The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Love Resists teamed up earlier this month to host the first webinar (in a series of three) to educate people about the “Cop City” project underway in Atlanta and equip them to stop this destructive plan (and similar schemes elsewhere in the U.S.).

We invite you to:

• watch the webinar recording

• use the Q and A and webinar notes as a resource

• take action to tell CEOs to stop funding Cop City and militarized policing! 

As one of our speakers said, we choose relentless optimism in the face of this struggle! Confronting the sponsoring companies about their harm to our community is the first step leading up a corporate divestment campaign AFSC will lanch in January 2024. Please stay in touch for opportunities to take further action to Stop Cop City!

Please attend our second webinar in this series, addressing abolition, on December 6th.

To stay connected with our speakers and their efforts to combat environmental justice and environmental racism:  

• Join Dr. Jacqueline Echols and the South River Watershed Alliance in contacting the regional and national EPA to remove priority language from the Dekalb consent decree, and support SRWA’s legal fund to help Stop the Swap of public park land to a private developer. Connect with them on Instagram @southriverforest @southriverga 

• Follow founding editor of the Atlanta Community Press Collective, Sam Barnes on Twitter/X and support ACPC’s work

• Follow Commissioner Ted Terry on Twitter/X for ways to support his appeal of Dekalb County’s land disturbance permit issued to the Atlanta Police Foundation

• Get involved with organizer Neil Sardana and Georgia Conservation Voters efforts to Stop Cop City and help combat the environmental racism of Georgia’s Public Service Commission

Save the date for 30 Days of Love 2024: January 15 - February 14, 2024

This annual event offers a month of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice.

Each week, you can expect to receive several different kinds of offerings, each from a different voice within Unitarian Universalism. Within each weekly theme, which will connect with one of our intersectional justice priorities, we plan to offer prayers, blessings, grounding, and meditative practices, a story or time for all ages, as well as a reflection from one of Side With Love's program and field staff.

To get an idea of what to expect or to enjoy some meditative breaks during your lunch this month, see last year's offerings at sidewithlove.org/30daysoflove2023.

Register Now: Digital Security 101 for Congregational Teams - Virtual Training

Increasingly, our congregations are finding themselves the targets of online harassment, phishing, doxxing, and other forms of digital hate – often as a result of the ways we are embodying UU values in the world.

Unfortunately, many of our UU communities do not have the skills and the infrastructure to protect themselves from malicious digital targeting that is constantly evolving.

Equality Labs' Digital Security For All Workshop is a dive into the world of digital security and what that means for you and your organization. We will develop some common ground and shed light on types of attacks and security concerns that affect our communities, engaging with you at a strategic level as you plan for your organization.

We cover everyday, practical steps to mitigate online harassment, fraud, and other forms of cyber attacks. We look at how the data broker ecosystem, coupled with open-source intelligence (OSINT) from social media, increases security risks to individuals and organizations. We then look at key preventative measures including data broker scrubbing, phishing awareness, multi-factor authentication, password management, VPN, and other tools that can be immediately applied in anyone's daily lives.

Open to all congregational leaders but especially targeted to those who manage secure information such as congregational websites, social media accounts, databases, and communications.

Cost: $100 for congregational team of up to 5 attendees for both sessions. This cost is highly subsidized so we can bring this impactful training to our congregations. Register your team of up to 5 attendees at bit.ly/DigitalSecurityForCongregations.

• Session 1: Monday, January 22, 2024

• Session 2: Monday, February 5, 2024

  • 4:30pm PT - 6:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET - 9:30pm ET

Available Now

Why We Cannot Turn Away: Resources for UUs Engaging Palestine & Israel

Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association and hosted by Muslim and Jewish UU professionals, this session features experts sharing about UU engagement on these issues over the past 40 years, reflecting on the many-layered history of the region, exploring the complexities of Islamophobia and antisemitism, and faithful responses to the ongoing violence. View the webinar, resource guide, and template for congregational conversations.

Skill Up Recording and Resources: Faith Out Loud

UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt invites us to remember "what symbols, messages, principles, or experiences are most central to [our] deep understanding of Unitarian Universalism.” During this Skill Up, we took time to discuss and practice articulating our theologies of justice-making with faith-centric language that can be used in outreach, public statements, petitions, letters, and more. View the training.

Recording & Resources: Creating Hubs of Climate Resilience

How can we think more expansively about transforming our buildings and grounds into hubs of climate resilience? As we center our thinking around clean energy as a human right, we shift the idea of it from a technical solution for only some to a moral imperative for all. Most importantly, we can use practical building improvements as tools for community support and justice. View the training.

December Events & Gatherings

December 6: Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation

7pm ET / 4pm PT

Get to know the new Green Sanctuary Program!

Join the monthly orientation session to get a better understanding of the program and learn how your congregation can engage in ongoing climate action.

Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice can transform your congregation through climate justice!  Register to join.

December 20: Winter Solstice Celebration: Light For all

7pm ET / 4pm PT

The Winter Solstice occurs when Earth's axis tilts away from the sun, making it the shortest day and longest night of the year for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. Join UU Ministry for Earth and other UU partners to honor this time of year, our connection to the natural world, and to remember that light does come after the darkness. Register to join.

December 8: UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary+ Pastoral Small Group

8pm ET / 5pm PT

This is a space to share the hard stuff and to hold the hard stuff that others are navigating in their lives. During our time together, our lead chaplain/facilitators will share opening and closing words, and in between, there is time for everyone to share what's on their hearts, and receive what others are sharing about their own lives. It's a supportive, judgment-free place to connect with other trans/nonbinary+ people. Register to join.

December 26: UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary+ Monthly Gathering

8pm ET / 5pm PT

Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings for trans, nonbinary, and other not-entirely-or-at-all-cis UUs and friends of UUism. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary+ UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. 

This is a drop-in space, where folks can come and go as works best for them, and where people can join us at any time. You can be a regular or someone new, someone who's been curious for a while but hasn't yet checked us out, somebody who is rejoining after time away, and all other ways of relating to this space! You are welcome here, and you are loved. Register to join.

December 11: Monthly Mixer

8pm ET / 5pm PT

We know that these times ask a lot of us and that we need one another to stay in the work with hope, joy, impact, and accountability. Join us if you are doing the work on the ground, if you are showing up for and with Side with Love, and/or if you are just learning about Side with Love. Come connect with one another, build community across issues, and have some facetime with our staff. Register to join.

December 28: Faithful Grounding

7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT

Join our Side with Love Fun & Spiritual Nourishment Squad for an hour of spiritual sustenance and grounding with others organizing on the side of love. Come drink in the music, meditation, play, and prayer. We end with a Connection Cafe for those who wish to talk together. Show up as you are, whatever is in your heart, and with your camera on or off as you need.  Register to join.

REGISTRATION FOR THESE WEBINARS HAS CLOSED!

Increasingly, our congregations are finding themselves the targets of online harassment, phishing, doxxing, and other forms of digital hate – often as a result of the ways we are embodying UU values in the world. Unfortunately, many of our UU communities do not have the skills and the infrastructure to protect themselves from malicious digital targeting that is constantly evolving.

Equality Labs' Digital Security For All Workshop is a dive into the world of digital security, and what that means for you and your organization. We will develop some common ground and shed light on types of attacks and security concerns that affect our communities, engaging with you at a strategic level as you plan for your organization.

We cover everyday, practical steps to mitigate online harassment, fraud, and other forms of cyber attacks. We look at how the data broker ecosystem coupled with open-source intelligence (OSINT) from social media increases security risks to individuals and organizations. We then look at key preventative measures including data broker scrubbing, phishing awareness, multi-factor authentication, password management, VPN, and other tools that can be immediately applied in anyone's daily lives.

Open to all congregational leaders but especially targeted to those who manage secure information such as congregational websites, social media accounts, databases, and communications.

Cost: $100 for congregational team of up to 5 attendees for both sessions. This cost is highly subsidized so we can bring this impactful training to our congregations.

• Session 1: Monday, January 22, 2024

• Session 2: Monday, February 5, 2024

• 4:30pm PT - 6:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET - 9:30pm ET

Register your team of up to 5 attendees at https://bit.ly/DigitalSecurityForCongregations

We are grateful for the presence of so many hundreds of people at the November 6 event, “Why We Cannot Turn Away: Resources for UU Leaders Engaging Palestine & Israel.” We apologize for the delay in release of these materials, although unfortunately the violence in the region continues and these conversations are very much still ongoing. We hope you will find these resources helpful for both your own learning and reflection and that of your congregations and communities. 

We are keenly aware that members of our Unitarian Universalist community do not all share an identical analysis of the history of the region or the realities of the current crisis, and yet what is clear is that we are all united by our shared heartbreak over the killing, kidnapping, displacement and violence impacting so many of our human siblings, regardless of their national identities. 

As you continue to engage in communal learning, action, and lament in your congregations and communities, please feel free to use these resources in whatever way is helpful to you. You can find the full recording here, as well as the presentation slides, which you may use freely in whole or in part. You can also find more information on many of the issues covered in the webinar in our “Why We Cannot Turn Away:” Expanded Resource Guide; please feel free to share this with whoever needs it. You are also invited to refer back to the October 17th UUA Statement on the Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza and Israel for both the UUA’s statement on the current crisis and a dive into the history of our collective UU engagement with issues related to Israel/Palestine over the past 40 years. 

We recognize that given the intensity of this moment, not all of us are in a space for deepening our learning, taking action, or consuming more perspectives, coverage, or information; many among us simply need spaces in which to grieve, rage, and be held. We are pleased to offer you this template for small-group conversation circles, intended for use in your congregations as a way to invite your people into a space of heart-centered listening and reflection. The template includes facilitator instructions, recommended group agreements, an opening prayer and ritual, and questions for reflection.

We are keenly aware that the current catastrophe is far from over, and the ripples will continue to touch the whole world for the foreseeable future. As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to continuing to learn and heal together, struggling for justice and liberation for all, and working toward a global community in which all people are safe and free from violence in all its forms. 

In faith and solidarity, 

The Rev. Ashley Horan, UUA Organizing Strategy Director

The Rev. Summer Albayati, UUA Pacific Northwest Regional Staff

The Rev. Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson, Senior Co-Minister, First Unitarian Society of Madison, WI

The Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, Side With Love Congregational Justice Organizer

The Rev. Leah Ongiri, Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Formation and Family Ministries, First Unitarian Church of Portland, OR

The Rev. Sana Saeed, UUA Central East Regional Staff

This Skill Up was led by Rev. Ranwa Hammamy, our Congregational Justice Organizer, on November 19, 2023. UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt invites us to remember "what symbols, messages, principles, or experiences are most central to [our] deep understanding of Unitarian Universalism.” During this Skill Up, we took time to discuss and practice articulating our theologies of justice-making with faith-centric language that can be used in outreach, public statements, petitions, letters, and more.

• View the webinar on Vimeo

• View the slide deck

• View the notes from our discussion

Our Skill Ups are a monthly training series to help build organizing capacity across our congregations and communities. We are grounded in our UU calling to be lifelong learners and organizing traditions' call to share what we know for our movements to grow. View past Skill Ups or sign up for upcoming Skill Ups.

We hope you enjoyed last night's Green Sanctuary 2030 Community meeting with Rev. Kelly Dignan from the UU Ministry for Earth as much as we did!  Rev. Kelly offered lots of great resources in her presentation (see the video recording or slides) and the community offered several in the chat.  We encourage you to sign up for updates from the UU Ministry for Earth - www.uumfe.org - to receive their resources like Monthly Musings and their Earth Day Resources (emailed to subscribers on February 1).   You can reach out to Rev. Kelly directly at kellydignan@uumfe.org.  

Make sure to RSVP for UUMFE's Winter Solstice Celebration: Light for All on the Darkest Night.  This celebration is part of the Clean Energy as a Human Right webinar series including, Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding and Creating Hubs of Climate Resilience with Federal Clean Energy Funding.

Are you ready for the Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration on January 17?  We can't wait to hear updates from our GS2030 Teams.  Fill out this short form to let us know that you'll be there to share your good work.  Presentations need to be no more than 3 minutes long so we can make room for everyone!   Complete the form to let us know you want to present and make sure you RSVP here!

Congratulations to the UU Fellowship of Raleigh, North Carolina on their Green Sanctuary 2030 Recognition!  UUFR has completed significant work on each of the four essentials for climate action - Congregational Transformation, Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience, and Justice with plans for continued action.  Great work UUFR!

Resources: 

Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta is the book Rev. Kelly mentioned:

Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and Environment, edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom (Skinner House Books, 2018), as the 2018-19 Common Read.

Cultural appropriation. Two links from the UUA website:

Resources for Cultural (Mis) Appropriations

Considerations for Cultural Borrowing

The Monthly Musings issue on humility includes the poem: Homage to Rocks.

Sign up for UU Ministry for Earth updates, and keep an eye out for Earth Day resources which will be shared on February 1.  

Additional resources

“How to find joy in climate action" TED talk.

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has been tracking opinions on global warming for many years through their 6 Americas surveys and Yale Climate Opinion Maps.  You can use the YPCCC Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY)  to survey your congregation’s opinions on climate change.  Lots of great resources on this site!

November 2023

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” —Nelson Mandela

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Download this entire Quest Monthly issue as a PDF

There is a famous joke about early-20th century U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, who was known as a person of few words. One day, it is said, Silent Cal, as he was known, went to church and his wife Grace stayed home. When he got home, Grace asked him what the sermon had been about. “Sin,” replied Cal. “What did the preacher have to say about it.” Grace asked. Cal paused, sighed, and replied, “He was against it.”

Theologians for millennia have disagreed about the nature of sin, and whether and how sins are ultimately reconciled. Some have declared that, thanks to the great harm done to people perceived as committing sins in the name of religious judgment, it is not even a useful concept.

I believe that having a moral code is useful, and that looking at our actions through the lens of that moral code is a worthwhile exercise. I also believe that we, as Unitarian Universalists, need to be careful not to make “sin” into a permanent mark against someone. Sin is not a useful concept if it is used to make people into the dehumanized “other.”

James Luther Adams, a famous 20th century Unitarian/UU theologian once wrote, using the unfortunately gendered language of his time, “It cannot be denied that religious liberalism has neglected these aspects of human nature in its zeal to proclaim the spark of divinity in man. We may call these tendencies by any name we wish, but we do not escape their destructive influence by a conspiracy of silence concerning them.  Certainly, the practice of shunning the word ‘sin’ because ‘it makes one feel gloomy and pious’ has little more justification than the use of the ostrich method in other areas of life.”

I agree with Adams.

So what is a Unitarian Universalist theology of sin?

Many Christians define sin as that which separates us from God. This, of course, asks humans to pretend that we know what it is that God wants, and we know the danger that thoughts like that have wrought in humanity. I believe that sin is defined as a separation in relationship as well, just not necessarily our relationship with a divine.

Once again, I turn to Adams, who declared that Unitarian Universalists “deny the immaculate conception of virtue and affirm the necessity of social incarnation.” What does this mean? Virtue—and its opposite, sin—are defined by relationships. There is no such thing as goodness or evil in and of themselves—both are defined by the effects of our actions. The effects of our actions on other people as well as on the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part.

Sin is what separates us from one another.

Sin defines people as “other.” It makes them invisible when they are right here in front of us. Sin silences. Sin abuses. Sin gaslights. Sin knowingly harms another and then blames them for overreacting to that harm. Sin creates systems of oppression that target people for who they are, and makes those systems of oppression replicate themselves again and again.

My colleague the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon draws upon womanist theologians in her understanding of sin. She writes, “I have come to think of sin as an ethic of domination that desecrates particular lives as well as perpetuating sinful systems. Drawing upon the work of womanist theologians like Emilie Townes and Delores Williams, I conceive of sin as the exercise of control over another in a way that objectifies, or, in Williams’s words, ‘invisibilizes’ others and our connection to them. This domination destroys difference—tearing the fabric of the web of life.”

Gordon continues, “Sin is the acts of domination and annihilation that result in part from our illusions of separateness. Our sin is every moment that we forget or violate our relationships within the web of interconnection that binds together all creatures and our world.”

Sin is what separates us from one another. It is what breaks relationships. It is the point at which one stops listening, the point at which one stops caring. It is the point at which we believe another to be irredeemable.

And sin is something we all must grapple with. We all do it. And we all must seek redemption for it when it occurs. It might not be a permanent mark on our souls, but it certainly is a permanent part of life as we know it, since none of us is perfect.

If someone asks you what your minister had to say about sin, you can tell them I’m against it. 

How do you relate to the idea of sin, and/or the idea of atonement?

Jacob
CLF member, incarcerated in AK

I do not find evidence to support the existence of original sin, and find it hard to believe that we all pay for one person’s actions. I do find that if you relate sin to the idea of karma within the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, it becomes more legitimate and likely. We pay for our actions either in this life or the next, and through our actions we can burn off good or bad past karma quickly. Ultimately, we have shaped what we are dealing with and as such have to handle it, whether by ourselves or with the help of others. 

Adam Scott LYTLE
CLF member, incarcerated in WV

I am writing as a 31 year old inmate, who got locked up at the age of 19 and sentences to 15 years to life.

Sin is not nails in our feet, driven into the floorboards. As individuals or groups we make choices, we make mistakes, and we even commit sins for personal reasons, some wrong and some for the right causes. God understands that, justified or not, “sin” will be “sin.”

“Atonement” is a strong word. It has throughout history been utilizes in so many different ways, from the most gruesome torture to a loving embrace to get people to “atone,” which means to make amends.

I believe that to atone means to be at peace, and to know that change will happen, to realize right from wrong and push toward what is right, no matter what evil stands in the way. It is also to gain intelligence and be happy knowing what you have discovered.

Life is short in general, be as happy as you can be and embrace your peace!

Christopher
CLF member, incarcerated in WV

How do I relate to the idea of sin and/or atonement? Because I’m a Christian who trusts in God’s words, sin is very real for me, and there is a very long history with sin and I’m tempted to get into it, but I’m pressed for time because I see parole for my first time in 2037 and I gotta get ready, so I’ll try to keep this short.

I relate to sin like this: I know what the difference is between doing right and doing wrong. Because of who I put my faith and trust in, to intentionally do wrong against a person, an animal, the earth, or property, first and foremost I’ve committed sin according to Christian scripture. Sin is an intentionally wrongful act. That is how I relate to sin, in a nutshell.

I believe most people, and not surprisingly most Christians as well, do not understand what atonement is. Atonement is an Old Testament word for a blood sacrifice from a pure animal for forgiveness and cleansing. It was the temporary practice until Jesus was able to sacrifice His pure blood on the cross. Fast forward to today, and now God’s forgiveness can be had simply by asking through prayer.

However, not everyone believes this way, so another way of relating to sin and atonement for me is this: when I intentionally say or do something harmful to any mentioned above, I know that I’ve done wrong.

I have done wrong to a lot of people in my lifetime, and even though I pray for forgiveness for which I receive every time, I know I still need to try and make things right with whoever I did wrong to. I have to start by asking for their forgiveness, but there is no guarantee that they will give it. If they do forgive me, I still need to try and repair anything else I may have harmed in order to complete my atonement to that person. It is the right thing to do. If someone damaged something of mine and I forgave that person, I still expect that person to try and make any repairs necessary to complete their atonement to me.

That is how I relate to atonement — but with God, I believe that He just wants us to ask, and it will be given. 

ASHER
CLF member, incarcerated in AK

In “Christian Apologetic Universalism’s Scriptural Exegesis” (CAUSE), a book by Jon Neil Herd, it briefly states that sin’s definition is to miss the mark.

I would further illustrate that it is to miss the mark of moral perfection inwardly, and to miss the mark of eternal life and zero suffering outwardly. Everyone of us can achieve this, and it can be accomplished through atonement, which means that we make amends for our ancestors by adherence to the truths we see all around us every day. We can achieve it by striving toward perfection inwardly, and by striving towards our many just causes outwardly.

The Bible speaks of Jesus Christ in this fashion. As a Unitarian Universalist, I believe that I should have hope in God, because Unitarian means one God and Universalist means for all people. Insomuch as we have differences of doctrinal ideas, we may all come to agree under our many banners of faith. That is awesome! And it pushes me onward to discover the deep mysterious truth.  

