Can you help a dedicated and professional Unitarian Universalist Religious Educator who is trying to get their degree? After 5 years of working in small churches, I enrolled in college to get a degree that, I hope, will allow me to work in larger, more stable congregations.

I am in a tough spot where I need to raise some money before the Summer ends, and I am going to reach back to the I Am UU days to bring out a fan favorite design for a fundraiser:

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/uu_because

Please consider sharing this link with your friends, your congregation, and anywhere else you think it might be appreciated!

#IAmUU #UnitarianUniversalist #UUA #Unitarian #UnitarianUniversalism
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.

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My gratitude for the community that built up around this work is beyond my ability to express today.

Breaking my hiatus to say, "Thank you".

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I am working a degree in Communications now, and this page is not currently being updated. It will remain, and eventually it will be something slightly different than what it was. Until then, I enjoy being able to see the "Memories" and I hope you do, too. I usually share them in the group, "We Are UUs"

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We had someone steal our logo to sell shirts to our community, so we're putting this up for now.

Thomas is still posting new content on a new page under his own name, if you miss that sort of thing.

We're not posting to this page anymore and still figuring out what comes next. The website remains up, and we do still have a RedBubble shop if you want merch that isn't stolen.

If you see someone offering to sell you this image, please report the comment so we can remove and block them.



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Purchase links are in the description for each shirt. Thank you for whatever support you can give, even just a share with your UU friends.
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.

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One more post to say that I am going to take down the I Am UU shop at the end of June. I might put some of the designs up somewhere eventually, but I make no promises at this point.


IAmUU is an independent artist creating amazing designs for great products such as t-shirts, stickers, posters, and phone cases.

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Friends and followers, the time has come...

This page will stay up, but Thomas will not be posting here any longer. Don't unfollow just yet; we're working on some things that could be pretty cool...

The website will still be up, but we are thinking of a redesign and maybe changing the focus of it.

The We Are UUs Facebook group has changed names but will remain active and under my administration.

If you want to follow Thomas as a community minister, social media creator, and general encourager, you can do so by following Thomas Earthman - SJC. Yes, I know that I am leaving a lot of fans of this page behind, but I want the people who choose to be there.



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It is time to announce that this page will not be updated any longer. The group will become "We Are UUs", and the website will stay up so you can link to the hundreds of posts and pages there. This page stays up, so you can link to the work published here, but it will not be updated any longer. New UU content will be shared to the group, and more general encouragement, inspiration, and thoughts on justice and governance will be on my Public Figure page, Thomas Earthman - SJC



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It is not faith that is divisive, but pride.



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Quick post only to say that Thomas is posting on the public figure page, Thomas Earthman - SJC .

I'm still working out what comes next for this page. If you have constructive feedback or encouragement to share, please go to the I Am UU Community to add to that discussion.

Photo for the robot...



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Members(hip) Matters: In a post written before the events of late last week, Thomas intended to continue the discussion of membership in Unitarian Universalism...


Editor’s Note: Today’s post was written before the events of last week on our Facebook Page. I will write more about all of that, maybe as soon as this week, but for now, this was the f…

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There is a discussion in the I Am UU Community group about what the future holds for the I Am UU Project. We invite all the people following this page to add their thoughts, but ask that they be phrased to be constructive and/or encouraging.



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A number of people felt strongly enough about Thomas saying that he was burned out to reach out via email, which is a strange way to respond to that message.

That said, most such replies were quite positive and supportive. Most of those messages of support came from UU Professionals, and it was actually nice to hear from my colleagues on this.

The I Am UU page will stay up for now, but I do not know when or If I will actually be posting more content. It still takes time and energy that I don't feel good about giving right now. I do feel a little better than last night, so we'll see where that goes.

I will not be taking further questions at this time.



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So, the question keeps being asked:

"What makes one a Unitarian Universalist?"

Since all definitions are exclusive, in order for Unitarian Universalism to have any definition, it must exclude some people. So, who gets to make that decision? What is the cut off?

Officially, the definition is "Someone who is a member of a UU Congregation." Membership is defined by the congregation and anyone who meets the responsibilities is in.

What other definition is there that actually has meaning, but is somehow less "exclusive" than this?



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Our last blog post really stirred up some feelings in ways we did not expect. Mostly because the thing that people grabbed onto is something we've said many times. It was the focus of several blog posts and mentioned in several others. It's something foundational. It's something that our clergy and professional religious educators learn as the basis for all of our work...

