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Love calls us into the core of our creativity—into its depth and illumination. Like the stars in the vast distance, love brings its light into the interior of our lives. It challenges our imagination to sense the cosmic dimension in a speck of its reflected luminosity and share it with all the beauty and brio we can bring forth.
Has the Mew Year opened its window for you? Have you opened it? Have you spent time with a big tree? Have these first 30 days allowed for moments when everything in you focuses and you fathom the tick-tock of the eternal? If you have not taken time from daily tasks, business, toil and duty, to allow the old to become new, choose to take some! An opening to beauty reveals its spaciousness when we slow down, allow ourselves to stop and feel how all that lives moves through us. You and I are the interdependent web of existence. Pondering that truth opens us to the expanding universe and amazing possibilities for being in a space of vital peace. FOSTER GENUINE DIALOGUE “Dialogue aims not to convert others or to reach agreement on the issues, but rather to promote mutual understanding and build relationships that can prevent escalation into violence. They provide a safe atmosphere in which people can talk openly and deeply about their differences, and perhaps discover their underlying commonalties. Dialogue is demanding. It is much easier to remain at a distance casting stones at the other. It takes courage to face the pain of human differences and to talk in a vulnerable fashion about what really matters. Yet, in conflicts large and How well do we do this as a progressive faith community? How deeply are we committed to doing what we can to make this world a better place for all? Do you provide a safe atmosphere for yourself to conduct an inner dialogue that leads to a more coherent self? Fellowship members Melissa and David McKee share some thoughts on things that have worked in various UU congregations they have been a part of around the country. Highlights of their commentary were printed in the February 2012 edition of The UUFM Voice. Melissa and David’s full text appears here: We aren’t quite lifetime UU’s, but we’re close. Melissa’s family joined The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio (FUUSA) when she was in preschool; David’s family joined the same church when he was a teen. Over the last fifteen years the demands of grad school and post-doctoral appointments have kept us moving. As such we bring considerable experience with UU churches across the country. We want to talk about things that some of these churches do well. We are drawing these thoughts from the UU churches, fellowships, congregations and societies that we’ve attended at least a few times. We count eight in that list. Some of these are things that UUFM already does well, some are things that we could probably do better, and some may not be a good fit for our community: this isn’t intended as some kind of checklist of Things That Must Be Done. This is just a chat about things that keep Melissa’s first question about a possible new job being how close is the UU congregation. Our thoughts can be grouped into things that make a UU group welcoming to visitors and newcomers; things that give our services a feeling of continuity and our facilities and worship a feeling of sanctity; and things which encourage the growth of our denomination and congregations and help us to manage the slightly different culture of larger congregations without losing the closeness of our community. Lets face it: we’re a minority denomination everywhere and not well understood. We need to make a good impression on newcomers–those new to UUism and those migrant UUs who are coming from a very different congregation. Our very first chance to do this is when someone comes in the door. At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa (UUCT) they did a particularly good job of greeting visitors, making sure they were introduced to a member who would show them around and introduce them to the minister and the DRE. This is especially important if the visitor has kids. Letting them know that there is a Sunday school and which rooms their children will be in can really help someone feel at home. In Melissa’s childhood experience knowing where she was going and who she was going with helped the first time her parents took her to Church. Even with a good greeting crew we may not catch everyone–especially when we have many doors–so we want visitors to find it easy to come into the service without being made self conscience. This means leaving some accessible chairs at the back and along the aisles, no small matter when many members do not find it easy to schootch in. Something we do very well and really does help as a visitor or a new member are our use of name tags. Almost everyone wears theirs and this means that a visitor doesn’t have to try and remember all of the names of people they’ve met. It’s very uncomfortable to know that the person your talking to introduced themselves a few minutes ago, but for the life of you the name is gone and how do you introduce your significant other to them without embarrassment? Another thing that helps those unfamiliar with us is when someone speaks in service to have the speaker always introduce themselves and of course use the microphone to include all and get your statement into the recording of the service. Another thing that is important to have is good literature explaining who and what we are. The Principles and Purposes cards that we have are a great place to start. We might also do well to emulate Comal County Unitarian Universalist Society’s (CCUUS) brochure-length explanation of the history and Principle and Purposes UUism. A big difference between many of the UU congregation we’ve attended and more traditional churches is a lack of sense of sanctity in the sanctuary. