On the cover: Thoreau’s Hut at Walden, © 2014 John Biebel. Oil on canvas, 20 × 20 inches. johnbiebel.com
Thoreau, the original none Henry David Thoreau wanted nothing to do with the Unitarian church that baptized him, but Unitarian Universalism has embraced his revolutionary ecological, conscientious, and spiritually open approach. by Richard Higgins
Refugees at home Peter and Phyllis Morales have quietly shared their home with a Mayan human rights activist and his family since 2014. by Elaine McArdle
Innovation time President Morales moved the UUA’s headquarters, encouraged innovators, and made immigration justice his priority. His abrupt resignation opens a painful and possibly hopeful new chapter in our conversation about racism. by Christopher L. Walton
Morales resigns amid outcry over hiring practices Critics see white supremacy at work in hiring of senior staff. Board appoints three interim co-presidents. by Elaine McArdle
Disruption A disruption sometimes feels like a breakthrough, a new way. Other times, it feels like a break, a betrayal. by Christopher L. Walton in From the editor
Making this a time of opportunity We are committed to making this a time of opportunity and not merely a troubled time to be survived. by Sofía Betancourt, William G. Sinkford, and Leon Spencer in From the president
Learning from New Orleans (PDF) Four-page insert adapted from Tapestry of Faith lifespan faith development programs. by the UUA Faith Development Office in Families Weave a Tapestry of Faith
She came of age in an American internment camp Rose Tanaka graduated high school at Manzanar, the infamous American internment camp for people of Japanese descent. by Kenny Wiley
Coresist: Creating a symbol of our times Abigail Clauhs designed an interreligious Coresist image, inspired by the popular Coexist stickers. by Sonja L. Cohen
An angel in Brooklyn Louis C. Tiffany’s 1915 mosaic The Angel of Light watches over a Brooklyn Unitarian Universalist congregation. by Sonja L. Cohen in Spiritual Landmarks
Kindness over niceness Valuing being kind and prophetic over ‘being nice’ would help Unitarian Universalists speak more powerfully to the present times. by Kimberley Debus
Resistance by the ‘Rules’ Congregations can—and should—hold their elected officials accountable. by Janet Hayes
March Madness: Lighting the Chalice again extinguishes all challengers ‘Spirit of Life’ is runner-up once again. by Kenny Wiley
Flowers on the altar Arranging flowers is a form of moving meditation. by Debra Burrell
The essence of spiritual activism Hope and compassion can be a critical part of political and spiritual resistance for Unitarian Universalists. by Christine Organ
Creations: UU trees Creating art as a form of meditation. by Dawn Wicklow and members of the Boone UU Fellowship
Reframing the health care conversation The dangerous myth that poor people need less. by Doug Muder
Looking back: ACLU’s Roger Nash Baldwin Unitarian co-founder of the ACLU helped to define and defend civil liberties. by Kris Willcox
Q&A: ‘Leaving no one out’ A conversation with the Rev. Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, executive director of the ACLU of Colorado. by Alexandra Varney McDonald
‘Walden’: A kinder, gentler video game ‘Walden, a game’ brings Thoreau’s simplicity to a tech savvy audience. by Ellen T. Brenner
Blog roundup by Heather Christensen
Traffic report Top ten stories on uuworld.org, January 2, 2017–April 2, 2017
The print edition contains abridged versions of stories that first appeared on uuworld.org
UUA president steps down amid outcry over hiring practices Board calls for inquiry into bias in hiring, appoints interim team; widespread support for examination of white supremacy within UUA. by Elaine McArdle in Hiring practices
UU minister, six others jailed for blocking ICE van Unitarian Universalist minister, six others jailed overnight for blocking vehicle. by Elaine McArdle
Women’s march helps build the resistance Unitarian Universalists join millions to march on Washington and in other U.S. cities by Elaine McArdle
Texas UU coalition fights hostile bills 240 Unitarian Universalists lobby legislators on reproductive justice, immigrant and refugee justice, and economic justice issues. by Elaine McArdle
New Orleans will infuse 2017 General Assembly UUA’s annual convention will embrace city’s culture and learn from its challenges. by Elaine McArdle
Congregational news: Tulsa church will move downtown Sacramento UUs partner with refugee group; two congregations endorse carbon fee and dividend program. by Kenny Wiley
Board examines process behind $5.3M commitment UUA Board of Trustees reaffirms commitment to Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism, acknowledges concerns with process. by Elaine McArdle
The newest board members Richard Jacke, Sarah Dan Jones, and Elandria Williams joined the UUA Board of Trustees in June 2016. by Elaine McArdle
Roundup: UUs in the media Selections from UU World’s weekly guide to stories about Unitarian Universalists from other media sources. by Rachel Walden
Obituaries Abridged for print from the full obituaries published by the UU Ministers Association.
UUA presidential election to use ranked voting Delegates’ second-choice pick may be the deciding factor. by Elaine McArdle in #UUAVote2017
UUA presidential candidate statements: Susan Frederick-Gray Alison Miller Jeanne Pupke
How do congregations select their delegates? Technology allows congregational delegates to participate and vote even if they cannot travel to New Orleans. by Michael Hart in #UUAVote2017
UU World Digital Subscribe to the digital replica edition, optimized for tablets, laptops, and desktops. by Qmags
Audio recordings Audio recordings of selected UU World stories. by Don Hymel