Celebrating congregations, the value of staying put, and more

Celebrating congregations

The Rev. Ron Robinson at "Planting God Communities" calls for innovative models for organizing congregations:

Church is too important as a counter cultural way of living to be written off by so many, to being pigeon-holed into extinction, too important not to risk new manifestations. And not only the unchurched and dechurched, but those struggling to maintain their faith and not be burned out from within existing churches need more and more alternative communities of faith. I again like the Disciples of Christ theme of 1,000 new churches in 1,000 new ways. Again, faithful churches come in many ways. (April 23, 2008)

UUA trustee Tom Loughrey sounds a similar note in his report to the Pacific Southwest District Assembly as he discusses the UUA board's decision to reduce the number of independent affiliate organizations (click here for background on the decision from UU World):

The problem for me in this is that I think we may not be considering a new reality in what makes up a "congregation." Of course, we have a definition of a congregation but it may be based on a model that does not really take in the way we congregate anymore. When I heard there is a UU congregation in Second Life I realized that the Internet, email and the interfaces to electronic communication have blurred the definition sufficiently that we may need to expand how we think about where devoted UUs find their "congregation." (May 4, 2008)

Terri at "UU Intersections" praises the sense of excitement and generosity in her congregation:

[T]he enthusiasm for moving into all that we are capable of becoming seems to have taken hold; there is this sudden movement "beyond ourselves," of feeling transformed by mission.

Maybe one congregant said it best yesterday when she remarked during services that when she first came through our doors, it was out of her own needs. What could we offer her--a community, deeper spiritual experience, etc? Lately, though, she felt that her experience at the UU was asking something of her, was calling her to become her most authentic self, to live out her principles. She felt compelled to look outward, to give something of herself. (May 5, 2008)

But Shaktinah at "Wizdum.net" is more somber about congregational life. Even as she uses the internet to spread the word about Unitarian Universalism, she is ambivalent about whether or not our congregations will meet newcomers's needs:

I searched my brain for the experiences I'd had at church and most of what I could come up with was people engaging me in interesting conversations and giving me opportunities to engage in social justice issues. I could not picture - and I love my UU church very much - fellow congregants giving me support when I was stressed or down. I've sought and received it from my ministers, yes. There is a caring table where people sign cards, yes. And we share joys and concerns during the service, yes. And there are always those few people who seem to know and care about everyone... maybe it's just me that's making too big a deal out of this. (May 1, 2008)

The value of "staying put"

Jess at "Best of UU" spotlights a wonderful sermon by John Ockels of the Red River Unitarian Universalist Church in Denison, Texas. In "Shall We Dwell at the River?" Ockels encourages his congregation to become more firmly grounded in their local community:

This morning I'm here to criticize what I call "The Theology of Running Away." Enough already with the theology of Singing the Journey, This World Is Not My Home, running-all-over-creation-chasing My Elusive Dreams, and nostalgic floating around in a boat, never quite docking, never quite engaging. "I've been sailing all my life now, Never harbor nor port have I known." Please. Enough with all that. Enough with the theology of always being on a journey. It's officially wearing me out...

This morning I want to argue for a radical theology of loving where you are, staying put, spreading out, putting down roots…and taking over. (Posted May 5, 2008, preached April 27, 2008)

Lend a hand

Genevra at "One Joy, One Sorrow" reflects on the cyclone in Burma:

Sometimes you'll hear people remark that things could always be worse... that there are always people who are worse off than you are - the logic being that you should therefore count your blessings and stop your grousing about your own discomfort or sorrow.

