constitutional bans on same sex marriage into constitutions in 30 prior states—shamelessly hurting families as a Get Out The Vote strategy—backfired spectacularly in Minnesota. . . .

By the end of the Vote No campaign, 27,000 people had talked with people they knew and loved, barely knew, or didn’t know at all about marriage, love, commitment, and what kind of state we want Minnesota to be. Conversations were civil, respectful, dialogues, not name-calling or rejection. (HuffPost Religion, May 15)

The Rev. Tom Schade suggests that we have been shame-obsessed for too long, always asking ourselves the unhelpful question, “What’s wrong with us?”

Our shame is so great that we split it into two different emotions. One [...]]]> Measuring growth

Conversation continued this week about the proposed consultant who will help the Board and Administration find common ground.

The Rev. Tom Schade suggests that we have been shame-obsessed for too long, always asking ourselves the unhelpful question, “What’s wrong with us?”

Our shame is so great that we split it into two different emotions. One is grandiosity. Officially, we believe that Unitarian Universalism is the bestest, coolest, most wonderful religion possible in the whole wide world. . . . The other piece of our coping strategy is project the shame onto some other group of UU’s, whom we blame for what’s wrong with us. . . .

The question that ought to be foremost in our thinking is this: what can we do to nurture and develop open-hearted, reverent, fair-minded, self-possessed, generous and grateful people.  (The Lively Tradition, May 3)

The Rev. Christine Robinson, senior minister of the thriving First Unitarian of Albuquerque, writes about the difficulty of planning and budgeting for growth, and the imperative to move beyond conflict.

Budgeting for vitality and growth is a matter of guesses, hopes, and projections. Strategic planning is a matter of courageous guessing, not of reassuring a skeptical boss who wants guarantees of outcomes.

I do know one thing about growth and vitality, however, which has nothing to do with reports and budgets, and that is that growth and vitality do not co-exist with the kind of conflict that the board and administration have engaged in over the past four years.  . . . We live in a cultural era unfavorable to the health and vitality of religious institutions, which are shrinking, threatened, and dying all around us. This is no small matter and we are so tiny that we can not afford to waste our time on conflict. (iMinister, May 6)

UUA Trustee Linda Laskowski clarifies the consultant’s purpose.

This is not about “marriage counseling” or “a consultant to work out their relationship”; it is about a nuanced and complex set of skills needed to “measure the unmeasurable.”

. . . . How willing are you to continue to invest in an organization whose mission has lofty goals, but can’t tell you if we are making progress towards them? I do not think this is easy, nor do I think it is impossible. (UUA View from Berkeley, May 5)

The Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern wonders how we might measure maturational growth, rather than numerical growth.

What if we randomly sampled a group of members each year and asked them some questions that would reveal the maturity of their spiritual lives? Or followed several over the course of several years, in a longitudinal survey? What questions might we ask? (Sermons in Stones, May 3)

Practical considerations

Kari Kopnick writes that one of the most important tasks for UU congregations is taking care of their non-clergy workers—particularly their religious educators.

I know there’s a fuss about metrics and growth and mission and vision and leadership in the big picture UU stuff right now. I don’t know what to do about that, either. But we could remember that these are people who do the work, and people who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. . . .

Pay a living wage, give time off, support professional development. And hey all you big-wigs, remember that ministers and metrics and end statements are not the only reason churches and institutions thrive or fail. Start with people, end with people and take care of the people in between. It’s not the big answer, but it’s a place to start. (Chalice Spark, May 9)

Tim Atkins proposes a UU “center for innovation” that promotes skill-sharing and skill-building.

We as a faith need a place where innovators can go and get nurtured. To learn and get those skills they need. To meet and network with other innovators, to share struggles and strategies and victories. Whether they be ordained or lay. (Tim Atkins, May 9)

The Rev. Sean Dennison quotes Tim Atkins in this image from the UU Media Collaborative.

Marriage equality

After working hard to defeat last year’s anti-equality amendment in Minnesota, the Rev. Meg Riley is delighted that marriage equality seems to be moving through the state’s legislature with ease.

The thing is, if the Traditional Marriage zealots hadn’t pushed that awful ballot initiative at us, I don’t think we’d be doing this. But all of that grassroots organizing morphed seamlessly into a fight for marriage equality we’d never thought we could win. . . . So today I’ll be walking around the Minnesota House and the State Capitol with a big grin on my face, talking to people about when, where and how they plan to get married. (HuffPost Religion, May 9)

“Marry in Massachusetts” notes, with some surprise, that marriage equality seems to have passed a tipping point.

I thought getting this far would take another decade or two. Once I saw that my boomer generation was little better than our parents on gay rights, I feared for the nation until most of us from both groups had died. I, fortunately, was wrong. America is tired of the irrational and emotional crap and its distractions. (Marry in Massachusetts, May 9)

A resting place

Several UU bloggers weighed in on the issue of a burial place for Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

For the Rev. Gary Kowalski, who currently serves as interim minister at the First Unitarian Church of Worcester, providing a proper burial is a mark of a civilized society.

Whether you consider him a heinous murderer, a misguided soul, a terrorist, or all of the above, he was also a human being: not an animal, an object or a piece of refuse. I have zero tolerance for his cause and condemn his actions, even as I grieve his victims and sympathize with the families of those who were killed or injured by his crimes.

But this is one of those decision points that reveals our own character as a people. Are we brutes, or are we members of a civilized nation?

Only the residents of Worcester can decide.  (Revolutionary Spirits, May 6)

The Rev. Fred Hammond draws on our Universalist heritage.

[Providing] a burial site for Tsarnaev is a very strong proclamation of the Love that loves us all, in spite of his sins, in spite of all the hatred he spewed in his acts of violence. He is still that little baby boy that his mother held close to her breasts when he was born. He is still that laughing child on his father’s knee. He is still that child of god. And the god that loves unconditionally, our Universalist forebears taught, welcomes him home. (A Unitarian Universalist Minister in the South, May 8)

The Rev. Tony Lorenzen thinks that a Unitarian Universalist congregation should provide a burial place for Tsarnaev.

An offer to bury Tsarnaev calls our community to be its best self. We call people away from trying to punish his family, his uncle, his undertaker, or anyone else who is of and by necessity involved in the process. When we continue to rant and rave about how such a monster as Tsarnaev doesn’t deserve to have his remains put in the ground and forgotten . . . we also continue to give a murderous criminal more press than he deserves . . . .  (Sunflower Chalice, May 7)

Celebrating Mother’s Day

The Rev. Lynn Ungar offers a virtual bouquet to all who do the work of mothering, no matter their gender or biological relation to their children.