"Are you telling me that being UU isn’t only being in ethical and philosophical alignment but must include active participation in a congregation?"

Yes. Yes we are. And we've been saying it all along.

Covenantal religion requires covenant. It's inseparable and practically tautological.

Membership is a choice we make over and over, not a right granted once and carried forever. Our Principles cannot be lived in isolation, and so you have to be a UU to actually be UU.

So, let's focus on why that's a problem and see if we can solve it.



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Conservatives cannot get that a lack of creed is not the same thing as "you can believe anything you want", but despite what you may have seen on Facebook, your neighbor probably is NOT a Unitarian Universalist.


I’ve recently seen people share this post from December 2019 written Jonathan Tjarks and shared in several places: The mistaken premise of the article is that because Unitarian Universalism d…

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Unitarian Universalism isn't a structure, but a set of tools and a place to build with them. It is up to you to make something with what we offer.

https://iamuu.org/being-uu/monday-mediation-free-faith-assembly-required/



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Folks, we are at the point where the I Am UU project either needs to become as active as we've ever been, or we need to shut down. We cannot continue to keep operating this project as a part-time effort.

That choice is up to you.

https://iamuu.org/i-am-uu-news/can-we-keep-i-am-uu-on-line/



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Imagine a television with no stations...

Without pages like this one, Facebook is a blank high-tech bulletin board. And it makes money selling ads based on our content and keeps all that for themselves. So we need your help...


Imagine a television with no stations. Without pages like this one, Facebook is a blank high-tech bulletin board. And it makes money selling ads based on our content and keeps all that for themselv…

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Just a reminder that our admin and founder, Thomas Earthman - SJC, does preach as well as leading workshops on outreach, communication, and faith development.

If you are interested in an engagement for the summer, it is not too early to get in touch!



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If you like what we post, you can almost literally buy more of it by supporting this ministry financially.

The more support we get, the more time we can spend on this and the better tools we can afford to use.

The links are on our Website (if we put them here, it makes the robot angry).

https://iamuu.org/about/can-get-involved/#gifts



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Stewardship isn’t, in reality, about money. The money is a tool of stewardship, a way to measure it, but real stewardship is the intention. Stewardship is about the desire to change the world for the better.


In our culture, “Money” is a form of measurement; the time and energy you spend throughout the week is translated into dollars. Dollars are then spent to pay for work; buying the time a…

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“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely”
~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés



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I am having feelings about continuing to create content and viewership for Facebook and Meta.

The company is factually bad for our country and the health of many of its users. They don't produce the content that we all come here for, but there is no compensation for those of us who do make the site worth coming to. And now they are getting involved in politics in ways that disturb me.

But, part of the point of the I Am UU project has always been to make it easy to share Unitarian Universalism and to make Liberal Religion more visible on the internet, and for a lot of people, "Facebook" is the internet now.

We welcome the thoughts of our community on the issue.



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The I Am UU project is run by a nonbinary Religious Educator.



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So...



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Thoughts and Prayers are meant to strengthen and support action, not to replace or supplant it. We have to do the actual work.



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Our website is back! IAmUU.org is up and running, but we're already thinking about what comes next...

The I Am UU project has always been about helping to make Unitarian Universalism easier to understand and share, but how we do that has always been in flux. With social media platforms prioritizing video, we need to once again rethink how we fulfill our core mission.

What do you all think? How can we help you? Is your idea something you and your congregation would support financially? Or is the I Am UU project going to remain a side quest?

(photo of your admin delivering a sermon last year bc Fb)



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Happy (official) Spring!


Traditional Flower Communion blessing by Norbert Capek. Happy Spring!
Photo: Heather Michaels, used with permission
Design: Lori Stone Sirtosky

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Rev. White's sermon "Science Is Real" is now online! View at tinyurl.com/Sermon031818, or download the podcast on iTunes.

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Differences aren't divisive until someone chooses to make them so. The problem is not that someone is different, but that their difference is held against them.



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None of us are actually free until we all are, friends. If I am not free to be me, then you being yourself is a privilege, not a right.



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The goal of the I Am UU project was always to help people feel more confident and more eager to claim Unitarian Universalism in their daily lives.

The way that happens has evolved--at first we just shared links about positive UU news, encouraging you all to share them and tell your friends "This is my faith". Then, we started making memes for sharing, because that was the new way Social Media was taking off and not many people were doing it. Then came the blog, which was republished in newsletters and even used in worship for years.

