WWUUD stream Proud to say I am not a nationalist of any kind. I’m a globalist. A universalist. A unitarian. No apologies as the values of a nationalist are gross. 
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Proud to say I am not a nationalist of any kind. I’m a globalist. A universalist. A unitarian. No apologies as the values of a nationalist are gross.
Come Closer: A Few Words to a Zen Priest Being Installed as a Unitarian Universalist Minister https://www.patheos.com/blogs/monkeymind/2018/11/come-closer-a-few-words-to-a-zen-priest-being-installed-as-a-unitarian-universalist-minister.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=BRSS&utm_campaign=Buddhist&utm_content=116 …
We are just 2 weeks away from #givingtuesday on Nov. 27! Please join our campaign to build All Gender Accessible Bathrooms in our Sanctuary! #nuuc #pasadena #unitarianuniversalist #accessible #inclusive #safeworshipspaces #sanctuary #trans #LGBTchurchpic.twitter.com/j4IGGnRcUm
We will also continue our support of girls in Africa trying to stay in school during their menstrual periods. Often these girls drop out and loose opportunities that education can provide. The cycle of poverty continues.
We need drivers to deliver our meals and cooks to help in the kitchen. These jobs take just a few hours on December 12. Contact Ellie von Wellsheim at ellie@mooncatcher.org or 518-859-5114. Thank you so much!
Dining for Dollars, a fundraiser for the people in New Orleans and the MoonCatcher Project, will be happening December 11th and 12th. I will be looking for cookie-bakers in anticipation of needing 1200 or more o your delicious confections. If you have baked before, look for an email from me soon. If this would be your first time to become a volunteer baker, please be sure to sign on the cookie-baker clipboard in the rear of the Great Hall. Thank you so much!
for a rollicking celebration of the Winter Solstice and the holiday season. There will be an original mummer play with a Knight, a Jester, a Dragon ….and singing, dancing, magic, and mayhem!
Everyone is invited to participate in Revels — our upcoming medieval extravaganza — by becoming a Revels Sponsor. There are five levels of sponsors from $50 to $600, plus a chance to have your business featured in an ad in the printed Revels program. Deadline is December 2nd for signing up. See the sponsor flyer with all the details
Dear UUSS community~
This month we’ve had a table on the chancel for worship each Sunday, as we’ve explored a larger theme of A Place at the Table. The table, as mentioned in this past Sunday’s service, was built by Everett Brewer, the grandfather of a friend of Robyn Salvin, who is a member of the Worship Team. This coming Sunday, the table will hold the bread that will be shared in a ritual of communion, a time of breaking bread together. Each of us has a part in widening our circle of inclusion, so that all have a place at the table within the congregation. Here are three things that you can do, whether you are a recent visitor, or a long-time member: 1. Say “hello” to folks you have yet to meet. Find out their name,their pronouns, (with thanks to the youth for leading this practice,) and something that brings them to UUSS. 2. Consider being part of the hospitality team by serving as a greeter, usher, or beverage server. Contact Bridget Almas if you are interested. balmas@gmail.com. 3. Go the extra mile, and offer to give someone a ride. There are several folks who would love to attend services who don’t have their own transportation.
For this Thanksgiving, we hope that everyone who wants to has a place to share a meal. There is a family in the congregation who has offered to welcome anyone who needs a place to be. Please let us know if that includes you. with care, and in faith~ Rev. Lynn and Rev. Wendy
Also, please make sure your UU congregation has an active climate action team (CAT). We need all UU congregations to be engines for immediate and urgent climate action. Follow @UUMFE for related news, resources, and learning opportunities.
Donations to the @UUA disaster relief fund may be made online at https://giving.uua.org/disaster-aid . https://twitter.com/uua/status/1062446638579572741 …
Are you making your plans for this year's Give to the Max Day? Please consider making a gift to MUUSJA! Our Unitarian Universalist values and communities have more potential to be relevant, powerful hubs for justice than they... https://www.givemn.org/organization/Muusja …
BOY. DID. I. Lots of things replaced the evangelical community I grew up in, and it’s looking like I’ll end up Jewish (which has come about through seminary, which I entered as an agnostic Unitarian Universalist).
It’s Transgender Awareness Week!
Let us remember the courageous lives lived and beautiful lives lost amid transphobia and hate, as we consider how we might create a more just and a more inclusive Unitarian Universalist faith. @UUA #TransAwarenessWeek
#TDOR #UPLIFTtranspic.twitter.com/jQbIgjugIU
Earth Circles UUSS welcomes you to celebrate the Winter Solstice at 6:45pm, Thursday, December 20th in the Great Hall.