“Brothers of Healing” is an original song written by CLF member Maverik Storm. Maverik wrote this about the piece:

“I hope this can be an anthem for those who are healing, who know brokenness, and those who are committed to advocating for change. I hope that if this song reaches the hearts, minds, and voices of those who hear it and sing it, that they’ll share it. It is an anthem to be shared.”

The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is a great community of communities made up of people connected and committed to reminding each other that we are more together, that we can take turns at the resistance, that cultivating and growing communal joy is part of what helps us stay stronger and focused on the collective liberation and transformation of all.

One of the tasks of the CLF Nominating Committee is to help our community leadership stay fresh and strong. The CLF Nominating Committee knows that the lead ministry team and staff of our church need the energy and joy and enthusiasm of leaders to co-create our future. Does CLF help you grow your joy and keep your eyes on the prize? Would you like to join leadership teams to continue to work for liberation and transformation at church?

The CLF Nominating Committee is seeking individuals who are actively involved in our congregation to assist how we engage in ministry, leadership, and governance together. Specifically, we are looking for individuals to serve on the CLF Nominating Committee  who are committed to matching peoples’ gifts with opportunities to contribute and who understand the role of Nominating in widening the circle of care and leadership.

We are also seeking individuals to serve on the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF)  Board who are deeply rooted in Unitarian Universalism. The CLF Board and Nominating  Committee are explicitly seeking ways to incorporate CLF members with personal or familial experience with incarceration, as we continue the journey of involving incarcerated and recently incarcerated members in leadership opportunities.

Please watch for two opportunities in January 2024 to join a Town Hall meeting. We will chat primarily about CLF Board and Nominating Committee volunteer leadership opportunities.  However, there will be opportunities to hear about the broad band spectrum of leadership!  This is for the interested and the curious! The only invitation will be an invitation to additional conversation. Representatives from the CLF Board, Nominating Committee and Staff will be on hand to share their experiences and answer your questions. This will be an interesting time  to explore the ways you might contribute to CLF. And I am sure we will also have fun together.

Please let us know if you or someone you know is interested in this way of investing in our community. Email nominating@clfuu.org with the subject “Board/Committee Interest” and let us know if you would like to learn more about leadership opportunities at CLF, or if you think someone in your circles would be an excellent person to recruit.

If you do not have access to email, and are interested in CLF leadership, please mail a letter expressing your interest to the CLF Nominating Committee, 24 Farnsworth St, Boston, MA 02210. If you do not have access to Zoom, please let us know and we will arrange an alternate way to explore your interest.

— The CLF Nominating Committee Members: Debra Gray Boyd, Julica Hermann de la Fuente (CLF Board liaison to the Nominating Committee), Michele Grove, and Tie Resendiz

Side With Love joined Denise Abdul-Rahman from Black Sun Light Sustainability, Shina Robinson from Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and Miguel Yanez-Barnuevo from Environmental and Energy Study Institute for an informative discussion on ways you can turn your faith into action to create hubs of climate resilience for our communities. This was the second session of our webinar series on Clean Energy as a Human Right.

Below are resources from the webinar:

• Video Recording: Hubs of Climate Resilience (1:20, embedded above)

• Presentation slides

• Slides from Denise Abdul Rahman, Black Sun Light Sustainability

• Slides from Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo, Environmental & Energy Study Institute

• Slides from Shina Robinson, Asian Pacific Environmental Network

Shina mentioned her work with PSE Healthy Energy as a great technical partner for the RYSE hub. They developed a resilience hub mapping tool with info on solar and storage capacity for community centers, public schools, and places of worship, along with data about EJ burden and climate threats, available here.

How can we think more expansively about transforming our buildings and grounds into hubs of climate resilience? If your congregation is thinking about installing solar panels with the 30% direct pay option, think about adding battery backup (which has an additional 30% option) to offer your buildings as an emergency shelter in extreme weather or a cooling center during power outages.

We hope you'll continue to be a part of this series on Clean Energy as a Human Right! Please register for the next event:

• Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth's Light for All Winter Solstice Worship Service on December 20

October 2023

“The songs of our ancestors are also the songs of our children.” —Philip Carr-Gomm

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Download this entire Quest Monthly issue as a PDF

Altars, places to honor our ancestors along with displays of that which we experience as sacred, were never part of my upbringing. I didn’t start having an altar until well into my adulthood. A central part of my home altar is my connection to the ancestors. My ancestors include family and friends who died and some becoming ancestors too soon on their life path.

Our connection to those who lived before us can be deep and profound if we invite their memories into our lives. Not only their memories, but what they worked for and how
they lived.

Those of us who hold identities that have been the target of oppression know that our ancestors faced hardships we may never fully understand intellectually, but we carry the memory in our bodies.

As a woman born in Egypt and raised a strict Muslim in the United States, I have had to face challenges that include anti-immigrant sentiments when I was a child from those here in the United States, and in Egypt I was faced with misogyny and strict rules of conduct because of my family’s interpretation of the faith. I often felt stifled as a child and teenager, rules imposed on me did not apply to my male cousins of the same age. I was angry at the unfairness of it and  I finally left the faith in my early twenties.

I connect most closely with my female ancestors, especially my two grandmothers. I knew my maternal grandmother, Labiba (her first name) and I adored her. She was feisty, gregarious and honest to a fault. I am grateful that I remember my maternal grandparents. My grandfather Abdelgawed (his first name), was more of a quiet introvert, who was kind and generous. I have a picture of both my grandparents on my altar.

My paternal grandmother is my namesake, Aisha. By all accounts she was the life of the party, a vivacious, generous and welcoming soul. She died when I was young and I don’t have any memories of her. I was born in Egypt and spent my first year of life living with her in Alexandria.

There is a picture of me as an infant on her lap and it is the only picture I know of with the two of us together.

I will never know what my grandmothers had to endure as Muslim females who were mandated into behaving a certain way in order not to be ostracized. They made the best of their circumstances, that I do know given how generous of spirit they were and how I heard stories of their antics.

My grandmothers are the reason I am alive, they suggested to my parents that they marry each other. They were friends and loved to laugh with each other, host parties and socialize.

I think of them often with the knowledge that I am living the life they didn’t know was possible for a female. I am independent, a faith leader and working for liberation of all. I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.

What is your relationship with your ancestors like? What shapes that relationship for you?

Shawn
CLF member, incarcerated in PA

My relationship with my ancestors is very, very important. I have relationships with them just like you would with your living relations. Because, as I see it, they are just as alive as our relations, they are just on another plane of existence, yet here with us. They are around you all the time. You just may not be able to see them. Some of us can.

Ancestor worship is important to Wiccans, Druids and Native Americans. The Japanese also have ancestor worship. You can learn from them because they lived in another time and/or place. You can talk to them and worship them. Revere them. They still shape our lives as they did in the past. They flow through our veins. So it is very important to have a relationship with them. I learn from them as I would with my living relations. We have remnants of them in our Megalithic structures.

Gary
CLF member, incarcerated in NC

Growing up in the South during the 1960s was tumultuous but also a time of tremendous change. Coming from Quaker ancestry, my forebears were active in the Underground Railroad at what is now Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Heritage means many things. Just as each individual is unique but also complex, so too is one’s ancestry.

Jacob
CLF member incarcerated in AR

My relationship with my ancestors is definitely not what I want it to be. I have barely explored it and feel like I am ignoring parts of their sacrifices and wisdom. I know some of my father’s side but have not been in the situation where I have been able to explore my Cherokee ancestry. My great grandmother Easter Sunrise dropped off the Trail of Tears in Missouri. I do not know much of anything about my mother’s side of things. Who are her ancestors? Due to all of this I have decided to start trying to learn more of both sides. I truly want to know where I came from, where my ancestors’ beliefs came from and what shaped them. 

GARY
CLF member, incarcerated in NC

I am from persimmons,
from Karo syrup, and grits.
I am from the front porch,
wide, long, cool in the Southern heat.
I am from magnolias,
whose fragrance is the quintessential South.
I am from Sunday dinners and blue eyes,
from Joseph and Kathleen.
I am from the stiff upper lip,
from seen and not heard.
I am from back row Methodism.
I am from Glenwood and Randolph,
Guilford and Shropshire,
the Queen Anne II,
Icebox fruitcake, fried chicken,
homemade cream puffs.
I am from the Christmas ornaments
made of cardboard and glitter
that Pop bought during World War II
when metal and glass went to fight Hitler,
carefully preserved, precious, rare.
I am from Grandma’s tea set, fragile,
tea pouring from a dragon’s mouth,
Sitting out of reach upon the sideboard,
teaching me to value heritage, tradition,
family.

Sarai Rose
CLF member, incarcerated in NC

There once was a child who found herself standin’
at the edge of time, life she thought—could be so cold and cruel;
but then there were brief moments when it could be so sublime.

One day, standing in the midst of silence, alone, with nothing but her own thoughts; back to her youthful and nice dreams and wishes,
far out upon life’s dark horizon she sat sifting through yesterday’s painful, cold gray ashes.

Soon she found herself quickly slipping and sliding along life’s bloody ledge, and in her worn and tattered heart, she made a silent pledge.
No matter what she vowed; the coming moments or days might bring, there’d be no surrender, with her all—she’d stand and fight.

She knew deep within, that this journey and all that might come along its long and winding roads, the sorrow and pain, smiles and laughter, like a rose growing among the thorns, this was her own tempering plight.

She had her moments of doubt and pain,
grueling moments, some so bleak, she thought herself on the edge of time’s continuum, only a heartbeat away from going insane.

The days passin’ ever so rapidly, so chaotic, life becoming nothing more than a blur, darkness creeping in until she finds herself slipping into an emotional manhole; empty shadows black as night.

Often she has found herself sitting in the heart of despair, cold and numb, quite dead inside,

from the hungry ghost there is nowhere to hide, while she realizes that in her demise, there’d be no one to truly care.

Within her bleeding and nice heart, there are many scars, wounds left by those who sought to use and abuse without remorse—the weak and naive, demons descended from the fallen stars.

She knows not what tomorrow might bring, nor if she’ll yet witness another precious sunrise, and thus within her heart she begins her silent goodbyes.

The weight of the world rests upon her shoulders; feeling as if she were a daughter of Atlas, yet surrender she’ll never do, she finds her courage to cling to an inner and mysterious faith.
She holds tightly to the voices of her ancestors; that should she endure until the end, very trial and battle, that come the ‘morrow—
She’d be freed of her deep sorrow.

For the sun’s wondrous and golden rays, shall pull her from the depths of hell’s dark and suffocating manhole, freeing her from yesterday’s haunting wraith.

As heaven’s glorious and miraculous light filters into her heart, washing her clean, and re-newing from the depths of her grieving soul. She’s refilled with a love so unconditional, a love far beyond human comprehension, a love she knows will never depart.

Through the windows of her soul has the Divine poured forth a cup of his own pure love, and within this infant’s curious and seeking eyes— burns true hope and assurance given from above.

Yesterday, our community rallied around the 61 people who were arraigned in the RICO case targeting Stop Cop City organizers. Like the domestic terrorism charges levied at protesters earlier this year, these are inflated charges meant to quash democratic protest and free speech. Members of our Unitarian Universalist community were among people arraigned as well as those rallying to their defense. The violent and repressive tactics used against community members and activists to support this unpopular and anti-democratic police training facility demonstrate what is at stake. Violent and anti-democratic processes do not lead to peaceful or just outcomes. 

As UUs, we condemn the criminalization of protest. We build power for justice through collectivism and deepen our relationships and capacity for liberation through social solidarity. We're grateful to be part of a movement that won't cede ground to fascism, increased militarization of law enforcement, and destruction of our green spaces.

This weekend, activists are traveling to Atlanta to take direct action to stop Cop City. While Side With Love is not a partner in this action, we join in solidarity with our faith and community partners and remain committed to this campaign. Here are four things you can do to join in solidarity:

1. Support activists facing RICO and terrorism charges. Donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund.  

2. Learn more about the Cop City plan and the movement to stop it via the Not Just Cop City” webinar series , presented in collaboration with the American Friends Service Committee

   • Session 1: Tuesday, November 14 8-9pm ET, 7 CT, 6 MT, 5 PT: The Environment - Sign Up Now

   • UU Debrief Thursday, November 16th, 2-3pm ET - Sign Up Now

   • Session 2: December 6, 8-9pm ET: Abolition

   • Session 3: January 11, 8-9pm ET: Police Foundations & Policing

3. Join Stop Cop City Rapid Response Text Alerts to be on call for urgent actions. Sign up to receive rapid response text alerts here.

4. Organize a Share the Plate for the Atlanta Solidarity Fund

From preserving a forest, building safe communities and making sure communities have the choice about their lives and futures. Join us for the stop cop city political education series to learn more about the fight to stop cop city. With our partners American Friends Service Committee and UUSC, we will learn about this issue and the people led movement to stop cop city. Together we will dig deeply into the history of this plan, interrogate the interests of its corporate backers, and reflect on our values and the moral call to democracy and justice. 

The fight to stop cop city is not just about the people of Atlanta. With similar projects sweeping cities across the nation (like in Baltimore, San Francisco, and Colorado Springs), this is our collective work. Understanding what is happening in Atlanta equipped us to understand the battles for justice and democracy in all the places we call home. 

Let us join together to resist fascism and the erosion of our democratic rights. Sign up today to learn more and join other Unitarian Universalists taking action.

As our world bears witness to the tragic and traumatic events unfolding in Palestine & Israel, many of us are yearning for a faithful way to discuss and engage what is occurring. 

Why We Cannot Turn Away: Resources for UU Leaders Engaging on Israel and Palestine

Monday, November 6 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET

Join us for this session for religious professionals, where we will invite multiple expert voices to help us deepen our understanding in truth and possibility.

Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association and hosted by Muslim and Jewish UU professionals, this session will feature guest appearances by experts who will share about the history of the region, how our world arrived at the current moment, some history about UU engagement with these issues, and what we as people of faith might do in response to it. In this time of collective fear and grief, let us form a community willing to learn, struggle, and heal together.

This event is geared toward anyone who serves as a UU religious professional or in a lay leadership capacity in their congregation.

This session will be recorded and made available as a resource for congregations after the live event, and you may register even if you are unable to attend live.

We will also be introducing a template for congregational conversations to be used by religious professionals in their settings; all who register for this event will receive a zoom link to the live event as well as follow up communications including the video recording and congregational conversation template. 

The first webinar in Side With Love’s series toward Clean Energy as a Human Right: Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding, was offered October 25, 2023.

While congregations are excitedly learning about federal clean energy funding, how can make sure we're prioritizing justice in our actions? How can put our faith into action to ensure those most impacted by climate disruption benefit the most?

Featuring Just Solutions, Emerald Cities Collaborative, and Rewiring America , this webinar covered how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center.

• View the recording

• View the slides

This event was co-sponsored by Side With Love, Interfaith Power & Light, Blessed Tomorrow, Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, and UU Ministry for Earth.

Engage in the full Clean Energy as a Human Right webinar series with Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding on 10/25, Creating Hubs of Community Resilience on 11/9, UUMFE's Light for All on 12/20, and Reimagining with Energy Democracy in 2024.

This Skill Up is led by Rev. Ashley Horan, our Organizing Strategy Director. We often talk about partnership and solidarity in organizing, and the crucial role of showing up well in crucial moments. But how do we know which potentially risky asks we're actually ready to say "yes" to -- and follow through with? We discussed a framework for having congregational conversations about risk, including expanding our courage as communities with significant power and resources. Our Skill Ups are a monthly training series to help build organizing capacity across our congregations and communities. We are grounded in our UU calling to be lifelong learners and organizing traditions' call to share what we know for our movements to grow.

View on Vimeo

View the slide deck

Webinar Recording: Risk Discernment for Congregations

We know we need to get to Net Zero and fast, but how? The People's Church of Kalamazoo has made a commitment to cut their emissions to achieve Net Zero by 2030. We joined Tom Hackley from People's Church to learn how their Green Sanctuary Team is working to meet this ambitious and critical goal!

• View on Vimeo

• View the slide deck

Video of Oct 2023 Green Sanctuary webinar

One facet of very localized climate justice work is through our Green Sanctuary 2030 program and we invite all UU congregations to join us - either once or as part of your Green Sanctuary process. Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice anchors to the reality that we need to reduce emissions dramatically by 2030 if we are to avoid some of the worst impacts of climate change. 

The Green Sanctuary process provides a framework for congregations to adopt a justice-centered, comprehensive approach that can support congregations to hit Net Zero.  Our community meetings provide shared learning and mutual supports for UUs transforming their congregations through climate justice.  So, while we all know we need to reduce emissions, often the biggest question is, “how?”

The People's Church of Kalamazoo has made a commitment to cut their emissions to achieve Net Zero by 2030. Join Tom Hackley from People's Church to learn how their Green Sanctuary Team is working to meet this ambitious - and critical - goal!  Join the October Green Sanctuary Community meeting on October 18 at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7 MT to learn more!

Has your congregation hit your net zero goal or are you just starting to think about it?  We want to hear from you!  We are building out a resource guide for congregations to adopt measurable and achievable goals towards net zero.  We’d love to know what you’re thinking! Complete this short form or email Environment@UUA.org to share your plans and approaches to this critical goal.

View our previous gatherings

Climate Justice Brainstorm

Surprise Lessons in Congregational Transformation

Navigating Conflict in Our Climate Work

“Disability Justice builds on the disability rights movement, taking a more comprehensive approach to help secure rights for disabled people by recognizing the intersectionality of disabled people who belong to additional marginalized communities. Disability justice is a framework that acknowledges the intersection of oppression, and centers the ways that disabled people experience the world through systems that are not built for us, especially the twice, thrice and more oppressed among us.” - Rev. Amanda Schuber, Side With Love Disability Justice Associate

Welcome our new staff!

We are excited to welcome two new colleagues to the UUA, both of whom are holding accessibility and disability justice in their portfolios. At Side With Love, we recognize that accessibility must be part of our prophetic vision for Beloved Community and we’re grateful to be working with Gretchen and Amanda!

Gretchen Maune (she/they)

Accessibility Resources Coordinator in Ministries and Faith Development's LGBTQ and Multicultural Ministries

As Accessibility Resources Coordinator, Gretchen will provide virtual resources for Unitarian Universalist congregational and organizational leaders to create spaces, events, programs and communities which are accessible and inclusive to disabled participants.

Gretchen is a white, queer, autistic, blind, disabled UU living in Columbia, Missouri. She serves the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia (UUCC) as a Worship Associate, and has previously served on its Board of Trustees, and as a multi-time delegate to GA.

In 2017, Gretchen co-founded UUCC’s Disability Justice and Inclusion Team (DJIT), and has chaired it for over five years. UUCC’s DJIT seeks to foster an inclusively designed environment, with a congregational commitment to combating ablism, where all individuals feel radically welcome and are able to participate in every aspect of the church and community. She has consulted on accessibility for nonprofits, companies, and government entities across the country. She is excited to apply her experience and knowledge to help the UUA and its congregations do their work with a lens to disability justice and accessibility lens.

Gretchen holds a Master’s of Public Affairs from the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs, and a Bachelor’s in English, also from MU. She’s worked as a Community Organizer in the fields of both economic and reproductive justice for GRO—Grass Roots Organizing, and for NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. She’s also worked as a public education lobbyist for the Missouri National Education Association, the largest union in Missouri. Gretchen has been appointed to the Columbia Disabilities Commission, and the city’s Public Transit Advisory Commission. In addition, she has served as a board member with multiple nonprofits, and volunteers her time with Missouri Faith Voices, bringing a disabled perspective to their work.

In her free-time, Gretchen enjoys reading, playing D&D, and hanging out with her Seeing-Eye Dog, Royal.

Rev. Amanda Schuber (she/her)

Disability Justice Associate in Side With Love’s Organizing Strategy Team

My pronouns are she/her, or anything said in love. I have lived in the deep South for most of my life and consider myself a dedicated Southern Minister.

My wife, Wanda, and I have been married for 18 years and live with two of our three children in Middle Georgia. I spend most of my free time engaged as a taxi and sports mom extraordinaire for my two youngest children, Joseph (almost 11) and Nora (13). Our oldest child, Samantha, and her husband, Cody, are stationed in South Dakota, serving in the United States Air Force. When not at the ball fields, our family loves to camp and hike all over the country. I am also an avid gardener, crafter, and theater patron.