I prefer to reframe it a bit: There are always people out there who could use some prayers (blessings, good thoughts, good energy) as much or more than you can. There are always people in need of help, compassion, love, and good will - whatever spirit you are able to give them. (May 5, 2008; the UUA and UU Service Committee are raising funds to help the cyclone's survivors)

Lizard Eater of "The Journey" has received an outpouring of support from Unitarian Universalist readers as her young daughter, nicknamed "Little Warrior" (LW), faces a second bout with cancer. In response to offers of assistance, she is asking that readers "do a good deed." She plans to create a book for her daughter featuring these acts of kindness, and has set up a new blog, "Love Through Action," to collect the stories. She writes:

You know what we need? A way to explain to LW when she's older that even though we empathically do NOT believe this happened for a reason...short of finding the cure for all cancer, there could not be a reason that would justify this happening to her ... even though this didn't happen for a reason, good still sprang from it. As good can spring from heartbreaking situations.

At the risk of sounding like a lifetime movie or a book by Mitch Albom ... I want to give her a book of good deeds done in her name. (May 4, 2008)

Not to be missed

Earthbound Spirit is proud of her daughter, who has overcome her fear of public speaking and helped lead a "bridging" worship at their congregation. Jason Pitzl-Waters at "The Wild Hunt" bemoans the encroachment on the separation of church and state in public schools. And the Rev. Scott Wells at "Boy in the Bands" expresses gratitude for Mildred Loving and her legacy of fighting for marriage equality.

Commercial culture, hymnal pedagogy, and more

Unitarian Universalism and commercial culture

In his UU World article on raising Unitarian Universalist children, William Doherty warns of "three interrelated social pathologies of contemporary middle-class life—consumerism, time famine, and civic disengagement" (Spring 2008). But Kinsi of "Spirituality and Sunflowers" worries that Doherty offers a recipe for irrelevance:

By trying to remove your kids from pop culture and mainstream society, you will set their faith up for failure. The challenge of my generation, the "millennials" who are constantly busy and have been since we were born, is maintaining, no, adapting, our faith to fit our lifestyle. If we are taught that having deep Unitarian faith is only possible when we unplug from society and retreat back into the woods, then aside from feeling Unitarian guilt our faith will gradually disappear. (April 28, 2008)

Lizard Eater at "The Journey" agrees that Unitarian Universalists should not be too quick to eschew the spiritual opportunities provided by contemporary culture:

Meaning can be found in all kinds of places. It does not reside exclusively on the mountaintop, surrounded by nature and wide blue sky. Tish-tosh, who couldn’t find meaning there? But I don’t live on the mountaintop. I live down in the suburbs, and I think the Internet is a force that can pull together people like nothing else before; having "Dora the Explorer" DVDs and a portable DVD player have been lifesavers this week, and some of my favorite family memories have been us eating pizza in the living room, watching a movie or even American Idol. (April 28, 2008)

However, Hafidha Sofia of "Never Say Never to Your Traveling Self" comments at "The Journey":

I don't think there is any kind of "normal UUs" vs. "mountain top UUs" culture war going on within UUism.

There's nothing wrong with lattes, but the discussion Kinsi started . . . reminds me of the "war on Christmas" stuff, which I found to be largely manufactured. I don't like to see us going down that road because it strikes me as being divisive.

Teaching the living tradition?

After a trip to the New England Folk Festival, at which he learned about shape-note singing, the Rev. Dan Harper of "Yet Another Unitarian Universalist" critiques the current UU hymnals:

What particularly interested me is that shape-note singing connects a specific hymnal with the pedagogical method (teaching people how to sight-read music, etc.). Hymnals such as The Sacred Harp are both teaching tools, and liturgical resources. Compare that to the hymnal that I use everyday, Singing the Living Tradition, which seems to be written by musicians for other musicians; there is no concession made to the non-musician, and there are no singing schools to help people how to use that hymnal. The new Unitarian Universalist hymnal supplement, Singing the Journey, makes even less of a concession to non-musicians . . . (April 28, 2008).

Youth and young adult resolution analysis

Preparing to vote on the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution as a delegate to this summer's General Assembly, Jess of "Jess's Journal" considers her own experience as a young adult Unitarian Universalist:

As a young parent, also, I never felt welcome at any of the young adult events even locally, since they seemed focused around hooking up rather than spiritual pursuits. In short, I wanted religion, "grown-up" religion, and those programs geared toward young adults that I had access to never seemed to offer that . . .