Join us to sing, dance, drum and light candles in celebration of the journey back to center and the return of the light. There will be a processional and calling the directions, poetry and stories. Childcare is available for those easily distracted. The magic happens promptly at 7pm, please don’t be late. Bring a small flashlight (or phonelight); a drum or rattle if you have one; snack to share if you wish; and mittens, hat, or other warm item for the mitten tree donation if you can. All are invited to share in this original yet traditional UUSS Earth-centered service.
Our drum circles are time for joyful community. This month we will drum our gratitude for blessings large and small. All ages welcome. Bring instruments to use and to share if you have them and finger food. There are extra instruments available but “found” or improvised ones work well too.
We are hearing that police training has to change and that is doable. Change the instructing institution. @BlackLivesUU @SenateDems @senateGOP @NYCMayor https://twitter.com/theappeal/status/1062321616414113792 …
Fully following the tenants of Unitarian Universalist Christianity would have made the Kénédougou Kingdom happier.
Magic wand making today during homeschooling Woodworking class with Rick Tan. http://www.wlrclasses.com @ Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis https://www.instagram.com/p/BqIfYbGn2LY/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=16diufeqdige2 …
#sunday #sundayfunday #sundayvibes #sundaymorning #gratitude #uu #unitarian #unitarianuniversalist #taketheredpill @ Sugarloaf Congregation of Unitarian Universalists https://www.instagram.com/p/BqIYDqcFbMw/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=vx7hf4bz43pi …
Transgender Awareness Panel Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Nov. 18, 2018 2-4pm 1111 Cordell St. in Denton Free and open to the public with a reception to follow Moderated by Amber Briggle http://tinyurl.com/duufpanel pic.twitter.com/IBobFNbTsD
#PublicHealthHaiku Safe communities - depend on mutual respect - no room for racism. #apha2018 @blacknantiwar @BLMLA @BLM_Boston @BlackLivesUU https://twitter.com/jadequity/status/1062354012966551552 …
Jesus never referred to “heaven” or the “kingdom of heaven” as an afterlife destination. http://amzn.to/2DkS0lR #Unity #UU #UnitarianUniversalist #universalism #awakening #unorthodox #sermons #biblestudypic.twitter.com/Ox9LDEFTJt
Athens - Moms Demand Action Meeting Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 780 Timothy Rd., Athens December 4, 2018 at 07:00PM https://ift.tt/2Q0nQxw
US CAN is one of the most effective organizations for addressing climate justice and our future and the Unitarian Universalist Ministry forthe Earth is committed to that end. https://www.usclimatenetwork.org/membership-inquiry?recruiter_id=815 …
A weekly guide to stories about Unitarian Universalists from other media sources.
Expand your perspective of the Lord’s Prayer using the Aramaic meanings. http://amzn.to/2kugQGG #Unity #UU #UnitarianUniversalist #universalism #consciousness #awakening #unorthodox #sermons #biblestudypic.twitter.com/RokZpFPPzJ
Climate Action Roundtable Wednesday, November 14 8 PM – 9 PM The UU Climate Action Roundtable is a monthly opportunity for Unitarian Universalist CATs, activists, and friends to come together online or by phone for... https://www.uumfe.org/get-involved/climate-action-network/ …
What is fake news? How can you tell reliable news from disinformation and propaganda? Elizabeth Hansen, Tom Eblen, and Ryan Craig will give their take on this topic Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the League of Women Voters’ meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3564 Clays Mill Rd.