I hope that sometime between now and Mother’s Day you get a quiet moment to remember the real gifts that you’ve gotten throughout the year: not only the hugs and the smiles and the sweet snuggling at bedtime, but also the moments when your child has trusted you enough to cry on your shoulder, the times when you genuinely laughed at your child’s joke or they laughed at yours, the flash of insight when you were able to see the world through their eyes. Truly, motherhood is the toughest job you’ll ever love. On a good day. (Quest for Meaning, May 8)

Sara Lewis reminds us that Mother’s Day began with Unitarian Julia Howe’s work for peace.

[As] Unitarian Universalists, we can lay claim to a tradition of seeing Mother’s Day as a day to call for peace. Yes, we still honor our own mothers, but if we expand that expression of love and caring to our global human family, if we recognize this as a day for honoring human relatedness and recognizing that peace is the only way to live if we are honoring that relatedness, then we have a holiday that is much more transformative and challenging. It is a truly religious holiday in this sense, calling us to reflect on that which binds us all together and seek to create a Beloved Community on earth. (The Children’s Chalice, May 9)

Beginning with an image created by Micah Bazant, Laura Evonne Steinman links Mother’s Day with the second UU principle of justice, equity and compassion; she writes, “To this day, many women are chained down while in labor giving birth in prison. Let us pray and work towards justice for all this Mama’s Day and always.”

The Rev. Tom Schade wrote a series of posts, beginning with the questions “How are we to evaluate the performance [...]]]> The $100,000 question

Much of the heat in this week’s UU conversation online came in reaction to news of the UUA Board’s proposal to budget $100,000 to help the board and administration move past their disagreements.

The Rev. Tom Schade wrote a series of posts, beginning with the questions “How are we to evaluate the performance as Moderator of Gini Courter?” and “How do we apply the lessons of her tenure to the choice between Jim Key and Tamara Payne-Alex to succeed her?”

Gini Courter has been an extraordinarily ambitious Moderator, attempting to make the UUA Board the real leadership of the Association. By establishing Policy Governance, her plan was that the Board would begin to evaluate the work of the Administration and Staff, holding it accountable for effective work toward the goals of the Association. . . .

Behind the plan was an analysis that the problems of Unitarian Universalist drift was the a problem of governance: the people who worked for us were largely self-directed and unaccountable, even though they were talented and committed people.  (The Lively Tradition, May 1)

For Kimberly Hampton, spending $100,000 on a “marriage counselor” makes no sense in a time of staffing and program cuts.

Let me see if I have this straight. There isn’t enough money to keep some really valuable employees. There isn’t enough money to keep the MFC and RSCCs from having backlogs. There isn’t enough money to do some real church planting. But there is enough money to hire a marriage counselor. (East of Midnight, April 30)

The Rev. Scott Wells writes that “the UUA acts like the kind of legacy organization or corporation that persons my age and younger than I mock.”

It’s impossible to think anyone not on the Board would have the time or stamina to be able to follow the process, and its product looks more like generating more process than say, new congregations, building loans, print or online publications, a new hymnal, religion education materials . . . .

Performance metrics, however well-loved in the nonprofit sector today, can lead staff to “work to the test” and (at their worst) can become a kind of performance art which steer the work of the Association staff away from practical work. (Boy in the Bands, April 29)

Tim Atkins doesn’t want “governance by platitudes.”

[When] I look at the UUA I don’t see a lot of concrete stuff coming out, especially from President Morales.  I hear platitudes. I see people talking about how exciting and revolutionary those platitudes are, but I rarely see concrete action beyond a blog post. And I am all for “monitoring” with clear definitions/job roles/etc. because as someone who does contribute to the UUA I do want to know that the money is making an impact. (Tim Atkins, May 3)

The Rev. Sarah Stewart provides a board member’s perspective on the issues at hand.

Unitarian Universalists should not let any of us, the administration or the board, off the hook for accomplishing our ends, including the end of growth. Our faith can serve more people. It can thrive in the 21st century. We believe so; the administration believes so; our congregations and their leaders believe so. Demand this task of us, your leaders. It is what you elected us to do. (Stereoscope, May 2)

Finally, UUA President Peter Morales and Moderator Gini Courter have responded to questions about the board meeting in letters sent to the UU Ministers Association chat list and published with their permission on Tom Schade’s blog. (May 3)

The pivot toward equality

Responding to veteran NBA center Jason Collins coming out as gay, Andrew Mackay asks, “What is equality really about?”

Society is slowly pivoting to gays being part of the norm rather than an error, an aberration. . . . What is Collins’ action part of? The idea that gay people are woven into the fabric of this nation. . . . When he came out two days ago it was national news. Part of the goal is that one day an athlete will come out, and it’s not a media spectacle. It’s just someone living their life. (Unspoken Politics, April 30)

The Rev. Debra Haffner responds to suggestions that Jason Collins is not a Christian because he is gay.

When NBA player Jason Collins came out as gay, he noted “My parents instilled Christian values in me. They taught Sunday school, and I enjoyed lending a hand. I take the teachings of Jesus seriously, particularly the ones that touch on tolerance and understanding.”

After years of hiding who he was, this courageous basketball player needs our support. (Sexuality and Religion, May 2)

Seekers of meaning

UU World managing editor Kenneth Sutton invites us to “revel in the actual,” as he shares experiences from his recent sabbatical.

What a downer! Look at the real world and you die! Yes, exactly. Look at the real world, and the illusions and confusions of your life will, if you are lucky, die. (Refreshment in a Pint Glass, April 30)

After a weekend singing Sacred Harp music, the Rev. Dan Harper reflects on what it could teach Unitarian Universalism.

I still love my Unitarian Universalist church; Sacred Harp singing would not be an adequate substitute for what I get out of my religious community. But I can still wish the Unitarian Universalism would embrace the DIY ethos, welcome ecstasy and transcendence, include younger people, and sing better. (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, May 2)

The Rev. Dr. David Breedon remembers trying to talk with his parents about the philosophy of Spinoza.

On that day driving along the New Madrid Fault, I realized that Spinoza could not speak to my parents. And I discovered something else: I had the power to destroy the faith of poor, oppressed people such as my parents who had nothing else to fall back on. I stopped the argument when I was eighteen, and I have never argued religion again.