In short, I have always felt like an outsider when it comes to the young adult "movement" within the Unitarian Universalist movement, even though I am still squarely within the target demographic. (April 28, 2008)

In a follow-up post, Jess also offers an in-depth analysis of the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution.

Not to be missed

The Rev. James Ford of "Monkey Mind" live-blogs his candidating week at the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island, starting with his post on the eve of his first Sunday. The Rev. Victoria Weinstein of "PeaceBang" sharply criticizes the UUA's "Now Is the Time" fundraising campaign and the UUA board's decision to pare down the number of independent affiliate organizations. Stephen Lingwood at "Reignite" questions whether non-creedal religion has a place for humanists. And Elizabeth at "Elizabeth's Little Blog" adds a different perspective to last week's discussion of ethical eating.

Food ethics, a son's addiction, and more

Morality and food

Inspired by Earth Day, Plaidshoes at "Everyday Unitarian" considers making environmentally-friendly lifestyle changes. First on the list:

Get back to being more committed to veganism. I have been a vegetarian for over 17 years, but keep slipping when I try to be vegan. So much of the Earth's resources would be saved if people ate more ethically. (April 22, 2008)

But Jacqueline at "Moxie Life" points out that economic factors also shape decisions about food consumption:

[F]ood is only a choice for those who have the financial privilege to make that choice. It is an economics thing. If you come from a lower economic background or a definitive cultural background you will have food ideas around that. You MAY choose to break out of those ideas, but often, in the circumstances you CAN'T. You eat what is offered, and if you are lucky you are grateful. (April 22, 2008)

Response to a son's addiction

The Rev. Sean Parker Dennison at "ministrare" copes with his son's substance abuse:

It is very hard to face that I can't protect or save my son from this. Even though every day of parenting has been another lesson in letting go, this is excruciating. Almost as excruciating as finding another thing that is missing, stabbed, or destroyed because of his addiction and the behaviors it caused. I think, down deep, I have always believed that my love alone could protect and save my child. Even in this moment, I want that to be true. But it's not. And all those parents who have lost children to this disease loved them just as much as I love him. Welcome, compassion. (April 21, 2008)

Loved and chosen, no matter what

Marking her thirtieth birthday, the Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd resists the urge to measure her life by her professional accomplishments:

It's tempting, at 30, to look back at my life and try to come up with all of the reasons these have been three decades of reasonably well lived life. It's tempting to try to justify the way I used those years and envision a new and improved me for the next 30. But I tell my people that they are loved and chosen, no matter what. Today, in honor of my birthday, I will endeavor to tell myself the same thing. (April 23, 2008)

Rejecting punitive theology

In response to the idea that tragedies are a form of "punishment" from God, the Rev. Fred Hammond at "A Unitarian Universalist Minister in Mississippi" writes:

[T]hings will happen in this world. Some things will be filled with pleasure and joy like sunshine causing rainbows after a thunderstorm. Some things will be filled with pain and sorrow like miscarriages and HIV/AIDS. But neither the rainbow nor the miscarriage is a result of our righteousness nor our wickedness. They just are. (April 21, 2008)

Not to be missed

At "UUCSR Writers," a blog organized by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Santa Rosa, California, pseudonymous cparkhill1730 describes growing up with Asperbergers Syndrome. The Rev. Debra Haffner of "Sexuality and Religion: What's the Connection?" relates the Passover teaching on "dayenu" to sexual justice advocacy. And Mary Wellemeyer of "A Larger Faith" joyfully reports on the vote to merge the Unitarian Universalist Association's New Hampshire/Vermont and Northeast districts.