Expand your perspective of the Beatitudes using the Aramaic meanings - http://amzn.to/2jeh5Zt #Unity #UU #UnitarianUniversalist #universalism #consciousness #awakening #unorthodox #sermons #biblestudy =pic.twitter.com/HH9j0Wr2qv
Great Unitarian Universalist history books for the armchair historian in your life. Perfect for fall reading! We particularly recommend Revisiting the Empowerment Controversy by Mark D. Morrison-Reed. All are available @shopinspirit http://bit.ly/2o7RTUj @UUApic.twitter.com/EKLP5VB9vW
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| The dead Oregon whale should not be confused with Moby Dick.... |
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| ...or Willy the Singing Whale |
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| In 1990 columnist Dave Barry resurected the story of the exploding whate propelling it to the realm of an Urban Legend with a cult following. |
See comments by Bruce Knotts, Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, in this story from World Religion News. https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/christian-supremacism-u-s-presidency-blasted-parliament-world-religions …
Planting lemongrass during homeschooling Herbal Alchemy with Jennifer Tan. http://www.wlrclasses.com @ Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis https://www.instagram.com/p/BqGlnJJHuRu/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1fefo27b3nysa …
That's still a replay available of our first Saturday Healing Service which was held at Unitarian Universalist church in Santa Monica October 27. I'm asking you to mark your calendar for the next one, December 15th! It's going to be very exciting http://KimberlyMeredithLive.com
I have just returned from the annual Fall Conference of the Liberal Religious Educators Association in Houston TX. The theme was “Changing the Narrative” and issues of white supremacy culture within our denomination and the urgency of empowering and sustaining leaders of color were central. What a remarkable conversation we had over the course of 5 days! Denominational leaders including Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Christina Rivera, Greg Boyd, Rev Dr Natalie Fenimore, Aisha Houser and many others led discussions, workshops and informal conversations that were at once humbling, riveting and inspiring. Brave learning and growing “caucus” spaces were carved out for both white participants and participants of color. As has been the case so often in our Unitarian Universalist history, religious educators, both non-ordained and ordained are leading us into new ways of thinking and being with one another.
As you may recall, it was mostly religious educators who spoke up eighteen months ago, changing the narrative of who we are as Unitarian Universalists, what we “look” like, and how we bring forward voices and leaders from the margins in ways that honor and respect their unique contributions to our wholeness as a people of faith. The actions of a few courageous religious educators would ultimately contribute to big changes in our association around hiring and other institutional practices at our UUA headquarters and deep, rich conversations in congregations about what it means to be complicit in a system that continues to harm and erase people within our beloved community.
The good news is – they are still at it! Religious educators from across the continent participated in workshops on restorative circles, creating space for families of color, the theology of love and shared ministry as faith formation, just to name a few. Innovations are underway to bring JUUbilee training to children and youth, to offer congregations more study materials to continue the conversations begun with the Teach-In on White Supremacy, as well as new engaging resources from BLUU via a monthly “BLUU Box.” These are just a few of the many ways you can be a part of changing the narrative within your own congregation
We have work to do as a religious people, things to learn, deep conversations to share, and curiosity to be satisfied – in other words, faith development work. If you are lucky enough to have a professional religious educator, please look to them for a pathway into and through this brave work. You can begin by asking them what gems they carried home from the conference and what they are really excited about! Your religious educator has access to many tools and resources, whether they attended the latest LREDA Fall Conference or not. If they weren’t able to be in Houston this year, make it a priority to send them to Baltimore in November 2019 (yes, Baltimore! Hurrah, the LREDA Fall Conference is coming back to the Central East Region!). Religious educators, ministers, lay leaders – all are invited into the bold work of writing the next chapter of Unitarian Universalism!
Patricia Hall Infante, Congregational Life Staff holding the Faith Development portfolio and Credentialed Religious Educator
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I was grateful to deliver the sermon yesterday at San Gabriel Unitarian Universalist in Georgetown and talk about the work of Central Texas Interfaith pic.twitter.com/n7Iic45kTb
Sometimes if feels like the Universe or Spirit (one and the same) is sending you a message. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence that allows you to see a pattern that seems meaningful. Whatever it is, I had such an experience yesterday, after Sunday worship service.
It started with a conversation about Christianity, and how it shifted from its early form emphasizing life to one emphasizing death. Rebecca Parker and Rita Nakashima Brock detail this shift in their book “Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love for This World for Crucifixion and Empire.” The symbol for the early Christian Church was a simple cross, not crucifix. And the artwork adorning first century Christian churches contain no images of Jesus’s torturous death, only that of his life healing the sick and feeding the hungry, and images of him as the risen Christ. In other words, the iconography (and theology) focused on life.
So what happened to change the focus? Well in short, Pope Urban II had declared a crusade (the first) against the “heathens” who controlled the Holy Land, the birthplace of Christianity. And the crusade wasn’t going well partly because there weren’t enough Christians in Europe willing to go to war and die in a foreign land. He needed willing soldiers. So he declared that anyone who joined the crusade would be absolved of all their sins. With that, the idea that suffering is redemptive took root and grew. Instead of depictions of a living Jesus, the Church put forth depictions of his bloody crucifixion. Over time, the representations became more and more gruesome, culminating in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” (I still have not seen that movie.) Instead of living to love and serve others, saints became martyrs. And the more they were tortured before death, the greater their devotion to God.