The chance to think abstractly, to pursue truth wherever it leads, is a powerful gift. A privilege. As with all power and privilege, it must be used responsibly and humbly. (Quest for Meaning, May 2)

Christine Organ remembers the Sundays of her childhood, and recommits to a regular day of rest.

As a kid, there was no mistaking when Sunday rolled around. Sunday was so clearly different than any other day. . . . The day moved on a special schedule, with a cadence and rhythm all its own.The day was slower, quieter, calmer. The day was sacred. (Christine Organ, May 1)

John Beckett considers the relationship between truth and meaning.

My search for truth and meaning has led me to Nature. . . . Along the way I’ve found bits and pieces of truth. I’ve found meaning so strong that when I’m caught up in it I have no doubt it’s true. I order my life as though it’s true.

But I still recognize that meaning is not truth. If I find evidence my beliefs are false and my practices are unhelpful, or that something else is better, I’ll change what I believe and what I do. (Under the Ancient Oaks, April 30)

I don’t know . . . how the Earth will look a hundred or a thousand years from now, but I do think it’s fair to say that biological diversity will be diminished, and long-term damage will still be very much [...]]]> Observing Earth Day

As Earth Day approaches, Rebecca Hecking considers an article about working through environmental grief.

I don’t know . . . how the Earth will look a hundred or a thousand years from now, but I do think it’s fair to say that biological diversity will be diminished, and long-term damage will still be very much in evidence. Those of us who care even a little bit fall somewhere along the road from denial to acceptance, although we may not experience the stages in quite such a neat linear package since the object of our grief isn’t a person who has died, but rather a planet in a state of decline (for now).  (Breath and Water, April 19)

The Rev. Carl Gregg observes Earth Day by writing about Wendell Berry, “earth breathing,” climate change and interdependence.

[From] Boston to West, Texas, we’ve been reminded this past week of just how vulnerable and precious our lives are. We can’t always control what happens around us, but we can learn to have more influence over our response to people and events. And one way to do that is to remind ourselves that we are more than isolated individuals bumping into one another; we are each part of the interdependent web of all existence. (Carl Gregg, April 22)

Jessica Ferguson’s Earth Day graphic quotes the Rev. Carol Hepokoski, who says, “I used to think maybe we need to save the Earth. Now I think maybe it is Earth that is saving us.” (UU Media Collaborative Works, April 22)

Making sense of the world

When faced with complex problems, the Rev. Naomi King suggests the power of not knowing.

I loathe not knowing the answer. I feel scared and vulnerable and very much at risk when I reach not knowing and have to confront that I do not know what comes next, what to do, how to fix what is broken or not working. But when I am with that not knowing, turning the problem over and over, seeking a new way, the fear drops away and curiosity and wonder take the lead. (The Wonderment, April 21)

The Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford wonders why the tragic explosion in West, Texas, received so much less attention than the bombings in Boston.

I think it was something far more basic: we are visual people, and we viscerally connect with pictures of other people. Quick, think of a picture of the Boston marathon bombing. The man with half a leg missing, being pushed in a wheelchair? The 78 year old runner knocked to the ground? The police, running toward the explosion?

Now, think of a picture of the West, TX explosion. The fireball? The cloud? The stripped-out apartments?

The lack of faces defining the explosion are, actually, perhaps the saddest part. (Boots and Blessings, April 20)

UUA Trustee Linda Laskowski begins her series of posts about the April UUA Board meeting with her experience of being in Boston in the aftermath of the bombings.

Being with a group of Unitarian Universalist lay leaders and ministers was not a bad place to be this week. We shared a lot of tears, poetry and prayer. . . . (UUA View from Berkeley, April 22)

Visiting with family in New York City, the Rev. Dr. Victoria Weinstein overhears a conversation about the two bombing suspects.

“All of them… family . . . fathers . . . uncles . . . say they so beautiful. He’s a beautiful young man . . . everything is beautiful.”

“No bad boys.”

“Everybody thinks their kid is beautiful, man.” (PeaceBang, April 19)

The Rev. Tom Schade responds to the question of why spiritually liberal people feel compassion for Dzhokar Tsarnaev.

Compassion is not judgment, which makes choices and priorities. Judgment weighs and measures and reasons. Judgment, which we give to the judicial system to exercise finally, will deal firmly with Tsarnaev. It’s a whole other thing.

But at every moment, someone has your attention, and in that moment, you will be feeling some emotion: compassion, hatred, indifference, affection. Spiritual liberalism notices that if you build a habit of compassion, you will be happier, healthier, more able to love and receive love.

The world will be better, too. (the lively tradition, April 20)

Andrew Hidas takes a different perspective—resisting pressure to forgive.

Talking about the need to forgive perpetrators of heinous acts before victims’ bodies have even turned cold is premature at best, presumptuous at worst. . . .

Righteous anger or at least revulsion is an appropriate response to a horrible act. The closer your “connection” to it, the more right and perhaps necessity you have to fully experience and express such anger. Full submersion is in many ways the precursor to the healing you ultimately seek. (traversing, April 20)

The Rev. Chip Roush shares opening words for worship after the Boston bombings.

Slowly but surely, the universe is evolving
toward greater freedom,
toward reason,
and toward tolerance.
This morning, and every morning,
may we be more aware
of the Spirit of Life
evolving in and through us,
drawing us
toward deeper compassion
and firmer courage. (So May We Be, April 19)

Unitarian Universalists online and “in real life”

The Rev. A. C. Millard explains why a practice of “checking in” is important.

Even when attending a meeting that is entirely centered on some item of business, we bring with us our whole lives and everything that has been going on in our lives, and that affects how we interact with each other.  I know I’ve been in meetings where someone was behaving in an uncharacteristic way, only to find out later that something significant had happened to them; if we had heard about that at the start of the meeting, the rest of us might have been more understanding and our time together might have been better for all of us.  (UU Fellowship of the Peninsula, April 25)

Thomas Earthman writes about the role of blogging in sharing Unitarian Universalism’s message.

The state of technology is that everyone can be a preacher. Everyone can be a journalist. Everyone can be an advertising agency. . . . It is only by recognizing those who have the ability to shape and stimulate conversation that we can ensure that people hear our message of salvation. We don’t need to sell it, but we need to make it accessible and we need to get people talking and asking questions. (A Material Sojourn, April 25)

June Herold discovers that negotiating Facebook privacy is tricky, even for tech-savvy people.