It is time for I Am UU to change, again, and offer something else. Exactly what that is hasn't been decided, but it is going to be more personal and more direct. It is going to be about building your own identity and confidence in Unitarian Universalism as *your* faith.

And it is going to mostly be a subscription service.

For years, we've given away almost everything we make and counted on the people who appreciated it to cover our costs, much like NPR. It covered our costs for 5 years, but it does not anymore. Everything is more expensive and giving is down.

But, we can actually offer a lot more when we switch to direct subscription. We can offer levels of engagement and access and let you all decide what you need from us.

So, be on the lookout for more discussion about what this might look like in the coming weeks. Thank you all for being part of this community. We hope that you are proud of what we have done, together.



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Some of you have noticed that our website is down. Not that many...

Traffic has been down for a little while and we are trying to rethink what the I Am UU project is for, so we've let the old website become unlisted while we figure out what the future holds.

The content is all saved. If you have a piece you want a copy of, reach out and let us know.



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Today is the first official day of winter, the day of Yule and the Solstice, the 4th night of Hanukah, and there are so many other holidays in the week before and after today.

Whatever you celebrate this winter, we wish you all the best and a happy New Year.

https://iamuu.net/meditations/happy-holidays/


Between the first of November and the end of January, there are dozens of holidays and holy days, some major and some not, some with deep traditions and some that were created in the last century. …

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This is the shortest day of the year, and in years past we have asked people to use the longest night as an excuse to share a flaming Chalice and invite their friends to ask about Unitarian Universalism. And it was a very popular idea for a few years.

But, we don't want to give the impression that "dark" is inherently a bad thing. The dark is a place of dreaming and imagination. It represents wonder and the unknown. Darkness is too often used as a metaphor for badness, and that isn't fair at all; too much sun is just as bad as not enough.

A few years back, the idea stopped being fun to promote because we had to keep taking about how this isn't about darkness having a moral weight and how it was just a good excuse to shine our light, our symbol of faith and community, where it would be seen. And yet, every year, we see a few people still sharing our posts an inviting the friends to learn about Unitarian Universalist values and goals, and we love that their seem to be a few people who keep up this tradition of their own personal motivation.

We see your shares, and it warms my heart that the idea still matters to some of you.



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Hello! The person sharing this with you is a Unitarian Universalist.

Maybe you've heard about us from Stephen Colbert or Garrison Keillor, maybe you've heard us mentioned on The Simpsons. It's long past time for us to speak for ourselves and tell the world who we are.

This is your invitation. Ask your friend some questions. Let them tell you what being a Unitarian Universalist means to them.

If you want to know what being a Unitarian Universalist means to your friend, this is a great time to start a conversation. No one will call or come to the house, but we welcome questions about what we stand for and why.



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We are working to get the I Am UU project registered as a Non-Profit. It takes time and money to do so, so we wanted to ask if that would actually mean anything to our friends and followers:

Would it make any difference to how you view the I Am UU project if we were registered as a 501 religious organization?

If you appreciate what we do, please consider sending a holiday bonus? Ko-fi.com/IAmUU

#Kofimas



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Happy Chalica to those who participate.



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"We can’t keep doing things the way we were in 2019. We learned new things about worship and community and we shouldn’t long to forget them. We built new skills that we should want to put to use. Our membership is not the same, and we need to allow that to be alright or we’ll run off most of the potential members that we all hoped for. We have to allow the church to change to meet their needs along with our own."

~ Thomas Earthman

https://iamuu.net/growth/you-can-love-something-to-death/


You can love something so much that your affection becomes dangerous and your desire to hold on to it ends up being a strangle hold. And I’m seeing it in Unitarian Universalist congregations …

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A lot of congregations don't have adult religious exploration. A lot don't have professional RE at any age.

If we provided video courses with information sheets for in-person volunteers, would you all be interested in subscribing? Or if we made them Zoom friendly for you?

We want to help people feel more confident telling the world "I Am UU", and we think teaming up with congregations directly may be the way to do that.



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If you want to help share our message with more people and affirm the worth and dignity of the human who creates our posts, consider being a patron of this ministry:
Ko-fi.com/IAmUU

"We have to be able to see liberal religion as a force for good and a moral compass and spiritual bolster for the other practical organizations. Spirits get weary and battered, just like bodies do... People are hurting, and learning that there is a community willing to welcome them, their whole selves, and encourage them to be their personal best is, in some cases, nothing less than lifesaving."

