Podcasts about beloved conversations

In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Rev. Meg Riley and Charles Du Mond, Co-Moderators of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), to discuss the question at the heart this season of the podcast: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History? In this episode, we phrased the question a bit differently, asking, "If you could wave a magic wand and fix or change one thing about the world, what would it be?"Our hosts and guests discuss the power of approaching with curiosity and saying "yes," the importance of uplifting marginalized voices in our communities, the necessity of reforming our policing system, and more. About this week's guests: Rev. Meg Riley, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist, was raised in congregations in Charleston, West Virginia, and Akron, Ohio. After serving for 38 years as a religious professional in a variety of capacities, Rev. Riley retired in the summer of 2020. She now serves, with Charles DuMond, as co-moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She lives in Minneapolis, nestled in with her family, animals, gardens, deep friendships, and a vibrant activist community. She is also the editor of Testimony: The Transformative Power of Unitarian Universalism.A lay leader who came to Unitarian Universalism from the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Charles Du Mond, for many years, described himself as a Quaker who belonged to a UU Church. Now, he is simply a Unitarian Universalist.He joined the UUs of San Mateo in 1993. He has served on its Board of Trustees, holding all the leadership positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary. He taught religious education (RE), including every Our Whole Lives (OWL) level from kindergarten to high school, facilitated the Beloved Conversations curriculum three times, led a capital campaign, participated in a Ministerial Search Committee, and developed and led Sunday Services.Beyond his local congregation, he served on the UUA Pacific Central District Board, District Presidents' Association / Regional Leaders Group, the Board of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), the Board of the Starr King School for the Ministry, and the advisory board for UU United Nations Office. Du Mond has a PhD in Statistics which he uses to design, analyze, report, and present the results of clinical trials to regulatory agencies. He lives in San Mateo, CA. He has been married to Barbara for 40 years. They have two adult children, Jennifer and Emily, and one grandchild, Rio.

Sunday Sermon given April 23, 2023 Prayer by Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 Offering This Sunday half of the offering supports Household Goods, Inc (https://householdgoods.org/) The remaining half supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text “fpuu offering” to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive. Or give online: https://firstparish.info/give/ About the Sermon: From "Don't Say Gay" bills to the swath of laws criminalizing gender affirming and abortion-related care, attacks on bodily autonomy in the US are escalating at an alarming pace. And, this nation has always targeted certain kinds of bodies as less worthy of protection and freedom than others. How can our UU theologies of bodily autonomy and the sacredness of all bodies serve as an antidote? This year's Alliance Sunday considers the power and resilience of embodiment, intersectionality, radical spiritual imagination, and the liberation of all our sacred bodies. The Rev. Ashley Horan (she/her) serves as the Organizing Strategy Director at the Unitarian Universalist Association. There, she leads the Organizing Strategy Team that holds all the outward-facing justice work of the Association under the banner of Side With Love and its related campaigns: UU the Vote, Create Climate Justice, Love Resists, and UPLIFT Action for LGBTQ, Gender & Reproductive Justice. Prior to her work at the UUA, Ashley served as the Executive Director of the Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance, and the Curriculum Developer for Beloved Conversations. She also served congregations in Joliet, Illinois and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her partner, the Rev. Karen Hutt, and their two youngest children--Aspen, 8, and Eden, 3.