[Despite] privacy controls, heavy Facebook users—even the most advanced—can easily forget that once something is said on Facebook, it can take on a life of its own. . . .

Making assumptions—where to post; what to copy online; and what we should realize—can easily become a slippery slope. One that we all can slide down—including me. (The New UU, April 22)

The Rev. Meg Riley hosts a UUA Moderator Candidate Forum with Jim Key and Tamara Payne-Alex.

The Rev. Tom Schade objects to the candidates’ answers to the forum’s last question: “What can you do to make sure that those of us who are right of center still feel welcome in UU congregations?”

If the things that we religious liberals care about most deeply were held equally by both political parties, we could continue to act as though belonging to either party was just a personal preference that didn’t much matter. But that is not true, and we know it.

What religious liberals value and what contemporary political conservatism values are so in conflict that it is hard to be both. (the lively tradition, April 26)

Jessica Ferguson added music and photos to the words of a prayer by the Rev. Sue Phillips.

Bart Frost has deep roots in Boston, and his reaction [...]]]> Boston Marathon bombings

Many UU bloggers wrote this week about the Boston Marathon bombings. This is a small selection of those responses; for additional blogging about the attacks, visit UUpdates.net.

Jessica Ferguson added music and photos to the words of a prayer by the Rev. Sue Phillips.

Bart Frost has deep roots in Boston, and his reaction is raw and honest.

Boston is my home. It is my birthplace. It is a city whose summers are filled with sunshine, whose winters are unpredictable, and whose people, though often characterized as cold or stubborn or unfriendly, are traditionally hard-working blue-collar folk. . . .

Today, Boston weeps and I with her. . . . I have no wisdom or wit to share with you today, I have only myself and my tears. May you remember that the good outnumber those that do evil, and forever will. (Vive le Flame, April 15)

Sean Neil-Barron, a recent transplant to the city, responds with prayer, and reflection about violence beyond Boston.

I am sure that the  speculation as to the cause will probably run the same misguided,  nearsighted and probably racist ways it always does. . . . I also know the speculation and the information that will unfold will never find any blame within us. Never look to the children round the world from Pakistan to Palestine who live in fear of death coming from above in drone attacks. . . .

Do we not think they love their children too? (Spark Within, April 15)

Andy Coate writes that it is “okay to mourn at a different level when the city you live in and love in is attacked.”

My dear Bostonians, let yourself mourn if mourning is what you need to do. Let yourself mourn without guilt that your mourning is a ‘first world problem.’ Let yourself stand in community or solitude, whatever feeds your soul. Cry out to your God, or your gods, or simply into the stillness for an end to needless violence without worrying that you aren’t crying out for the ‘right’ things. Let yourself be grounded in resolve to work for peace and healing. Let yourself breathe. (thoughts ON, April 16)

The Rev. Tom Schade, until recently a Massachusetts resident, distills wisdom from his colleagues into a list of needed virtues.

Honesty—Humility—Gratitude—Reverence—Openness—Compassion—Self Possession. These are the needed virtues on the day after Patriots Day in Boston.

These are the virtues of liberal religion—the gospel that is needed for this time—the reminder we need to recommit ourselves to what is best, and wholesome, and holy and healthy when it is so tempting to be hateful, or vengeful, or tribal, or otherwise less than our best selves. If we can commit to these ways of being in the world, we make it possible to discern the way of Love in the present situation. (the lively tradition, April 15)

For the Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford, moving beyond rage to compassion is too much of a stretch.

There are some who already, or from the very beginning, had hearts of compassion not only for those hurt, but for the person(s) behind this. They prayed that the killer might find a way to the love ethic that they themselves feel. They felt sorrow that anyone might hurt so much they were willing to do this.

I am not so spiritually advanced. (Boots and Blessings, April 17)

When the Westboro Baptist Church threatens to picket Boston Marathon funerals, the Rev. Dr. Victoria Weinstein suggests that Bostonians “ laugh them out of town.”

Poo on the Westboro posse! If they come to town, I think we should stage a Theatre of the Absurd festival and dance around them. I think we should join them with signs and music and wonderful costumes. Someone could dress as SNL character Linda Richman and carry a sign that says, ”THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH IS NEITHER BAPTIST NOR A CHURCH: DISCUSS.” (PeaceBang, April 16)

Action in an age of fear

The Rev. Bill Sinkford reacts with anger and resolve to the Senate’s vote on background checks for gun purchases.

When I heard the news, I felt an anger that is rare for me. I wanted to personally confront the 46 senators and demand that they inspect their consciences, look carefully in the mirror, pray for forgiveness, and change their vote. I, too, wanted to shame them. There are mornings when my prayers begin and end in anger. Today was one of them.

There is a place in religious life for anger and for righteous indignation. . . . But the religious impulse needs to move beyond righteous indignation into a place of remembering how we hope to live and a place of commitment to that vision. (Rev. Sinkford’s Blog, April 18)

The Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern raises questions about divestment as a strategy for dealing with “the environmental catastrophe that is already upon us and only getting worse.”

There seems to be a groundswell for the idea that the best way to do so is to divest from fossil fuels. So I have been reading up on divestment, and finding that no one . . . has explained to me yet how this movement would further the goal of reducing fossil fuel use.

A change movement has to ask, what change are we hoping for and what’s the leverage that will bring it about? . . . The situation is too dire for symbolic gestures. We need to take real action. (Sermons in Stones, April 17)

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum offers advice to parents in an increasing violent, fearful world.

Childhood is different now, and parenting is different now. And there are a whole lot of different and acceptable responses to these circumstances. So parents, be gentle with one another. And non-parents, be gentle with us. This is new, and we’re just trying to do what’s best for our children. Trust us to be the ones who know what that is, even if you would do things differently. (Rev. Cyn, April 18)

Theology and spirituality

The Rev. James Ford provides a short overview of liberal religion, as seen in Unitarian Universalism.

By the Twentieth century [the Unitarian and Universalist] styles emerged as a naturalistic religion, concerned with life in this world. For a while it would be closely identified with humanism, but unlike organized humanism Unitarian Universalism felt no need to disassociate itself from the family of religions. However this religion was a radical departure from the Abrahamic faiths. Through its own evolution a religion emerged that more closely resembles the traditions of ancient China, Confucianism and particularly Taoism than any of the other Western traditions. (Monkey Mind, April 13)

Walter Clark encourages Christian-phobic UUs to examine their anxiety around religious words.