Read more about building and sustaining liberal religion in the 21st century: http://wp.me/p4fWUi-c2

Be more than a follower; be an active supporter of liberal religious outreach and Unitarian Universalist ministry by pledging a dollar a month on Patreon: Patreon.com/IAmUU



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Our first Principle is the Worth and Dignity of every person.

Please remember, in this time of hard work and deep feeling as we work so hard to make a more just and compassionate world, that "every person" includes you. You have worth and dignity and it deserves to be respected and defended. You cannot give what you do not have and so you must not let your spirit become depleted.



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“Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.”
~ William Sloane Coffin, Jr.



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Labor day is a secular holiday, but maybe it can hold a special place for Unitarian Universalists? As part of the ongoing development of our faith, Labor day feels fundamentally tied to our values and the Principles of the UUA. Last week was the 59th anniversary of the historic "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom", the event at which Dr....

https://iamuu.net/uu-principles/labor-worth-and-dignity/


Labor day is a secular holiday, but maybe it can hold a special place for Unitarian Universalists? As part of the ongoing development of our faith, Labor day feels fundamentally tied to our values …

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"Labor Day isn’t about hard work and rugged individualism; it is about team work and community. It is about people coming together to build and create and lift each other up; people fighting together to build their communities and their countries. Labor was a movement by the people and for the people."
-- Thomas Earthman

https://iamuu.net/meditations/beloved-community-will-be-built-on-the-legacy-of-labor/



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"Too often, our leaders lead from unexamined fear and frustration. We need to lead from our hopes, as embodied in the vision of the beloved community."
~ Paula Cole Jones

from "Untangling Conversations: A Drive Time Essay"
https://www.uua.org/leaderlab/safe-conflict-conversations



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You can love something so much that your affection becomes dangerous and your desire to hold on to it ends up being a strangle hold. And I'm seeing it in Unitarian Universalist congregations right now....

https://iamuu.net/growth/you-can-love-something-to-death/


You can love something so much that your affection becomes dangerous and your desire to hold on to it ends up being a strangle hold. And I’m seeing it in Unitarian Universalist congregations …

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Facebook reminds me that it is 7 years ago today that the logo for the I Am UU project was first debuted to the world. So much has changed since then!

Thank you all for being part of this community and for being patient while I figure out what comes next for this project now that I am a full-time religious professional.







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The 5 Smooth Stones of Liberal Religion were proposed by James Luther Adams, printed in his book of essays, "On Being Human Religiously". They were named for the stones David used to kill Goliath. The intent being that we can use these ideas to defend religious liberalism from conservatives of all types; ideas that just make sense, and lead naturally to liberal religious thought. JLA's version came as an essay roughly 12 pages long.

These are our original interpretation of his thoughts in graphic form, created for you to share. If you would like to download the graphic to share, please included the web addresses for our website and/or Facebook page
.
Support liberal religious outreach and help us manifest good in the world: Ko-fi.com/IAmUU
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Image Text:
The Five Smooth Stones of Liberal Religion
🪨 Human understanding of the universe is constantly expanding. We do not claim absolutes in knowledge or truth, instead allowing our faith to grow with new revelations and discoveries.
🪨 Healthy relationships are always consensual and mutual. All lives are equally valuable. We should always treat others with dignity and respect, and expect the same in return.
🪨 It is our goal and our responsibility to create a just and loving community where people are free to find truth and give meaning to their own lives.
🪨 Good and evil are, primarily, a matter of human perspective on natural events or human endeavor in the world. If we want there to be good, as we know it, in the world, we must do good.
🪨 History teaches us to be optimistic and believe that humanity has the capacity to solve human problems. Progress is neither constant nor inevitable, but we persevere in the march toward greater peace, justice, and equity.

Buy a poster! Or a pillow, if that's your thing:
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/43736270



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"The point of it all is to love friends completely and utterly, at their best and worst, and to love more than just the good things. It’s about showing that you’re willing to accept them for whatever they are, that they should not feel insecure or self-conscious in your presence, which can be a hard task to achieve.”
― Esther Earl, This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

https://iamuu.net/being-uu/esther-day-world-needs-love/


Over the years, the I Am UU project has tried to push several new holidays as being very much in-line with Unitarian Universalism as we see it. Along with Loving Day and Labor Day, I want us to con…

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No one wants to join a church whose mission is "to keep the church open".

A seed can last for years as-is, but as soon as it takes the risk to open and sprout, everything can go wrong in just a day or two. But, the purpose of the seed isn't to remain a seed, and every seed takes that risk when certain conditions are met, never being sure that the conditions will stay good.

