An invitation to deep conversation

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An invitation to deep conversation

Photos and conversation prompts from the UUA General Assembly in Spokane, Washington, June 19–23.

Nancy Pierce, John Benford, Sonja L. Cohen
A breakout conversation in a workshop on "Reimagining Emerging Adult Ministry" at GA 2019.

A breakout conversation in a workshop on “Reimagining Emerging Adult Ministry.” (© 2019 Christopher L. Walton/UUA)

© 2019 Christopher L. Walton/UUA

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How does “the power of we” deepen our faith as a source of liberation and transformation for all? That was the question at the core of conversation at the 2019 UUA General Assembly in Spokane, Washington. Continuing efforts from last year to encourage deep conversation on topics of faith, on-site and off-site GA attendees were invited to discuss the following questions. We invite you to discuss them in your own congregation or small groups:

  1. What sustains you and your faith community in efforts towards inclusion, equity, and diversity?
  2. What limits you from living out our faith’s promise towards liberation and transformation?
  3. What should we expect of ourselves and one another in living out our covenantal relationships?
  4. What is a time that you felt the power of we in Unitarian Universalism?
  5. What is so important in Unitarian Universalism that you feel you would be willing to sacrifice for it?
  6. What will it take for Unitarian Universalism to fully embody the power of we?
At the 2019 Service of the Living Tradition, the Rev. Lindi Ramsden channels Bill Nye the Science Guy’s recent explicit tirade on climate change

At the Service of the Living Tradition, the Rev. Lindi Ramsden channels Bill Nye the Science Guy’s recent explicit tirade on climate change, with the audience yelling “BLEEP!” whenever signalled to. (© 2019 John Benford/UUA)

© 2019 John Benford/UUA
White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo leads the workshop “Disrupting White Fragility in Unitarian Universalist Spaces” at GA 2019.

White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo leads the workshop “Disrupting White Fragility in Unitarian Universalist Spaces.” (© 2019 Nancy Pierce/UUA)

© 2019 Nancy Pierce/UUA
The Rev. Kimberley Debus preaches at a UU Women's Federation event on finding wholeness in a culture of misogynist brokenness, beside a ritual object called Big Woman (created in 1999 by Elizabeth Schell) at GA 2019

Sermon award-winner the Rev. Kimberley Debus preaches at a UU Women's Federation event on finding wholeness in a culture of misogynist brokenness, beside a ritual object called Big Woman(created in 1999 by Elizabeth Schell) inspired by the story in Judges 19 of the concubine who is raped, murdered, and mutilated. (© 2019 John Benford/UUA)

© 2019 John Benford/UUA
Headshots from GA 2019: clockwise from top left: the Rev. Clyde Grubbs, the Rev. Leslie Takahashi, Richard Blanco, Paula Cole Jones.

Clockwise from top left: the Rev. Clyde Grubbs co-presents the workshop “Indigenous Experience and Unitarian Universalism"; the Rev. Leslie Takahashi presents the Berry Street Lecture on “Truth, Trauma, and Transformation: Embracing the Cracks and the Gold”; award-winning poet Richard Blanco gives the Ware Lecture; Paula Cole Jones gives the 2019 LREDA Sophia Lyon Fahs Lecture “Building a Community of Communities.” (Photos of Grubbs, Takahashi and Jones: © 2019 Nancy Pierce/UUA; Blanco: © 2019 John Benford/UUA)

© 2019 Nancy Pierce/UUA and © 2019 John Benford/UUA

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