We all have a past. All of us have things in our past that hurt when we are reminded of them and words are great reminders. The challenge is to let go of what we were taught so many years ago and to rethink, to question what those words really mean and to find the good within their meaning. . . . Keep examining those words that give you pause. The unexamined word is not worth hating. (Lack of a Clever Title, April 15)

The Rev. Carl Gregg invites us to explore a spirituality of spring.

Spring is a time of dawning light, new life, new birth, and new hope—a time of warmth, exuberance, dancing, and blossoming. And if spring is your favorite season, the most natural corresponding spiritual practices might be artistic, creative endeavors—or if metaphorically you are in a springtime season of your life. (Carl Gregg, April 14)

Peter Bowden shares a paper written by UU musician Matt Meyer, called “A UU Theology of Community Organizing.”

The storytelling, mutual discernment, and relationship building that are woven into the process of organizing reflect the basic Unitarian Universalist conceptions of covenantal relationship, democratic process, and interdependence.

Organizing is also effective. Unitarian Universalism believes that a life of faith calls us to move beyond bearing witness into concrete action. (UU Planet, April 18)

Viewers and panelists responded to the show on Twitter, both in real time and after viewing the YouTube video.

Kari Kopnick found the show’s focus on ministerial transitions uninteresting, now that she has [...]]]> Did you see The VUU?

This week the Church of the Larger Fellowship debuted a new morning talk show, which they’re calling The VUU.

Viewers and panelists responded to the show on Twitter, both in real time and after viewing the YouTube video.

Kari Kopnick found the show’s focus on ministerial transitions uninteresting, now that she has transitioned out of congregational leadership.

There was a time when I’d have been very interested, but no more. It was great for lots of people, but I’m just not there anymore. I want to see my friends and be a part of a community who cares about one another and does a little good on the planet. That’s enough. (Chalice Spark, April 11)

Interfaith adventures

After attending an interfaith gathering, the Rev. James Ford writes that the distinctiveness of our different faiths are as important as common ground.

Interestingly, the hardest thing is getting people to agree we don’t all think the same things somewhere deep down. For the majority people in our crowd I think it is a gentle imperialism, claiming the other is really just us. Much better than its ugly cousin, the other is unclean and needs to be expunged, read killed, but ultimately just as wrong headed. (Monkey Mind, April 11)

Magin LaSov Gregg guest posts on her husband’s blog about their interfaith marriage.

What I’d tell interfaith couples getting cold feet . . . is that marrying out was the leap of faith I needed to cure my cultural myopia and well worth the risk.

Love is never all you need. It is enough to give your mixed marriage a chance to bloom. (Carl Gregg, April 10)

An interreligious course at Hartford Seminary gives Karen Johnston an opportunity to learn more about Jonah, the reluctant Biblical prophet, and to talk with the Rev. Chris Antal, whose prophetic words earned him an early return from service as a military chaplain in Afghanistan.

Imagine that you are connected to the war’s devastation, that you are connected to the military, that you are connected to this war’s legacy—because you are. Because I am. Because we all are. Remember that interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part? That web is this: our culpability; this confession, aspirationally collective. (irrevspeckay, April 11)

The complexity of support

When Mandie McGlynn became an LGBTQ ally, she didn’t have a personal reason for doing so; she does now that her child self-identifies as a “girlboy.”

When you speak, or even think, about gay men or transgender women, there is every possibility that you are speaking of the hopeful future of this sweet little person in my lap. . . .

If my son grows up to be my daughter, or if my little boy grows up to be a man who loves men, will you think less of him, of me? Will you try to change his beautiful heart? (Mandie McGlynn’s Blog, April 10)

Andy Coate’s graphic asks, “Have you policed the trans community today?” (thoughts on, April 11)

The future of faith

Christine Organ suggests changes the church needs to make to avoid religious apocalypse.

Religion may actually be falling, with the Church and its people holding the power to influence which way it falls. May we have the courage to help the sacred tree stand tall, or at least, help it lean away from rigid, divisive animosity and in the direction of relevant, spiritual sustenance. (HuffPost Religion, April 10)

When a polity class sparks anxiety about the future of Unitarian Universalism, Jordinn forms a theory about our survival.

We must construct the beloved community, and, having built it, we must dedicate ourselves to its care and feeding. We must know and value our freedom, and the individualism that demands it—and, holding that freedom, we must nonetheless choose “we” over “me.” And friends, building a “we” is going to start, end, and move forward by truly learning to listen to one another. (Raising Faith, April 11)

For the Rev. Dr. Matt Tittle, the key to Unitarian Universalism’s future is that we “need to let go of rejectionism as a primary value.”

[Modern] UUs are better able to articulate what they aren’t and what they don’t believe, than what they are and do believe. This has been true for far too long. (Godzone Preacher, April 11)

The Rev. Andy Burnette hopes that “we will continue to grow into a faith tradition which can keep a level head and refuse to throw out baby Jesus with the baptismal water.”

Like teenagers rebelling against Mother Church, we Unitarian Universalists sometimes are emotionally reactive to the faith tradition which gave birth to our movement. . . .

Don’t get me wrong. . . . I have seen the body of Jesus dragged into debates ranging from birth control to gun rights to whose football team will win the Super Bowl. . . . But when we disregard what Jesus said simply because it has been abused, we react out of emotion rather than logic. (Just Wondering, April 11)

Beloved, imperfect community

Choices made by the General Assembly Planning Committee make the the Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern “wonder about our movement’s commitment to children and their teachers and families.”

If there are logistical or funding problems with LREDA’s programs or camp for younger children, I hope the GA Planning  Committee will say so. If LREDA’s proposed speaker wasn’t good and the committee wants them to suggest someone better, I hope they’ll say so. Taking away these programs without explanation or comment tells us that children don’t count. And in ten years, we will be wondering why those teenagers are drifting away. (Sermons in Stones, April 11)

Following his “cranky-snarky post” about the UUA Board’s recent survey, the Rev. Dan Harper makes a list of some of the UUA people whose work he appreciates; he encourages others to add their own favorites in the comments. (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, April 5)

Jess Cullinan created this graphic with feedback from the UU Media Collaborative, incorporating the Rev. Victoria Safford’s call to action in a messy, wonderful world.

[The] message in the Catholic church and the message in the Unitarian church are the same. And my kids get it. There isn’t some grand myth that I need to recreate, or something else other than what we already have [...]]]> The Easter story

Terri Pahucki agrees with her daughter, who says that, “Christians have really cool stories.”