I have served the UU world in various capacities over the last 29 years, including sitting on the Boards of EQUUAL Access, Interweave, and CUUYAN (Continental UU Young Adult Network). I spent two years living in Boston, working at the UUA in the Office of Congregational Fundraising. Additionally, I have been a Beyond Categorical Thinking facilitator since 2004 and have been privileged to work with well over 50 congregations in that time. Congregationally, I have held many positions, including social action chair, worship chair, and DRE. 

A graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry, I’m honored to serve as Minister for High Street Unitarian Universalist Church in Macon, GA and as the Disability Justice Associate for the Side with Love Organizing Strategy Team.

I am an advocate for disability rights and visibility in the wider world and within our denomination. Specifically, I strive to create a welcoming and supportive space for those living with mental health challenges and their families. 

Subscribe to UPLIFT Access, our newsletter uplifting accessibility in and beyond Unitarian Universalism which Gretchen maintains. You can read the most recent issue here.

“When was the last time you changed your mind about something?”  

For many of us who’ve been working on environmental issues, we’ve become experts on particular things, and - truth be told - it’s a lot easier to stick with what we know than to stop, reflect, and reorient ourselves to new understandings.  However, this is exactly what we are called to do if we are to center justice in our climate work.  Over my years as a climate advocate, organic farmer, and faith-based organizer, I’ve had to reorient and reorient and reorient again because I keep learning.  That’s a good thing!  

As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”  The more I learned about the injustices in our energy system, for example, the more I wished I had done things differently in my early organizing.  I’ve had to learn and unlearn and relearn and check myself over and over again because I need to continuously improve to better center justice.  Does this resonate with any of you?  

Side With Love’s Create Climate Justice Campaign organizes Unitarian Universalists (UUs) to realize a world with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right, and all beings thrive.  One of the big things I’ve learned and reoriented to over the years is understanding clean energy as a human right.  Clean energy only works as a climate solution if it is accessible to everyone.  Clean Energy as a Human Right reframes clean energy from a technical solution to a moral imperative.  

As congregations are eagerly learning about the 30% direct pay option for solar and battery backup, we need to continue to challenge ourselves to ground our actions in justice while holding a liberatory vision of the future.  For example, what would it look like if our congregations put on solar and battery backup storage and offered our buildings as shelters during climate disasters, power outages, or extreme heat?  Or if our congregations advocated at city and county levels to weatherize and electrify low-income neighborhoods, which reduces energy bills and improves air quality and quality of life, all while reducing the pollution that causes climate change?  

Over the next several months, you’ll have multiple opportunities to learn more about Clean Energy as a Human Right from some of the organizations who continue to inspire and challenge me to do better, including:

• Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding with Rewiring America, Just Solutions Collective, and Emerald Cities Collaborative, Wednesday, October 25 at 4pm PT/ 7pm ET

• Creating Hubs of Climate Resilience with Federal Clean Energy Funding with Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Black Sun Light Sustainability, and Environmental & Energy Study Institute, Thursday, November 9 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

• Climate Justice through Energy Democracy with the Energy Democracy Project, TBD

Rachel Myslivy

Side With Love Climate Justice Organizer

The recording is now available for our September Green Sanctuary Community Meeting, Navigating Conflict in Our Climate Work.

Upcoming trainings and gatherings include:

• Wed, Oct 4: Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation

• Mon, Oct 9: October Side with Love Monthly Mixer

• Sun, Oct 15: October Skill Up: Risk Discernment for Congregations

• Wed, Oct 18: Net Zero by 2030! Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting

Conflict is inevitable. What plan do you have to engage? Let’s get together and explore ways to transform harm and restore relationships in our congregations with Wendy Weirick, a Restorative Circles Facilitator. You’ve met her as a Side With Love Zoom host who has held the Green Sanctuary and Climate Justice gatherings with tender care as we lean into this work. Now, she invites us in to share one of her passions, conflict at the community level.

• View the training

• Download the slides

September 2023

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” —Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Download this entire Quest Monthly issue as a PDF

In a world marked by imperfections and the passage of time, the concept of repair takes on a profound significance. Repair is not merely about fixing broken objects or restoring functionality; it extends to healing relationships, bridging divides, and nurturing our connection with the world around us.

Repair, at its heart, embodies the essence of compassion, forgiveness, and growth. It’s not about sweeping problems under the rug; it’s about facing them head-on, armed with the belief that even the most shattered connections can be healed.

For us, this sentiment resonates strongly with our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This principle reminds us that every individual, no matter their background or circumstances, deserves respect and the opportunity to rebuild what might be broken.

Rooted in the Unitarian Universalist values, the idea of repair is not just a practical necessity but a spiritual calling that encourages us to cultivate compassion, empathy, and a commitment to justice.

Not too long ago, I was harmed inadvertently. My first instinct was to run, to put as much distance between myself and the people causing the harm. I’d never been in a position where repair was on the table, much less the next step in a relationship. Over time, I received apologies that were sincere and full of ownership and a change in policy and rules to make sure no one else would have to endure the same harm in the same way. I didn’t have to do or ask for any of these things, they did it on their own. As time went on, I realized they not only meant it, but they were eager to repair the relationship.

It’s up to me to accept when I’m ready. I share this live story because this is not the normal outcome. It is more often the case that harm is met with gaslighting, anger, or even outright denial. This incident showed me that there could be another way. Mistakes and harm, intentional or not, could lead to stronger relationships. I can’t predict the future to know if this will lead to lasting relationships that survive this ‘ouch’ but I can accept their apologies and allow repair with grace.

Communities can heal and thrive through repair. In a world filled with divisiveness, UUs stand as advocates for unity and harmony. Repairing the bonds that hold communities together exemplifies the transformative power of commitment to growth, both individually and collectively.

Repair is inherently tied to justice and equity. It involves acknowledging historical injustices, working to rectify them, and ensuring that compassion and empathy guide our interactions with others.

In the warm embrace of Unitarian Universalist values, the concept of repair takes on a transformative meaning. It becomes a guiding light, illuminating the path toward justice, compassion, and interconnectedness. Repairing brokenness, be it in relationships, communities, or the environment, aligns harmoniously with the principles that Unitarian Universalists hold dear. As we navigate the complexities of our world, may we draw inspiration from these values and strive to be agents of repair, fostering healing, understanding, and unity in all that we do. 

Scars

JeKaren Olaoya
from All the Pieces Fit

Scars
Are proof that
Life has moved forward
Has either hurt
Or healed
Changed

There is strength there
In the space between
Where the skin
Knits itself together

The power of what
We can’t see easily
Gives us strength
We didn’t know we had

There is beauty there
Where the healing happens
It seems angry like fire
But it is life
Eager to be repaired

There is no brokenness
Though fragile
Our skin is strong enough
To break only under
Extreme pressure
And we are mostly ok
After

Scars don’t take away from
Or make us less
It’s ok to be afraid
To show them

But know
You will always be
Worthy
And free to be
Whole
No matter how many scars
Grace your body
In service to who you are

What does repair look and feel like to you?

Have you experienced significant moments of repair in your relationship with yourself or others?

Jacob (Momma Bear)
CLF member incarcerated in AR

To me, repair means to mend, heal or fix. It is a way to fix, correct and heal what has been neglected, broken or allowed to decay. The hardest part of repairing relationships for me has been figuring out why. Why did they fall apart, flounder or just disappear? To help me with this I went through a year of therapy as well as Vipassana (or Insight) Meditation. Through this struggle I have seen things within myself that have caused the relationships to flounder, disappear, or become negative.

By seeing this I have tried to truly address and change these things. It has led to the creation of new relationships, but I have not been successful at repairing any of the old ones. Disappearing into the prison system seems to have made it so that the ones who were my friends and family could disappear, leaving me clutching thin air. 

Matthew
CLF member, formerly incarcerated in ND

Repair for me as I sit here comes from the heart of a sorry man. Change must always start with yourself and must do it for yourself — if you do it for someone else, you as the individual will never take the change fully to heart.

As you read this, I will finally be free and home after spending 7 years of a 10 year prison sentence in North Dakota. Take time to get outside and breathe some fresh air, read books that are educational to learn a skill to bring out here. Seek help for mental Illness — it is ok to be weak, you don’t have to be a tough person!

Remember: you’re placed on this earth for a purpose, and someone is looking up to you. If anything, help yourself so you get well to mentor the younger generations.

Kyale
CLF member, incarcerated in MI

After wronging another human being and becoming a convicted felon, I looked at the fences around me and made them a reflection of my personality and soul. At the time, I could not grasp the concept of being repaired because I believed that I did not deserve to have my self image repaired, nor did I deserve to have my life restored. As a result, I made suffering my penance, believing I had lost my right to pursue happiness, make meaningful friendships, and contribute to society in the ways I wanted to. When it was all said and done, I experienced so much misery and heart ache from these beliefs that I lost myself and all of my motivation to do the things I loved.

I never would have escaped that dark spiral if not for the love and charity of friends and volunteers. They came from all walks of life, some were free and some were incarcerated. They were Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, Humanists and Atheists. And though their beliefs about the origins of our Universe were different, they all embraced the same kind of love when they came to my rescue.

They showed me that prison could be more than just a house of suffering. Behind these bars I could grow and change for the better. They encouraged me to participate in classes and rehabilitation programs that introduced me to new ideas and new friends. My mind expanded, my heart grew, and I finally saw that my self-imposed suffering and solitude was doing a disservice to my neighbors. Why? Because we all belonged to each other, which meant they needed me to uplift them just as much as I needed them!

There is no “repairing” without a return to a prior state. In other words, I had this joy and purpose within me all along but had simply forgotten about them. It took a community and the grace of God to show me that I had so much more to offer than just my suffering. And when I finally committed to my right to experience joy, to pursue my dreams, to be loved and to serve others, I was repaired and restored because I was free to be me again.

Looking back on it all, that’s what repairing means to me. It’s about more than just fixing a broken person. We all have it in us to be happy, peaceful and productive, but it requires us to see ourselves clearly. To be repaired is to be returned to ourselves. We already have the power to forgive ourselves and to make the most of our lives no matter where we are. We just need to be reminded of this.

Thank God for the people who held up that mirror and said,  “Remember who you are.” It was this insight and help that repaired my relationship with myself, to stop punishing myself and start spending more time being that mirror for members of my prison community who need it.

And to you, the reader: who in your life is always reminding you about your best and authentic self? Who looks at your hopes and dreams and tells you they are beautiful and worth pursuing? Who tells you when it is time to forgive yourself? Who out there has repaired you by returning you to yourself? ′

Leo Cardez
CLF member, incarcerated in IL

There is nothing exactly like living in Hell, but there is something close to it: jail and prison. In my hell, where I lived for most of 2015, there is, as Dante understood, no hope. People think the worst part of being locked up is the loss of freedom. They are wrong. The worst part is the loss of hope and purpose. You wake up every morning realizing your nightmare will continue into your waking hours. The loss you have suffered is permanent. Life will never be the same. In many real ways you are already dead, just unburied. There is no healing, no improvement, but even worse, there is no possibility of any to come. The most unbearable thing about your unbearable life is that you will always be forced to bear it.

In the midst of my horrific incarceration experience, alone and desperate to stop hemorrhaging relationships, I wondered if those who hated me were watching somehow they might find my misery satisfying? I might have, if I believed everything that was said about me. On a particularly dark evening, I considered doing
just that. I doubted anyone could despise me more than I did myself —
I couldn’t even stand my own reflection. But one can only fall so deep into the well before being consumed by the darkness. I admit, I considered the coward’s solution, but in writing my final note, I could not find the right words to convey the magnitude of what I was feeling. I refused to settle and postponed my act of desperation another night. Night after night I tried, but there were no words big enough… Instead, I found myself simply journaling about my day.

I wrote about everything and nothing, whatever popped into my head. My only rule was raw honesty. I figured if this was to mean anything to anyone it must above all be true. I didn’t realize honest writing will tear your guts out. Like when I wrote about the shame and pain I saw in my mother’s eyes when she came to visit me in prison — knowing it was my fault, and worse,

I could do nothing to help her. That feeling of helplessness was like being stuck in a barrel at the bottom of the ocean with no options. There is nothing worse.

Still I wrote. Everyday. I wrote by the light of the morning sun through my dirty cracked window or glare of the hallway lights through my cell bars. I promised myself I would write every day, no excuses… and I have. Now, 7 years later, I have learned that writing to me wasn’t a diversion, it was my church. It offered salvation in the promise of change. Escaping Hell is difficult because sometimes there are too many people who enjoy seeing you there, but with enough effort, grace; and in my case, pens and paper, it can be done.

As I re-read some of my earliest journal entries, I marvel at the flawed, petty, unhappy person I was. I also noticed that as my writing evolved into a more positive realm, so did my actual life. My writing became prophetic. As I tried to make the best of things, every now and then, I succeeded. As I look around today I can see that writing has helped me appreciate life in a whole new light.

When my parents wrote to tell me they were proud of me, even as I sat in prison, I am not ashamed to admit: I wept. I cried again after my sister’s last visit, seeing her changed and beautiful from the inside out; having found what she had been searching for, though not in the places she had been looking. I owe all of it to the power of the written word. It has taught me how to look inward in order to look forward. It has provided me with the key to an escape hatch to the next chapter of my life.

The CLF held its Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday June 11, 2023. Anyone who could not attend the meeting was invited to vote by mail ahead of the meeting. We received 248 votes by mail and 43 members attended the meeting.

CLF members voted for the slate of nominations presented by the nominating committee (272 yes, 3 no, 7 abstain) as follows:

– Rev. Dr. JJ Flag for Board of Directors for a three year term

– Heather Gatland for Board of Directors for a three year term

– Rev. Christe Lunsford for Board of Directors for a three year term

– Doreen Christiani for Board of Directors for one year (to complete an unfinished term)

– Darbi Lockridge for Treasurer for a one year term

– Mandy Neff for Clerk for a one year term

– Katie Resendiz de Perez for Nominating Committee for a three year term

CLF members also voted to ordain Steven Leigh Williams, a CLF Learning Fellow, as a
Unitarian Universalist minister (269 yes, 2 no, 9 abstain). Steven was recommended for ministry by the UUA Ministerial Fellowshipping Committee. The now-Reverend Steven’s ordination was on July 2, 2023.

Last time we wrote you, Revs. Dave Dunn and Jeff Jones were in jail after stopping construction at Cop City in Atlanta with their bodies.

We are happy to share that all 5 who were arrested were released from jail with misdemeanor charges.   

Additionally, Rev. Christina Branum-Martin, Rev. Misha Sanders, and other UUs joined others to deliver over 116,000 petition signatures collected by the Cop City Vote Coalition in support of letting Atlantans decide if they want Cop City at all.

The City of Atlanta is trying a legal appeal to avoid verifying signatures, a decision that Senator Raphael Warnock and Stacey Abrams both criticized as deeply anti-democratic.

We're grateful to be part of a movement that won't cede ground to fascism, increased militarization of our public safety, and destruction of our green spaces.

As Unitarian Universalists, we hold deeply to the truth that there is no one singular right way to live and love. We see this flourishing in the work to Stop Cop City: some folks put their bodies in front of construction equipment while others tediously match thousands of referendum signatures one by one while others bring food and care for babies.

Our call to collective liberation includes all this and more – we root deeply in spiritual practice for strength and courage, we send cards and food and song as our prayers, we summon the courage to show up and out of our comfort zones again and again, and we also rest in the dark peace of night when we need it.  

 However you're able, we've a way for you to join this call:

• Sign up for rapid response text alerts to be notified of urgent actions

• Join our weekly huddle for updates on the landscape and evolving needs

• Explore our six-lesson small group discussion guide to explore the connection between our faith and the calls to defund policing and law enforcement

• Learn how you can support those who are arrested for resisting injustice

The attacks on the freedom and dignity of trans people and their families continue to escalate, with one-third of the country that has passed laws that criminalize and ban access to gender-affirming care. The next stage of the fight for basic LGBTQ freedoms is here, and it affects everyone — even in states that haven’t seen any anti-trans attacks.

Legislation has already been introduced by the most extreme anti-LGBTQ Members of Congress that would criminalize the health care trans people need. Now, they’re sneaking bans on essential health care into the federal budget too. Any national bans on gender-affirming care would be devastating. You and your elected Members of Congress are our last line of defense against this national threat.

As Unitarian Universalists who believe in the dignity and worth of every human being, we must stop any effort to criminalize trans people and the families and communities who love us. Send your message loud and clear: Tell your Members of Congress to protect trans people from discrimination.

Earlier this year, Side With Love and UU the Vote program and field staff were joined by UU State Advocacy Network staff and UU volunteers to talk about the impact of UU the Vote on the 2020 and 2022 elections as well as plan for what we will be doing in 2024. This interactive workshop invites us to dive deep into the practices, relationships, and strategies of our electoral organizing that helped us to reach over 5 million voters since 2020.

View the workshop now.

Yesterday morning, two Unitarian Universalist ministers, Rev. Dave Dunn and Rev. Jeff Jones, joined a non-violent direct action to protest the escalating anti-democratic actions of the Georgia Attorney General and the Atlanta City Council. Over the past year, these two tax-funded institutions have waged an ongoing campaign of disinformation, intimidation, and criminalization to repress the grassroots movement to Stop Cop City.

Revs. Dunn and Jones, along with three additional community leaders, were arrested yesterday after halting construction on the site. Side With Love and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee honor the courageous moral witness of these leaders and remain committed to showing up in solidarity with them and the movement to Stop Cop City. To support those who have been arrested, please click here to donate to the bail fund.

Join us to take action and support our local leaders by signing up for rapid response action alerts!

From City Hall to the Attorney General’s office, Republicans, Democrats, and corporate interests have colluded to intimidate activists, silence voters, and repress a movement of people who are simply asking to have a voice in the future of their community. Last month, the Atlanta City Council announced that they would use the “exact match” system to verify the more than 100,000 petition signatures from communities asking for a referendum vote on Cop City. Courts continually ruled that signature verification methods like “exact match” are subjective and discriminatory, with many Georgia voting rights organizations and elected officials condemning its proposed use in the 2018 Georgia election. In late 2018, a U.S. district judge ruled that the system is a “severe burden” for voters.

On Tuesday, 61 Stop Cop City environmental defenders and organizers were indicted in Georgia on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges, part of a federal law aimed at punishing criminal enterprises.

Among the list of charges, the indictment explicitly cites “mutual aid, collectivism, and social solidarity” as presumably dangerous ideas that were being promoted by the activists. Make no mistake, this is political repression.

The campaign to Stop Cop City is not about one single issue but about resisting the systems designed to make us all less free in the United States and around the globe.

Commit to joining the movement to Stop Cop City! Join our weekly Action Hour on Thursdays at 3 p.m. EDT.

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed the criminalization of voting, protests, abortion, and trans and gender-expansive bodies. We’ve witnessed book bans and the rejection of facts and history in American public schools. Doctors, teachers, librarians, and poll workers are being threatened with violence and losing their jobs. As Unitarian Universalists, we not only condemn these actions, but we support people and communities through mutual aid. We build power for justice through collectivism and deepen our relationships and capacity for liberation through social solidarity. These practices are the expression of the core principles we uphold as covenantal faith. The care for our communities is central to a democracy that is truly for the people and by the people. It is what we do when we love one another, in public and in community.

In faith & solidarity,
Side With Love & UUSC: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

This can be a bittersweet time of year for so many, but we are taking joy in what UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt reminds us is the time when we “come back to each other in our congregations and communities.”

Whether you are coming back to your community after a long time away or whether you have been there all summer, we are grateful for your shared ministry toward collective liberation and beloved community. 

This summer, Side With Love program and field staff created a wealth of events, resources, and opportunities to balance the need to rest and play with the necessity of honing our skills and staying informed and prepared to respond to the ongoing attacks on communities and people beloved of us.

Whether you need a space to grieve and pray, the opportunity to gather with others doing the work, or dedicated time to learn, we have something that will serve you.

Learn

Skill Up Series: Summoning Courage

Skill Ups are our monthly training series on various organizing skills to help strengthen our congregational and community justice teams. These trainings incorporate spiritual fun and hands-on exercizes to help deepen the lesson. Skill Ups occur every 3rd Sunday for 90 minutes, starting at 4 ET / 3 CT / 2 MT / 1 PT.

• Oct 15: Risk Discernment for Congregations

• Nov 19: Faith Out Loud

• Jan 21: Community Safety and Security

Check out the collection of past Skill Ups here.