We discuss the recent Board statement against racism and Islamophobia. You can read the statement below. Hosted by Roberto Henriquez   I'm Melissa Rowland, your St. John's Board President, and I've got some important information to share. Please read through thoughtfully.   In a blog post right before sabbatical, Rev Mitra said “...I challenged the board to address implicit and explicit Islamophobia experienced at church by your minister. What does it mean for you to be served by an Iranian-American minister?” You can find the blog post here: https://stjohnsuu.org/september-brings-a-sabbatical/   This was a deeply troubling revelation and has been thoughtfully considered over the past several months by all board members. The Adult Faith Formation team in partnership with Rev. Alice developed the 4-part class, Interpersonal Harmony, to provide tools to better respond to anxiety and tension among our congregation members and friends. It provided a sampling of many areas that can be more deeply studied in the future and gave us lots to think about in the present moment.   Did you see Rev. Alice's sermon this past Sunday? If not, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92RMjAX4SOk&t=4241s   Rev. Alice mentioned that the St. John's Board approved a statement that speaks out against Islamophobia. You will find that statement as a link in this very email. It has been thoughtfully written and we know it is not the end of the conversation. It is the beginning. There will be many opportunities for ongoing personal and spiritual growth. Listed in the attached document are actions already being taken that include:  Provided Interpersonal Harmony short series Collaborating on the Building the World We Dream About program to start in January, a multi-congregation effort. Engage the Social Justice and Adult Faith Formation Teams in creating and supporting programs, such as Beloved Conversations, Nonviolent Communication, and others.  Please continue to look for updates in the E-news and at Sunday services for information about actions currently under development that include: Review and update the 2016 Commitment to Racial Justice statement. Identify and invite speakers on Islam to St. John's. Explore facilitating the Intercultural Development Inventory program - or other cultural awareness programs. Provide further education on microaggressions.  You are also always welcome to reach out to your church Board of Trustees for any questions or concerns. You can email us at Board@stjohnsuu.org. Your opinions, concerns, and ideas are always welcome.   Yours in Faith,   Melissa Rowland St. John's Board President

In this episode I have the honor to speak with Dr. Kate Lassiter, Senior Director of Lifelong Learning at Meadville Lombard Theological School. Our conversation focus is the Leadership Institute for Growth, Healing and Transformation or LIGHT and it's programming for Fall 2022. Highlighted programs: "Post-Imperial Futures: Addressing Legacy and Living Into Promise" a virtual and hybrid conference. October 6-8, 2022. https://www.meadville.edu/light/fall-2022-programs/post-imperial-futures/ (https://www.meadville.edu/light/fall-2022-programs/post-imperial-futures/) Our Whole Lives (OWL) Facilitator Training: young adult, adult, older adult curriculum. In-person, in Chicago. November 11-13, 2022. https://www.meadville.edu/light/fall-2022-programs/owl-facilitator-training/ (https://www.meadville.edu/light/fall-2022-programs/owl-facilitator-training/) LIGHT main page  https://www.meadville.edu/light/ (https://www.meadville.edu/light/ ) LIGHT Fall 2022 Programs  https://www.meadville.edu/light/fall-2022-programs/ (https://www.meadville.edu/light/fall-2022-programs/) Beloved Conversations https://www.meadville.edu/light/fahs-collaborative/beloved-conversations/ (https://www.meadville.edu/light/fahs-collaborative/beloved-conversations/)

Today my guests are several members of the the Beloved Conversations Virtual design team, Rhonda Brown, JeKaren Olaoya, and Rev. Kierstin Homblette Allen. Beloved Conversations is a program for people seeking to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice. Our program is grounded in Unitarian Universalism, developed and offered by the Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard Theological School, and open to all learners. In Beloved Conversations, we are here to heal the impact of racism on our lives, in order to get free together. Website: http://www.meadville.edu/beloved (www.meadville.edu/beloved) Registration for Beloved Conversations "Within" Fall Term opens on June 22, 2022 and closes on August 26, 2022. The Fall Term will begin on September 12, 2022.: https://www.meadville.edu/light/fahs-collaborative/beloved-conversations/within/within-how-to-register/ (https://www.meadville.edu/light/fahs-collaborative/beloved-conversations/within/within-how-to-register/) Questions? Email: belovedconversations@meadville.edu UUA General Assembly On-Demand: #605 and #627 https://www.uua.org/files/2022-06/program%20book%202022.pdf (https://www.uua.org/files/2022-06/program%20book%202022.pdf) #605 BELOVED CONVERSATIONS/VIRTUAL: UN/ LEARNING FOR LIBERATION The Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard Theological School White Supremacy Culture leaves us all malnourished. Join us for a nourishing taste of antidotes from our program for white un/learners – together we will engage faithful practices that expand our capacity to be in right relationship, meet us where we are, and love us into the promise of collective liberation. Rev. Kierstin Homblette Allen; CB Beal; Janine Gelsinger; Rev. De Vandiver #627 GATHERING OUR SELVES: FAITH FORMATION FOR BIPOC COMMUNITIES The Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard Theological School The intentional faith formation of Black, Indigenous and other People of Color is often missing, even in our multi-racial congregations. See how the online curriculum, Beloved Conversations: Gathering Our Selves, created faith-forming exploration, shared community and developmental growth through experiential learning, story-telling, music, digital media and visual arts. Dr. Mark A. Hicks; Katie Resendiz Many Windows: Conversations on Ministry is a production of Meadville Lombard Theological School. Theme music is “Destination” by Justhea. This episode is hosted and produced by Rev. Julie Taylor and as always, a special thank you to Tomo Hilbo.