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula (UUFP) in Newport News, Virginia was a big exception here. Keeping the morning meet and greet out of the sanctuary preserved the sanctuary for quiet meditation and gave a sense of occasion upon entering. The sense of reverence extended to the area around the fire pit in deference to their extensive Pagan group. David in particular likes a sense of ritual in the service without expecting or desiring a high degree of uniformity (as if…) or a “High Church” feel. Several of the churches we’ve been part of have succeed in framing the service with a few fairly reliable touch points. Frequently these touch points are the chalice lighting, the offering and the extinguishing of the flame. Michael’s endless variations on the theme of welcoming are one of the most effective tools we’ve seen in this regard. Other churches we’ve been to made good use of receiving the offering: the baskets came back to the front where they were formally received with thanks (“We give thanks for these offering that are weaving a tapestry we call community”). Also, UUFP and UUCT had candles available in the sanctuary for people to light if they wanted before or after the service to just commune with and have a moment of ritual. The UUA has been leaning on churches for a long time to respected a few regular celebrations. Usually David couldn’t care less for what he calls “synthetic holidays,” but these rituals (different in each place though they may be) do provide a degree of continuity for nomadic UUs. One that Melissa has really enjoyed across several congregations is the in-gathering water ceremony. If we are truly successful in reaching out to new comers, our churches will grow and that is in itself a challenge (the UUA has a little to say on the matter, so there are resources). We haven’t been part of a really big UU church since our parents broke with FUUSA so we have only a little to say about this. To make a big church work it must be built of smaller units without becoming cliquish. Lots of activities–like dinners for eight (circle suppers)–which bring church members together in smaller groups (and not always the same ones) are needed. In a big enough group it is even harder to learn who everyone is, so we come back to name tags and introductions. Friendliness to financially distressed members takes many forms. Just pledging enough to cover UUA and regional dues can be a burden for some. Out of respect for this UUFP accepted in-kind pledges from some members. A lot of community building in a church happens outside of the building. Community Unitarian Universalist Church (CUUC) had a custom of going out to lunch after service, but in deference to the varied financial conditions of the members went to food court at a local mall (one with luxury vendors possible because San Antonio’s a big city). UUFP has a different approach; several groups go to places at different points on the cost scale. The audio recording efforts here and at the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalist (WUU) church in Virginia are very helpful. Williamsburg went a step further for technologically challenged people: you could request a CD of a whole service or just one part. Rev Michael Thompson at UUCT made his homilies available in printed form for a nominal donation. This ties in to welcoming newcomers as it allows us to provide samples of the variety of programs available on any given Sunday. As nomads the last several years we have always looked for a UU church to help provide people who will accept us for who we are; a place were we know we are welcome; and an immediate home and connection in our new community. We would like all who come to this congregation to have the same feeling of welcome and place that we know and found here.
“Bad as all slave holders are, we seldom meet one destitute of every element of character commanding respect. My master was one of the rare sort. I do not know of one single noble act ever performed by him. The leading trait in his character was meanness; and if there was any other element in his nature, it was subject to this. He was mean…” Narrative Of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave How much harm we do without realizing it. Let us, as the day we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Junior approaches, practice kindness. Let us become increasingly skilled at doing no harm. Let us be inspired by all those people who gave their lives to create a more just and compassionate world. A world where basic human rights are not neglected, but served with integrity. Let us not only stand on the side of love, but let us be active in bringing it into the world.