You church cannot grow if you aren't willing to take some risks, especially if you are unwilling to take risks that act on your stated mission and values. And if your church isn't growing, it is dying, because none of us will be here in 100 years to keep things exactly as they are; we need new people, and they need to be given permission to take ownership and make the church their own, too.



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"All people are created equal" would qualify as one worthy interpretation of the first Principle of the UUA; The inherent worth and dignity of every person. The document talks about the need for a democratic process and of course the right to life and liberty. This document is part of our Unitarian Universalist heritage as surely as anything written by Emerson. And we are still working to live up to its hopes for humanity.

Read more:
http://iamuu.net/?p=1400


Today, we celebrate the writing of a prophetic document; an aspirational work that we still could stand to live more fully into. Our culture has changed a lot since an educated white man who owned …

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That means that You own Your body and have control over it, guided by your own conscience, your wants for your health and mobility, and your aesthetics.

You have been given control of your own body and how other people interact with it or gain from it.

You own Your body and, guided by your own conscience, your wants for your health and mobility, and your aesthetics, you make the choices about it. You eat how you want; get tattoos or piercings or color your hair; give of your body to others where you feel you can and should and, just as important, do not when you choose not to.

Right now, the two places where this is most important to proclaim are abortion access and the rights of transgender people, especially youth. The right to access heath care that supports your bodily autonomy is crucial to having that autonomy. Allowing people safe and professional care for the body they inhabit is also vital to their mental health.

Protecting transgender youth from the effects of puberty safeguards their mental health while they figure out the long-term plan for their lives and the body they alone must live in. Letting people wear clothing or makeup to reflect who they are or even to seek professional medical modification is just and compassionate.

Allowing a person to opt out from the trauma and the risks involved in pregnancy gives them room to consider their lives and the direction they want to take and lets them choose when (and if) they are ready to be parents, which is also better for children.

We may individually disagree with their choice, but we respect that it is their choice to make. I am personally doing many things that I hope will reduce the number of people who seek an abortion, but that number will never be 0 and I respect that people who want an abortion have a right to the most convenient and painless procedure possible, respecting that the fetus does not have a right to use their body against their wishes AND that it cannot be moved safely to any other place anyway. It has no right to the womb, and thus no other rights are actually relevant.

And so it is, as with so many issues, Unitarian Universalism demands that we respect the right of conscience and allow people to express the truth of their identity and live the meaning into their lives through Bodily Autonomy.



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If you're headed to GA by airplane, please be aware that there are delays and cancelations all over. Things are likely to not go quite as planned.

Remember that if you are wearing your UU faith on a shirt or jewelry, that may be someone's first impression of Unitarian Universalism. Do your best to make it a good one.



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"It might sound strange, but we have a vision, and we have a mission to fulfill. Why not make that the exercise of our movement? If our version of heaven is the Beloved Community, why not be as committed to that work as other faiths are to their form of salvation?"
~ Thomas Earthman

http://iamuu.net/missional-uu/what-if-unitarian-universalism-were-something-we-do/



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The President does not control gas prices. In fact, he has very little to do with them (which is why he hasn't lowered them).

Congress has much more control, should they choose to use it.





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We advocate for UU Evangelism because we have a beautiful message and there are people out there who are desperate to hear it; they really want to know that some group of people is striving, together, for a more just and compassionate world.

We're not out to convert anyone, but people need to be informed about Unitarian Universalism and invited to check it out for themselves.



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Hello friends. Thomas here with some news:

The I Am UU project has always been a labor of love. We tried to make it something more sustainable, but it never worked out; we had a push to get people to sign up as Patrons for 6 weeks and we lost more Patrons than we gained. The project has just never been self-supporting.

And it has taken a lot of labor. There were plenty of 60 hour weeks over the last 12 years. There were years when I posted almost daily and write a Monday Meditation almost every week. I have developed a lot of very specific skills and became a graphic designer (which was not part of the original plan).

And based on the support we have right now, we do cover the cost of keeping the website up with gifts from the community. We will leave it there for as long as we can, but updates will be even less frequent.

We simply do not make enough to allow me to continue putting time and effort into the project. You may have noticed that there has been less content in the last year, and that is because I have been working part-time as a DRE.

As of next month, I will be working full-time as Director of Religious Education at a congregation here in North Texas. That means that there will be very little time left to work on the I Am UU project. Just moderating the I Am UU Community group will take up most of that. There will occasionally be a new graphic or a quote that I just have to share, but the page will be much quieter.