From AllCreation's Spring 2022 edition, "Dominionism: Exploring religious relationships with other life." Guest editor, Rev. Dr. Dan De Leon, interviews Rev. Erin Walter on the Unitarian Universalist understanding of the Genesis 1:26 concepts of "dominion" and "dominionism." "And God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.'" (Genesis 1:26)About ErinRev. Erin J. Walter (she/her/hers) is Minister and Executive Director for the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry (TXUUJM), coach for Beloved Conversations, and a community minister at Wildflower Church in Austin, TX. Erin is a winner of the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation Sermon Award, a former journalist, and singer/songwriter/bassist for the band Parker Woodland. She is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist (UU), an adviser to the SIMS Foundation, currently serving on the board of Texas Impact. Program 00:00 Intro 01:39 About Erin's band, Parker Woodland 02:30 About Erin's UU ministry and the Texas UU Justice Ministry 03:15 Why is environmental stewardship a priority for you and the TX UU 05:10 Do UUs believe they have “dominion” over the Web of LIfe? 06:20 Dominionism comes from Genesis I. Many people believe that's an open and shut case for taking without replenishing and having domination. But that changes with the “web of life” connotation, it changes the relationship with the word. What is the identity of humankind in the web of life for a UU?  11:20 The here and now… Seeing the Earth as divine increases our sense of urgency to take care of the here and now… Tell us more about a UU take on the present in contrast with a Christian. 14:00 “When Jesus instructs us how to pray, he gives us two prayers: the Lord's prayer and in Revelation, which ends with saying that "God comes to live with them" — us! God comes to be with us. Why wouldn't we want to take really good care of the Creation in order to make way for the Creator?” 19:00 The Christian Climate lament: "Do I work for companies that are going to perpetuate doing with Creation whatever they want? Or, do I help the Earth and go broke? ...That's the world we're living in?!" This is difficult to counsel on.  23:00 What are you working on politically right now?  26:30 Is the Creation Coalition limited to UUs only?  27:30 Metanoia. Some of what I'm learning from editing this issue is there's a common thread, “Nothing's going to change unless we change our perspective. How we look at the environment has to change. Nothing can be more encouraging than the recognition that I'm not alone. If we can unite across our differences, that will foster more of that change of perspective. 30:53 Where do you get your hope from?  References Rev. Darrick Jackson Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary Rev. Fred Small   The Creation Coalition UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) Build Back Fossil Free Beloved Conversations Woyaya QuotesWe're a non-creedal faith, so the folks in the pew sitting next to you might not believe the same thing about the Divine. Our faith connections are around principles and values, not so much around creed or dogma. So for us, one of those principles is the interconnectedness of the web of life that we consider us all to be a part of. Many of us fall into that category where our spirits are concerned about how we care for each other and how we steward our relationships, our lives, and our actions in the here and now.I was raised UU, and “dominionism” is really not a word I heard at church.We meet in a place of community, sustenance, and sustainability for this home.If all of this is God's Kingdom, can we treat it as holy? And, what do we have to lose? Yes, I often just feel incredible awe and gratitude to just be in this world, it's, it's amazing.I hadn't thought about humankind as being at the top of any living creature hierarchy.There's a lot of economic and justice layers to how we make our work choices to reflect our values. We have this balance to strike, of facing the hard work that we have to do and making sure we have support to do the work. If not us, who?Spiritual tools are really important. One of the things I'm constantly talking about is that we do not fall into despair. We need our joy practices, our spiritual practices, our sustenance practices, to keep us uplifted enough to be doing the work.If there's one thing that I would hope people across all kinds of political and religious differences could unite around, it would be stewardship of the Earth.I always want to encourage people to find one thing that they can do WITH the interconnected web of our lives; we're not going to each be doing it alone.I mean, the coalition work feels like "The Way" to me, you know. Again, it's this inherent worth and dignity of every person, like, yes, I want to be affirmed for who I am as an individual, but the liberation for the Earth and for Each other is going to be achieved Together.We need to be willing to meticulously make small steps, build relationships one conversation at a time, one meeting at a time, one experience at a time, while also holding this radical, amazing vision of the beloved community we can be building together. We need to see the big, glorious picture while also being willing to do what you and I are doing right now, just have one on one conversations.What's your theme song?###############Thanks for listening. This podcast is part of our Spring 2022 series, Dominionism.Visit the AllCreation podcast site or AllCreation.org for more. Produced and edited by Chris Searles.See the whole "Dominionism" collection here.

