Gated religious communities
Sarah MacLeod writes that when Unitarian Universalists fall short of our commitment to pluralism, we hinder UU interfaith work.
I’ve overheard heated rants about Christians and theism during coffee hour. It’s embarrassing, given the UU commitment to supporting free spiritual searches by all and to protecting the worth and dignity of all humans. . . . Sure, we teach our children and ourselves about the religions of the world, but that’s not interfaith work. And badmouthing any religion in a church committed to supporting religious freedom is downright contradictory to even beginning true interfaith work. (Finding My Ground, May 2)
The Rev. Fred Muir suggests that UU congregations can be like gated communities—havens that welcome only like-minded members.
I can already hear and feel some push-back—of course we aren’t, we’re not gated! . . . Really? Anyone is welcome? No gate? Or are there people and families for whom the gate is closed, while for others the gate is open? . . . Let’s look for the gates to our church, to our way of religion. Let’s think about who gets in and who doesn’t. . . . Together let’s answer the call to open the gate, greet others with hospitality, and become a community where we “inspire and empower bold and compassionate living.” (Building the UU Beloved Community, May 2)
How does a church run?
As the Rev. Christana Wille McKnight gives visitors a church tour, one of them asks, ““How does a church run, anyways? Where does your money come from?”
As I explained . . . [offerings and pledging] to our guests . . . their eyes grew wide. “You mean, a church has to run things like a business?” one of them questioned in disbelief. “You have to have income and expenses and salaries and everything?” I nodded. Surprisingly, she smiled. “That’s so cool. So this church really is about being for the people and by the people—a real community.” (Ordinary Days, May 2)
The Rev. Kent Hemmen-Saleska’s congregation has been transitioning to Policy Governance®, and he shares the wisdom of Laura Park, a consultant with Unity Consulting.
Part of my commitment to this model stems from my belief that it better supports democracy than other approaches to governance I’ve seen. That belief starts with how I understand democracy. I understand democracy to mean that it’s clear how the voice of the whole finds its way into the decisions of our elected leaders. (Moving in Faith, April 30)
In a series of posts, the Rev. Dan Harper shares the text of his Pacific Central District presentation, “Transform and Grow Your RE Program.”
As you will see, growth is not rocket science; growth is all about patient attention to detail. I think you will find this presentation to be quite different from other Unitarian Universalist approaches to growth: it’s kind of geeky; it’s not exciting; it lacks sexy jargon terms; and it’s all about management and administration. However, since the exciting, sexy, theological approaches don’t seem to be working all that well, maybe you should check out my approach. (Yet Another Unitarian Universalist, April 27)
Taming inner monsters
Jacqueline Wolven acknowledges that generosity of spirit does not come naturally to her.
I want to be loving and kind and filled with generous words of spirit—and mean it. . . . It just takes me a minute to get there. What happens is like a quick monster overcomes my heart and I feel myself tense up into a knot as it grabs all the kind words out of my throat and stuffs them in to my belly. . . . If I can just take one breath, I can move through that feeling into something else. Sometimes it takes just a moment and I remind myself what I really want for others—not the stinginess that swells inside. Other times it takes months, maybe even years. (MoxieLife, April 30)
The Rev. Lisa Ward gathers her inner strength, and faces her moderate fear of heights, by embarking on a ziplining adventure.
When my arms became wobbly, again more from fear than logic, I . . . extended my arms out to encourage the flow of chi, and trusted that the fear could accompany me and ride into joy. This discipline accompanied me throughout the three hour journey, filled with sights and sounds and laughter that keep me smiling to this day. (Pondering on the Path, May 2)
Losing faith
Gary Lerude highlights an NPR story about the Rev. Teresa MacBain, a Methodist minister who recently “came out” as an atheist.
After the internal conflict became too much to bear and she declared her true belief—or lack of—she had to resign and face ostracism from her church community. Had she been a Unitarian Universalist, her questioning would have been encouraged, her atheism accepted, her spirit nurtured. (Be Spiritual, May 1)
Commenting on the same story, the Rev. Jeff Liebmann writes that being an atheist minister requires more faith, not less.
The atheist minister believes in the beloved community, a world with peace, social justice, economic fairness, and freedom. The atheist minister knows that someday, we will build a world in which every child is fed, everyone has a home, all illness is treated, and each person is free to pursue their path in life and proclaim their own identity.
As John Lennon sang, “you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us and the world will live as one.” Welcome, Teresa, to the covenant of dreamers. (uujeff’s muse kennel and pizzatorium, May 1)
Professional UU leadership
The Rev. Tom Schade outlines several problems in professional religious leadership, and a few solutions.
We need “super-congregational” structures that function as employers. (By “super” I mean “above” not “better”.) These structures would allow multiple congregations to share ministers, musicians, religious educators and administrators. One idea would be for the flagship congregations in a region to actually employ a larger staff, providing services to smaller, local congregations and billing them appropriately. Perhaps Districts and Regions could become employers.
If the UUA can run a professional health insurance company, there is no reason why it cannot create or contract with a third party to provide payroll services for all congregations, thus standardizing and professionalizing this function. (the lively tradition, April 30; see also May 1)
Katy Carpman celebrates the completion of her process of becoming a Credentialed Religious Educator.
Moments before entering the room, my chaplain mentioned, “And Eliot Chapel has the Channing pulpit.” I did not really have time to be stupefied that I was about to preach from the same pulpit as William Ellery Channing. . . .
I did not set myself on fire as I lit the chalice. (MissDRE and Wonder, May 3)
Matt Kinsi, who hopes to become a director of religious education, wrestles with the question of how to get the experience he needs.
I assume there’s some kind of farm system for experience—be a quarter time DRE somewhere for a while before becoming a full time DRE. But that’s not possible for me—I can’t work in a less than full time position and make the ends meet. (Spirituality and Sunflowers, May 2)
Around the blogosphere
Christine Leigh Slocum reports in from the May Day protests in Seattle.
The vandalism frustrates me. . . . There is a perception that going to these protests comes with those risks, not because you may be violent but as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time because the police are trigger happy and the anarchists are provocateurs. . . . I would argue that incurring fear is only an effective tactic if you are arguing that you can protect the fearful from the target, not when you are becoming the entity to be feared. (Seattleite from Syracuse, May 2)
As she completes more than a year of grant work related to helping congregations set up and practice digital ministry, June Herold issues a “last call” for input about how UUs would prefer to receive and use the information she’s gathered. (The New UU, May 2)
Herold also provides a Spanish translation of UU President Peter Morales’ “Congregations and Beyond” sermon, preached in English at the UU Church of Arlington, Virginia. (The New UU, May 2)