Such was the shift in theology in the eleventh century because Rome needed people who were willing to fight and die for empire. The shift did not happen overnight, but rather was gradual, might even have seemed “natural” at the time, but nevertheless it happened.
Shortly after that conversation about the shift in Christianity ended, I talked with a different member of UUSF about the anniversary of Armistice Day. For those of you who don’t know, what we now observe as Veterans Day used to be called Armistice Day, which celebrated the end of World War One. In accordance with the signed agreement, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, fighting ceased. (Soldiers actually continued shooting and bombing until 10:59 and then stopped a minute later. How weird is that?) At the time, WWI was thought to be the war to end all wars. There was the belief that its end was the beginning of a lasting peace, and Armistice Day was the celebration of that peace. It remained a somber yet hopeful holiday for many years, but obviously did not stay that way.
In 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day. Part of the motivation for the change is understandable - WWI did not end all wars. We had had WWII and the Korean War, and we were about to enter the Vietnam War. So people wanted a day that would honor all veterans, not just those of WWI. But since the name change, Veterans Day has shifted from a somber hope for peace, to the flag-waving, military-parading, glorification of war.
Experiencing the two conversations so close to each other, I could see that it was the same pattern. (It’s not the first time that I’ve seen that the United States is the heir to the Roman Empire.) Washington needs soldiers to fight in its endless wars, and the way to make citizens willing to fight and die in foreign lands is to lift it up as the ideal. Instead of paintings of Saint Lucy with her eyes gouged out or Saint Sebastian with a chest full of arrows, our televisions show us images of veterans missing arms and legs while flags wave and patriotic music swells in the background.
I want to be clear here that I do NOT want to return to the days during and after Vietnam, when those who answered the call to serve in our armed forces were spat upon and shunned. The willingness to serve our country - ie, our greater community - is noble, and recognition and gratitude are appropriate. What I object to is the shift from hope for peace to glorification of war. On Veterans Day now, we tell veterans “Thank you for your service,” but we (collectively) do nothing to make their sacrifice less required. Nothing to lessen war. For the sake of empire, we emphasize suffering and death over love and life.
Join MaineTransNet, Outright LA, Pride L-A Maine, and First Universalist Church of Auburn, Unitarian Universalistt, for a Potluck and Installation Art piece to commemorate TDOR. ((Transgender Day of Remembrance) On... https://www.facebook.com/OutrightLA/posts/10155937711272742 …
The Climate Reality Project November 15, 2018 7:00 pm-9:00 pm Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun 20460 Gleedsville Road, Leesburg pic.twitter.com/PkSCfpKryx
Commission on Institutional Change
In times such as these, marked by a deep sense of insecurity, distrust, and fear of change we need the strength found in radical community welcome even more. And those who are most frightened, because they are now the targets of hate or erasure need the assurance of safety as community members the most. In this way, our faith needs to focus on living into our faith and its expressions of community and to take steps to address what hinders full participation and care for others.
Jesus never referred to “heaven” or the “kingdom of heaven” as an afterlife destination. http://amzn.to/2DkS0lR #Unity #UU #UnitarianUniversalist #universalism #awakening #unorthodox #sermons #biblestudypic.twitter.com/qzdNZg2gpg
Expand your perspective of the Lord’s Prayer using the Aramaic meanings. http://amzn.to/2kugQGG #Unity #UU #UnitarianUniversalist #universalism #consciousness #awakening #unorthodox #sermons #biblestudypic.twitter.com/yfk5rAbf3P
Can a captain and his crew rescue #refugees from drowning in the Aegean Sea? Join the Unitarian Universalist Church for their Immigration Film Series in Port Charlotte, FL for a free screening & following discussion of #4point1MilesPBS tonight at 5:30pm. https://bit.ly/2T2Uf5B
Attached media: https://external.xx.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQC-v79Z4DfRI1Lt&url=https://giving.uua.org/image/Candle-hands.jpg&_nc_hash=AQD1ws9G9VlK8Oxk
I consulted on the first phase of the @UUTalks project, helped promote the @FaithifyUU campaign which funded the model talks, and emceed the model talks held at the @UUA. Can't wait to see where Twinkle takes this project next!
The @UUTalks project by Twinkle Marie Manning has moved into its next phase! Videos from the model talks rolling out. I'll be retweeting the first wave in a moment. You can find them all on the project Youtube channel and subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd8Uxfh0CX63udofBF0M35A …