UUA's new ad, making family time, and more

Analyzing new UUA ad

The Unitarian Universalist Association's national ad campaign entered its second stage last week, with a new ad in the April 14th issue of Time magazine. The ad's tagline is "When in Doubt, Pray. When in Prayer, Doubt." Reactions from Unitarian Universalist bloggers range from stinging criticism to strong praise.

The Rev. Victoria Weinstein at "Peacebang" characterizes the ad as "clever wordplay instead of a warm and loving invitation to find us and worship with us." She continues:

The best advertising for our tradition, or any tradition, is for our congregations to be healthy communities full of individuals who have a strong sense of ministry and are guided by an ethic of love and covenantal relationship. They should make the news for doing good works in the community, and when people walk through their doors (as they will if they are guided there by spiritual need, not prompted by an ad in Time magazine), they should encounter powerful worship services, quality religious education, well-organized, inclusive pastoral and prophetic ministries, and people with authentic welcome on their lips and in their hearts. (April 12, 2008)

The Rev. Ron Robinson at "Planting God Communities" offers a mixed review, comparing this ad to the first in the campaign: "At least this one conveys the image that UUs, and people, do pray, and that it is good to do so." Still, he wonder, "when it says 'in prayer, doubt' . . . Are you to pray and doubt that your prayer is helpful? Pray and doubt that anyone hears it? Pray and doubt the prayer itself?" (April 9, 2008)

Elizabeth Barrett at "ExUUberance," however, appreciates the ad's message and humor.

Many, many people have trouble with prayer because they don't have a clear idea about prayer -- do you have to believe in God to pray? I think the national marketing campaign taps into this question that many folks have.

Another thing that the general population seems to believe is that laughter is not allowed in church. Many people think of "churches" as somber, serious places. The national marketing campaign lets people know the importance UUs in general place on joy and humor. (April 10, 2008)

Making time for family

Hafidha Sofia at "Never Say Never to Your Traveling Self" reflects on her decision to spend more time with her grandmother:

I used to hear about old people in nursing homes whose families would visit them once a month or only on the holidays, and think, "That’s really sad; that’s your mom/dad/grandma/granddad!" And yet gradually, I'd become more and more distant from my own grandmother, just taking for granted that I’d spend more time with her "later." Looking back, I see how easily that happened. (April 10, 2008)

Not a Christian

The Rev. Matt Tittle at "Keep the Faith" explains why he identifies as Unitarian Universalist and not as Christian:

Christianity, in its essence, is an amazing faith. So are all other religions in their essence. Christianity, in practice, has caused much triumph and much tragedy in the world, as has every major sacred and secular institution.

I am not a Christian because I am a Unitarian Universalist . . . I don't think that everyone should be a Christian and I don't think everyone should be a Unitarian Universalist. We must all be true to the faith that calls us to be our best selves, to care for one another, and to be good stewards of the earth. (April 12, 2008)

Role of church staff

As his congregation searches for a part-time minister, David Markham at "Chalicefire" considers the role of professional staff in congregational life:

All the members of the congregation are leaders in some way and yet the professional staff have a special responsibility to be the steward of the vision, the catalyst that brings disparate ideas and efforts together, the orchestra conductor of sorts so that the congregation, the church community, can work together harmoniously in the pursuit of common goals. I don't know how a pastor does this effectively part time without strong lay leadership as well. (April 16, 2008).

Not to be missed

UUMomma recalls a dream about God. Jess of "Jess's Journal" reflects on parenting. Jeff at "Transient and Permanent" analyzes the "re-branding of the Unitarian Universalist Association" as an organization focused on congregations alone.