If you would like to follow Thomas Earthman as a community minister and DRE, you can like that page. If you would like to still read prayers, chalice lightings, and reflections that I write, you can also become a Patron of my ministry (Link in comments), where I expect to be publishing more often now that I am spending more time on faith development.

I will be shutting down the I Am UU Patreon, so that the few Patrons still subscribed there will no longer be charged unless they move to another payment platform OR join the active Patreon (link in comments). Ko-fi will still be active for those who want to support the website (Link in comments).

Thank you all for being here. It has been an honor to lead this project and the community that has grown up around it. The old posts and graphics will still be here for you, and I might surprise myself and start posting again if I get into a rhythm in my new position.



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Has this week been hard on you? It has been a tough one for me.

If you like this kind of content, please consider becoming a Patron for more!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/43522168


Official Post from Thomas Earthman

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No one should be forever judged by their worst decision. We can all make choices today to be someone we can be proud of. The only person who can make that choice for you, though, is You.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/65405608


Official Post from Thomas Earthman

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The I Am UU page has been running for 12 years now. It is one of the oldest private UU ministries currently going. It has led hundreds of people to talk to a friend about what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and gotten many of them to visit their local congregation.

But, your admin cannot keep creating new art and writing for free. The cost of living is skyrocketing and the project is becoming unsustainable. We need your support if we're going to keep this ministry alive.

Please consider what this page means to you, and what you can afford to give, and make a pledge to support Unitarian Universalist outreach and reflection.

Ko-fi.com/IAmUU

OR sign up for even more writing:
Patreon.com/TEarthman



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Our Principles are aspirational. We know that the world does not honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We know that we do not yet have universal equity and compassion.

What we also know is that we are on a long, winding path to those things. Rulers once held themselves up as gods, then simply as chosen by God. Now, most of humanity knows better.

Progress is slow, but it is being made. Being committed and believing in a better world helps make Beloved Community possible.



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The I Am UU project has been a hub of UU social media for over a decade, and we are proud of the work we have published. We want to be able to keep sharing Unitarian Universalism with you and, through you, with the world.

To do that, we need people willing to be more than followers and fans. We need supporters who pledge just a few dollars each to make this ministry possible.

It comes with extra content!
https://iamuu.net/i-am-uu-news/thomas-birthday-pledge-drive/



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My heart aches for every person who feels unwelcome in their church, who would embrace Jesus' commandment to love one another, but cannot abide the bigotry of their elders. I am sorry that, during Holy Week, you do not have the comfort of familiar worship.

My heart absolutely breaks for every LGBTQA person who is reading, again, that their worth and dignity can be debated and denied. You are loved. You are good enough. You deserve better.

Gender and Sexuality do not impede a person's ability to love or be loved by the divine and should not effect their place in the religious community.
____
Image of the end of a rainbow on the far left, a vivid blue sky over a green hill with the following words over it:

No one should be denied the comfort of community or full admission to serve their faith because of who they are or who they love.

Service to God and full membership in the religious community should never be withheld on account of gender or sexuality. God is Love; Love is Divine.



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Tolerance is not Inclusion: Welcoming people into a community that refuses to change to accommodate them is never going to be sustainable.

https://iamuu.net/meditations/tolerance-is-not-inclusion/


Here on the blog last week, I talked about how the world still needs liberal religion; how many people still want all the community benefits and even the rituals and commemorations that come with r…

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Another Clip-art refresh!

We are taking clip art, which we understand to be in the public domain, and making high-resolution versions, and sometimes adding versions that have been dressed up a little. These are not original designs and we make no claim of copyright. They are absolutely free for use.

The first one is known as "Double Circle Outline Flame" or the "e" from Steve Bridenbaugh's Chalice Font.

The second is labeled "Double Circle" and is the "h" from Steve Bridenbaugh's Chalice Font.

The other two are new embellishments.

















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There is Still a Place for Liberal Religion in the World. It isn't that the world is less spiritual or community minded, they just don't know how liberal religion is different. It's not for everyone, but there are people seeking what we offer.

https://iamuu.net/evanglical-uu/there-is-still-a-place-for-liberal-religion/


One can get a lot of hits to their website by talking about the death of religion. “People aren’t going to church!” “Paganism is on the rise!” People are writing all t…

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Do you appreciate the art, the writing, the inspiration, and the encouragement you get from the I Am UU project? Did you know that we are entirely crowd funded by people just like you? Your support means that we can keep creating and keep helping share Unitarian Universalism!

https://iamuu.net/i-am-uu-news/thomas-birthday-pledge-drive/


Do you find my ministry moving? Inspiring? Encouraging? Do you want even more of that? There are 6 weeks until my Birthday and I am having a Patreon Member drive in celebration. Patreon allows you …

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Today is the Transgender Day of Visibility!

