When a group of us gathered for the Strategic Planning Workshop in late September, Katie Kingery-Page led us in a story-telling exercise. Small groups were invited to come up with and share with the whole group stories of the fellowship building that had stuck with people. The most popular story came up a few times … Continue reading Fellowship Stories

The Jewish High Holy Days arrive this month (Rosh Hashanah October 3-4 and Yom Kippur October 12). Each year, these holidays call Jews to consider where they have fallen short and to release those shortcomings to start again with a fresh slate. In the ritual of Tashlich, Jews cast breadcrumbs in a lake or stream, … Continue reading As the High Holy Days Approach

Welcome to theme-based ministry! Each month we’ll focus on a broad theme that has resonance for Unitarian Universalists in our personal and spiritual lives. You can read about the theme in the newsletter, hear about it during Sunday services, and experience it in religious education. What’s more, we’ll be starting small groups called Chalice Circles … Continue reading Theme-based Ministry

The pace of life can be so fast and the deluge of bad news so overwhelming that I forget to take the time to celebrate real victories. Last week was such a win. As you probably know by now, the Manhattan City Commission approved the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s … Continue reading Celebrating the Non-Discrimination Ordinance

With all the opportunities for action in the world, all the ways you can learn new things, and all the organizations you could join or work with, why bother with religion? A variety of answers can be given. Some people say religion provides a framework of beliefs to help understand and structure the world. Scriptures … Continue reading Why Religion?

Summer is full on here! Temps in the 90’s and 100’s can hardly be interpreted any other way. Fortunately, at least in Manhattan, things slow down in the summer. It used to be that the fellowship closed in the summer! Those days are long past. The tradition of closing the church doors for the summer … Continue reading Summer at UUFM

Two more African American men dead at the hands of police in circumstances where armed intervention looked unnecessary. The deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in the suburbs of St. Paul remind us that #BlackLivesMatter still matters. According to Julia Craven in The Huffington Post [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-people-killed-by-police-america_us_577da633e4b0c590f7e7fb17], six out of ten African … Continue reading Grieving Justice

What do GBLTQ people, Latin@s, and Muslims have in common? All of us are more afraid because of the shootings early Sunday morning in Orlando. The selection of a gay nightclub on Latin Night as a terrorist target wove a complicated web to untangle. A week earlier, the Orlando queer community had celebrated Pride. Suddenly, … Continue reading Orlando: At the Intersection of Oppressions

While it’s true that actions speak louder than words, words matter, too, and at this year’s MidAmerica Regional Assembly, we passed a resolution of Muslim solidarity. As UU’s, we have a lot of theological differences with Muslims. Our practices are very different from theirs. On the other hand, we are the “Standing on the Side … Continue reading Muslim Solidarity

How do you solve a problem like climate change? As individuals, there may not be a lot we can do. Even if a bunch of us got rid of our cars, turned off our electronics, and banished all plastics from our lives, we wouldn’t make a dent in what needs to be done to reverse … Continue reading Seeking Climate Change Solutions