Military chaplaincy, debunking UU myths, and more

Ministering in the military

A Unitarian Universalist pursuing a career in military chaplaincy, David Pyle at "Celestial Lands," explains the importance of this service:

By ministering to the young men and women most deeply affected by war, I am working for peace. Peace begins in the heart, and it is to the hearts of soldiers that I am called to minister. Your call to peace might be to stand in a line and yell at your opposition, waiving placards. I respect that. Heck, I've done that. My call to peace however, is to go to the front line and minister to souls, and I ask you to respect that both are valid and necessary if we are ever to really "study war no more." (April 5, 2008)

'Seekers and makers of the holy'

Elizabeth at "Elizabeth's Little Blog" offers a prayer, including these words:

may we find the holy in our coffee, in the spider whose lovely eight legs carry her effortlessly over her web, in the kiss goodnight, in the hot meal, fuzzy blanket, and in the chill of the dark night air. may we be seekers and makers of the holy. (April 8, 2008)

Debunking myths

Stephen Merino at "Reason and Reverence" rejects the idea that "anything goes" in Unitarian Universalism:

The more I think about the 'anything goes' myth the more disturbed I get. I think it should bother UUs that this idea exists. I think the 'anything goes' idea becomes ridiculous if you understand the seven principles of UUism and the ideal of living ethically, responsibly, lovingly, and actively engaged in bettering the world. (April 8, 2008)

And the UU Republican challenges a commenter's assertion that Republican Unitarian Universalists are unusual:

Are we really that odd?

I'd say we are about as odd as Catholic Democrats. We both feel like we belong spiritually, just not politically. So we stay, regardless of what other people may think of us, because UU is our spiritual home. It's our turf too. (April 3, 2008)

The UU Republican also responds to the question "Are UU values compatible with the Republican Party?"

Reconnecting with the natural world

Adding to last week's discussion about Unitarian Universalism and Paganism, Earthbound Spirit writes that, although she does not identify as pagan, she is "deeply connected to this earth." She explains:

I believe that we humans are truly creatures of this earth — this planet . . . Here is where we came into being, this earth is where we evolve(d), we live, we die, we live on in those who come after us. We emerged, with other life forms, from the chaos, part of continuous creation/ongoing evolution. (April 3, 2008)

Louis Merlin at "Atlanta Unitarian" also values "our vital connections with the earth and its cycles," warning readers:

[A]ll the virtues of the modern world — convenience, speed, mass production — serve to disconnect us from the consequences of our actions, and serve to make us less cognizant of our many interdependent relationships with the world around us. And it seems to me there is a relationship between our disconnection with the world around us and our dissatisfaction, our modern ennui. When we become primarily or exclusively consumers, optimizers, an audience, a target market, we lose much of what makes life gratifying and grounded. (April 6, 2008)

Not to be missed

Rev. Ricky Hoyt at "One More Step" tells of a story about the intersection of "joys and sorrows." John Crovis at "The Pageless Book" explains his enthusiastic interest in conversing with atheists. And the Rev. Scott Wells at "Boy in the Bands" asserts that Christianity is "an itchy and integral part of our identity" as Unitarian Universalists.

Pagan UUs, Emerson attacks, the God option, and more

Paganism and Unitarian Universalism

The Rev. Kit Ketcham at "Ms. Kitty's Saloon and Roadshow" asks for stories from Unitarian Universalists about their experiences with paganism (April 2, 2008). Lizard Eater of "The Journey" remembers discovering Wicca, and the impact of that discovery on her understanding of Unitarian Universalism:

Wicca was a part of my journey and parts of it remain with me still. And ultimately, it has given me a deeper appreciation for Unitarian Universalism. I was born and raised UU and so it was something that I could take for granted. But now, when someone walks in our doors and after their first UU worship experience, with glowing eyes, they say, "This is my religion, that I never knew existed" . . . I know what they mean. I’ve had that moment, too. Through Wicca. (April 2, 2008)

In the comments on Ketcham's post, UU blogger Jamie Goodwin of "Druuid" also describes his attraction to Paganism:

Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons for living a pagan path has to do with the ability to take an active role in the building of my life. Many pagan paths believe in such a thing as magic and even the act of communing and calling upon the Gods is an act of defining, building, and sensing the internal power within.

