Church membership

The Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom wonders if the concept of church membership has outlived its usefulness.

What if we did away with the conceptual category of “membership?” Stopped using that word—and all of the assumptions that go with it. . . . What if , instead, we focused on “involvement” or “participation?” (“A Minister’s Musing,” June 13)

“Worker” remembers a former church and reflects on the religious impulse.

We’d hold hands. We had to, or what we were there to do would not happen. We’d hold hands to move in time, to find our balance, to link together, and we would let go when we had to, and together we’d make the dance.   (“This is Worker,” June 11)

Good and evil, hypocrisy and integrity

The Rev. A. C. Miles is learning from her visits to “three of the most patriarchal, devil-believing, biblically literal religious traditions to be found in a Bible belt capital.”

Me and mine do not believe in the devil. But he sure is a useful metaphor. . . . Those of us who want to talk about nurture, the forces of culture, an ethos of violence, and the like can take a page from the devil believers. We need to be more articulate about where goodness comes from.  (“Auspicious Jots,” June 14)

The Rev. Dan Harper points out the hypocrisy of politicians who wear religion on their sleeves, but give only a tiny fraction of their wealth to their faith communities.

This leads to Harper’s Rule: Politicians may not use Biblical references, nor refer to their “Christian faith,” unless they contribute at least 5% for their income to their church. If a politician breaks this rule, you should shout “Matthew 6:5!” at him or her.  (“Yet Another Unitarian Universalist,” June 13)

Values and meaning-making

As part of Pagan Values Month, John Beckett writes about multiplicity and unity.

Multiplicity and unity. Freedom and respect. Hospitality and self-reliance. These pairs are not contradictory, they are complimentary. Our experience tells us we need both sides of these polar opposites, sometimes more of one, other times more of the other. But we do need them all.  (“Under the Ancient Oaks,” June 15)

The Rev. Andy Pakula offers strategies for creating “a life that is meaningful, purposeful and connected.”

Strive to appreciate every bit of beauty, kindness, good fortune, and warmth you can find. It is far easier to complain about what’s wrong but it makes you far happier and nicer to be with if you are a person that is grateful for everything. If you can rejoice in a good cup of tea, you will be happy often.  (“Throw Yourself Like Seed,” June 11)

Making sense of our lives

During a training session for chaplains about organ and tissue donation, Paul Oakley finds himself more than just conflicted.  He’s angry about injustice.

I live in a country where I am not allowed,
Not allowed to give blood while I am alive
And well,
Plenty of it to spare,
But when I croak, they want next of kin
to donate tissue, bone, organs.   (“Inner Life, Radiant Light,” June 11)

Sarah is breathing her way through her child’s early teen years.

Go they will, all too quickly. Just as the blur of days from his newborn weeks seemed painfully long at the time but only a blink now, so will these teen years fly. And through them, I’ll continue with patience, listen in the dark, and breathe.  (“Finding My Ground,” June 12)

“Strange Attractor” shares insights from her first labyrinth walk.

There are times when we have to get inspired and venture out into something we have never done before, times when we don’t really know what we are doing and might fail, and times when we are stable and sure in what we are doing.  (“Strange Attractor,” June 16)

East is East, and West is West

Sometimes blogging is just plain fun.  This week the Rev. Dr. Victoria Weinstein decreed that, outside of the gym, women “may not wear leggings!”

Leggings are among the most dignity-impairing garments devised by man and adopted by the general female public and you are NOT to fall prey to this satanic temptation.  (“Beauty Tips for Ministers,” June 9)

Writing from the Pacific Northwest, Kari Kopnick suggests that there are regional differences in UU culture.

Here we have real freedom to believe as we are called to believe, to worship in ways that we are called to worship . . . and to wear what we wish to wear!  (“Chalice Spark,” June 9)

Other Pacific Northwest bloggers also weighed in on the topic.  (“Strange Attractor,” June 10 and “The Curriculum of Love,” June 10)

Around the blogosphere

At General Assembly, Matt Kinsi plans to vote to do away with Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs).

The AIWs are toothless, and they don’t lead to anything actually getting done in our congregations.  What’s the point?  (“Spirituality and Sunflowers,” June 11)

The Rev. Naomi King recommends TweetChat for engaging in public conversation about faith formation.

Using a few free and inexpensive tools, people of faith have the power to deepen their faith and grow faithfully via digital media . . . [and] to live so openly that others who are seeking can actually find them.  (“Rev. Naomi King,” June 13)