Gather

Faithful Gathering

Join our Side with Love Fun & Spiritual Nourishment Squad for an hour of spiritual sustenance and grounding with others organizing on the side of love. 

Show up as you are, with whatever is in your heart, and have your camera on or off as you need.

Come drink in the music, meditation, play, and prayer.

We end with a Connection Cafe for those who wish to talk together.

This gathering happens monthly on the 4th Thursday of the month at 4:30 PT / 5:30 MT / 6:30 CT / 7:30 ET.

Register Now

• September 28

• October 26

• November 23

• December 28

• January 25

• February 22

• March 28

• April 25

• May 23

Connect

Monthly Mixers

Following the success of our virtual and in-person mixers for General Assembly, we're thrilled to announce our virtual monthly Side With Love Mixer.

This mixer will be held the 2nd Monday of every month at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.

We know that these times ask a lot of us -- and we know we need one another to stay in the work with hope, joy, impact, and accountability. Join us if you are doing the work on the ground; if you are showing up for and with Side with Love; and/or if you are just learning about Side with Love. Come connect with one another, build community across issues, and have some facetime with our staff.

Register now!

• September 11

• October 9

• November 13

• December 11

• January 8

We continue to be committed to our four intersectional justice priorities, work that is even more urgent as we daily see attacks against our climate, democracy, reproductive rights, and our trans and non-binary beloveds.

Create Climate Justice

Register for our Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meetings, view past trainings, download our Climate Resilience through Disaster Response and Community Care toolkit, subscribe to our dedicated email newsletters for climate justice and the Green Sanctuary 2030 program, and plan a screen of our powerful event, Abolitionist Visions on Climate Justice, with UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt. Learn more.

UPLIFT Action

Sign up for our dedicated email on reproductive and gender justice (including trans rights), download our Congregational Reproductive Justice Action Guide, learn about our monthly gatherings for Trans/Non Binary+ UUs, and view our past trainings including Responding to Far Right/White Christian Nationalist Threats; “Moral Obligations Transcending Legal Codes”: The Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion; and The Body Politic: Faithful UUs Showing Up for Trans Justice. Learn more.

Love Resists

Find spiritual practices for challenging moments, connect with Stop Cop City organizing, subscribe to our dedicated Love Resists newsletter, download our curriculum for the 2021-2022 Common Read Defund Fear: Safety Without Policing, Prisons, and Punishment; and view our training on arrestee support, What do we do when our conscience goes to jail?: UUs showing up for UUs who show up. Learn more.

UU the Vote

UU the Vote is now a proactive, year-round program to advance voting rights and democracy. Subscribe to our dedicated newsletter for campaign updates, learn about how UUs are protecting democracy throughout the year, and stay up-to-date on events and trainings. Learn more.

If you aren’t already, start talking to your elected officials about climate justice.  As we mobilize to end the era of fossil fuels, the People vs. Fossil Fuels Elected Officials pledge is a great way to connect with city, county, and state officials to build relationships for ongoing engagement on local climate action, energy, pollution, and climate disaster preparedness plans.

Use the Side with Love Click to Call to connect with state senators and representatives, and reach out personally to your city and county officials to sign this pledge. We need as many elected officials as possible to join us in pushing President Biden to end the era of fossil fuels ahead of the UN Climate Ambition Summit and March to End the Era of Fossil Fuels in New York this September.  Learn more about these efforts at SideWithLove.org/UUClimateJustice.

Last week was the one year anniversary of the most ambitious climate policy and clean energy investment in history. The Inflation Reduction Act includes incentives to make the clean energy transition and a decarbonized life easy and financially smart. With discounts and tax credits for home owners and renters and a 30% direct pay option for congregations, the IRA is a game changer. I’ve heard from so many UU congregations looking into solar, energy efficiency, and our IRA Peer Learning Circle Team of energy wonks are hard at work figuring out the best options for our people. Go team!

Friends, I invite you to think even bigger. What about all of the things we can do to decarbonize our communities to make sure that these federal funds help our neighbors most at risk of climate disruption?  Always when we’re doing climate work, we need to think about what climate injustice looks like in our communities. Who are the most impacted by climate disasters, extreme heat, winter storms, or floods? Where are the “sacrifice zones” in your community? Who is impacted and how? Who are the people organizing in those communities? Find the harm, then ask those closest to it how you can help. Racial justice is climate justice. Although the IRA has tremendous potential, we’ve got miles to go to achieve the equitable transition to a clean energy future we need. 

We need to embrace a visionary approach as we put our faith into action to ensure those most impacted by climate disruption benefit the most from federal clean energy funding. 

New Date: Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding Webinar

We are working on a new date for our Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding webinar, which will provide a framework of abundance with justice at the center.

Learn about the ways your congregation can advocate to electrify low-income neighborhoods, partner to weatherize low-income homes, and leverage our power to ensure that federal clean energy funding decreases disparities, builds community resilience and advances clean energy as a human right.

RSVP now to be notified when we finalize the date in September!

Tell Your Elected Officials: End Fossil Fuels!

If you aren’t already, start talking to your elected officials about climate justice.  As we mobilize to end the era of fossil fuels, the People vs. Fossil Fuels Elected Officials pledge is a great way to connect with city, county, and state officials to build relationships for ongoing engagement on local climate action, energy, pollution, and climate disaster preparedness plans.

Use the Side with Love Click to Call to connect with state senators and representatives, and reach out personally to your city and county officials to sign this pledge. We need as many elected officials as possible to join us in pushing President Biden to end the era of fossil fuels ahead of the UN Climate Ambition Summit and March to End the Era of Fossil Fuels in New York this September.  Learn more about these efforts at https://SideWithLove.org/UUClimateJustice

Green Sanctuary 2030 Congregational Community Training in September

This work is hard, but together we can shape a future with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right, and all communities thrive. Our last Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting, Surprise Lessons in Congregational Transformation, provided excellent perspective on ways to work together to advance climate justice and increase collaboration in our congregations and communities. 

Although no one likes to talk about it, conflict is inevitable when working together. Next month’s discussion will cover Navigating Conflict in Our Climate Work with Restorative Conflict Circles. If you’re ready to learn more about the new Green Sanctuary, I invite you to attend a monthly orientation session on the first Wednesday of the month. Join the conversation!

As Unitarian Universalists, our faith calls us to be agents for change. However, sometimes this work can feel lonely, draining, daunting, or disconnected from our spirituality. UUMFE’s Action-Reflection Circles address both the yearning to tie our work to Unitarian Universalism and the call to transform ourselves and the world.  Join with other UUs on a regular basis to share stories about your actions and strategies, restore your resilience, deepen your solidarity skills, and tap into our UU faith tradition as a source of strength.

There is so much to be done, and it is so much more joyful when we do the work together.  

In community,

Rachel

Rachel Myslivy

Climate Justice Organizer, Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team

Unitarian Universalist Association

Welcome! Welcome to Quest, welcome to the Church of the Larger Fellowship, and welcome to Unitarian Universalism.

This is a special issue of Quest meant specifically for those who are new to the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) and Unitarian Universalism, and want to learn more about both. We are a community of spiritual seekers: Unitarian Universalism is a faith bound not by dogmatic beliefs, but by a commitment to love, learn, and grow with one another. We learn from and are resourced by many different spiritual paths and wisdom traditions, and embrace theological diversity within our communities. Our shared beliefs center around love and liberation for all people, and a commitment to creating more justice in the world. If that intrigues you, keep reading.

In this issue you’ll find the guiding principles and values of Unitarian Universalism, a timeline of our congregation’s history, and more about our shared theological commitments. You’ll also see some testimonials from members of the Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Unitarian Universalist congregation behind Quest, about the impact that the CLF has had on their lives.

Regular issues of Quest include reflections on monthly spiritual themes, poetry and artwork from our members, and opportunities to engage with the life of our congregation. The CLF is a congregation with no geographical boundary, and Quest is just one way that we connect with our 3000+ members, more than half of whom are currently experiencing incarceration. Our members who have access to the internet can join our weekly online worship services, take classes and be a part of small discussion circles, and our members who are not online have access to correspondence courses, reading packets, and pen pal connections. Please visit our website or write to us if you would like to learn more.

We hope to connect more soon—until then, enjoy this introduction to our vibrant, liberatory faith community!

Our Unitarian Universalist faith is bound by covenant — the sacred promises we make to one another — instead of by creed or dogma. The covenant that connects all of Unitarian Universalism is articulated in Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) bylaws. As of 2023, the language of that covenant is in transition; a new articulation of our shared faith values is under discussion, and may be voted in as the official language of our faith in 2024. We have included both the new language, and our existing Unitarian Universalist principles (which were adopted in 1985) below.

UU Principles

Principles 1–7: adopted by the UUA 1985
Principle 8: adopted by the CLF in 2020

We, the member congregations of the UUA, covenant to affirm and promote:

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person

2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations

3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large

6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

8. Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions

UU Values

Language proposed by the Article II Study Commission in 2022; up for a vote to adopt denomination-wide at UUA General Assembly in 2024

Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love. Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:

Interdependence

We honor the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. With humility and reverence, we covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation, creating and nurturing sustainable relationships of repair, mutuality and justice.

Pluralism

We celebrate that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences
and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.

Justice

We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregation and the society at large.

Transformation

We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.

Generosity

We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.

Equity

We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.

In the 1940s, as the German army began to impose its totalitarianism across Europe, many people fled in fear of their lives. At the time, the Unitarian Service Committee (USC) committed itself to rescuing as many refugees as possible. Their work was dangerous, and they saved the lives of many.

The documents created to help these refugees escape needed an official logo, so Dr. Charles Joy of the Unitarian Service Committee hired a graphic designer, Hans Deutsch, himself a refugee, to create one. The flaming chalice drew upon ancient religious symbols to be an official seal for the USC. The communion chalice, the holy oils used for blessing in many religions, the altars of Greek and Roman times, and lights put in the window as a symbol of hospitality are all evoked by the flaming chalice.

Throughout World War II, this symbol guided refugees to safety on travel documents, business cards, and in the windows of otherwise hidden offices.

After the war, the flaming chalice gained popularity as a symbol of Unitarianism, and then later of Unitarian Universalism. The ritual lighting of the chalice in UU worship became widespread in our congregations in the 1970s.

Our flaming chalice is still a symbol of life-saving welcome. Where it burns, its light beckons us all to live up to our shared principles and participate in the liberation of all people.

Despite the theological diversity within Unitarian Universalism, there are many things that we agree on and hold sacred within our communities. The following list is of 10 things that are important to know about what Unitarian Universalists believe, and how we try to be in the world.

1. Hell Outta Here
   We do not believe in hell nor any kind of afterlife eternal punishment.
2. Big Love
   We affirm that every person is worthy and deserving of love.
3. World Wide Web
   We know that we are interconnected with all other forms of life, and care about tending to that web of relationship and connection.
4. Curiosity Nourishes the Cat
   We are a people of questions and curiosity. Curiosity doesn’t kill our cats (or humans), it nourishes and expands their imaginations.
5. This Queer Pastor Loves You
   Many of our faith leaders are openly part of the LGBTQIA community.
6. Heaven on Earth
   We believe and work towards creating a more equitable and just society right here, right now.
7. Co-Exist
   We are a pluralist faith, we affirm all the wisdom traditions of the world and do not believe any one is better than another.
8. All Souls
   You don’t need your soul saved, your soul is already awesome.
9. Our Holy Trinity: Community, Liberation and Love
   We are a community of people trying to figure out what it means to be human and how to center love and liberation.
10. When Life Gives You Lemons, Turn to Community
    We affirm community care and nourishment. The world is a mess and we need each other more than ever, the CLF is the congregation without geographical boundaries. Join us
    from anywhere around the world and find community.

The following graphic traces the history of the Church of the Larger Fellowship from the first Unitarian “Post Office Missions” in the 1800s, through to the present day. To view a larger version of this visual timeline, click on the image below, or on this link.

July/August 2023

As a Unitarian Universalist congregation with no geographical boundary, we create global spiritual community, rooted in profound love, which cultivates wonder, imagination, and the courage to act. —Church of the Larger Fellowship Mission Statement

Download this entire Quest Monthly issue as a PDF

The Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice framework guided the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor's climate leaders to change the way they look at their work... or make that the congregation's work. UUAA has a history of environmentalism that has mostly focused on mitigation: on decreasing their carbon footprint. Enrolling in GS2030 guided them to rethink things -- to look more at climate justice (yikes! that's hard!) and congregational transformation (what is that?) As a result, they have sparked more cross-group collaborations, increased our community outreach activities, and, well, maybe they're having more impact!

We had a fantastic kick-off to our fall Green Sanctuary 2030 Community meetings last night with Surprise Lessons in Congregational Transformation.

The discussion, led by Sandy Simon and Edward Lynn of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor covered so much ground! From Radical Welcome to Racial Justice to Relationships to Visioning Processes to Energy Wonk questions, this was one incredibly informative conversation. Check it out:

• View the recording

• Download the slides

• Download UUAA’s presentation

As we think about how to transform our congregations through climate justice, relationships are key. And anytime you're building relationships, there is potential for conflict. Our September GS2030 Community Meeting will cover Navigating Conflict in Our Climate Work with Restorative Conflict Circles with Wendy Weirick. RSVP today!

Also, don't forget to RSVP for Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding on August 29 to learn how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center.

The regressive politicians who would force pregnant people to bear children against their will know their position is unacceptable to most voters. Accordingly, they’ve engaged in a systematic campaign to undermine the ability of citizens to use the ballot initiative process in the 24 states that enable proactive initiatives. 

Thankfully, many states only allow elected officials to propose changes to the initiative process and empower voters to accept or reject the proposal. Those states include Ohio, where voters overwhelmingly thwarted a referendum last week that would have raised the threshold to pass a ballot measure from a simple majority to a rarely-achieved 60 percent. The referendum was placed on the ballot by Republican legislators with the intent to stop Ohioans from passing an initiated constitutional amendment in November that would embed abortion rights in the state constitution. 

By a 14 percent margin, Ohioans voted down the invitation to undermine their own political power (Issue 1 on the ballot). While the GOP deliberately scheduled the referendum for a time with notoriously low turnout, voters showed up in force, more than quadrupling turnout from 8 percent last August to 38 percent this year.

Another state battle looms as Missouri Republicans also are seeking a way to obstruct the passage of an expected abortion rights initiative there. Such supermajority requirements are one of three broad categories of tactics currently in use to strip citizens of their lawmaking ability, along with erecting barriers to initiatives reaching the ballot and corrupting voters’ intent post-passage.

As with Issue 1, Unitarian Universalists will be working to register Ohio voters and encourage them to use their democratic power to enact policies reflecting their values and their communities.

Randy Partain, Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland (a hub for signature gathering), notes that many of the folks gathering signatures to place the reproductive rights amendment on the ballot went through Side With Love’s organizing school last fall. They came through with hope, enthusiasm, and a new set of organizing tools,” said Partain.

Taking the Offensive to Protect Voting Rights

Of course, attacks on voting rights aren't limited to direct democracy, and when Congress returns from vacation in September, one of our key tasks will be to refocus their attention on the recently reintroduced Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA).

Attempts to pass restrictive, anti-voter bills, driven by GOP legislators, continue nationwide. At least 11 states already have enacted 13 restrictive voting laws this year, creating barriers for many eligible voters but disproportionately (and intentionally) impacting youth, voters of color, and voters with limited mobility. The FTVA is one essential piece of legislation to fill the gaps created by the U.S. Supreme Court's sabotage of the Voting Rights Act ten years ago with its Shelby v Holder ruling, which enabled states to enact many previously banned voter suppression schemes.

We expect the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will implement other needed voter protection measures, to be reintroduced this fall. The Unitarian Universalist Association is part of a team of more than 100 pro-democracy organizations that have united via Declaration for American Democracy, We also have great news to share! As of September, we’ll transform UU the Vote from a bi-annual campaign to a proactive, year-round program to advance voting rights and democracy as we add a Democracy Strategist will join the team.

Along with protecting citizens from being denied their vote, the FTVA includes key actions to shrink the influence of big money in politics, guarantees congressional districts provide fair representation for all, and creates national standards to ensure the integrity and security of federal elections. While the bill fell short of passage last year, it’s far too important to let go of. Please review the key elements of the FTVA, reach out to your community, and contact your federal representatives to demand passage of the FTVA.

For the past few weeks, Side With Love has been organizing UUs and other supporters in the Cop City Vote referendum campaign. This effort would allow Atlanta voters to decide if the City of Atlanta can lease 381 of forested land for a $90 million police training complex backed by corporate interests that will cost over $30 million in tax dollars.  

It feels good to be working on such a deeply meaningful campaign. Here in Southwest Atlanta, the Cop City Vote referendum campaign operates from the American Friends Service Committee office. The walls are covered with posters from past campaigns emblazoned with powerful messages that proclaim the dignity of workers, the right to housing, and the end to war. Also on this wall is a wood turtle with a painting of Tortuguita, the climate activist killed by police on January 18th of this year in the Weelaunee forest. Tortuguita was protesting the harm and environmental degradation caused by the planned development of this vast, militarized law enforcement training compound.  

In this room, each poster, each weathered clipboard, and boxes of t-shirts are quiet reminders of the life, love, and legacy that make this space powerful.

In this space, we are surrounded by a legacy of activism, community building, and radical hope that makes justice movements unstoppable. In this space, we seek to create collective care, mutual support, non-carceral solutions to conflict and harm, and cooperative economics. In this space, we answer the call of our ancestors and defend the future of our descendants.  

Neighbors drop by after work to sign the petition. Canvassers funnel in and out with clipboards and “LetAtlantaDecide" t-shirts to talk to voters in torrential downpours and intense summer heat. Artists, fathers, data managers, youth, trainers, grandmothers, community organizers, and faith leaders all huddle in different corners of the office, strategizing on how we will protect democracy. We talk about what $30 million dollars could do for this community and the communities surrounding the Weelaunee forests that do not include giving money to the private Atlanta Police Foundation.  

This community is an embodiment of resilience. They’ve been on the front lines of resisting gentrification, housing displacement through eminent domain, and police violence. It is the home of beautiful cultural events in Adair Park, local businesses, historic churches, and public art memorializing community members, proclaiming Black Lives Matter, and demanding to #StopCopCity. 

Supporting the campaign reminds me that politics are not only what you do at the voting booth or even who holds elected office. We exercise our political power when strangers share experiences of using public transit, or how they unionized their workplaces. It’s neighbors showing photos of their children talking about their hopes for their schools.  It’s walking in to be greeted with a warm and familiar welcome, and leaving hearing “Thank you, sis.” This campaign is a fight to defend the forests, to take back power and let voters decide, and to resist growing investment and militarization of the police. And the reason this city has erupted with activity to collect 70,000 signatures is simply a love that is rooted and cultivated in the legacy of struggles for justice won and lost on southern soil. 

Unitarian Universalists are showing up in beautiful and creative ways. We are knocking on doors and talking to folks at supermarkets and parks. Volunteers enjoy fresh fruit provided by High Street Congregation in Macon, while climate activists connect with our Northwest UU Congregation to print zines for a mobilization this weekend. Our Side With Love staff, Rev. Cathy Rion Starr and Racheal Myslivy are building systems to help Atlanta voters fix errors in their petition signatures and joined a team of 20 UUs as we canvassed at the Day of Action on August 5th. It is an immense honor to co-lead and collaborate in this work.   

We have 4 more days to get on the November ballot, but the relationships we've built and the commitment we have made will continue beyond this campaign. The love we have for one another is felt in our commitment to show up and preserve our collective well-being.        

I know there are many struggles our fellow UUs are fighting right now. This referendum campaign, like the Floridians Protecting Freedom campaign and Ohioans’ rejection of Issue 1 is a struggle to return power to the people. It is not just about a single issue, but the expression of love and care for our communities. I ask that you take a moment to witness the transformational love that is moving through your communities, your work for justice, and your hearts. Thank you for your love and support of Side With Love.

In faith and solidarity,

Nicole Pressley

Field & Programs Director 

Resources 

• CopCityVote.org 

• Movement for Black Lives: Stop Cop City Conversation

• UU Cop City Vote Landing Page  

I’m excited to share the fall Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting Schedule, which will include explorations into congregational transformation, conflict resolution, pathways to net zero, and worship resources.  Please share these events with your congregation!