Emerson attack ad

In the spirit of this year's U.S. presidential election, the Rev. Dan Harper of "Yet Another Unitarian Universalist" offers a parody attack ad against famous Unitarian Ralph Waldo Emerson, on behalf of the fictitious "[William Ellery] Channing and Traditional Liberal Religion Committee" (March 28, 2008).

Lay leadership in worship

Reporting from the National Conference for Large Congregations, Elizabeth Barrett of "ExUUberance" responds to a workshop on worship and describes her own experience of helping lead worship:

There was a time that I was in the pulpit for what (to me) was an extended period: ten minutes. I admitted that I was nervous, so the minister helping reassured me immediately by saying that every UU comes to services wanting to engage with us — no one is here because they have to come! Plus, he told me that our pulpit is shaped like a hug and would hug me while I spoke. My nervousness disappeared immediately! (March 29, 2008)

Highlights of the British General Assembly

The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches in the United Kingdom held its annual meetings on March 26-29, 2008. The Assembly's website features a list of resolutions passed at this year's meetings, and a report on Growth and Renewal Day. The latter report states:

The most popular themes were Numerical & Spiritual Growth. The general focus on achieving these was through attending to the welcome given to both new visitors and existing members of our congregations, ensuring buildings, both interior & exterior, are warm, welcoming and identifiable as Unitarian, experimenting with worship times and styles, re-igniting the passion and soul of our movement and living our faith and values through outreach into the local communities.

Stephen Lingwood of "Reignite" offers an eyewitness account of the meetings. (See his posts on the first, second, third, and fourth days.) He writes:

Overall I enjoyed GA. The best bits aren't necessarily the formal bits but the conversations over coffee, breakfast or drinks in the bar. There are some really remakable people in our Unitarian community, and it's good to rub shoulders with them. One snatched 20 second conversation is going to stay with me for a long time. (March 31, 2008)

And the Rev. Eric Cherry, at the UUA's Advocacy & Witness Staff Group blog "Inspired Faith, Effective Action," offers additional coverage of the meetings.

Not to be missed

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville's "FUUN Blog" celebrates the church's decision to call the Rev. Jason Shelton to be their associate minister for music, a first for the Unitarian Universalist Association. (Shelton, an ordained minister in fellowship with the UUA, has been the church's music director.) The Rev. Victoria Weinstein of "Peacebang" reacts to the slogan used by the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, "God is Optional, You are Not." And Terri Pahucki of "UU Intersections" explains in response why she believes "God is far from optional in church."

Videos and forums, Obama and Wright, and more

New ways to share Unitarian Universalism online

There's a new resource for finding Unitarian Universalist videos online. UUPlanet.tv, created by Peter Bowden, showcases high quality videos about Unitarian Universalism. Bowden explains the purpose of the site: "It is two fold, to make it easier for newcomers to our faith to sit down and explore what we are all about, and to make it easier for existing Unitarian Universalists to show their friends and colleagues the same."

The site has special sections of videos related to the UUA presidential election, "UU outreach," and other topics.

It's long been known that newcomers to Unitarian Universalism ask questions about our faith at Beliefnet's Unitarian Universalism forum. But it turns out that Yahoo! Answers is also a hotbed of discussion about UUism, too. Recent questions asked by users include "Has anyone been to a Unitarian Universalist service?" and "Are you a Unitarian Universalist?" Ted Pack, of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County in Modesto, California, has been answering inquiries on Yahoo! Answers for at least a year, and other Unitarian Universalists also contribute.

At Amazon.com, religious educator Maurine Harrison has created a book list featuring children's books related to the UUA's Seventh Principle ("Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part"; here's all seven). According to Harrison, "These books are also recommended for use in any curriculum or purpose that seeks to promote an awareness, love and care of our natural world." Harrison serves as co-director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech

Unitarian Universalist bloggers and leaders reacted in recent weeks to the controversy surrounding Senator Barack Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and spoke out in praise of Obama's recent speech.