The Beloved Conversations Among team leads a worship service about the current program many ESUC lay leaders and staff have been participating in and finding very energizing. Hands on transformation!

Beloved Conversations: Justice, Discomfort, and Joy The Rev. Bob LaVallee Participants in the Fall session of the Beloved Conversations program share their learnings and lessons. Rev. Bob LaVallee leads the discussion.

Beloved Conversations newly recreated as BC Virtual just completed its first session. Hear from our Beloveds as they share the joys, challenges, and surprises encountered in deepening connections, opening eyes and hearts, while embodying racial justice as a part of their own spiritual practice.

Hear from East Shore community member Rhonda Brown, who works extensively on the Beloved Conversations programs, will discuss the long arc of justice and the role we each play in weaving together a Beloved Community, opening up our apertures to see a wider view of the world within and around us all.

Clergy, staff, and congregants from First U started the Beloved Conversations programabout anti-racism in early October. What are they doing—and more importantly—what arethey learning?Unitarian Universalist, liberal religion, itunes The Rev. Bob LaVallee, itunes uuabq.video, sermon.

Beloved Conversations is a guided series of seminars which invites people to have open and honest conversations about how race and ethnicity shape their lives. Today, we will hear reflections on these sessions from the participants.

This podcast from the July 28, 2019 worship service consists of personal reflections by five UTUUC members on their experiences participating in the Beloved Conversations program. In order of presentation, the members are Emma Farrell, Magane Koshimura, Sarah Harmon, Chuck Ruth and Stephanie Kiesling. Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage offers introductory thoughts. Beloved Conversations is an experiential curriculum that provides a space to re-form/fuse the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior ushering in social and spiritual healing. New ways of being are learned through the actions of conversation and probing dialogue. For more information about Beloved Conversations and to inquire about participating in the next session, please contact Rev. Gage at egage@unitytemple.org. The theme for July is how do we lead a life of presence? To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit http://www.unitytemple.org/faith.

Bob Clegg, M.Div June 9, 2019

Bob Clegg, Ph.D, M.Div June 9, 2019

How do we build the trust that allows us to have challenging conversations? How do we make space in our congregation for vulnerability?