 RSVP for the August 16 GS2030 Community Meeting: Surprise Lessons on Congregational Transformation!  

The Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice framework guided the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor's climate leaders to change the way they look at their work... or make that the congregation's work. UUAA has a history of environmentalism that has mostly focused on mitigation, on decreasing our carbon footprint. Enrolling in GS2030 guided them to rethink things -- to look more at climate justice (yikes! that's hard!) and congregational transformation (what is that?) As a result they have sparked more cross-group collaborations, increased our community outreach activities, and, well, maybe they're having more impact! RSVP today!   Read on for the full community meeting schedule. 

Does this opportunity have your name on it?

The GS2030 Community is growing!  As a result, I’m looking for folks to help organize our community.  This could look like volunteering to do the spiritual opening and closing, helping plan community meetings, and whatever else comes up.  Let me know if you’re interested in joining the GS2030 Planning Team!   

Send us your surveys!

Have you ever wished there was a go-to survey to gauge interest and activities in your congregation’s Green Sanctuary work?  Have you used a survey that was awesome?  Please send surveys you’ve used to Environment@UUA.org.  And then…help us create a model survey!  As we collect these surveys, we’d like a few folks to help draft a model survey all congregations could use for their GS2030 work.  Let me know if you’re interested in helping out! 

Have you used the online Progress Report Form yet?  Try it today!

If you use this form to report your GS2030 Actions, it can eliminate the need for a final report.  Yay, less paperwork!   It also helps me see the exciting things happening in our community.  Check it out!

GS2030 Fall Meetings

all at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7ET

• August 16: Surprise Lessons in Congregational Transformation

• September 20: Navigating Conflict in Our Climate Work with Restorative Conflict Circles

• October 18: Net Zero by 2030! Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting

• November 15: Earth-Aware Worship

We'll host our annual Green Sanctuary 2030 Celebration in January 2024!

 I hope to see you all next Wednesday!

In community,

Rachel

This has been a hard summer. We’ve experienced some of the worst extreme heat on record: July 2023 is the hottest month on record, and 2023 is on track to be the hottest year ever. In Texas, incarcerated human beings have been struggling to endure the extreme heat without air conditioning. Agricultural workers, construction workers, roofers, outdoor workers, and those who work in unairconditioned spaces are all at increased risk of heat-related illness and death with no federal protections for heat. Temperatures are too high for birds and other wildlife to cope. Ocean temperatures exceeding 100 degrees threaten marine life. As of today, the US has had 15 confirmed billion-dollar weather/climate disaster events, including 1 flood, 13 severe storms, and 1 winter storm resulting in 113 deaths.

This is just a small sample of the climate disasters we’ve experienced. It’s been a hard summer in a hard year on top of so many hard years.

Sometimes it just feels like too much. As I’m writing this, my heart is racing, my shoulders tensed up, my jaw is clenched, and I’m holding my breath.

Let’s pause to breathe together. Take a moment to relax your shoulders, gently move your head in a slow circle, take a breath as you’re able, and slowly, slowly, slowly exhale. Let’s hold in our hearts our neighbors who are suffering. In your mind’s eye, picture a living being or place that makes you smile. I’m picturing the Roseate Spoonbill that recently graced Wisconsin with its presence for the first time in over a hundred years.

Now, imagine that creature or sacred space thriving.

Even as climate disasters wreak havoc on our communities, even as we take action for climate justice, we need to resource ourselves and nourish our spirits. (Rev. Sofía Betancourt, Ph.D shared prayers for those impacted by extreme climate in one of her first statements as UUA president.)

It’s important that we are grounded in the present as we dream of a better world.

Without a clear vision of the world we want, we run the risk of prioritizing short-term gains and false solutions. Where we mistakenly advance legislative goals disconnected from cultural shifts and get derailed by things that divide our focus and distract us from long-term goals, and we run the risk of our movements unintentionally upholding injustice.

Here at Side With Love, our Climate Justice Campaign uses spiritual grounding & nourishment, political education, skill building, leadership development, and mobilization with the goal of supporting Unitarian Universalists (UUs) in cultivating thriving communities that advance a just and equitable transition to a clean energy future. We facilitate shared learning, mutual support, and collective action as we work together to realize a world with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right, and all communities thrive.

I’m proud to share the ongoing work held by our collective climate justice and Green Sanctuary congregations, communities, and organizations. In particular, our events hold the precious hope that will sustain us while we use the various tactics and campaigns to allow that hope to flourish into the future. I hope I’ll see you at one or more of these events.

Rachel

PS: If you haven’t already, I recommend you check out our Climate Resilience through Disaster Response and Community Care Toolkit for your congregational and community use.

Rachel Myslivy,

Side With Love Climate Justice Organizer

Sources: “July 2023 is Hottest Month Ever Recorded on Earth”; "2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record"; “Texas prisoners struggle to endure heat wave in facilities without air conditioning”; "Heat can kill on the job, and these workers are dying"; "In New Mexico, temperatures are too high for birds to use their usual coping methods"; "With Florida ocean temperatures topping 100, experts warn of damage to marine life"; Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

Thriving Communities

Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice Community Meetings offer spaces for shared learning and mutual support for anyone working to transform our congregations through climate justice.

We invite you to join any one of our amazing fall offerings to explore:

• Surprise Lessons in Congregational Transformation on August 16

• Navigating Conflict in our Climate Work with Restorative Conflict Circles on September 20

• Net Zero by 2030! on October 10

• Earth Aware Worship on November 15th

Get to know the new Green Sanctuary! Join us for a Community Meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of the month or an Orientation on the 1st Wednesday of the month.

Clean Energy as a Human Right

To realize a world where all communities thrive, we need to advance clean energy for all. While congregations are excitedly learning about the funding opportunities for solar, energy efficiency, and more through the Inflation Reduction Act and other federal funding opportunities, we must continue to center justice in our efforts.

RSVP for the Visionary Approaches to Federal Clean Energy Funding Webinar on August 29 at 1ET to inspire and inform your congregation to make sure these opportunities benefit those most impacted by climate change.

Join Sylvia Chi, Just Solutions Collective; Sonia Kikeri, Emerald Cities Collaborative; Jamal Lewis, Rewiring America; and Miguel Yanez, Energy and Environmental Study Institute to learn how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center.

No More Fossil Fuels!

Side With Love continues to Mobilize UUs to End the Era of Fossil Fuels! In New York this September, the United Nations Secretary-General is hosting a first-of-its-kind Climate Ambition Summit to demand that nations stop the fossil fuel expansion that is driving the climate emergency. Thousands of will march to demand President Biden take bold action to End Fossil Fuels.

Urge Your Elected Officials To Take The Pledge to Phase Out Fossil Fuels!

We want as many elected officials - from mayors and city council people to state senators and representatives - to join us in pushing President Biden. So, we need EVERY UU to go to the elected officials that represent you and ask them to sign this pledge by AUGUST 30.

Watch the webinar about the Pledge, hosted by UUs for Social Justice, UU Ministry for Earth and Side With Love, check out the Toolkit for Elected Officials and the Elected Officials Pledge .

Make the call to your Congresspeople with Side With Love’s Click-to-Call action.

If you’re in the New York City area and want to join the march on September 17, contact Rev. Peggy Clarke at pclarke @ ccny.org or via Facebook.

I write to you from my home in Alabama where last fall, I assisted at the first birth in a birth center in our state, and where the state of safer birth is now in jeopardy.

Will you weigh in for reproductive justice in my state?

The Alabama Department of Public Health has proposed a draft of birth center rules and regulations that are discriminatory, outdated, and non-evidence based. These proposed rules and regulations will prohibit many eligible families from being able to afford and access birth centers in any of the proposed (and already operating) birthing centers in the state.

Earlier this week, I was interviewed on our local TV station about our opposition to these new rules.

Alabama has among the highest rates of maternal death and infant death of all states. For women of color, the outcomes are worse. 37% of our counties are maternity care deserts. We need MORE skilled providers serving our communities - not unnecessary restrictions.

Freestanding birth centers staffed with midwives, including Certified Professional Midwives, aren’t a problem; they’re a solution. Birth Centers have demonstrated positive outcomes for pregnant people and their babies.

Our goal at Side With Love is to make sure that Alabama families who desire birth center births, are able to make values-aligned decisions about their birth settings and that those decisions are affordable and accessible to all. This is what bodily autonomy looks like. This is what it means when we say “Every Body is Sacred.”

Will you join me in putting your faith in action in this fight for reproductive equity and justice?

Help us flood the Alabama Department of Health with public comments to ensure that all of Alabama’s families who desire the midwifery model of care in birthing centers are allotted that opportunity.

Thank you for taking action for birth justice.

Charity Howard
Reproductive Justice Organizing Intern
Side With Love

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - a monumental milestone in the journey towards a more inclusive and equitable society!

The ADA, signed into law on this day in 1990, has been a powerful force for positive change, breaking down barriers and opening doors for millions of individuals with disabilities. It's not just a piece of legislation; it's a testament to the power of empathy, understanding, and the belief that every person deserves equal opportunities.

The work isn't over, today, we recommit ourselves to deeping our understanding of the intersectionality of disability and race, gender, and sexuality. By furthering the goals of the ADA and ensuring that every person, regardless of their abilities, can participate fully in all aspects of society we work towards a society that honors the worth and dignity of all. Let's keep pushing for better accessibility, not just in physical spaces but also in technology, education, employment, and beyond!

Join us in celebrating this momentous day and advocating for a world where diversity is cherished and accommodated.

Rev. Amanda Schuber
Disability Justice Associate
Side With Love

One of the nation’s most culturally consequential referendums is underway in Atlanta.

Locals, professional UU organizers, other spiritually grounded activists—including your fellow volunteer UUs—and others from around the world are actively leaning into the work, going door-to-door and busy community sites to collect the signatures needed to bring this issue to a vote.

The City of Atlanta will contribute nearly $70 million to the deletion of at least 13,070,000 square feet of the Weelaunee Forest—developing it into a training ground that militarizes and equips police forces with the skills of insufficient care that (ironically) threaten the safety of the officers and (unironically) threaten the security of the community—if we don't collect enough signatures.

You can contribute to this referendum from wherever you reside, when—and how—you feel called. This is what UUs do.

Join us for the Week of Action July 27th - August 5th

• Online Volunteer Recruitment Phone Canvass Sign Up (Online | Thursday, July 27 at 7:00-8:30 PM ET / 6 CT / 5 MT / 4 PT)

• National Online Action for UUs Sign Up (Online | Thursday, August 3 at 7:00-8:00 PM ET / 6 CT / 5 MT / 4 PT)

• Stop Cop City Volunteer Recruitment Phone Canvass Sign Up (Online | Thursday, August 3 at 7:00-8:30PM ET / 6 CT / 5 MT / 4 PT)

• Weekend of Action Canvas to Stop Cop City Sign Up (Atlanta | Saturday, August 5 at 12:00-3:00 PM ET)

#LetAtlantaBreathe: A UU’s contribution to the #StopCopCity & #DefendTheForest movement.

The UU principle of interdependence may sequentially follow those of justice, peace, and dignity, but respecting, “the interdependent web of all existence” may be the bedrock of those other principles. Can you think of it as the unsurfaced molten rock, the magma of the other principles? Interdependence generates heat, heat generates energy, energy that is transferred to our work in human and environmental rights. What energy will you transfer on?

You have breathed the oxygen made by the trees of the Weelaunee Forest and you’ve felt the rain drops made by its water, too, regardless of where you live.

Such is the interdependence of things.

If the forest is disassembled and replaced by a “city” that trains police but is unable to house the many unhoused, if it is forced to relive being kidnapped from Native stewards and plundered for gain, then its energy is being mis-transferred and misused.

This is a moment of justice. As much as it feels like a fight, it is a moment for you to contribute to peace.

The idea of this development sprung from the protests following George Floyd’s murder. The corporate sponsors and police want to protect their interests, property and capital. We must protect and defend our collective interests: clean air, responsible stewardship of the land, safety and care for our neighbors, and a democratic and accountable government. For all of our collective interests, this project is an immediate threat.

We must #LetAtlantaBreathe.

Responding to the call to contribute, no matter where you are.

#StopCopCity & #DefendTheForest is historic, and you belong in its fold. This is what UUs do.

This referendum will be a first in the city’s 186-year history. Referendums are relatively common in other parts of the United States—particularly the west—but Georgia and the majority of southern states don’t have citizen-led processes like these because most states with enslaved people did not want to create the opportunity for people to directly decide on policies.

• Read the 2023 Action of Immediate Witness Stop Cop City

  As Unitarian Universalists, we recognize the momentum of collective action to demand social change, and we call upon the UUA and its member congregations to stop Cop City;

  As Unitarian Universalists, we will take action through self-organized phone zaps, mass email campaigns, personal and institutional divestment from banks funding Cop City construction, and other solidarity actions against investors, funders, and other corporate partners across the U.S. and Canada;

  As Unitarian Universalists, we will support those engaged in direct action to stop Cop City with spiritual and material resources, by writing letters to incarcerated activists and calling for their immediate release from jail, demanding that all charges against them be dropped, and providing spiritual care for protestors and survivors of police violence; and

  As Unitarian Universalists, we will continue to deepen our theological grounding in issues of environmental justice and policing.

• Donate Now

• Sign up form to get involved

To join, sign up for one of our Week of Action educational activities and learn about phone banking and canvassing. If you’re in Atlanta on Saturday, August 5, come collect signatures with us. Who else will you invite?

With the deepest gratitude and in solidarity,

Nicole Pressley
Field & Programs Director for Side With Love

Dear Beloveds, 

The success of our movements depends on our capacity to hold a larger vision of what we seek to build, not just what we work to dismantle. Yes, fascism on a wider scale is a real threat–one that many of us did not and do not want to believe is possible. This is not a light thing to hold. And as we engage in collective learning about fascism and how we dismantle the systems of oppression that feed anti-democratic movements, we must also find collective space to imagine and build the world where we all live in the fullness and wholeness of our worth and dignity. 

That has been the beautiful work of our faith and of UU the Vote. We are growing our capacity to imagine a new world and building the skill and will to cultivate it in our institutions, our communities, and in our larger world. 

If we solely focus on blocking or dismantling we reject love, sustainability, and the interdependency that anchor our faith and the very idea of beloved community. I am overwhelmed by how our UU the Vote community has consistently held this essential balance. I believe it is why we continue to grow and welcome new folks into our work. We are not just preparing to fight. We are preparing to win! Thank each of you for joining in and creating a program that embodies the discipline of hope. I hope this is what you find as you engage in the amazing resources and opportunities we have coming out of this year’s General Assembly. 

I believe that we will win! 

In faith,

Nicole Pressley 

Field and Programs Director, UUA Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team

We hope those of you who attended GA – either virtually or in person – enjoyed your experience. Our staff was grateful for the opportunities to showcase our work for the last year with UU the Vote at our workshop – attended by nearly 1000 people! – as well as our Side With Love Morning Mixer for congregational justice leaders.

If you were a registered attendee, you can find the recordings of all programming here until September 15th. This includes our training, Hope is a Discipline: Creating Narratives for Justice as well as our live workshop UUtheVote: Mapping Our Impact, Charting Our Future. Both recordings will be available publicly after September 15th on the Side With Love website.

We’re especially excited to share the gorgeous visual notes from our UU the Vote workshop (see the gallery at the bottom of this post), created by Phoebe Dubisch, Senior Graphics Editor and Internship Coordinator with Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona Network (UUJAZ). They so beautifully articulate the joys and lessons from our past work and help us imagine what UU the Vote will be doing in 2024.

Side With Love Morning Mixer

Congregational Justice Leaders: Join Our Online Mixer!

Thursday, July 20th at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

We know that these times ask a lot of us and that we need one another to stay in the work with hope, joy, impact, and accountability. 

We had the pleasure of gathering with congregational justice leaders while in Pittsburgh, and we’re eager to meet with those who we’re not about to join us in person.

We’re inviting leaders doing the work on the ground and showing up for and with Side With Love to an online mixer so that you can connect with one another, build community across issues, and have some facetime with our staff.

Join us Thursday, July 20th at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT.

Workshop: UUtheVote: Mapping Our Impact, Charting Our Future

Resist, Respond, Reimagine: A Side With Love Rally

Read the three Actions of Immediate Witness passed at GA2023!

• Organizing for Health Equity

• Protect the Dreamers, the Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) with a Pathway to Permanent Residence

• Stop Cop City

Donate to UPLIFT and UPLIFT Action

We are so grateful that one of the dedicated General Assembly collections was for our programs! If you are able, we’d be grateful for your gift! Support both UPLIFT Action for LGBTQIA+, Gender and Reproductive Justice, our campaign for UUs to take action in support of trans rights and reproductive justice; and UPLIFT Ministries' direct ministry to and with LGBTQIA+ UUs.

In her 2023 Berry Street essay, the Rev. Cecilia Kingman reflects upon the rise of authoritarianism, right-wing ideology, and fascism both within Unitarian Universalism and in the wider world. In this first session, join Rev. Kingman and the Side With Love team for an interactive opportunity to engage with this essay and the kinds of faithful responses it demands on behalf of our UU faith.

PRE-REQUISITE: Watch or read the 2023 Berry Street essay, “My Little Pony Was Right: Reflections on Fascism Without & Within” by the Rev. Cecilia Kingman

• Session 1: July 17 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

• Session 2: August 14 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

As UU congregations are increasingly being targeted by right-wing hate, all of our congregations should be prepared to respond to threats with skill and courage while also remaining grounded in our values. In this space for all religious professionals, UUA staff from Congregational Life, LGBTQIA+ & Multicultural Ministries, Safer Congregations, and Side With Love shared observations about trends on the national scale, offered resources for assessing security threats/creating safety plans/discerning and growing risk tolerance, and building connections to fight back against overwhelm, fear, and isolation.

Find our catalog of extensive resources and recommendations at our Responding to Threats page (found under the Programs & Resources menu).

We know we need to focus on climate justice, but where do we start? For many Green Sanctuary Teams, the Justice campaign is the most challenging and also the one with the most room for growth and collaboration.  View the recording for our June community gathering in which we discussed and brainstormed how to enact climate justice in our congregations and communities.

• View the slides

How do you relate to transition? What role has transition played in your life?

Michael
CLF member, incarcerated in WI

I relate to transition as a beneficial force of life, a change to the inner attitudes of your mind to change the outer aspects of your life. Embracing transition has saved me through many hardships. Dying is easy — it’s living that’s hard.

Russell
CLF Member, incarcerated WI

I’m a man who welcomes transitions. I embrace transitory moments like a breathe of fresh air. I’ve learned that stagnation causes sickness, boredom, complacency, and above all: a lack of growth.

Imagine if a caterpillar never entered a cocoon? Transitions in my life have been my cocoons. Each time, good or bad, I have learned the hidden meanings of every stage I was forcing myself to develop through.

Poverty, heartbreak, loss, and worse have all given me the resilience to meet my transitions head on without running away. Running away would only temporarily delay the transition instead of get rid of it. I embrace it
all like the rough medicine it is because I know it will empower my greatest self.

The role of transition in my life will always serve as an instant reminder that I’m not done changing into the best version of myself despite what this world may think. I will always make an effort to keep myself in transition. After all, that’s what lets me know that I’m still alive! 

“Transition” has become a byword in the corrections field over recent years. It has come to encompass classes bearing such fanciful titles as “Thinking For A Change,” “Crossroads,” “Men In Transition” and “Ethical Choices.”

Yet, despite these, recidivism rates in the U.S. run from 41–79%. How is this possible?

As a prisoner now in his 32nd year of incarceration, I have taken part in the above named courses and many others and I have come to a conclusion.

Well-intentioned as they may be, transition services for the incarcerated contain wide gaps in content and scope of inmates addressed. Practical knowledge on such everyday mundane activities as navigating the internet, use of a cell phone, Facebook, Google, Twitter or any number of other such taken for granted resources which are totally foreign to most prison inmates.

America’s prison population is aging as well. I, myself, entered prison in 1991 at 31 years of age. Today I am 64. With this aging comes chronic health conditions and the need for transition services beyond job search skills, resume writing, and interview tips. Senior citizen prisoners will not likely be released to pound the pavement looking for a job. I dare say, employers would be reluctant to hire such for the insurance and health liability alone. Factor in the “scarlet letter” of being a convicted felon, and the elderly prisoner being released following a prison term of any length is left virtually with few or no resources.

