We are dedicated to challenging ourselves and society into wholeness. A vibrant, inclusive congregation, UUFM is widely known as a safe haven and a force for social justice. These words came together to describe our mission and vision after participation from almost half the membership on a December weekend. Yes, a weekend in December! I’m … Continue reading Jonalu’s Journal – January 2020
Despite how many carols you hear on the radio or decorations you see popping up all over town, our Christian neighbors and friends are not yet in the Christmas season; they are in the season of Advent. While liturgical Christians, like Episcopalians, Lutherans and Catholics are most likely to celebrate Advent, more and more Christian … Continue reading Jonalu’s Journal – December 2019
This at least seems to me the main problem … How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it? … How can this world give us at once the fascination of a strange town and the comfort and honor of being our own town? — G … Continue reading Awe (December 2019)
Our prayer is for democracy to be a spiritual practice of accountability that resists fascism. — Rev Elizabeth Nguyen With November come elections, so it’s the perfect time to talk about democracy as a central value of Unitarian Universalism. It’s right there in our fifth principle (the right of conscience and the use of the … Continue reading Jonalu’s Journal — November 2019
What Does It Mean to Be A People of Attention? Alice Walker famously wrote, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” Walker’s words are a great reminder that attention and gratitude go hand in hand. Indeed they are a perfect embodiment … Continue reading Attention (November 2019)
I’m continually amazed at who feels they belong and who feels they don’t belong. Not because of any particular qualities of either group, but because feelings of belonging seem so unpredictable. This can be especially pronounced in a congregational setting because of our expectations of church. Of course, some feeling out of place can be … Continue reading Jonalu’s Journal — October 2019
What Does It Mean to Be A People of Belonging? You hardly knewhow hungry you wereto be gathered in,to receive the welcomethat invited you to enterentirely …Tentative steps became settling in …You began to breathe again …You learned to sing.But the deal with this blessingis that it will not leave you alone,will not let you … Continue reading Belonging (October 2019)
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus has often been quoted as saying, “Change alone is unchanging.” That is, life is permanently in flux. As we enter this month of considering our expectations, we need to remember the permanence of change. Sometimes, we go along as if everything will stay the same and are startled when change happens. … Continue reading Jonalu’s Journal — September 2019
What Does It Mean to Be A People of Expectation? We’ve all heard the line: “You get what you expect.” It’s very UU. Liberal religion has always emphasized the tremendous power human beings have to shape their reality. And not just with our actions, but also with our expectations. We know that if you expect … Continue reading Expectation (September 2019)
Almost every week, I see something that reminds me that religious affiliation in the US is consistently and rapidly dropping. Nearly as many people identify as unaffiliated (22.8%) as Evangelical Protestant (25.4%), the largest group. Most who identify as “nones,” that is, having no religious affiliation, have questioned the particular beliefs taught by religion and/or … Continue reading Jonalu’s Journal — August 2019