In these short days and long nights many people I know move into a funk zone. I am especially grateful for the birds as winter takes over. I can depend on their flight, chat, antics, grace…to bring a glow to a dim day. When one lands in the midst of crimson crab apples, I’m lifted into a good place in the world. The crab apple tree outside my office window at the Fellowship greets and bids me good-bye as I come and go. Last winter the deer fed from the tree. Its nourishing presence reminds me of how often activities and people in the fellowship help to place me in a good place in the world. Knowing that there are others who not only care for the welfare of all life, but sacrifice time and resources for the good of all bears a concentrated happiness. I am thankful to share in the work and the harvest.
The following quote can be found on the Unitarian Universalist Association web site: “Unitarian Universalist Association has filed a shareholder resolution asking Walmart to add Gender Identity or Expression to its non-discrimination policy. Last week we were notified by Walmart’s Office of Diversity that they were adopting this policy and were disseminating it throughout their network of stores and distribution centers. This is a big step towards justice for Walmart employees and perhaps even more importantly, an example to other companies. Walmart is currently the largest company in the Fortune 500 and the largest employer in the nation and, for that matter, the world. So how Walmart operates can profoundly affect corporate policies and practices worldwide, for better or for worse.” This is just one way the dues our Fellowship sends to the Unitarian Universalist Association pays off! Let us be grateful for the work each of us does to make the world a better place and the work we do together.
“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” -Saul Bellow We need vital activism in this world as we need those who move deep into contemplation. Hopefully the result of both lead to a living out of a larger truth. Some of us are called to protest and some of us are called to a more contemplative approach to bringing about change. The passionate call for justice needs the balance of those who use silence to move into a deeper understanding of how strong a grasp illusion has on our individual and shared lives. In our progressive Unitarian Universalist faith the diversity of theological approaches creates a vital and healthy community. I believe the same is true for bringing health to our world that sometimes feels as if it is tipping toward ruin. We need the people on the ground, in factories, hospitals, class rooms, homes, authors, painters, photographers, stay at home dads, pilots, visionaries, pragmatists…the whole kaboodle… We live in a time when we need inspiration that brings us to a place of larger trust—where living directly from who one is and is called to be from moment to moment, day to day… helps to bring stability to a world that cries for compassion. We need many paths that lead to greater openness and a willingness to share more freely. To the extent we are locked into a singular view of what brings justice into the world, we are attached to illusion. Let us be free! Let us celebrate our expansive understanding of what is possible!
 Roots Hold Me CLose
“When progressives achieved success in the past, whether at organizing unions or fighting for equal rights, they seldom bet their future on a politicians. They fashioned their own institutions — unions, women’s groups, community and immigrant centers and a witty, anti-authoritarian press — in which they spoke up for themselves and for the interests of wage earning Americans.” – Michael Kazan, Whatever Happened to the American Left? NY Times Living in denial has its benefits. You don’t know what rights you value are being taken until it’s too late and then you’re so numb you don’t feel the loss anyway or you’re too busy or??? Actually, I don’t think that most of us at UUFM live in denial. The question is how much impact do we have on retaining the values we cherish, let alone advancing them? How do we concentrate and expand our power to do good? One child at time, one more person feeling alienated because of their theological beliefs finding a home, feeding the hungry…Obviously there are lots of things we do that promote our values. But how do we help them to cohere so that we have more presence in the community? So that we don’t feel invisible or the need to be invisible? This is important work. To promote and achieve good requires a deepening knowledge of the self and others so our work is not done from anger but from a need for greater harmony, more equality and justice. But that we must continue to organize, venture forth with new ideas and programs is imperative for our own mental and emotional health, as well as all those who do not know what Unitarian Universalism means, but would welcome a clearer connection to our progressive values. Our Unitarian Universalist roots are so deep in what is good in our country. May we be held by them and encouraged to grow more boldy, even when the mainstream wants to undermine basic human rights.
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