Classes on applying for Medicare and Medicaid, senior citizen services, health care, opportunities for socialization and even such practical aid as transit services, Uber use, physician and dental appointments, obtaining copies of DOC medical files, housing options, and mental health — all are neglected.

In a recent transition class, a full 50% were above the age of 50, 20% were older than 60, five were over 65 and two were 70 or above. This is a typical demographic in American prisons. Inmates are locked away for lengthy terms to satisfy U.S. injustice and once their care becomes too costly, many are suddenly found “suitable for parole,” quite literally tossing seniors out on the street with a “gate check” and, if lucky, a 30 day supply of any current prescriptions and nothing more.

Who can forget the infamous scene in the film Shawshank Redemption when the elderly prisoner librarian Brooks was suddenly paroled. Having been in prison since before the automobile he was totally lost. He completed suicide.

Keeping prisoners for lengthy terms and providing no transition services to aid in a successful reintegration into society is a moral crime in which everyone is a victim.

Transition by its very definition means to evolve, adapt, and change. With our world’s largest percentage of the incarcerated (20%, while the U.S. is only 4% of the earth’s population), it is paramount, even critical, that the scope of transition be broadened to address the needs of an aging, growing prison population.

Donna
CLF member, incarcerated in CA

My experience has taught me that many adults who seek a new spiritual connection have, like myself, been particularly sensitized to the suffering of the world. Maybe some people have been taught to be sensitive in this way.

Either way, I would like to see us broaden our empathy for each other in beloved community by celebrating the gift of “a sensitized soul.” Whether we were taught it or given it as a result of grief and loss, whether we were given it as neglected or abused children or from social oppression, we have it.

I have spent most of my life begrudging and resenting my experience of a discontented soul and longing for the ease and comfort that privileged conformists appear to have. I realize now, at age 70, what needless suffering I went through by holding onto these resentments. I kept myself in soul-slavery, even though intellectually I was successful and creative. In my late 40s, the rage and terror of my wounded inner child (affected by childhood trauma and my repression of my true feelings) exploded in a violent crime. I went to prison.

After 20 years of recovery from my criminal and addictive survival personality, mental illness, and criminal acting out, I realize that I spent my first 45 years trying to change the world without validating and healing my wounded soul. Looking back I see how my wound was a gift — the gift of motivating me to take my own path in life and not settle for mindless conformity. What I’m trying to say is that celebrating our woundedness as sensitive souls can be a way of deepening beloved community and preventing younger sensitive souls from exploding, like I did. I feel validation of my worth and integrity as a sensitive soul trying to learn to live my ideals and validation of the inner and outer work required to accomplish them that could have gone a long way toward preventing me from living totally “in my head,” as I used to do.

The spiritual journey is counter-cultural in today’s world, yet, I believe, it is our only solution to maintaining our health and sanity in spite of today’s world. Wounded souls and sensitive souls need a community where we can experience unconditional acceptance. This doesn’t mean I agree with everything everyone else in the community does, but it does mean that I don’t judge others, and rather seek to understand and accept that their ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are meeting their needs at this time. I feel only at the level of unconditional acceptance can we
motivate others by an example to grow. Self-righteousness and judgment only stop growth.

To me, unconditional acceptance is a relationship skill as well as a spiritual attitude. I have learned it in prison. In a communication class, I learned how to reflect others’ emotions as well as the content of what they were saying. We were taught: reflect the emotion first, as in, “it appears that you are sad.” The other person will agree or correct you right away. Once you have emotional rapport, then it is possible to discuss the content openly and creatively. Self-acceptance is also key. If I don’t unconditionally accept myself as imperfect yet growing, I can’t do this with others. Finally, loving boundaries are essential. My unconditionally accepting others is an attitude of validation toward them, not an invitation to hurt or walk all over me. The most loving way I have learned to set boundaries is with “I” statements, as in, “I feel uncomfortable when you talk down to me, please don’t do that anymore.” If it continues, it is essential to walk away when it happens again, to let the other person know you are serious. This, of course, presumes that the other person is mentally healthy and able to understand.

Introducing the “gift of a sensitized soul” into Unitarian Universalist worship and group thinking would, I feel, encourage deeper empathy and unconditional acceptance of each other within our communities.

by Rev. Ashley Horan, Organizing Strategy Director for Side With Love, Unitarian Universalist Association

In 1975, in the wake of the Roe decision, Anne Nicol Gaylor wrote Abortion is a Blessing as an antidote to the already-fervent activism of the radical religious right, working relentlessly to limit and ultimately eliminate the right to legal abortion in the US. In her introduction, she writes:

"The historic, compassionate Supreme Court ruling of Jan. 22, 1973, freed millions of women from sexual servitude and from the dangerous, traumatic search for illegal abortions. This ruling, our country's greatest step forward in social and moral progress since the abolition of slavery, must be protected politically by the activism of individuals who write letters to legislators, attend hearings, visit their Congresspersons, and support groups working to keep abortion safe and legal.

For the past five years I have been in daily contact with women seeking abortions, and I have learned, as I could in no other way, of the tragedies that have been avoided because abortions are available. The stories of the hundreds of women that I have counseled personally, and the thousands of women from all over the country that I have talked to on the phone, have resulted in my clear understanding that abortion is a positive thing, a cure, a blessing.

I have become impatient not only with those religious zealots who tiresomely hiss "Murderers, " but with those apologists who, while granting the right to abortion, insist that somehow a woman must feel guilt and remorse. I have come to suspect that the persons who refer to abortion as "a tragic option, " or "a terrible alternative, " hold allegiance not to women's freedom but to a male-dominated world gone by.

While recognizing that safe, sure contraception is a preferred alternative to abortion, I deal daily with the casualties of our "modern" contraceptive methods, and I recognize reality, that abortion does what contraception does not necessarily do: it works. I am further aware of the rigid, religious prohibitions against contraception of which certain women remain the victims. I know that far too many women in our country find contraception unavailable, especially if they are young or poor. I know that the teen- aged victim of incest can hardly be expected to be practicing contraception. And I have never heard of a rapist who used condoms.

In a sense I have been privileged to see firsthand the great need for abortion, and I have written this book to share my feelings and experiences so that others might come to see why abortion is a blessing, not only for women but for society. It is my hope that those who read this book will join in the effort to keep abortion safe and legal until that idealistic time when education, medical research, and human behavior combine to make abortion obsolete. "

When the Reproductive Justice movement was founded by twelve Black women activists, theologians, and organizers in the 1990s, they argued that the frame of "choice" -- including arguments that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare" made by the (largely white, largely-upper-class feminist) pro-choice and reproductive rights movement -- was irrelevant for many people, particularly Black women, for whom the "choice" to get an abortion was never possible, regardless of legal status, because they could not gain access to abortion care. Instead, they argued, "Reproductive Justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. " Bodily autonomy -- the right to not only make choices about what happens to one's own body, but the resources and support to follow through on those choices and thrive -- is a basic human right, and liberatory in and of itself.

The pro-choice movement has, unfortunately, bought into the frame and the premise set by the radical right. Frequently, liberals have implicitly given credence to the right's false arguments about abortion causing medical and psychological trauma by talking about abortion as a "last resort. " The Reproductive Justice movement teaches us that stigmatization of abortion -- alongside all the societal factors that make every choice in an unwanted pregnancy a difficult one, from a broken healthcare system to religious intolerance to lack of support for parents to poverty to mass incarceration -- are actually what is traumatizing to people who do not want to be pregnant.

Religious people of many traditions have frequently said that because of all this, abortion is indeed a blessing. Access to safe and compassionate medical care, the ability to have agency over one's own body, the dignity of self-determination for oneself and one's family, direct experience and conscience as profound sources of wisdom in living our lives -- all of these are gifts endowed upon every human by the creative force of the universe and the spirit.

To share a bit of my personal story, I myself have had three abortions in the course of creating my family -- two after what are known as "chemical pregnancies, " when an embryo fails to develop and ends in miscarriage, and another that saved my life when I had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured my fallopian tube and almost killed me. Those were three of the most difficult and painful experiences of my life -- and I am incredibly clear that abortion is what allowed me to survive, and to go on to give birth to my youngest child.

My partner openly shares the story of being 15 in 1973, knowing she was queer, and having sex with a boy to "try it out, " and getting pregnant; with the help of a neighbor, she was able to get a safe, newly-legal abortion at a local clinic. She reflects on how the entire trajectory of her life would have been different -- so much harder -- had she not received the blessing of an abortion then. We both celebrate abortion as a blessing that has allowed us and our family to "have life, and have it more abundantly, " to quote the Christian scriptures.

There are so many reasons abortion can be a blessing in someone’s life:

Abortion is a blessing to the person already parenting three children and worrying about how they will buy their groceries if they have one more mouth to feed.

Abortion is a blessing to the person who has never wanted and will never want to be a parent, for whatever constellation of reasons.

Abortion is a blessing to the person whose mental health is dependent on medications that they would have to stop taking to have a baby.

Abortion is a blessing to the person who receives the gut-wrenching news that if they carry their much-wanted pregnancy to term, their child will be born with a medical condition that is incompatible with life, and they would have to experience their child dying in their arms minutes after birth.

Abortion is a blessing for the high schooler who desperately wants to be a parent someday but knows they will be able to give their children a much more stable life and a much more mature parent if they wait until theyre older.

Abortion is a blessing to the person who has just been diagnosed with cancer, and would have to put off life-saving treatment to carry a pregnancy.

Abortion is a blessing to the person who is clear they are done having children, and their energy is devoted to their career or their art or their adolescent kids or taking care of their own aging parents.

Of course people who have abortions experience a wide range of emotions before, during, and after, for a myriad of incredibly complex reasons. There are certainly a very few people who regret abortion afterward (folks the religious right loves to lift up), but the majority of people who experience sorrow, grief, despair, and isolation are mourning not abortion itself, but the circumstances in which the abortion became the right or only decision for them. Violence, abuse, trauma, poverty, instability, racism, ableism -- these are the real causes of despair.

Blessings are not always joyful, but they always support human thriving and freedom. As Rev. Katey Zeh, CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) puts it, What I've learned in talking to people is that abortion can be a blessing. [... ] Abortion can save lives. Abortion can affirm life. Abortion can be a positive parenting decision. So using a word like rare in that context is actually quite harmful to the broader reproductive freedom movement.

As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that every person is endowed with inherent worth and dignity, which means that our bodies and our spirits are sacred -- we are created for thriving, for pleasure, for freedom. And, we believe that all of us are endowed with the twin gifts of agency and conscience, which means that we are born with both free will and the ability to discern, individually and in community, how to use that freedom. In the context of this theological anthropology (what we believe about human nature and our bodies), we absolutely believe that abortion is a blessing because it is one of many many many pathways toward honoring the sacredness of our bodies and helping us create lives of freedom and thriving.

June 2023

Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else. —Tom Stoppard

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Download this entire Quest Monthly issue as a PDF

The months of May and June often bring transitions related to academic promotions, graduations, and other milestones related to the culmination of years of dedication and hard work.

At this time of year, we often celebrate loved ones as they move from one phase of life into another. We wrap up another year in the school or church calendar, and move into the different pace of life that summer often brings.

Beyond these expected changes, transitions occur in all parts of our lives and often at unpredictable times. How we navigate a wide variety of transitions can reflect our capacity for change.

Transitions that are rooted in celebration are welcomed, and joy is usually inherent in the acknowledgment of weddings, births, and birthdays. The transitions that are more challenging are those that we didn’t anticipate and didn’t ask for. The reality of change may hit us harder when we unexpectedly lose a job, end a marriage or other relation, or when we or someone we love goes through the ultimate transition: that from life to death.

The world around us is in constant transition. Particularly now, in this time of pandemic, climate change, and worsening inequality, change is never-ending. Before the pandemic, more people felt able to have some degree of disconnection from the impacts of modern day life on the planet and how systems of oppression impact the vast majority of beings on the planet. The pandemic has been a flashpoint and a transition for humanity that we are still grappling to understand fully.

We know that the world will never be the same after the past few years. The impacts of oppression and the devastating results of extractive capitalism are harder than ever to ignore. The realities of our changing climate and the stresses of continued inequality are sure to mean more widespread, global transitions are ahead of us. Though many people have always been aware of these realities, some people with privilege still often plead ignorance through their own mental gymnastics and the mistaken belief that we live within a meritocracy. In the short term, privilege may afford some people a better chance at surviving climate chaos and other large global transitions, but the impacts will eventually be felt by everyone.

Amidst the uncertainty of the future and where major global transitions will take us, there are ways we can prepare to weather the coming (literal and figurative) storms as best we can. The tools, practices, and structures of spiritual community have a lot to offer us as we seek to become more resilient within the changes we are already experiencing, and any larger changes to come.

Ultimately, transitions that bring unwelcome change can cause fear and anxiety. This is a completely appropriate response to events that sometimes shake us to the core. Being part of a community and strengthening our connections to one another is part of what grounds us during times of transition. We connect to celebrate, to lament, to find comfort and to know we are loved and not alone. This makes a difference, no matter what type of transition we find ourselves in.

As a faith community without geographical boundaries, the Church of the Larger Fellowship finds ways to invite people into connection and care with each other. We want you to know that you are not alone. While our community does not meet in person in the way that brick and mortar churches do, we offer connection in every way available to us. Being imaginative with how we build community and strengthen relationships is one antidote to the uncertainty of unwelcome transitions and change.

As you navigate transitions in your current life, or anticipate changes to come, always remember: your community is with you. We will always hold your sacredness and belonging, through the many transitions ahead.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs Decision (June 24) overturning Roe v. Wade, Side with Love offered this webinar to highlight reproductive justice and faith organizing on the ground in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Our speakers shared their proactive ongoing work, reactions to the new environment post-Dobbs, and what support and partnership looks like for them. Facilitated by Rev. Ashley Horan, Director of Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team; and Rev. Rob Keithan, Interim Steering Committee Co-Chair of SACReD, the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity and Minister of Social Justice at All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, DC.

• View the recording

We're especially grateful to guests Beulah Osueke, Deputy Director at New Voices for Reproductive Justice and Elaina Ramsey, Executive Director, Faith Choice Ohio. We recommend that you check out the training events offered by Faith Choice Ohio, especially their training on Self-Managed Abortion. 

For those of you registered for the UUA General Assembly 2023, make sure to log in to the Whova app and check out our Side WIth Love/UPLIFT Action on-demand workshop, “Organizing Your Congregation for Reproductive Justice.” 

REFERENCES FROM OUR CONVERSATION: 

• New Voices for Reproductive Justice (PA) 

• Faith Choice Ohio 

• SACReD, the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity . Click "Congregations" to learn more about the congregational designation programs and sign up to get more information about the 7-session SACReD curriculum.

• Side With Love’s UPLIFT Action campaign for LGBTQIA+, Gender & Reproductive Justice 

• If you are a registered Florida voter, please sign the petition to put abortion on the ballot!

As UU congregations are increasingly being targeted by right wing hate, we anticipate an uptick in attention and disruptive tactics heading into Pride month. In this informal space for religious professionals, we will share some observations about patterns we're seeing on the national scale, point toward some existing resources for support, identify gaps, and make connections to fight back against overwhelm, fear, and isolation.

This was an informal gathering of religious professionals of many stripes from across the US, and we spent time sharing observations about the national context and emerging patterns among our congregations, offering some resources for congregations as you make plans for security and crisis response, and engaging one another’s experiences, wisdom, and questions to both foster connection and shape future resource and training creation at the UUA. We were grateful for all those who gathered in real time and are happy to share the video and collected links and resources offered yesterday. 

UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE:

• GLAAD Anti-Drag Report

• Unbowed, Proud Boys are planning now for their biggest Pride Month disruptions ever, extremism watchdogs warn

• Fact Sheet: Anti-LGBT+ Mobilization on the Rise in the United States

• The Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial is underway. But the new leadership has moved on from the 2020 election to LGBTQ issues.

• Far right protests targeting the LGBTQ community show a troubling correlation with violent attacks

• How to Stop Neo-Nazis from Crashing Pride Month

SECURITY AND PLANNING RESOURCES

NOTE: Many of these resources recommend or mention involving police or other law enforcement as a part of security responses. Rooted in our UU values and an ethic of aspiring abolitionism that yearns for a world in which policing and systems of punishment are not central to our society, we highly recommend ongoing conversations and praxis to help our UU communities understand safety differently and to move away from depending on law enforcement as our only form of crisis response. And, we recognize that in certain cases – sometimes at the urging of our partners – we do not currently have access to alternative infrastructure and viable safety structures, and therefore must work with police and other law enforcement. We urge UU communities and congregations to think critically and in advance about whether and when to engage with law enforcement, and to take into consideration the ways in which police often make people from targeted communities – especially trans and queer people – inherently more unsafe by their very presence. 

• Protecting Pride, An organizing guide for safely and successfully celebrating LGBTQIA2S+ joy in these times

• “Risk, Courage and Discernment: Spiritual Preparation”, an exercise by Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen

• Facilitation Guide for Congregational Conversations about Risk Discernment. From Side With Love. A guide for engaging congregations/congregations in their discernment of risk when planning action(s).

• Community Power & Resource Mapping: A Guide for Congregations. From Side With Love. A resource guide and assessment tool for supporting congregations in their identifying partnerships when planning actions.

• Southern Poverty Law Center & Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab: Two resources, one for Parents/Caregivers and the other for communities, which lay a foundation for understanding the nature of extremism, dynamics of radicalization, and steps you can take to prevent them from taking root in your community.

• Beginner Safety Planning for Pride Events

• Bard Center for the Study of Hate Releases New Community Guide for Opposing Hate Co-written by Western States Center and Montana Human Rights Network

• CISA Security Self-Assessment for Houses of Worship

• Best Practices for Security Houses of Worship (ASIS)

• ASIS International - Security Resources for Houses of Worship

• SURJ Community Safety Toolkit

• UUA Handbook for Training Manual for Ushers & Greeters

• UUA Safer Congregations Resources

• Anti-Doxing Guide for Activists Facing Attacks

• SPLC’s 10 Ways to Fight Hate

• FEMA/DHS Grants for Non-Profit Security

• Parasol Patrol

• DontCallThePolice.com - resources by city

• UUA Resources on Alternatives to Calling the Police

• Protecting Pride Events from Armed Extremist Activity

• Church Mutual: Ramp Up Your Cybersecurity

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Security Self-Assessment for Houses of Worship

DEESCALATION & SECURITY TRAININGS:

• DC Peace Team (Unarmed Civilian Protection, Peace & Deescalation Trainings)

• AVADE De-Escalation & Personal Security Training

• Sheepdog Church Security

Imagine it's 2050 and we've achieved all of our wildest hopes for climate justice...what does it look like? The abolitionist movement imagines a future without police and prisons, drawing on deep convictions, faith, imagination, and hope to do so. The climate justice movement is diverse, vibrant, and equally hopeful: but do we UUs have a vision of what a just climate future is? Without a clear vision of a world where all can thrive, we run the risk of prioritizing short-term gains, false solutions, legislative goals disconnected from cultural shifts, and distractions that divide our focus.

Watch the recording of this radical gathering of thinkers for abolitionist visions of climate justice. Facilitated by Side With Love Climate Justice Organizer Rachel Myslivy, the panel will include Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, Ecowomanist theologian and sole candidate for UUA President*; Dr. Rashid Shaikh, director of science emeritus at the Health Effects Institute in Boston and co-convenor of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus on Climate Justice; and Antoinette Scully, Faith-Based National Organizer for the UU Women's Federation. 

* NOTE: This event was sponsored by Side With Love and was not a campaign event

As local governments are wielding extreme power over weak and vulnerable people, we need to be efficient and precise in our efforts to fight back and protect at-risk communities. Oftentimes, those who are in a position to support those who are at risk are not directly impacted by the harms that put them at risk. This can result in wasted energy, time, and resources. In this Skill Up, we will explore how we might ensure that our organizing/strategy efforts are rightly aligned so that impacted communities get what they need and that our energy, time, and resources are most effective.