Reflections in this podcast from worship on August 19, 2018 were given by congregation members and Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor who participated in the Beloved Conversations program. In order, they are Marsha Borders, Ann Cooke, Jennifer Evans, Elizabeth Freeland, John Freeland and Rev. Alan Taylor. Beloved Conversations is an experiential curriculum that provides a space to re-form/fuse the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior ushering in social and spiritual healing. New ways of being are learned through the actions of conversation and probing dialogue. Participation in this course requires an extensive time commitment, a degree of openness, willingness to engage in deeply personal conversations, and a level of comfort with potentially difficult interactions. For more information, contact Rev. Emily Gage at egage@unitytemple.org.  The theme for August is what it means to be a people of story. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections.

Our first interview in season 2! And I must say, it’s amazing. In this interview you will get to hear the story of Rev. Ashley Horan, Executive Director of the Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance and national learning coordinator for the Beloved Conversations program. We’ll get hear how this amazing organizer became interested in her work, what matters most in organizing, and learn about experiences she has had while leading MUUSJA during significant times of social justice crises in the United States. No personal updates in this podcast. Just all awesome dialogue. Interested in having a shout out during the podcast? Let us know what you’re doing while listening? (IE driving, washing dishes, etc). Or send any questions my way. Email: LATApodcast@gmail.com Instagram: SacredFir3 Text/Leave Voice Mail: 765.228.2154 See you on the Other Side of Awesome! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/LATAPodcast/support

During the '16-'17 program year, our congregation was part of a program entitled Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity. In this podcast from the August 20, 2017 service, some of those participants share their reflections on participating and what they learned. Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage first gives a brief overview of the program. This is followed by reflections from Clara Lewis, Betsy Davis, Shirley Lundin, Elizabeth Freeland and Sybil Madison-Boyd with additional remarks from Rev. Gage. The theme for August is how to be a community of connection. To read about our theme-based ministry, please visit http://www.unitytemple.org/faith-development/soul-connections on our website.

Beloved Conversations:Healing Our Way Toward Beloved Community A group of UUSF members is about to begin a curriculum called "Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity." Several other UU churches in the region are already involved. The conversation about racial justice is important. Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Alex Darr, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organist Wm. García Ganz, guest conductor Rusty Harris-Bishop, soloist Galen Workman, Secretary Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Beloved Conversations:Healing Our Way Toward Beloved Community A group of UUSF members is about to begin a curriculum called "Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity." Several other UU churches in the region are already involved. The conversation about racial justice is important. Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Alex Darr, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organist Wm. García Ganz, guest conductor Rusty Harris-Bishop, soloist Galen Workman, Secretary Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

  Rina Shere - Beloved Conversations Making A Difference Rina Shere currently  serves as the Director of  Lifespan Faith  Development for the  Unitarian Universalist  Society of Cleveland. She   is in her last year of    seminary at the  Methodist Theological  School of Ohio, and is  working on ordination in  the Unitarian  Universalist religion. Prior to her church service Rina worked in arts education and social services for twenty years. She lives in Shaker Heights, OH with her husband, two teen age sons and two cats. Rina is a passionate gardener and arts enthusiast. Beloved Conversations Dr. Mark Hicks developed a curriculum to talk about privilege and race. As our denomination is primarily white, this curriculum deals with the issue of how to become a place of worship that is open and affirming to all kinds of people. An 8 week course done in small groups with Dr. Hicks initially performing a weekend intensive. Through small groups and journal exercises, you look at the very dynamic of racism in american life. It's about being introspective. Feeling uncomfortable is a necessary part of change. Investigating how we learned our ideas about racism and who we are, about the communities we grew up in, how issues of diversity were handled in our family of origin.  And then doing an audit of the congregation in terms of musical diversity, are welcoming staff and greeters trained properly,  board and committee structure. Rina's Favorite Quote: Examine Yourself First - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Links:  More information on the Beloved Conversations program and curriculum. UU Society of Cleveland Contacting Rina: UU Society of Cleveland - 216-932-1898, cell phone 216-333-6355 via email at rinashere@yahoo.com Final Credits: music thanks to "Carefree", "Open Those Bright Eyes", "Sweeter Vermouth" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Beloved Meditations: COB Audio Montage