[The] message in the Catholic church and the message in the Unitarian church are the same. And my kids get it. There isn’t some grand myth that I need to recreate, or something else other than what we already have in all its scattered parts which makes the holiday meaningful. . . . This is mythos and meaning enough—to celebrate the resurrected life that is all around us, and to recognize divinity rising in the most humble of corners. (Walking the Journey, March 31)

James Ford offers a Zen koan for Holy Saturday.

“You find yourself in a stone crypt. There is no window and the door is locked from the outside. How are you free?”

A good question, I find.

And, particularly, on this day. God is dead. You are dead. Dead. Dead.

How are you free?

Now, that’s something for the human heart to break on. (Monkey Mind, March 30)

Christine Leigh Slocum discovers that she is as agnostic about Easter as she is about God.

The part of Easter worth celebrating, to me, is not so much that God will return to save the world. It is that Jesus was around to spread teachings of compassion and love and that they’ve stuck.

Well, they have sort of stuck. Turns out that these ideas are as hard to institutionalize as they can be hard to live. . . . So tomorrow is Easter, and I am still not sure how or if to celebrate. (Seattleite from Syracuse, March 30)

The Rev. Tony Lorenzen finishes his Lenten series about depression with an Easter post about resurrection.

The reality for people living with depression is things get so dark that literally, physically dying seems a better option than going on. Many of us deal with the very real demon of suicidal thinking. Depression is about, if it is “about” anything, the reality of dying to one’s self—really losing a part or parts of yourself over and over—and then somehow finding a way to come back. Resurrection is not about coming back to life, it is about coming into a new life. (Sunflower Chalice, March 31)

The red equal sign

When the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on two marriage equality cases, the Human Rights Campaign offered a red version of its well-known “equal sign” logo. Many marriage equality supporters changed their Facebook profile pictures to the red equal sign, or to one of its numerous spin-offs. The emotional impact on the LGBT community was profound; many of us cried as we watched our Facebook walls turning red in an outpouring of support, much of it from straight allies. 

Widespread adoption of the HRC logo, however, prompted criticism from other members of the LGBT community, who object to the HRC’s lack of commitment to broader issues of justice.

The Rev. Tom Schade questions whether those who criticize the Human Rights Campaign and its red equal sign logo are ready to do more than just critique.

[Is] the Left of the Left ready to lead? Not just critique the present leadership, but take the lead of the whole movement?

. . . Yes, I heard some complaining about HRC, but there was not the sound of a different leadership, one that spoke to the historical moment. Not one that offered millions of people a way to be a drop of water in a tidal wave. (the lively tradition, April 2)

Theresa Ines Soto’s initial reaction was frustration with the left’s nitpicking, but as she listened and thought about it, she came to agree with their complaints about the agenda and the actions of the Human Rights Campaign. (audio recording, Inexplicable Beauty, April 1)

Changing the gun culture

Five members of the Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell’s extended family were killed with guns; speaking from that experience, she calls for a change in the gun culture, beginning with changes in the law.

[When] guns are so easily accessible, and so many deaths are occurring, we have to start somewhere. How can we shift consciousness in a violent and gun-saturated culture? Cultural change takes time, but we can begin with the rule of law, the way we ended slavery, the way we gave women the right to vote, the way we integrated public schools. Let sensible laws lead the way. Changes in consciousness will follow. (HuffPost Religion, March 29)

Spirituality and religion

After years of evading the question, “Are you religious?” Andrew Hidas has a confident new answer.

Religion is the preeminent work of the human imagination that reflects and attempts to answer our acute need for a language of depth, wonder, moral guidance and meaning, and assists us in the practice of compassion and community.

Under this definition, I have been able to arise from my slightly crouched hemming and hawing and proclaim, “Damn right I’m religious!”

Let the awe, wonder, mystery and majesty—and Golden Ruling—begin. The tools are right there for you, sitting atop your shoulders. And in the warm confines of your chest. (traversing, March 29)

The Rev. Dr. David Breeden writes that “Life, you’ve noticed, is serious.”

In all seriousness, it kicks
your butt, then, in all seriousness
laughs about it. . . .

It’s out to beat you until you
know there’s no you to beat. (Quest for Meaning, April 4)

Rebecca Hecking invites us to expend the effort needed to live a conscious, mindful life.

The easy default is to allow oneself to be swept up into the maelstrom of data, to be distracted from the pain of life with one cool app after another. . . . Practically every day I fall into the stream of excessive busy-ness, and have to clamor out onto the muddy bank, sopping wet with texts and dripping Facebook status updates. But I persist. And the more I do, the easier it gets. (Breath and Water, April 4)

Playing on Peter Bowden’s UUTV is this video, in which UU ministers were asked, “What do you call the holy?” (Unitarian Universalism TV, March 24)

A silly religion?

When a Washington Post column suggests that Unitarian Universalism is a “silly” religion, the Rev. Fred Muir responds by detailing the important work his congregation was engaged in while the columnist was writing her “misguided column.”

If you detect a slight edge to my words, you’re right.  I’ve grown quite tired of outsiders—and insiders, as in our own members and friends—whose misunderstanding of Unitarian Universalism leads them to conclusions and then utterances that are at best wrong and at worst offensive.  My hope and prayer is to see the day when we no longer must endure the silly ignorance of the uninformed. (Building the Beloved Community, April 4)

The Washington Post also printed UU responses to the column.

UUA critiques

Kari Kopnick gives voice to a common reaction to the news that there will be no Fahs Lecture at this year’s General Assembly.

I’m furious. I have no idea what happened, but I feel quite strongly that it needs to be remedied immediately. I call on the General Assembly Program Development Group to find a way to bring the Fahs lecture to the people who need it, and remember to book a large room—it is often attended by hundreds of GA attendees.

And please, someone tell me what on earth happened to allow the Fahs lecture, at least, to be left out of the schedule of workshops. I’m listening, or trying to around my anger and disappointment. (Chalice Spark, March 29)

The Rev. Dan Harper posts his responses to a recent UUA Board survey.

I get no sense that the Board feels itself accountable to a higher purpose or calling. These statements sound like the worst of nonprofit culture—attendant to all the fads, paying lip service to social innovation, but ultimately stuck in some kind of strange stasis. This does not make me feel very hopeful about the UUA’s future—while I’m feeling very hopeful about some of the things that I’ve seen happening out in the real world. (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, April 1)

The Rev. Scott Wells reacts to the implication, in a press release from UUA President Peter Morales, that UUA staff cuts resulted from member congregations not upholding our common covenant.