Skill Ups are our monthly series of trainings on organizing skills to help build our UU the Vote and Side with Love Volunteer Squads and help YOU build stronger teams in your congregation and community. We'll start the session with some spiritual fun and then launch into our training. Find all our past trainings at sidewithlove.org/previous-skill-up-trainings

I love a good post-apocalyptic story.  I grew up on movies like Mad Max,  BladeRunner, and Soylent Green.  When Cli-Fi (Climate Fiction) became a named genre, I was elated to find a host of books curated for my particular weirdness like N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series, Tatterdemalion by Sylvia Linsteadt, and of course, the life-changing Earthseed series by Octavia Butler.  (I confess, I don’t know if this prepares me for a lifetime working on climate justice or if it just gives me a reference point of “Whew, it’s not that bad, yet.”)  

Our society loves a good story of survival after collapse, but what about a vision where all beings thrive?

It seems easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine a world without fossil fuels.  If we can so creatively imagine collapse, what would it look like if we similarly imagine renewal?  What if climate activists embraced the visionary reimaging we see in the abolition movement?  How can we reimagine a world with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right and all beings thrive?

These are the questions of our times.  

“In order to build the movements capable of transforming our world, we have to do our best to live with one foot in the world we have not yet created…” Aurora Levins Morales

Imagine it's 2050 and we've achieved all of our wildest hopes for climate justice...what does it look like? Do we UUs have a vision of what a just climate future is? Without a clear vision of a world where all can thrive, we run the risk of prioritizing short-term gains, false solutions, legislative goals disconnected from cultural shifts, and distractions that divide our focus. 

I invite you to tune into Abolitionist Visions of Climate Justice this Thursday, May 25 at 7ET with Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, Ecowomanist theologian and sole candidate for UUA President*; Dr. Rashid Shaikh, director of science emeritus at the Health Effects Institute in Boston and co-convenor of the UU Ministry for Earth Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus on Climate Justice; and Antoinette Scully, National Organizer for the UU Women's Federation. 

Together, these UU leaders will share their own abolitionist vision of climate justice while discussing what it means for UUs to hold these radical visions and what we need to do to realize this flourishing world.  

Following the webinar, Side With Love will host workshops to support UUs to host similar visions of climate justice in our own communities.  These visions can guide our conversations and shape our work to ensure that our movements are building a thriving future for all. 

* NOTE: This event is cosponsored by Side With Love, UU College of Social Justice, UU Ministry for Earth, UUs for Social Justice, and UUs for a Just Economic Community; and is not a campaign event

Yours in community

Rachel Myslivy

Climate Justice Organizer

Are you wondering if Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds can transform your congregation? They can! With 30% direct pay options for churches and nonprofits, IRA funds present a great opportunity for UUs to reduce our carbon footprint while cultivating communities of care and prioritizing climate justice. Even better, the UUA has funding options to help you maximize IRA funds!

In this webinar, join Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President, to learn about how you can leverage UUA funding options with IRA funds for an even bigger impact.

• Watch the presentation on Vimeo

• View the slides

• Federal Funding for Energy at Houses of Worship resource hub from Interfaith Power & Light

• Google Drive folder with resources shared at the meeting

Upcoming Webinars

• Abolitionist Visions for Climate Justice - May 25, 7ET

• Go Green to Get Green: How to get Energy Efficiency Grants for Congregations Webinar - June 1, 5ET

• Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation - June 7 Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation, 7ET

• Climate Justice Brainstorm! Green Sanctuary Community Meeting - June 14, 7ET

UUA Funding Opportunities

• UUA Loan and Grant Programs

• Faithify.org

• Chalice Lighter programs: 

  • Central East

  • Southern

  • MidAmerica

  • Pacific Western

Benchmarking resources

• Planning the Energy Future of your Congregation

• Calculating your Carbon Footprint with Russ Outcalt Video at Green Sanctuary Community Meeting

  • Spreadsheet 

• Interfaith Power and Light Cool Congregations Benchmarking resources 

• Energy Star for Congregations 

• If you’re ready to join the process, please fill out the interest form 

• RSVP for climate justice events

•  Sign up for Green Sanctuary and Climate Justice emails

•  View previous webinars and trainings

Questions?  Email Environment@UUA.org

The Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team is hiring!

Our Democracy Strategist will work with Unitarian Universalist individuals, congregations, and institutions to equip, engage and mobilize them for impactful, values-based pro-democracy organizing. This person will deepen collaborative organizing partnerships with secular and multifaith coalitions and organizations who are working on voting rights, electoral justice, building multi-racial democracy, and fighting authoritarianism and fascism.

If you have 5+ years’ experience with electoral and/or voting rights campaigns at the local, regional, and/or national level, look at the job description and apply!

Democracy Strategist

Title: Democracy Strategist

Location: Open*

Hours/Week: 35, with benefits

Purpose

To equip, engage, and mobilize Unitarian Universalist individuals, congregations, and institutions for impactful, values-based pro-democracy organizing through Side With Love’s campaigns and programs. To maintain and deepen collaborative organizing partnerships with secular and multifaith coalitions and organizations working in the areas of voting rights, electoral justice, building multi-racial democracy and fighting authoritarianism and fascism.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Serves as the lead strategist of the UU the Vote campaign; designs and leads the execution of a national, multi-strategy, hybrid program that engages our base to build power, deepen leadership capacity, and take impactful action in alignment with Unitarian Universalist values and pro-democratic movements for justice. Convenes the SWL team and related UUA partners to execute the strategy.

2. Creates year-round programming that incorporates longer-term democracy organizing with short-term campaign work related to electoral cycles, including primaries, direct democracy campaigns, ballot initiatives and referenda, and general elections.

3. Manages and develops strategic partnerships. Nurtures and serves as primary liaison for partnerships between UU congregations and statewide, regional and national partners within the broader ecosystem of pro-democracy and voting work.

4. Designs accessible, inspiring volunteer recruitment and training strategies that allow UUs with diverse identities, skills, capacities, and passions to meaningfully participate in electoral and pro-democracy work.

5. Identifies strategic opportunities within the democracy and voting rights landscape to mobilize UU communities for concrete, impactful, on-the-ground engagement with non-partisan campaigns in key places. In consultation with the Field Organizing team, identifies and provides direct support to these congregations/communities to develop leadership, grow capacity and skill, and mobilize in support of local and state campaigns and movements.

6. Engages in regular assessment of program effectiveness and impact, including qualitative and quantitative metrics. Provides comprehensive annual analysis and reporting on the overall program.

7. Oversees online programs that support UU the Vote leaders around the country, including coaching, political education, organizing training, and spiritual grounding. In consultation with Field Organizing Team, develops training programs to equip volunteer leaders and congregational teams with the concrete skills needed to develop organizing plans for their own religious communities, and effectively recruit and mobilize fellow congregants to carry out those strategies.

8. Plans and executes in-person and online gatherings to train, coordinate, and mobilize UUs and their partners at critical moments.

9. Supports the use and implementation of voter contact tools and other technologies, such as dialers, mobile apps, and the voter file for UU participants.

10. Stays up-to-date on electoral landscape and provides briefing for UUA staff, UU partners, and congregations.

11. Researches and analyzes electoral and voting rights landscape of target states.

12. Supervises UU the Vote Fellows, interns, and other UU the Vote-specific paid or volunteer staff.

13. Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

This is exempt Grade 12 position (expected hiring range of $62,000-$70,000 depending on experience). Note that qualifications may be met as a result of lived experience, volunteer work, professional experience, and/or formal or informal training. Requirements include:

• Must be able to work independently and be highly self-motivated, demonstrate creative problem-solving and excellent professional judgment, possess resiliency and ability to work in a rapidly changing and fast-paced environment

• 5+ years’ experience with electoral and/or voting rights campaigns at the local, regional, and/or national level

• Experience managing program or organization budgets

• Preferred proficiency with digital tools critical for organizing, such as EveryAction, VAN, Slack, dialers, Google Suite and social media platforms

• Excellent skills in building and maintaining partner and constituent relationships, including strong preference for experience working with faith leaders, congregations, and coalitions

• Commitment to developing organizing strategies and partnerships that align with Unitarian Universalist values and principles.

• Ability to act collaboratively and flexibly as a member of a remote staff team, including proficiency with technologies such as Google docs, Slack, Asana, Zoom, etc.

• Solid verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Proven ability to design and facilitate group experiences (in person and remotely) that engage, educate, and empower participants to deepen their leadership skills and mobilize others to work for justice.

• Deep commitment to countering systems of oppression and leading with intercultural fluency and humility. Worked or lived experience with Black/Indigenous/communities of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, and poor and/or rural communities is of particular value.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to travel if and when pandemic conditions allow

• Willingness to work with volunteers whose schedules require convening meetings and events on evenings or weekends.

* Location is open in the continental United States. You should have easy access to a major airport due to the travel requirements of this position.

How to Apply

People with disabilities, people of color, indigenous people, Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ candidates are encouraged to apply. The UUA is committed to developing a diverse and talented staff team. If you are excited about this role, but are unsure whether you meet 100% of the requirements, we encourage you to inquire and/or apply. Send cover letter and résumé—indicating “Democracy Strategist ” in the subject line—via e-mail to careers @ uua.org, via fax to (617) 948-6467, or to Human Resources, UUA, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210. E-mail submissions preferred.

About the UUA

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive religious denomination headquartered in Boston’s waterfront Fort Point Innovation District. Our faith community of more than 1,000 self-governing congregations brings to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance, and social justice. Our normal workweek is 35 hours, we pay 80% contribution towards health insurance premiums, 10% towards retirement (after one year), and have generous paid time-off policies.

We are a great place to work and we value diversity. The UUA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to the full inclusion of all. As part of this commitment, the UUA will ensure that applicants and staff with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (617) 948-4648 or humanresources@uua.org.

Proof of a full course vaccination against COVID-19 is a requirement of employment, in alignment with the UUA's commitments to science and equity, protecting those who are most vulnerable. Medical exemptions are considered upon recommendation from a provider.

Please contact the Office of Human Resources at (617) 948-4648 or humanresources@uua.org. For more information on the UUA, visit us online at UUA.org and uuworld.org.

Support for the Mission and Values of the Association

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive and historic religious denomination. While it is not generally required or expected that an applicant/employee identify as a Unitarian Universalist (UU) or be a member of a UU congregation in order to work at the UUA, all UUA staff members are expected to perform their job duties in accordance with the UUA’s values, principles and mission. In particular the following points, drawn from the Seven UU Principles, are of particular importance for the UUA’s work environment and staff culture:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every human being: We affirm the need for a human-centered workplace that allows our diverse staff to flourish. We also understand that our wider culture and society oppresses and denies human dignity, and we seek to counter the effects of that oppression in our hiring and workplace culture so that each person feels whole and valued.

• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations, and the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all: We speak openly and publicly of our support for social and political issues, including LGBTQ equity, racial justice, climate justice, gender equity, and reproductive justice.

• The interdependent web of existence: We recognize that the liberation of all people is interwoven, and we work to counter patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, environmental exploitation, and other interrelated systems of marginalization.

As part of this commitment, the UUA will ensure that applicants and staff with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Before the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade made abortion legal across the United States, clergy from a wide variety of religious traditions developed a coordinated, skilled, responsive underground network that supported people experiencing "problem pregnancies" to access abortion care from trustworthy doctors and medical professionals. This network of more than 1400 clergy and hundreds of providers -- which included many Unitarian Universalists -- helped hundreds of thousands of people access safe abortions before the Roe decision.

Now, we look back at the Clergy Consultation Service to learn so we can prepare and coordinate to take risks again for reproductive justice. Let's learn our history to plan for our future.

Resources Mentioned

• UPLIFT Action’s Congregational Repro Justice Organizing Resources

• Sexing History Podcast

• Interactive Map of States' Abortion Access Status from Guttmacher

• SACReD: The Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity

• National Network of Abortion Funds 

• News Article: Missouri Clergy Lawsuit Challenging Abortion Ban

• The Lawyering Project

 If you were in the Clergy Consultation Service or were helped by them and want to share your story with Dr. Gillian Frank, please feel free to reach out at gfrank @ princeton.edu. 

Ready to Take Action?

Organize your congregational team to engage with our Reproductive Justice Congregational Organizing Series for Teams 2023. This three-session series includes all the resources and grounding for creating an accountable organizing plan.

Often, when people find out that I was a scientist before becoming a minister, they make assumptions about how my brain works, or about how I must see the world. These assumptions are based in a perception of science as cold, distant, and rational. And while it is true that I bring a certain rational brain to bear on collecting and analyzing data, that skill is reserved for when it is truly needed.

Instead, my science background invites me to see magic and mystery in the world around me. It invites me to wonder at everyday occurrences—to find the special and the sacred in the blooming crocus, the varied songs of the cardinal, the laughter of children, and the storm blowing in from across the river.

My science background invites me to see all of these things as intricately interconnected to all of existence, and to marvel at how complex it all is.

My science background invites me to realize that the depth of that complexity means that it is impossible that humans will ever understand it fully.

Too often, people see science as an attempt to do just that—to understand everything fully. But any good scientist will tell you that every new discovery brings with it a new depth of understanding of what is still not known. Every question answered means two more questions asked. As Physicist John Archibald Wheeler once said, “We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.”

My experience of science is that it asks me to see our world as full of wonder. Full of possibilities for understanding. Full of questions that are exciting to pursue.

Many times as a graduate student in cell biology, I holed myself up in a small, dark room with a very large microscope for hours as I experimented on immune cells taken from lungs.  My experiments examined the movement of those cells, and on testing whether the proteins I studied stimulated those cells to move.

It was amazing and humbling to understand that the things I did on the large scale made those cells move on the microscopic one. There, in that small, dark room, looking at those very tiny cells, I could not help but be overwhelmed by my connection to a vast and unfathomable universe.  I could not help but be filled with a sense of wonder and awe.

PHOTO BY DREW HAYS ON UNSPLASH

In this world away from that microscope room, I also see wonder and awe everywhere.

I want to invite you into this wonder-full way of experiencing the world. This way in which everything is an exciting and sacred thing.

When next you read about a scientific study, I want you to imagine the scientists who produced it. I want you to imagine them in their labs, or field stations, or conference rooms. Imagine them asking questions—lots and lots of questions. Imagine them getting more and more excited by the questions before them. And then imagining them figuring out how they are going to ask those questions in their work. Not how they will answer them—but how they will ask them.

When next you experience something you don’t understand (and for me, that is almost every moment of every day), ask questions about it. Change your questions and see if it changes your experience of that thing. Ask other people what their questions are and see if those questions change your experience. Enter into the world of wonder. It’s a wonderful place.

How do you access a sense of wonder? What does wonder feel like?

Russell
CLF Member, incarcerated WI

I remember how excited I always got as a kid at an approaching thunderstorm. It always started with me smelling the charged Earth in the breeze. Then the feel of warm wind mixed with cool. The fast approaching thunder clouds signaled the parade of the oncoming natural light show. Fingers of lightning streaking across the deepening gray sky. Then the reverberating boom of cackling lightning growling down at us small people below. It always made me feel like a spy on Mother Nature’s most active display of beauty. The thrill of such power felt like a roller coaster that never lets you down!

And the softening of the end of the great scene let me feel relieved that I wasn’t set on fire on the spot by a stray bolt of lightning, each time I watched a storm. I was aware of the danger it posed. In nature’s everyday workings is wonder beyond my wildest dreams. A baby bird learning to fly, a car crash avoided in split seconds, a last minute three pointer from my favorite basketball player at the buzzer for the win.

All of these things seem ordinary at first. But when observed, one can easily tell that there is a hint of brilliance hiding in every act. What is there not to find wonder in once one realizes this fact?!

PHOTO BY JOHANNES PLENIO ON UNSPLASH

In a recent Quest article titled “Embracing the Living Tradition,” Rev. Dr. Michael Tino shared more about the work of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Article II Study Commission, and the changes they are proposing to our Association’s Bylaws. These changes propose new language for how we articulate the center of this faith tradition, replacing our Principles with seven core Values. We have received numerous responses to that article and the proposed changes, some of which are shared below.

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Gary
CLF Member, incarcerated in NC

Inclusiveness is what drew me to the CLF. At 63, I have explored many faiths, endeavoring To chart a path and find a spiritual home.

I grew up Christian, as a member of the United Methodist Church. Being gay, I knew that the dogma of traditional Christian churches fluctuated from “love the sinner; hate the sin,” to outright abhorrence, considering me an “abomination” in God’s eyes.

Seeking a place, I drifted to the Roman Catholic Church, going from mild disdain to sheer condemnation. Yet, I found a certain measure of comfort in the liturgy and ritual, and a presence of the Divine amidst the incense, prayers and Eucharist. Still, I could not be me.

I joined the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) — the “gay” church. At last, I thought, I have found a place. I became sadly disillusioned when the MCC visitors came to see me only to develop relationships with younger, better looking inmates they asked to be introduced to.

I left the MCC and explored Buddhism, seeking the inner peace so elusive in my life. While Buddhism did offer comfort, I wanted a connection to the Divine.

For 9 years I practiced Wicca. I even attended Wiccan Seminary and became a First Degree Wicca Priest — a Witch. I should also point out that I hold a degree in Pastoral Ministry from Seminary Extension of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Nashville, TN.

I felt “at home” in Wicca, only to be again disenchanted by our Coven’s High Priest, who, contrary to Wicca belief, used our services to lambaste all other faiths and employed foul language to do so.

I briefly explored Humanism, but I fundamentally believe in “God.”

No, not an old bearded white man sitting on a gold throne, smiting all who cross “Him.”

Rather, I believe in the Divine God without sex, without race, who is love.

Then, I discovered the CLF. I can’t say exactly how it happened, to be quite honest. Maybe it was the work of that Divine Creator, who I had prayed to, begged for mercy, help.

It was in Unitarian Universalism that I found that beautiful inclusiveness, that spiritual liberty to embrace those elements of any or no particular faith, and to chart my own path. Here I could embark on my own spiritual journey, unique to me as my DNA.

I can combine the love of Christ, the wisdom of the Buddha, the ritual prayers of Catholicism, the peace of Islam the Mystical qualities of Wicca, and make my own spiritual “vegetable soup” using the very best of all faiths as I continue this beautiful journey called life.

The Article II as described in Quest captures the tradition of Unitarian Universalism as a living faith. UUism is not mired in dogma with an unwillingness to progress as humanity does. Who could doubt that were Christ to be on earth today that he would not avail the use of social media?

Illustration of the new Article II language by Kavin, CLF member incarcerated in OH

As I study the image of the new Article II language, I ponder the meaning of each:

Interdependence: No one is an island. As the Baha’i say, “The world is one nation, mankind its citizens…” We are all neighbors on this tiny blue speck in this great universe.

Equity: We are all equal. There is a sanctity in life. All lives matter. Race, ethnicity, gender, identity, sexual orientation, are of no consequence.

Transformation: Everyone has the capacity to “do good.” There are no “evil” people, only poor choices. All have the spirit of the Divine dwelling within, with the power of this transformation.

Pluralism: Every faith practiced by humanity has worth. Labels are but a device of humans and like race, gender, origin, has. no consequence. There is room at the table for all.

Generosity: It is only in giving that we can experience a taste of the very Divine which we claim to worship. Love one another is, perhaps, the greatest of all commandments. The poor, homeless, sick, aged, imprisoned, orphaned, abused — are not these our fellow humans equally created in the image of the Divine?

Justice: It is indeed sad that America ranks third in human history (behind Hitler’s Nazi regime and Stalinist Russia) to imprison such a huge percentage of its people. The US is but 4% of earth’s population, but this country houses 20% of the world’s incarcerated people. Justice isn’t justice until it is truly justice for all.

So you see, UU embraces the very best of what it means to be human. I, for one, am glad I was somehow led to the altar of acceptance, love, mercy, and a congregation where my past does not define me.

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.

Larry
CLF member, incarcerated in NC

My reaction is simple: I love it. One of the main characteristics of the Unitarian Universalist faith that I felt so strongly about was what I will call “evolution.” This evolution of growth and the ability to honestly and continually re-visit the Association’s bylaws in order to not only stay current but ensure progress is, I believe, a necessity.

PHOTO BY ARTIOM VALLAT ON UNSPLASH

Doctrines and dogma have destroyed tons of potential in other organizations who may have otherwise progressed in spiritual growth. It’s sad, but very true. By embracing a living tradition, we are setting a fantastic example, one that I believe that great spiritual teachers such as Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, Moses, etc. would all approve of. I often look to the greats for inspiration, and this bylaw inspires me in and of itself.

