Voices of a Liberal Faith

Unitarian Universalism on Twitter

Are you on twitter? Check out some of your fellow UUs:

TapestryUU (http://twitter.com/TapestryUU)
Peter Morales (http://twitter.com/uuprez)
Adrian Hilliard (http://twitter.com/UUXMNR)
Andrea Lerner (http://twitter.com/andrealerner)
Rev. Naomi King (http://twitter.com/revnaomi)
Peter Bowden (http://twitter.com/uuplanet)
Rev. Marilyn Sewell (http://twitter.com/marilynsewell)
Rev. Debra Haffner (http://twitter.com/revdebra)
Kari Kopnick (http://twitter.com/hi_its_kari)
SUUSI (http://twitter.com/suusi)
Church of the Younger Fellowship (http://twitter.com/CYFGA)
First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia (http://twitter.com/philauu)
Beacon Press Books (http://twitter.com/BeaconPressBks)
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (http://twitter.com/UUSC)
UU World (http://twitter.com/UUWorld)

Are you on twitter? Leave your handle in the comments!

Unitarian Universalist Identity

Each year a theme is selected to guide programming for children and youth in the Religious Education program on Sunday mornings. This year's theme is Unitarian Universalist Identity. In focusing and reflecting on what it means to be a UU in the world, volunteer teachers will help children and youth learn from their religious heritage, discern their own values and ideals and find out where they fit and how to articulate their own thoughts about the big questions of life.

The following curriculum are being used this year for our PK-6th grade classes:

Questers (4th-6th grades): Toolbox of Faith (link: http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolboxfaith/index.shtml)
Explorers (1st-3rd grades): Picture Book UU (link: http://www.uure.com/PBUU.html)
Maiasaurs (PK-K): Friendship Finders (link: http://thecaringtree.net/friendship_finders)

For more information, ideas and activity suggestions about how you can learn more about your family's Unitarian Universalist Identity at home, check out the Church of the Larger Fellowship's website on UU Identity and RE here: http://clf.uua.org/re/qtr_uuidentity.html

Parenting through grief

By Michelle Richards, on September 7th, 2010

Death has touched our family again, for the fifth time in five years. You would think that we would be getting rather acclimated to the grieving process after having gone through so many losses in such a short time, but it is never easy.

Candle (©tweetyclaw/iStockPhoto)

This time there doesn’t seem to be as much soul-searching by my teenage daughter to understand why bad things happen; not as there was when, at age ten, her best friend was killed in a tragic accident. Now, after the death of her beloved but aging grandmother, she suffers from an abundance of guilt (for not spending more time with her) and struggles with biting her tongue when well-intended people speak of a theology which doesn’t match hers. Meanwhile, my eight-year-old son struggles with his own sense of mortality and—even worse, perhaps—mine. He is aware that his father was present when his mother took her last breath, which, unfortunately, is an all-too-acute reminder that his own mother will one day face death as well.
Parenting in times of intense grief is never easy, especially when we are in the midst of experiencing our own feelings of regret, anger, and sorrow. As Unitarian Universalist parents, many of us yearn for comforting words to say to our children because it tears us up inside to see them suffering. However, sometimes there are no words which can bring comfort from the grief. In times like these, our loving presence and support can offer them what they need. We can reassure them that we will be there for them when they need to talk, to vent, or even rant a bit.
As for dealing with the well-meaning words offered by others, I can help Shannon to recognize that while their words may not offer comfort through the ideas they express, it can be possible to find some support in why they are being expressed. I learned this important lesson from a very good friend of mine, also a Unitarian Universalist parent. After her daughter’s death, she heard many comments about angels and being with God, yet instead of feeling resentment over these words, she chose to “translate” these words into something which did offer her support.
Recognizing that people expressing such thoughts are well intentioned can help us embrace their concern for us, even when they share words that don’t fit our own personal theology. The reality is that most people really don’t know what to say, even as they struggle with the need to show they care. Embracing this care and concern expressed by well-meaning people can offer us some solace, even if their words do not.
I don’t pretend to know what happens after we die, and perhaps I will never know the answers the Great Mystery holds. However, I do know that if my in-laws are reunited together in some ethereal place like heaven, rejoined with some sort of greater cosmic consciousness, or are souls waiting to be reborn into a new existence, they’re probably arguing with each other over how long the green beans should be cooked in the pressure cooker. Unless, of course, they’re able to find themselves as part of a foursome playing Pinochle in the Great Beyond, and then I hope they have the winning hand.
Resources: “Talking about Death,” by Betsy Hill Williams (Connections, Church of the Larger Fellowship)

From http://blogs.uuworld.org/parenting/?h3

Flaming Chalice: Symbol of Our Faith

A flame within a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot), represents the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and is a symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith.