At "Rev Rose," the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt writes:

I felt he articulated on my behalf the wound of slavery in a way no contemporary public person has in a generation. And in articulating it so clearly, and in its full context, he invited me and other African-Americans, to risk putting aside its memory for the sake of something more important: the future of my country. The brilliance of his speech was that he did not simply do the same old thing and ask black people to get over it. He asked us to own the truth of our experiences, to acknowledge the truth of the experiences of whites, and to recognize that some of what troubles us is our collective ignorance about race , about history and about one another. (March 20, 2008).

UUA President William G. Sinkford, in a statement on the UUA's website, called Obama's speech "that rarest of opportunities":

Much of the conversation about race is so filled with political correctness that truth is hard to come by. Whites move so easily to denial, citing the progress that has been made in recent decades and glossing over the glaring disparities in opportunity, income, even incarceration that remain. African Americans and people of color generally, including myself, show up defensive, afraid that the reality of our lives will, yet again, be deemed unimportant, that we will, yet again, be made invisible. Honesty has been simply too hard to come by, at least in mixed company.

Obama's speech, by naming the honest concerns and fears on both sides of the racial divide, presents us with that rarest of opportunities, an invitation to re-engage with an issue many people would prefer to ignore. I hope and pray that we have the courage to take advantage of this gift. (March 24, 2008)

Chris Walton of "Philocrites" analyzes the controversy around Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama:

Now perhaps earlier generations of preachers would have condemned the nation's sinfulness in slightly more orotund ways than Wright's "God damn America," but that's hardly a new sentiment from the pulpit. Wright said God damns America for its violence, its oppression, its racism. Republican-aligned or right-leaning pastors routinely say God damns America for a different set of "sins" ranging from legalized abortion to gay marriage to liberalism. Sadly, what will probably startle many white Americans is the discovery that resentment and anger about white racism is very much alive and well in the black church, and in the church that Obama belongs to. (March 16, 2008)

Holy week concludes

On Easter, the Rev. A.C. Miles of "Auspicious Jots" writes that, to her, "resurrection is about the slow invisible pulse of life that flows in our seasons and quickens in Spring."

Resurrection is people who live in the dark and endless tunnels of depression who see a glimmer of light and have the courage and the stamina to start running for it. And the darkness is so much more than that little flicker of light, but they run and run and run . . .

Resurrection is leaving a little bit of room in your life for the impossible to take root and become possible. (March 23, 2008)

Meanwhile, David Markham at "Chalicefire" reflects on Holy Saturday and Steven Lingwood at "Reignite" suggests a Unitarian approach to Good Friday.

Reactions to 'UU World'

Steve Thorngate at Utne Reader's Politics blog highlights James Loewen's UU World article on "sundown towns" (Spring 2008) and publicizes Loewen's tips for finding out if a given town excluded African Americans. Thorngate writes:

Loewen offers some savvy strategies for getting information that people might not be thrilled to share. And he urges those who do uncover damning evidence to publicize it and force their communities to own up to their ugly pasts, because doing so also can compel people to address the segregation and discrimination that still exist today. (March 21, 2008)

UU Pagan blogger Jason Pitzl-Waters of "The Wild Hunt" notes Patricia Montley's article on Persephone (March 24, 2008). Pitzl-Waters observes, "While I might quibble with the idea of Winter being 'gray' and 'fallow', after enduring a snow storm the other day, I truly hunger for the 'joy' of a true Spring" (March 24, 2008).

Columnist Doug Muder invites reader feedback to his essay, "Unfinished with Christianity," at his blog "Free and Responsible Search" (March 24, 2008).

Not to be missed

The Rev. Debra Haffner of "Sexuality and Religion: What's the Connection" asserts that, despite media hype to the contrary, women can enjoy having both a career and a family. The Rev. David Gillespie of "David's Dish" suggests a change in vocabulary for Unitarian Universalists. And Jacqueline of "Moxie Life" tells a poignant story of being "duped" by a car salesman when she was a teen.