Technology, voting, same-sex marriage, and more

UUism and Technology

Bill Baar advises fellow UUs to look past the movement and remember that they're part of a church:

Marking life's passages. Comforting a spirit. That's what Churches do. Movements don't. (I've belonged. They grind and take. They don't give.)

Maybe when trying to stick to visitors, we ought to spend some time explaining just what Church is about. Tell our visitors what we do very well. ("Pfarrer Streccius," October 31)

Peter Bowden discusses the usefulness of Twitter in growing congregations:

My take on Twitter? I find it is helping me to keep in touch with the reality of the people our congregations are serving. It is almost like a technological version of being mildly psychic. Activate that UU twitter-sense and all of a sudden I'm tapped into what hundreds of UUs, UU friends, organizations and other denominations are up to. It is especially useful for exchanging resource links. ("The UU Growth Blog," October 31)

The Rev. Sean Dennison reflects on the lessons he learned during his negotiated resignation:

14. I learned that the "technology gap" can be dangerous in several ways: first, it can make some people feel as though the minister is less accessible to them because they do not use technology; second, it can be used to spread rumors that are impossible to counter; third, it blurs the lines between professional and personal time and information.

15. I learned that my call to ministry is strong and though this was a painful experience, I still feel confident in my skill and commitment to this work. ("Ministrare," November 2)

Kari Kopnick was excited to share her views on the direction of UUism with President Peter Morales and the Rev. Harlan Limpert, UUA vice president of Ministries and Congregational Support:

And this is what I got to tell Harlan Limpert as we ate our dinner and chatted about our beloved community. He listened. He took notes. He asked questions. This is the best part of serving on the LREDA board, a chance to share my story with people who need to hear it. To sing my canary song! It's not dark and gloomy and dangerous here. In fact, I think maybe we've found the path to the sun. We can bring our lost family members back, make them welcome. Expect them. Be ready. ("Chalice Spark," November 4)

Voting and same-sex marriage

The Rev. Thom Belote encourages people all around the country to get out and vote:

Around the country there are a number of elections worth watching. In Maine, voters are heading to the polls to vote on whether or not to repeal a decision allowing Gay Marriage. In New Jersey there is a hotly contested Governor's race between incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie. In the Virginia Governor's race, Republican Bob McDonnell is expected to defeat Democrat Creigh Deeds. ("RevThom," November 3)

The Rev. Daniel Harper bemoans the repeal of same-sex marriage in Maine: "With nearly 90% of precincts reporting in, looks like Maine voters have repealed same sex marriage. Crap." ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," November 3)

DairyStateDad believes that over time the tide will turn in favor of same-sex marriage:

And I think that's what it's going to take: More and more people finding out that people who live near them and interact in their lives just happen to be gay. Over time, I hope they'll come to see that the rights and privileges all of us get who are fortunate enough to be able to marry the partner of our dreams belong to those whose partners, and dreams, are different from their own. ("DairyStateDad," November 4)

The Rev. Michael Tino discusses all the extra costs he and his partner have to pay because voters chose to reject same-sex marriage:

It is, to be frank, entirely too painful to once again realize that voters somewhere in this nation are only too willing to deny my civil rights. It is made more painful, not less, by the fact that Washington voters were willing to give same-sex couples there second-class citizenship (like the kind already available in New Jersey)...but they probably wouldn't have passed marriage equality. ("The Arc of the Universe," November 5)

Around the blogosphere

The Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell offers her solution to funding universal health care:

In fact, if we made all these changes, we'd probably take care of the health care crisis and have enough money left over to solve global warming. We wouldn't even have to stop spending billions of dollars on foreign wars--which, in truth, would be my very first choice of a smart cost-cutting measure. But, hey, I'm trying not to dream too big. ("Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell," November 5)

Thomas R. Beall talks about peace and repairing bridges:

If you have gotten this far, you are probably thinking, "Did it take you nearly 50 years of life to figure out the importance of individual peacemaking?" Perhaps it has, reminding me once again that I am not as smart as I thought I was. As one who wants to see humanity end war, however, I am coming to realize in my heart that to begin to do that we also need to end all the little wars we fight with each other. ("Living the Prophetic Imperative," October 31)

The Rev. LoraKim Joyner uses coyotes to talk about the precarious balance of life:

Coyotes, birds, cats, and humans all end up harmed in some way no matter how we live or die and this earth is all our terrain. How then do we negotiate this complex arrangement we call life? For me I see an example in the pain of this daughter and this mother. We risk to be in beauty and keep our hearts open to one another, no matter the loss. In this way we may dare to care. ("Liberating Wings," November 3)