"At the opening of Unitarian Universalist worship services, many congregations light a flame inside a chalice. This flaming chalice has become a well-known symbol of our denomination. It unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work."
—Dan Hotchkiss

Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, first brought together the chalice and the flame as a Unitarian symbol during his work with the Unitarian Service Committee during World War II. To Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love. Unitarian Universalists today have many different interpretations of the image. To learn more about the history of our Unitarian Universalist symbol, please read the pamphlet, "The Flaming Chalice."
The flaming chalice image has changed many times over the past 65 years. Modern chalice designs often incorporate two overlapping circles which, for many people, represent our Unitarian and Universalist heritages. Other images include additional elements, some of which are merely decorative and others which are very meaningful.
Our current official UUA logo was designed to offer a visual representation of a modern and dynamic faith. Unitarian Universalist congregations are free to use the UUA's logo in their congregational work, but they are not required to do so. Because of this, you may see many different styles of flaming chalices and other images used by Unitarian Universalist congregations.

From http://www.uua.org/visitors/6901.shtml

Religious Education for Children and Youth Begins Sept. 19

Dedicated teams of Religious Education volunteers are excited to begin classes for children and youth starting Sunday, Sept. 19. This year's theme of Unitarian Universalist Identity will be explored for each of our age groups through great UU curricula featuring fun, hands on activities.

Children and youth and their families will join the whole community in worship at 11:00 and will be sung to their classes after Time for All Ages. RE classes end at 12:30, at which point adults can pick up their children in 6th grades and under in their classrooms, check in with their teachers and learn about that day's class.

Have a great first day!

Ware Lecture Wows Again

General Assembly attendees were moved by this year's Ware Lecture speaker, Winona LaDuke. A video of the lecture is here 
http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2010/ga2010/165861.shtml

From the UU World GA blog, by Donald E Skinner
http://blogs.uuworld.org/ga/2010/06/26/laduke-urges-environmental-action-in-ware-lecture/

Winona LaDuke invited her audience Saturday night at the Ware Lecture to take back their country by erecting wind turbines, blocking coal plants and genetically-modified crops, and, above all, not waiting for someone else to save the world.

Duke, a Native-American activist, environmentalist, and writer, lives in Minnesota and is active in many movements to preserve Native American lands, and slow climate change. She was a vice-presidential candidate for the Green Party in 1996 and 2000.

Part of the answer to climate change, she said, is to create a green energy economy on a local scale. “Do not let them take you into the debate that renewable energy will never meet present demand. We need an efficient economy that does not transport everything so far and that does not try to feed the gas tanks of Hummers. We need to liberate our minds from what we believe we are entitled to. Take more responsibility than just putting in LED bulbs.” ...

...She added, “Do not ever give up hope. Remember our victories. We fight these guys and we win. The next revolution will be local. It is possible to make these changes and it is us who will make them.”

RE Begins Sept. 19; Maiasaurs Profile

An exciting new year of Religious Education for Children and Youth will begin soon. Over the next several weeks, our RE-Connect blog will be profiling each of the groups and classes for children and youth.

Maiasaurs — Our Maiasaurs class for PreKindergarten and Kindergarteners meets each week in the upstairs classrooms, next door to the Youth Group. Teachers, Rebecca Wald, Sue Parr and Heather Lemkelde are assisted by Janice Zimmerman and Rachel Dodge. Their curriculum, Friendship Finders focuses on the basic ideas and values that help make a group into a community. Maiasaurs do crafts, make art, act, listen and play in order to learn how we share, make friends, care about each other and learn new ideas.

Other classes for children and youth include:

Nursery (infants and toddlers)
Sprouts (2-4 year olds)
Explorers (1st-3rd grades)
Questers (4th-6th grades)
Youth Group (7th grade and up)

We look forward to your children and youth joining us this Fall!