[Once] again, covenant is trotted out as a tool to scold. (When do you ever hear covenant described as a tool for happiness?)

. . . . Theological language will only go so far. The institution of the UUA provides services for its members, though I’m often left wondering if the services provided are worth the money or trouble. . . . Emotional appeals will only got you so far, and with tight money and a culture that’s more connected, secular and tolerant, they won’t go very far. (Boy in the Bands, April 1)

Jessica Ferguson, working with the UU Media Collaborative, created a graphic using words from the late Rev. Dr. Forrest Church; Facebook profile and cover images are available through the media collaborative’s public Facebook page (UU Media [...]]]> Love, laws and sex

UUs were active in conversation online this week about marriage equality arguments before the Supreme Court.

Jessica Ferguson, working with the UU Media Collaborative, created a graphic using words from the late Rev. Dr. Forrest Church; Facebook profile and cover images are available through the media collaborative’s public Facebook page (UU Media Collaborative, March 27)

Sarah MacLeod notes that opponents of marriage equality are unduly focused on sex; she wishes that we would instead celebrate loving partnerships and provide equal protection under the law.

Love. Laws. Sex. Let’s embrace the first, allowing two people, DNA aside, enter the covenant of marriage. Let’s make the second equal across all consenting couples, regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or shoe size. And as for the third? It’s not really my business, is it? Let’s keep it that way. (Finding My Ground, March 28)

The Rev. Debra Haffner, who has been working on marriage equality for more than a decade, looks back at the movement’s history, and forward to a day when marriage equality is a reality.

[One] day, I hope to officiate at the legal marriage of my son and his to-be-chosen future partner, knowing that he will have the same rights as my daughter and her soon-to-be husband, as I have had with my partner of now 31 years. And that those rights won’t only be in Connecticut and New York and 7 other states (plus the District of Columbia), but will be recognized everywhere. (Sexuality and Religion, March 26)

Thomas Earthman’s humanist faith is the reason he supports marriage equality.

I am a humanist, who believes in love and family and the right of all people to create their own family from whomever they can. . . . So, I am an ally, not because I want to give anything to the homosexual, bisexual, or gender queer among us. I am an ally because I am ashamed at what has been kept from them, and I cannot just let the injustice continue unopposed. (A Material Sojourn, March 27)

During a week that has highlighted UU support for marriage equality, Desmond Ravenstone responds to a Washington Post column about UU ambivalence about polyamory.

What I find most ironic is how those of us who have been allies, and who have spoken up against all the damaging “-isms” and “-phobias” out there, find no reciprocation. Many polyfolk and kinksters are white, and have spoken up about racism, including within our own communities. We’ve spoken up for GLBTQ rights, including marriage equality, and anti-gay bullying. It’s not that we’re asking for payback—we’re just surprised that the people we’ve been supporting all these years, and whom we expect to know better, seem so quick to apply double standards. (Ravenstone’s Reflections, March 24)

Building Unitarian Universalism

The Rev. Christana Wille McKnight celebrates her one-year anniversary with the First Parish of Taunton, Massachussetts.

I thought that after a year of ministry here I would feel like our church was “settled” and that renewal would be a thing of the past. What I’m finding instead, though, is that as our vision continues to expand, relationships deepen and our ministry grows, there is always a new time of renewal and rebirth. (Ordinary Days, March 28)

Church members created a video highlighting the changes over the past year.

“UU Pew Sitter” wonders why long-term visitors to UU congregations choose not to become members.

In the Unitarian religious faith becoming a member is a pledge of support that you give to the church and the church gives to you. An acknowledgement that both the church and you; are there for each other. A promise; that the church will support you spiritually, emotionally and physically. You are family. (Thoughts from a UU Pew, March 27)

The Rev. Dan Harper summarizes an article about a future rise in religious participation, as predicted by the Gallup Poll’s editor-in-chief, noting that “the only way we Unitarian Universalists can take advantage of that possible increase is to evangelize more effectively.”  (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, March 24)

Yearning for unalloyed joy

Kimberley Debus encounters “fresh, amazing thoughts” about worship as “yearning for unalloyed joy,” written by Aurelia Isabel Henry Reinhardt in the 1936 report “Unitarians Face a New Age.”

Reinhardt diagnoses some of the problems facing congregations—particularly in our denomination: that of a lack of beauty and significance. “Inquiring as to the reason for monotony and threatened vacuity,” she writes, “one learns that it is the result of an effort to give a minority of the congregation due right. Criticism has eliminated the thing criticized, but the creative processes have brought into being nothing to take the place of the rejected.” (Notes from the Far Fringe, March 25)

For Vance Bass, his enjoyment of worship is diminished by the UU tendency to raise frequent theological objections to musical choices.

Because we don’t have a common creed, we have to recognize that not every song is going to be a personal statement of faith for everyone singing it. But we are going to be singing music that has deep meaning for someone in the congregation, if not for us. And that is what our ministry as musicians should be about: bringing musical expression of everyone’s faith into worship, one song at a time. (Liberal Religion Gets Loud, March 25)

Observing holy days

The Rev. Kristin Grassel Schmidt offers a prayer from Palm Sunday.

God,
whose love no bounds,
we welcome you into the gates of our grateful hearts.With stories and psalms,

palm fronds and prayer
we greet you, grateful that nothing—
not even barriers of our own making—
can block your presence in, with, and among us.  (wanderingfollower, March 25)

The UU Media Collaborative sends wishes for a Happy Passover through this image, again from Jessica Ferguson.  (UU Media Collaborative, March 27)

Humanists and Universalists

“Alicia,” guest posting on Raising Faith, asks, “In the context of a humanistic religion, what does pastoral care have to offer that a good friend—or a good therapist—doesn’t?” In another guest post, the Rev. Jill Jarvis responds.

Humanism is not (should not be) just an absence of certain beliefs. If it ultimately can’t help you find meaning and comfort through the joy and suffering of life, I’d advise exploring other alternatives. Naturalistic humanism works for me, but the wrestling has taken years, and if you’re doing it right, is never over. (Raising Faith, March 28)

A reader asks the Rev. Brian McClaren, an Emerging Christian minister, for his thoughts on universal salvation; McClaren responds by “rejecting the whole paradigm that defines the issue as it does.”