This project is the private ministry of a nonbinary religious educator! If you appreciate it, today is the PERFECT day to become a Patron!

https://iamuu.net/i-am-uu-news/thomas-birthday-pledge-drive/



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If you love the art, the writing, the inspiration, and the encouragement you get from the I Am UU project, you might consider joining Thomas' Patrons, who will be getting all of that before it is available to the public. Your support means that he can keep creating and keep helping share Unitarian Universalism!

https://iamuu.net/i-am-uu-news/thomas-birthday-pledge-drive/


Do you find my ministry moving? Inspiring? Encouraging? Do you want even more of that? There are 6 weeks until my Birthday and I am having a Patreon Member drive in celebration. Patreon allows you …

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Many people come to a Unitarian Universalist congregation searching for answers to life's great questions.
We do not provide them...

It can be disappointing for visitors to hear that we do not have answers, religion, or a faith that can be taken home from a few short visits.

We need to make sure that the love, the encouragement, and the hope that we do have to give away is always enough to sustain them as they find their place in our community.


It can be disappointing for visitors to hear that we do not have answers, religion, or faith that can be taken home from a few short visits. We need to make sure that the love, the encouragement, a…

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Here is another popular UU chalice design that seemed to be in need of a high-resolution update. This is not an original concept, we just made a version that scales up better.

We offer this design absolutely free of copyright claim to all Unitarian Universalism.

If you appreciate the work and want to support us, you can so so through this link:
Ko-fi.com/IAmUU

Or, join us as a monthly supporter for even more benefits!
https://iamuu.net/i-am-uu-news/thomas-birthday-pledge-drive/







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Why are you UU?

What do you get from membership in your UU community? How do you give back?



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The I Am UU project takes a lot of time and specialized skill to run. Thomas has actually been recognized as uniquely qualified for this ministry and even nominated for several national awards.

But, it's still barely paid for by the support we currently have. We really need to know if this project is worth the time and energy that it takes. We need to know if you all value it enough to fund it or if it is time to move on...

https://iamuu.net/i-am-uu-news/thomas-birthday-pledge-drive/


Do you find my ministry moving? Inspiring? Encouraging? Do you want even more of that? There are 6 weeks until my Birthday and I am having a Patreon Member drive in celebration. Patreon allows you …

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Some questions to consider about your RE program as you ready the church budget for the Spring Congregational Meeting:

https://iamuu.net/growth/religious-education-is-worth-investing-in/


Some things to consider as many congregations start getting their budget ready for the spring congregational meetings: Who are the most vulnerable people in your church? Who are the people who are …

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This page is all about liberal religion and, specifically, Unitarian Universalism. Our goal is to make it easier to understand and share about big, important topics.

What we teach here is Unitarian Universalism. It is complex and it is rich in heritage and deep in content. If we are doing it well, it will make us all uncomfortable at times, as growth is generally uncomfortable. We understand that doesn't always fit neatly on social media, and we admit fully that we cannot encompass the whole message on any one day.

It just cannot be simplified very far and still be meaningful; the simple posts are always incomplete.

We proclaim the worth and dignity of absolutely every person and the human capacity to be a better person today than we were on our worst day. There are no monsters; there is no "other"; we are all on the same team, ultimately. Beloved Community is for absolutely everyone or it isn't complete.

We will proclaim open revelation and we will sometimes do so in scientific terms. We will proclaim humanist values in the language of faith. We will invoke the names of deities if they are relevant, and we will do so with reverence. We will say that Black Lives Matter and Love is Love and No Human is Illegal and that none of us will get all of that right all of the time; we will defer to the people most impacted for leadership in anti-oppression work and make space for them, even when that upsets people with privilege and power.

We are not here to have the most followers on Facebook and our goal isn't to sell t-shirts. We are here to affirm and promote the Principles of Unitarian Universalism as positive guidelines for sharing the planet Earth. We've been lucky that in fulfilling that mission, we have become one of the most popular and fastest growing UU social media projects, but we assure you that it is a side effect of doing what we feel called to do.

