Know yourself—then do something

After hearing a heartbreaking story on the car radio about hungry children in Nevada, the Rev. James Ford urges us to take action.

Several of the children spoke of going to bed without eating. They struggled for words to describe their experience. “My tummy growled.” My eyes began to water. And another said, saying how hard it was to sleep. “I waited until the next morning when I could go to school and eat.” I choked.

Another child waited. And then spoke very softly. It was hard to understand. The interviewer had to ask for sure what the child said. It was, “We ate a rat.”

I pulled over and wept. (Monkey Mind, February 15

The Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern is devouring Michelle Alexander’s recent book, The New Jim Crow, “even though every bite burns going down.”

What I thought before: Racism is present in the criminal justice system, the way it is present everywhere. It’s a problem that concerns me, but calling it the equivalent of Jim Crow is nothing more than a rhetorical flourish.

What I think now: The criminal justice system has been pressed into the service of an agenda that has changed form over the years but has not diminished: the social control of racial minorities, especially African-Americans. The means was once Jim Crow; now it is mass incarceration, which is truly, not just rhetorically, the new Jim Crow. (Sermons in Stones, February 15)

Strange Attractor, the mother of two girls, has had enough of “all the ugly misogyny in the news lately.”

My daughters’ bodies are not political footballs. . . . All of this, and more, is poison to the futures of young women. For every lesson their father and I teach them that they have as much value as any man, there are counter-lessons like these. They are being told that they need to be sexy, but not too sexy; independent, but not too independent; that they bring their problems on themselves; and that most of all, they are not to be trusted. These are not the family values I am trying to teach. (Strange Attractor, February 16)

Thinking about atheism

Shannon McMaster explains why he is not an atheist.

What atheism offers isn’t enough of an explanation of my subjective experience of the world. And, really, all I’ve got is my subjective experience of the world. . . . My subjective experience has included experience of the religious impulse and of the religious feeling. (This Is Worker, February 10)

A few of the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum’s Christian colleagues define “practical atheists” as “people who might profess a belief in Christ, but live a Godless lifestyle.”

The use of the term “Practical Atheist” in this way assumes morality is from God, and so those who are living amorally are atheistic, at least in practice, even if not in belief. And it’s a slam on Atheists. But, as we’ve seen, people generally believe that Atheists don’t have morals, because Atheists don’t believe in God. For the record, then: living as if there is no God does NOT mean living immorally. (Rev. Cyn, February 15

‘Congregations and Beyond’

Conversation continues this week in various forms of social media about UUA President Peter Morales’s “Congregations and Beyond” essay and the brainstorming it launched.

The Rev. Tom Schade writes that the conversation is “a mess,” and offers a number of questions and suggestions.

I myself would like to see all of our ministers and laypeople be turned loose to create “no-logo liberal religious ministries” wherever they can. Let our congregations keep doing what they are trying to do. Out of all that ferment, something new will emerge. (The Lively Tradition, February 11)

Andie Arthur, drawing on her background in the arts, encourages UUs to focus on creating “good church,” rather than worrying about unhealthy congregations.

[Once] you find that bit of good church . . . keep growing it. Focus on what is profound and moving, on what makes you want to bring others to your congregation, and grow that. Put energy around that, market it well, and see how it grows. (Toward a Holy Theatre, February 16)

Tandi Rogers, who serves as a Growth Strategies Specialist for the UUA, shares part of the results of her recent survey of “Free Range UUs.”

[One] thing that stunned me was the number of Free Rangers who have been to our congregations and left, repelled by less than inspiring worship or an exhausting congregational conflict or our issues with power and authority. A significant portion of Free Rangers are former board members who left demoralized under the unrealistic pressures of their role.  A target for all sorts of ugliness.  This keeps me up at night. It makes my heart ache. (Growing Unitarian Universalism, February 13

President Morales shares his observations about the in-person Orlando consultation, as well as the wider conversation happening through social media.

Just as important as what we are doing (and maybe even more important) is how we are doing it. We are creating a new way of working together as an association. Our work on the Congregations and Beyond initiative is just one example. Stated briefly, we at the UUA are doing all of this in close collaboration with others. We are “crowdsourcing” our work—working in partnership with a wide variety of people and inviting input along the way. (Beyond Belief, February 14)

UUA Trustee Linda Laskowski provides her perspective on “Congregations and Beyond.”

The blogsphere flurry about President Morales’ “Congregations and Beyond” surprises me in that it is the extension of a conversation that started some time ago. A less restrictive definition of what a “congregation” is was passed by the delegates of GA2011. Peter brought an earlier version of this paper to the October board meeting, which dovetailed with a formal conversation the board was having about the scope of the Association. (UUA View from Berkeley, February 10)

Around the blogosphere

The Rev. Sam Trumbore’s mindfulness practice helps him cope with contagious anxiety.

So much of the religious project is learning how to manage our emotional brain more effectively so we can live together in peace.  May we all learn to deal with it better so we stop killing and hurting each other out of that primitive, reactive response to the daily challenges of existence. (Rev. Sam Trumbore, February 16)

The Rev. Adam Tierney-Eliot, who serves a congregation affiliated with both the UUA and the United Church of Christ, shares insights about the two denominations’ recent “intentional conversation.” (Burbania Posts, February 10)

The Rev. Amy Freedman redefines church, faith and religion. (Amy Freedman, February 10)