We don’t believe: that the Christian faith should be defined in terms of the doctrine of original sin (as articulated in the fifth through seventh centuries, and defended today most enthusiastically by neo-Calvinism and Fundamentalism); or that “salvation” in the Bible is primarily about exemption from eternal conscious torment in hell; or that Christianity’s primary purpose is to determine one’s after-death destination. (Brian D. McLaren, March 26)

Admittedly, the [new] neighborhood isn’t quite as cool as it was in the mid-1990s, when it was home to some edgy galleries and artists like the Mobius Artists [...]]]> UUA on the move

The UUA’s move from Beacon Hill was a hot topic in UU social media this week. The Rev. Dan Harper celebrates the change of neighborhood.

Admittedly, the [new] neighborhood isn’t quite as cool as it was in the mid-1990s, when it was home to some edgy galleries and artists like the Mobius Artists Group. . . . In recent years, rents have been going up and the neighborhood is increasingly respectable, but it’s still interesting. 24 Farnsworth Street will be a much more suitable home for the UUA than stuffy old Beacon Hill. (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, March 15)

Equual Access shares the process by which the UUA inquired about the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. (Equual Access, March 15)

Tim Atkins is unimpressed by the shift in geography, saying that “we moved from Boston to Boston.”

In a time where we could use bold leadership, I can’t see a move down the street as bold, forward thinking. And I don’t see how the move reflects our bold aspirations or how it’s a historic move. (Tim Atkins, March 15)

Walter Clark compares the UUA’s move to the cardinals’ choice of a new pope.

The Catholic Church made a bold move with Francis. He is someone who will very likely remind his followers that the church is there to help those who need it most. The UUA took that same bold move, choosing action over reputation. (Lack of a Clever Title, March 17)

The UUA’s Margy Levine Young tweeted this graphic announcement:

Living in relationship

The Rev. Kit Ketcham cringes when she realizes that she has criticized a family member, despite knowing from personal experience how much such criticism hurts.

I’d spoken without thinking. “Oh, you shouldn’t have done that!” I’d said, not remembering how it had felt to me decades ago when my own mother was critical of me over religious issues. (Ms. Kitty’s Saloon and Road Show, March 20)

Garner Takahashi Morris examines her privilege as a transplant to Oakland—and the spiritual practice of learning to say hello.

Real change begins when I take a breath, when I remember that everyone was once a small child, when someone extends a handshake or begins to share a story. Once I, as a privileged person, have learned to truly listen to those around me and see their humanity fully, maybe then I can learn productive ways to act, based on the needs that are actually expressed, not my preconceived ideas of what they might be. Those are the moments when we can create connections as people, not as stereotypes, and those connections are where justice is made. (Vive le Flame, March 18)

Events in the news

Alluding to this week’s verdict in the Steubenville rape trial, the Rev. Tom Schade points out that these are exactly the circumstances in which a free mind is necessary.

Every one of us will be end up in a similar situation someday. Most of us have already been there. A situation when the group is going in the wrong direction, and you know it. What do you do?

It is a moment when your level of self-possession matters. Can you get your mind free enough from the  human hard-wired instinct to conform to the group to do what is right? (the lively tradition, March 18)

The Rev. Dan Schatz writes an open letter to Michelle Shocked in response to her recent homophobic public comments.

You hurt a great many people with your comments, not least yourself. But maybe this experience can move you forward. Maybe it will help you find the right people to talk to about your spiritual crises. Maybe it will help you ask for help in your emotional life. You said yourself that “truth is leading to painful confrontation.” Maybe the truth is your own spiritual crisis, and the confrontation is with yourself. (The Song and the Sigh, March 19)

Noting that a clear majority of Americans support marriage equality, Patrick Murfin asks how we UUs will cope, now that we are no longer lonely crusaders.

Not that UUs have a corner on this. It happens to a lot of social justice crusaders who spend years, often most of their lives, fighting the unwinnable battle against enormous odds. We are used to being the only guy or gal out in the pouring rain with our picket sign expecting to be spit upon. We are so instinctively counter-cultural that we are suspicious of any popular opinion.

But what happens when after years of diligent work, we wake up and see that it has really paid off—that slowly our concerns were heard, tolerated, accepted, and finally embraced? . . . It can be a little disconcerting. (Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout, March 19)

Discontinuation of Saturday postal delivery prompts the Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk to outline the history of interaction between religion and the postal service.

The news about Saturday delivery caused only a ripple in the news cycle, and it probably went unmentioned in most (if not all) sermons. But the post office has had an important place in American religious history. Delivery changes may seem small today, but for much of our nation’s history, the post office has been a vital part of how we communicate and an important means through which faith has been disseminated in America. (Christian Century, March 20)

The spirit’s inner voice

The Rev. David Breedon shares a poem about the apophatic approach to spirituality, a path chosen by many UUs.

How to explain she
planned to build fires
until the most concrete
of bridges fell to embers?

How to say she would
wander across whatever
border until every shape
wore a foreign costume? (Quest for Meaning, March 21)

As part of a series called, “Would you listen to yourself?” the Rev Meredith Garmon writes about our connection to our inner voice.

It’s no easy thing in this post-industrial, information age world to connect with ourselves—to recognize in the moment what our deeper wish is, the wish that a day later we are able to recognize if asked. In the moment, it’s just so easy and inviting to flop back on the sofa and reach for the remote. . . . We always have a part of ourselves that is quietly watching and is providing us with guidance. Often, we are not as in touch with that part as we could be. (Lake Chalice, March 20)

Religion and the internet

The Rev. Victoria Weinstein issues a manifesto in response to the question, “Is the Internet good for religion?”

I think the internet is really good for liberal religion. Liberal religion is about interpreting, evolving, being open to the cross-pollination of ideas and theologies. Liberal religion has inquiry at its heart and delights in challenge (or should!). I think the internet has been great for that. I don’t know if it has been as good for orthodoxy, which is dedicated to tradition, hierarchy and authoritative interpretations. (PeaceBang, March 16)

Following up on the Minns Lectures, Peter Bowden asks, “Did your congregation get lost in time?”

I’ve discussed with United Church of Christ colleagues the fact that the UCC seems, to me, 10 years ahead of the Unitarian Universalist Association in some regards. They in turn chuckle and say they feel the UCC is 10 years behind where they should be. That puts us, if you do the math, 20 years behind! (UU Planet, March 19)

The movie reel

Peter Bowden’s UUTV links to this video of the Rev. Tamara Lebak’s recent sermon, “Fishing Naked.”