Mature faith
When Sarah MacLeod no longer needs her UU congregation as a stepping stone from theism, or as a safe, supportive place during a personal crisis, she asks, “Why church?”
Church, because supportive community is built over time, not just used when in need.
Church, because working through pain, anger, and disappointment in community deepens understanding. . . .
Church, because it reminds us that community is larger than any one person, idea, or belief. (Finding My Ground, August 5)
The Rev. Tom Schade believes that a consensus is emerging among UUs, including that “the ‘language of reverence’ is now our vocabulary.”
President Sinkford was roundly criticized for suggesting that we needed to break out of the straitjacket of humanist language, but then, we did. We’re all about “calls,” “faith,” “mission,” “prayer,” “spirit,” and “soul.” Admittedly, we are probably sloppy in our usage, but everyone kind of gets what each other is talking about, and goes along with it. (The Lively Tradition, August 1)
Woo, but not woo-woo
The Rev. Dr. David Breeden reclaims the practice of spirituality from superstitious “woo-woo.”
There’s nothing mysterious about the mystical. Spirituality is a feeling. We don’t have to buy what particular religions are selling to access these feelings. It’s all in our heads. (Quest for Meaning, August 7)
Rachel Camille values sacred space, and notices that Unitarian Universalist meeting spaces tend not to feel “special.”
We didn’t talk about anything different from what we talked about at the dinner table. It wasn’t super deep. It didn’t teach me anything epic and huge. I didn’t feel connected to anything bigger than myself, which is kind of insane considering that in UU, I’m connected to the entire interconnected web of existence. It felt like a book club. We went into a room and talked about some interesting things, and that was all. The end. (I Am UU, August 7)
Rebecca Hecking is not Pagan, but does mark the Wheel of the Year.
The simple act of marking the day, noting the change, acknowledging the passing of time in a tangible, physical way, helps to counteract the fast pace of our busy lives. As the seasons turn, as the wheel makes yet another round, we note the passing of time in our own lives. Children grow. Elders pass. We move from stage to stage on our own journey. Bringing this to conscious awareness heightens our appreciation for life and its gifts. (Breath and Water, August 1)
Paying for ministry
The Rev. Tom Schade puts concerns about clergy compensation into a broader context.
The big picture is that most of us need a broad social movement to redirect the wealth of this country downwards. That means raising the minimum wage, building up the infrastructure of the country, forgiving student debt, investing in education, increasing social security benefits, bailing out underwater homeowners, empowering old and new unions, returning the wealth stolen from African Americans. More people should have more money.
And in that context, UU ministers will probably have a better future than it now seems. (The Lively Tradition, August 2)
Katy Schmidt Carpman asks us to remember more than just clergy when we talk about paying for ministry.
And yet in many congregations, ministers have the best compensation package. I would love to see a fuller conversation of compensation and financial wellness for all who work in churches. Yes, as a religious educator, I’ve got an interest here. But it’s also about our music directors, administrative staff, sextons–whatever positions make up each congregation. (Remembering Attention, July 31)
Energy and despair
The Rev. James Ford sees the future in the “mix of energy and despair” in Long Beach’s diverse downtown neighborhood.
Walking around downtown Long Beach I realized this is the future.
Edgy. Dangerous.
Colorful.
Chaotic.
A mix of energy and despair, people succeeding and people crushed. And downtown everyone living cheek-by-jowl, the same block with high-end lofts, middle-income condos, and inexpensive apartments. In places trash in the street, and not far away, pocket public gardens. (Monkey Mind, August 2)
Asked to write about yet another tragic news story, the Rev. Lynn Unger shares a poem, encouraging us to “Wake up. Give thanks. Sing.”
What will you do
with the last good days?
Before the seas rise and the skies close in,
before the terrible bill
for all our thoughtless wanting
finally comes due? (Quest for Meaning, August 6)
Photos from the “Humans of New York” project inspire the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum’s thoughts about why we need safety nets.
I’m fortunate—we have family and friends able and willing to help. I’m a minister in a denomination that has some funds for ministers in financial crisis, and knowing that is a piece of sanity, a certain knowledge that there’s a safety net there for me. I’m also insured, which means there’s a cap to the financial trouble that health problems can bring me.
Not everyone has these safety nets. Many people have only the knowledge of a family member’s open door. Some people don’t have even that. (The Lively Tradition, August 6)
Gracia Walker remembers a long-ago encounter, one of many that helped her find her way from fundamentalism to Unitarian Universalism, and encourages us to be the kind strangers other people need.
You never know what seeds you can plant, what a bit of kindness can do to widen the thinking of someone who may be trapped in a worldview that doesn’t meet their needs, or let them grow to their potential. We don’t always have to preach, it may just be the patience we show that can change hearts. (Loved for Who You Are, August 4)