We invite respectful conversation and constructive criticism. We also understand that some people will not support our work. Some people are not going to be UUs and some UUs see things very differently. No need to level insults or threats. Feel free to unfollow or even block our page if that is what you need to do for your own peace of mind. We are not all called to do the same work, and that is one thing most of us love about Unitarian Universalism.

If you are still with us after all of that, thank you and welcome aboard.



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Looking for something to ponder or to inspire you?

No new Monday Meditation this week, but there are literally dozens on IAmUU.net, a website with no cookies, no pop-ups, and no advertisements.

We are able to keep our website tidy because people just like you support it directly through our crowd funding platforms. And you can sign up for perks as a supporter, too!

Ko-fi.com/IAmUU

Patreon.com/TEarthman

(Photo added to appease the robot)



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There are a lot of congregations looking for a new DRE, and that is really exciting (as a Religious Educator myself).

Want to stand out? Make sure that you actually list your salary range and benefits. I have seen and heard of several congregations that say they are meeting UUA Compensation Standards only to find out that they aren't offering the full benefits package or don't have a budget for professional development or expenses. That is really going to matter to a candidate making choices about their career path. So is admitting whether you have the budget for a *credentialed* professional or not.

Being a good employer is part of being a good steward of the congregation and its mission, and it is part of making sure you have the best person for this important work. We Religious Educators are more likely to want to work with a congregation that admits where things stand over one that tries to obscure the facts.



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Seasonal funnies in case you need to remind friends and fellow congregants about Daylight Saving Time this weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/IAmUUPage/posts/3101956059829841















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Being a UU requires a willing commitment, and it is a commitment we have to make time and again as members of the congregation.

https://iamuu.net/meditations/no-one-is-born-a-unitarian-universalist/


One thing that separates the Baptists from the Lutherans and Presbyterians (and there are a few) is that Baptists don’t believe you can be baptized until you are old enough to understand what…

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For Ash Wednesday, let us remember that the Bible got some things absolutely right:

"Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return."

Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 [NIV]

Let us remember that we are all made of dust, not just of the Earth, but of long dead stars. Our time is finite, and it is up to us to make it matter (no pun intended).





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Facebook Fails Us, Again: We are being throttled on the biggest Social Media network because their robot is stupid and they don't employ humans to check its work.

https://iamuu.net/social-media-2/facebook-fails-us-again/


We have been made aware that our Facebook reach has been throttled. We are being seen by all of the people who asked Facebook to show them our posts, and there is no way to appeal this. So, you mig…

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In light of new attacks against Transgender people, especially here in my hoe state of Texas, we offer this from the archives:

"When we say that we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person,it means we will stand up for those who do not look like us. We will speak up for those who do not speak our language. Our community includes every person who wants to live in a more just, more compassionate, more peaceful world. Everyone is our neighbor."

https://iamuu.net/meditations/inherent-worth-and-dignity/


Your worth and dignity are inherent. They cannot be discarded or taken away. Maybe you made terrible choices yesterday or all last year. Today, you can choose to be different; today you can choose …

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The world is a huge mess right now, and I want to remind you of two things:

1: The moral arch of the universe has always bent towards justice, even if it isn't always even and steady progress.

2: It only bends because people do the work to bend it. This progress was not inevitable or predestined. It was the result of real effort and often great cost, often born by those who were closest to the harm and who had the least to give (or lose).

Optimism is not foolish, even in the face of terrible events, but it must be coupled with work, done in love and in anger and sometimes in desperation, but always in the hope that we can make a positive difference in the direction of history. It is not foolish because it is indeed the prevailing thread of human history.



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Are you one of the many hyphenated UUs?

It has been a while since we last showed these off and we have added a lot of new followers since then. These badges were created to help show that being a Unitarian Universalist doesn't mean giving up what you believe in order to belong; many theologies and practices are compatible with Unitarian Universalism as we base membership more on who you are and what kind of impact you try to have than on what you believe.
























These are simple images in badge form, to show that being a Unitarian Universalist doesn't mean giving up your relationship with the divine, or having to start one if you aren't in need of it. You can hold a wide range of theological beliefs, and still be part of our humanist religion, focused on making this a better world.

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Quick reminder that this page has almost no budget for promoting posts and we rely entirely on you all, our community, to react, share, and - most importantly - to leave comments! Comments are what seem to currently drive visibility!

So please drop by the page and see if there isn't something there that is worth a few seconds to say, "I like this" or maybe ask a question!

This photo is Thomas Earthman, your page administrator, as he appears in their job as a Faith Development Facilitator.



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