In response to whether or not I am interested in learning more about the process and language, I definitely am. Today, I live and breathe spiritual knowledge mainly because of the deep impact it has had not only on my life but on those closest to me. Altruism has become a life-long goal and a driving force in many people’s lives who have been fortunate enough to find organizations just like this one. I thank you all and hope that Unitarian Universalism continues to be a beacon of light in a harsh world.

Prison life has beaten the hell out of me. It has helped me to learn not to be hardheaded, when God is trying to teach me something. For these lessons, I thank God.

Life is a painful struggle, but only the dead need not struggle. For these struggles, I thank God.

Working through the trials and tribulations that have made me stronger, and when that pain mysteriously turns into beauty. For the trials, tribulations, and pain, I thank God.

“Prison Wisdom” by Leo Cardez

When I can use my strengths, to help others who are going through what I have endured — for what good is being strong, unless it can be used to help the weak? For those opportunities, I thank God.

Honest friendships, deep conversations, and a good laugh, even in the midst of chaos, I thank God.

The opportunity to focus my energy into making needed changes in my thinking; that even behind these bars, I can make a positive shift in my outlook. For these changes, I thank God.

Food, water, and shelter — for these basic necessities whom so many lack, I thank God.

For getting into shape and living a healthier lifestyle removed from my addictions, I thank God.

For all those who go out of their way, to make things harder than they need to be; For all the inmates who whine and complain about anything and everything;

For all the friends and family who turned their back on me in my darkest hour, and chose hate instead of love, anger instead of compassion, animosity instead of understanding, and rancor instead of forgiveness;

For all the frustrations that come with a life lived inside a concrete jungle on the fringes of society — all of which drove me to do what I didn’t before: give my life to Jesus Christ. For all these people, I thank God.

For this soul-saving intervention that has opened my eyes and heart to the importance of real family, loyal friends, unflinching love, and to the God who made it all.

For all of this, I will forever thank God.

May 2023

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom. -Socrates

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Download this entire Quest Monthly issue as a PDF

Biden promised to be a climate president – yet under his watch, the U.S. continues to be the biggest producer of oil and gas in the world. In the first few years of his term, he approved more lease sales for new oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters than Trump. And his administration has approved new oil and gas projects, like the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska and multiple oil and gas export terminals in the Gulf. Global scientists have been abundantly clear – we cannot avoid the very worst impacts of the climate crisis if we allow for any more fossil development.

UUs, it’s time to show up!  

This June, People vs. Fossil Fuels are mobilizing to turn up the heat and make Biden take real climate action – by ending the era of fossil fuels.  Join us for a national week of action  June 8th - 11th 2023 to demand Biden use his executive powers to end the era of fossil fuels and declare a climate emergency! 

With mobilization tools like individual coaching, communication templates, action plans, and more, PvFF and partners are supporting folks to host bold, creative, and disruptive actions to lift up their local fights against oil and gas developments.  

May Mobilization Call

Join Side With Love, UUMFE, and People vs. Fossil Fuels for a conversation about the campaign, distributed actions, and supports available, including coaching and movement chaplaincy for UUs.  This will be an open space for UUs to come together and discuss plans for End the Era of Fossil Fuels Distributed Actions

Hosted by  Side With Love, UU Ministry for Earth, and People vs Fossil Fuels, the webinar included an overview of the campaign, ways you can bring the action into your congregation, and opportunities for Movement Chaplaincy support for UUs engaging in the actions.  

• Watch the recording

• Review the slides

Action Steps:

1. Review the Action Toolkit for planning your action

2. Add your event to the Action Map or join an existing effort in your area https://tinyurl.com/actionmap-EndtheEra

3. If you’re hosting an event, request coaching support from PvFF 

4. Join PvFF Action trainings 

5. RSVP for Movement Chaplaincy with UUMFE to prepare: May 30, 2023 4PT-5MT-6CT-7ET

6. Add Your Event to the Side With Love Action Center so other UUs can find you!

7. Tell us what you did!  Add your action to the Side With Love Story & Report form

8. RSVP for Movement Chaplaincy to debrief: June 15, 2023  4PT-5MT-6CT-7ET

Michael Cohen, Solar United Neighbors, gave an overview on Solar for congregations and share a little about the process the First Unitarian Church of Orlando is going through to consider installing solar with IRA funds.

You can watch the presentation and check out Michael’s Handy Links for UU Congregations on Energy Efficiency & Solar.  

What’s Next?

What next?  Join us in May to learn about how you can leverage UUA funding options with IRA funds for an even bigger impact.  On May 17 at 7ET for Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President, will discuss IRA funds and UUs: Funding Clean Energy and Climate Solutions!  With 30% direct pay options for churches and nonprofits, IRA funds present a great opportunity for UUs to reduce our carbon footprint while cultivating communities of care and prioritizing climate justice. Even better, the UUA has funding options to help you maximize IRA funds! Register Now

About Green Sanctuary 2030

Are you thinking about joining the Green Sanctuary 2030 process?  Come to an orientation to learn more and get started!  Orientations are the first Wednesday of each month at 7ET.  Sign up for these and all Climate Justice events at https://sidewithlove.org/climatejustice.

Find our other climate justice and Green Sanctuary 2030 webinars here.

Everywhere you look the world is on fire! Sometimes you just want to scream at the top of your lungs, “Everything is bad! Do something! AAUGH!!!!” That urgency is real, and also maybe not the best way to communicate about the issues - or to take care of yourself! In our April Skill Up, learn some ways to manage yourself and engage others as you effectively advocate for justice and work for a thriving world for all with Side With Love Climate Justice Organizer Rachel Myslivy.

• View the recording

• View the slides

Put It In Practice!

Skill Up Followup Practice Session

May 1 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

This Followup to April's Skill Up is a practice session for folks who came to the Skill Up live or have watched the recording. If you did not attend live, please watch the recording prior to this session. Come practice having conversations that effectively engage others and keep you grounded as we together seek to effectively advocate for justice and work for a thriving world for all. Register to join live.

Register for upcoming Skill Ups and view past ones at sidewithlove.org/skillups.

Happy Earth Week! For environmentalists, the month of April means there’s an event every day of the week - sometimes several! With all of the Earth Day Celebrations, we wanted to pop into your inbox to highlight a few of our favorites.

In collaboration with UU organizations and national partners, Side With Love is here to help you balance the urgent need for political education and mobilization with spiritual nourishment and leadership development. This week, you can nourish your spirits at the Active for Earthcare Service with the UU Ministry for Earth, develop your leadership skills at the Side With Love April Skill Up: Facing the Apocalypse with a Smile with yours truly, educate yourself on Solar 101 + IRA funds with the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, and mobilize with UUs for Social Justice on the Farm Bill, and with People vs. Fossil Fuels to End the Era of Fossil Fuels! Join us!

In community,

Rachel Myslivy

Spiritual grounding & nourishment

UU Ministry for Earth Earth Day service: April 20 at 5PT - 6MT - 7CT - 8ET

Our faith calls us into relationship with the sacred elements of Earth and to put power in the hands of the many and not the few. This Earth Day, join the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth in meditation, song, and stories to honor nature’s elements and become Active for Earthcare – a call to engage in the face of the climate crisis. This worship structure may be a bit different from what you are used to — lean into it and enjoy the journey!

You can join the service live on April 20th, 8pm EST/7pm CST/6pm MT/5pm PST or use the resources on whatever Sunday works best for your congregation’s worship calendar. Once your congregation is registered, the videos will be sent to you on April 7, 2023. Register today!

Political education

Solar 101 + IRA funds: April 19 at 4PT - 5MT - 6CT - 7ET (90 mins)

Michael Cohen, Solar United Neighbors, will give a quick primer on Solar for congregations and share a little about the process the First Unitarian Church of Orlando is going through to consider installing solar with IRA funds. Join the Green Sanctuary Team meetings for shared learning and mutual support with other UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice on the third Wednesday of the month at 7PM ET. Each meeting includes a short presentation on a climate justice topic, followed by open discussion on pressing needs. Register today.

Skill building & leadership development

Facing the Apocalypse with a Smile: April 23 at 1PT - 2MT - 3CT - 4ET

Everywhere you look the world is on fire! Sometimes you just want to scream at the top of your lungs, “Everything is bad! Do something! AAUGH!!!!” That urgency is real, and also maybe not the best way to communicate about the issues - or to take care of yourself! 

Rachel Myslivy, Side with Love Climate Justice Organizer, will help you learn ways to manage yourself and engage others as you effectively advocate for justice and work for a thriving world for all. Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to be lifelong learners, and organizing traditions teach that we need to share what we know for our movements to grow. Our Squad Skill Ups are a monthly series of trainings on organizing skills to help build our UUtheVote and Side with Love Volunteer Squads and help YOU build stronger teams in your congregation and community. Skill Ups occur the 3rd Sunday of most months. Register today.

Take Action

Mobilize with UUSJ to Advocate for the Farm Bill

The Farm Bill presents a critical opportunity to advocate for a climate-smart agricultural sector that advances justice. We want and need a proposal that moves the agricultural sector in a sustainable and regenerative direction. As faith advocates, we have a moral imperative for a greener Farm Bill and kick-start a multi-cycle effort to push the sector and our food systems in the direction of solutions.

• Review UUSJ’s issue Handout

• Send a message using their online letter platform

• Distribute an Action Poster so others can do the same.

• Join virtual Hill Visits with UUSJ: fill out the meeting interest form HERE or email advocacy@uusj.org.

Mobilize to End the Era of Fossil Fuels with People vs. Fossil Fuels

April 19 at 5PT - 6MT - 7CT - 8ET - Register here

The 350 Network Council, Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Organizing Hub, Honor the Earth, and People vs Fossil Fuel partners are co-hosting the Era of Fossil Fuels Mobilization Call on April 19th at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET on Zoom. This call is meant to welcome folks who have been brought into the movement by the Biden Admin’s disastrous decision to approve the Willow project in Alaska and help them plug into the movement to End the Era of Fossil Fuels around the country. This event will inform attendees about the PvFF campaign and our broader strategy–particularly our commitment to climate justice and solidarity with Black and Indigenous leaders who have driven this work for generations.

(Yes, we know this conflicts with our Solar 101 + IRA Funds! You can join Solar 101 first, then hop over to this one!)

Suzelle and Brad have been pen pals for years. They wrote this exploration of imagination together.

Suzelle:  Imagination is human magic. It gives us the power to make mental pictures and feel feelings beyond the input of our senses. It helps us believe, remember, reason, fantasize and solve problems! Imagination misused fuels our fears, but more often it beckons us toward a better life.

I always thought I had a good imagination. I’m a writer, an artist, and a songwriter… But I never imagined I could have a rich, beautiful, loving friendship with somebody like Brad the Dad, a young incarcerated Black man who grew up on the streets in poverty, fear, and violence.

Brad the Dad:  Imagine a child born to a single mother addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol. She has utter disregard for this child; his basic needs are at war with the merciless enemy, crack, and only one desire can be fulfilled. The child loses every time…

There is no father. Often, there are no lights, heat, or hot water; no food or rules; no love, attention, or affection. There’s only crack smoke, empty beer cans, and strange men coming and going day and night. And if the child cries from hunger, he’s fed punches to the face to shut him up.

Imagine a child who wanted to be Superman; who dreamed of being a lawyer or policeman; who dreamed of his mother loving him and his daddy being home. Feel the bite of cold, hard steel around his tiny wrists; the loneliness, fear and sadness of being locked in jail for trying to protect and earn the love of a mother who cursed the day he was born. Honestly, would it surprise anyone if this child answered the call of self-preservation and took to the streets?

Now imagine the surprise of this child grown to adulthood, in a prison cell, watching TV as a crowd of black and white people march through the streets, professing “Black Lives Matter!” I thought it was some kind of a hoax. Frustrated and angry, I asked myself, “Who are these Black Lives everyone claims to matter…?”

Suzelle:  It was my congregation and me that Brad saw on the TV news.  We were marching to fight the dismissal of charges against the police officer who murdered Jay Anderson, Jr., a young black man from our neighborhood.

Brad wrote to me. He asked. “Does my black life matter? Does my son’s black life matter? Or is it just the black lives who are dead that matter?” His question hit my face like a dash of cold water. We began writing back and forth.

Brad the Dad: Throughout the 20 years I’ve been incarcerated, I’ve always imagined myself as something greater than the six-digit number the prison system assigned me. I HAD to imagine in order to survive. I’ve spent more than ten years in solitary confinement, with one stint lasting almost four years straight. Having a vivid imagination and hope is the ONLY way to survive the hole for such a duration. You must be able to live in your mind and work towards something greater for tomorrow. I imagined myself as the most loving and understanding father the world has ever seen, and the most supportive, loving, and loyal husband a wife could ask for. I imagined I was smart; a scholar even, so I studied and read a lot of books. I imagined myself as a Freedom Fighter. Despite the barriers the prison administration placed in front of me, I never ceased to imagine. To believe. To hope.

Suzelle:  I didn’t understand Brad at first. I thought he wanted help from me. I asked a committee of my congregation to assist, but they returned only fear and suspicion. But Brad had imagined something far more powerful than help: he imagined honest conversations, a sharing of laughs and lives, caring support for his son.  In a word, he imagined kinship.  And that is what we now have — Brad and me, my partner, Brad’s wife, his son, and Lynn and Marc — a wonderful couple from my former congregation who wrote to Brad when I could not. We are a circle of kin, companions on life’s path. We love each other; we listen and learn from each other.

Brad the Dad:  I never knew exactly how I would bring my imaginings to fruition, but I always believed I would.  Now I can proudly profess to you that I stand here today as a loving husband of an amazing wife, who has enriched my life beyond anything I could have ever imagined; a supportive father of a wonderful son and step daughter. I am a college scholar with a 3.8 grade point average, and I am a staunch defender of the freedoms and liberties of all people, regardless of age, race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. So much love is reciprocated between my great friends Suzelle and Lynn and me, and their partners, whose friendship and support has helped me turn my imagination into reality. We have all dared to hope, believe, and imagine something beyond the boxes of each of our cultural or social demographics. I encourage you to have the courage to do the same.

PHOTO BY NICOLE BASTER ON UNSPLASH

What role does imagination play in your life?

Michael
CLF Member, incarcerated TX

Imagination has had a major role in my life ever since I was a little boy. My imagination started and grew, from my shoe box full of G.I. Joe vs. Cobra action figures. I’d create story lines, and they’d be my actors for my imaginative movie. To be honest, that carried on until I was 17 years old. At that time, I gave my action figures to my oldest nephew.

Then, I started writing short stories, getting critique and advice from my Reading and English teachers in high school. By 20, I went online to find out how a screenplay is properly written and formatted. After reading a couple of screenplays online, like Die Hard and The Sixth Sense, I started writing my own screenplays.

Every day, I have new ideas and imaginative plots for stories, screenplays, and novels. Being able to go into my world of imagination really helps me to be able to cope and manage a cool mind and time while in prison. Of course, movies, commercials, TV shows, classic literature and novels, really help to spark an idea and let my imagination fly and take me into a place of wonderful, awesome, and potential possibilities. I’d be one lost and crazy individual without my imagination. I’m very thankful for the imagination I have and hope one day, I can use it to help and bless others.

PHOTO BY NONG V ON UNSPLASH

Michael
CLF Member, incarcerated WI

Your mind controls whether you live in a paradise, or hell. Imagination gives us the power to believe, and push the limits. My imagination has granted me ideas, innovation; the natural outcome of creative thinking. The proper use of imagination is to give beauty to the world.

Talib
CLF Member, incarcerated FL

When we’re incarcerated we lose a lot, but one of the main things we lose is our ability to connect to the world. We become very isolated, and we start to forget the world outside this one — our dreams even start to become defined by the parameters of prison. Our interpretation can become distorted through the prism that is prison.

Our imagination plays the vital role of keeping us connected to the outside world.

We use our imagination in a variety of ways: we tell stories about our life before incarceration, or imagine what we’ll be doing upon release. We imagine playing games with our kids, of having intimate moments with loved ones; we use artistic mediums to remember the world as we once saw it, or re-imagine it in a way that renews our connection to it. There is no shortage of inventive ways that those of us in prison use our imagination as a means to feel connected to a world that some of us haven’t seen in decades.

I will tell you the three main ways I use my imagination as a means of connection. First, I am a constant student. I enjoy learning; I love to study philosophy, sociology, and politics. I strive to understand reasons. My love of studying started with myself: I was 20 years old, facing down the rest of my life in prison, and did not understand why. I needed to figure it out. I wanted to know what happened to me that caused me to want to be someone who inflicted pain. This led me down a rabbit hole in which I found some of those answers, and also led to me finding myself, and being able to imagine how I fit in the world.

Next, I am a writer. I write a variety of things, but my passion lies with poetry and short-fiction: this is where I can play with ideas of identity and emotion. Writing helps me to imagine the world in new ways, the type of people that exist in it, and how we’re all connected to it. It allows me to imagine an existence beyond the walls. When I write, I am in a different world — connected to it, not in a prison cell.

Lastly, I use imagination with the people I correspond with. I have been told that I can be quite an inquisitive person, it is only because I desire to know. I’ve spent my entire 20s and almost all of my 30s in prison, and the experiences that people normally have at that age — things that helped them discover themselves — are things I didn’t get. I live somewhat vicariously through others’ stories. I rely on their information when discussing an array of topics, to hypothesize my own likes/dislikes and desires/needs. The more detail, the better I can imagine. It is through those interactions that I can see the world.

My imagination for me, and for others in my position, is about maintaining a connection to other people and the world. It is a necessary component to staying a person, instead of becoming a prisoner.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN KEMPER ON UNSPLASH

George
CLF Member, incarcerated FL

Imagination has always played a big role in my life. As kids we often imagine ourselves as superheroes or any other type of fictional hero. As we grow up, so does our imagination. As a teenager, I used to imagine myself as a firefighter or a police officer (still heroes, but more reality based). Now as an incarcerated man, I truly understand the power of a good, strong imagination.

Relaxed thinking is the key to your imagination, and imagination is the key to your power and talent. As an incarcerated man, I have time to think clearly. Once activated, it’s easy to find and focus on your power and talent. For some it’s drawing, and for others it may be writing or story telling. For me it’s all of the above. I tell stories in graphic novel form, so my imagination is always going, even while I sleep. For all people in the free-world or who are incarcerated, if you want to be successful or just happy in life, my advice is to slow down. Close your eyes and let your imagination guide you to your true calling. Blessed be.

PHOTO BY SIGMUND ON UNSPLASH

Russell
CLF Member, incarcerated MD

I have discovered that the most powerful super power in the Universe is the imagination.

Imagination dictates every single thing I do. Many people may be unaware how our imagination creates everything around us. As a lifelong artist I know this to be true. Before I draw, I imagine. Before I sleep, I imagine. Before I awake, I imagine. It is a fact that dreams are mere imagination run wild.

What I do is allow my imagination to combine with the actions that will lead to my revealing the imagined thing simply by not interfering. In Buddhism, this is said to be what Zen is: the mind and actions moving effortlessly in unison.

My imagination gives me inspiration to contribute to a future world where everyone loves one another and shares all of earth’s resources for the good of the whole planet. Those that are using their imagination in the same way will quicken this imagining into physical reality.

If I never learned to just let my imagination live free I would be one of the most miserable people alive. I believe I only exist simply because I imagine it!

A poem by Ultra Vylet.

Would you like to represent the Church of the Larger Fellowship at General Assembly (GA) this summer?

The CLF is entitled to 22 delegates at the UUA’s General Assembly, which will be held both online and in-person in Pittsburgh, PA from June 21-25, 2023. You will be able to attend online or in-person workshops, programs, and worship services. Proof of vaccination for COVID-19 is required to attend in person.

As a delegate you will vote on association business during General Sessions. General Sessions will be held from 2:30-5:30pm ET on 6/22-6/24 and 2:00-4:00pm PT on 6/25.  Delegates should be able to be online or in person to attend the majority of these General Sessions. CLF delegates vote their conscience on matters related to the denomination of Unitarian Universalism, and are responsible for their own expenses. There is no set registration fee for delegates who are attending only for business virtually at General Sessions.

If you’d like to participate in GA 2023 in this role, please fill out the online application here. Visit the UUA’s GA website for details.