Podcasts about Unitarian Universalist Association

Rev. Jory Agate, Guest Minister, preaching Worship service given May 11, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister Included in the recording: Hymn 131 from "Singing the Living Tradition" - "Love Will Guide Us" https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 As ministers, we are called to love our congregants with the fierce, unconditional love of a mother for her child. This is a sacred and holy gift. On this Mother's Day, as Lead Minister Rev. Marta Flanagan's sixteen years of ministry among us draws to a close, Rev. Jory Agate invites us to imagine: what if each of us answered the call to love? Could we learn to love not just one another, but also the world beyond these walls — even those with whom we disagree? What might happen if we chose to face the world with the power of revolutionary love? Jory Agate has been a Unitarian Universalist minister for over 35 years having served both in congregations and in denominational leadership. She served as the Minister of Religious Education at the First Parish in Cambridge, MA for 10 years and 10 years at the Unitarian Universalist Association, first as the Youth Programs Director and later has the Ministerial Development Director. Rev. Agate helped develop the Our Whole Lives (OWL) program and served on the Ministerial Fellowship Committee for 9 years, which is where she met Marta. Rev. Agate also holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and currently lives and works in Cambridge as a psychotherapist in private practice and a trainer for the Internal Family Systems Institute. Rev. Agate and her wife were members of this congregation when her now grown children were young. Offering and Giving First The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For May 2025, Massachusetts Bail Fund will share half of the plate. Massachusetts Bail Fund (MBF) pays bail to secure freedom from pre-trial incarceration so that those who cannot afford their bail can be in their community to fight their case. Pre-trial freedom allows individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable. Massachusetts jails are filled with people awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail. Sitting in jail on bail leads to longer incarceration times, lost jobs, lost housing, and devastating disruption to families. The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text “fpuu” to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive. About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her “Marta.” Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Send us a textUncomfortable as it may feel, sex education, and specifically education tailored for LGBTQ+ kids, is crucial for the overall health and wellbeing of our queer kids! Today Sara talks with special guest Emmalinda MacLean about how we provide LGBTQ+ young people with the tools they need to understand themselves, build healthy relationships, and thrive in a world that often overlooks their unique experiences. Special Guest: Emmalinda MacLeanEmmalinda MacLean is the Director of Curriculum & Instruction and Co-Founder of More Than Sex-Ed, whose mission is to nourish healthy development through honest conversation about sex and sexuality. She leads Our Whole Lives trainings around the country, coaching new sex educators on our inclusive, values-centered approach. Emmalinda is especially proud of her work on consent education, from the creation of the bubble-wrap game to the publication of her children's book, Everybody, Every Body! California born and raised; UCLA graduate; horror movie fan; plant nerd. Pronouns: she/herLinks from the Show:Circles of Sexuality: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Circles-of-Sexuality-Image-provided-by-the-Unitarian-Universalist-Association-and-the_fig2_340493152 Our Whole Lives curriculum: https://www.uua.org/re/owl More than Sex-Ed resources and booklist: https://www.morethansex-ed.org/resources-for-adultsSex is a Funny Word: https://www.corysilverberg.com/sex-is-a-funny-word What Makes a Baby: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15701778-what-makes-a-baby Transgender School: https://transgenderschool.org/ Okay So: https://okayso.org/about-us Sex, etc.: https://sexetc.org/ Scarleteen https://www.scarleteen.com/Sex ed chat: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/roo-sexual-health-chatbotSex ed delays sexual debut: https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(20)30456-0/fulltext GSAs in schools reduce suicidality: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/simply-having-gay-straight-alliance-reduces-suicide-risk-all-students-180949462/   Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org. Connect with Mama Dragons:WebsiteInstagramFacebookDonate to this podcast

This Sunday, we are honored to welcome Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, as our guest preacher. Rev. Dr. Betancourt is a visionary leader, theologian, and advocate for justice whose work inspires our faith. This is a unique opportunity to hear from one of Unitarian Universalism's most influential voices. First Unitarian Church of Dallas is devoted to genuine inclusion, depth and joy, reason and spirit. We have been a voice of progressive religion in Dallas since 1899, working toward a more just and compassionate world in all of what we do.   We hope that when you come here your life is made more whole through experiences of love and service, spiritual growth, and an open exploration of the divine. Learn more at https://dallasuu.org/   New sermon every week. Subscribe here: https://tinyurl.com/1stchurchyoutubesubscribe Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1stuchurch/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1stUChurch Watch the livestream on Sundays at 9:30am, 11am, & 7pm CST: https://dallasuu.org/live/

The Unitarian Universalist Association organized a nationwide Climate Revival. This special service is devoted to helping us picture the world we want to bring into being by the year 2050.

Welcome to Episode 17 of "Clean at Work," where we are thrilled to host Jess Hunt, a conflict engagement coach for the Unitarian Universalist Association and a doctoral candidate in social transformation and community building. Jess brings a wealth of experience in facilitating conversations within diverse and neurodiverse communities, and they share their journey of integrating clean language into their work. In this episode, Jess discusses how clean language helps in making implicit messages explicit, a crucial aspect when dealing with conflict in congregational settings. They explain the significance of cultural language and the challenges of navigating communication across different regions and backgrounds. Jess provides a glimpse into their approach to conflict resolution, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, intentionality, and explicit communication. Listeners will learn how Jess applies clean language to rebuild trust and foster healing in communities that are inherently mistrustful due to historical and systemic traumas. They also share how clean language complements other methodologies like transformational community conferencing, offering a comprehensive toolkit for effective conflict engagement. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Jess Hunt, and discover how clean language can be a powerful tool in navigating conflict, enhancing communication, and building stronger, more cohesive communities. About the Speaker Jess Hunt Jess Hunt (they, none) is a queer creator, researcher, thinker, puzzler, and parenter. As the head of their active, brilliant, goofy, autistic family, Jess ensures the survival of five humans through all the strife that is life in Central Florida (except of course when it gets too humid and the family flees to UU camps in cooler climes). Every time they lie in a hammock, they commune with the sacred. Jess has earned a Masters in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Youth Services and Leadership and a Bachelor's of Arts in Theatre with concentrations in art and religion. They are currently working on a Doctorate of Ministry concentrating on Community Change through Faith Formation. Their previous careers have included hospital based healthcare customer service and communication, reference librarian in academic, public, law, and school libraries, and a birth assistant and doula for a homebirth midwife. As a liberative change agent, dedicated to holding space for the uncomfortable through empowering intentional, compassionate love that invites connection, inspires spiritual growth, leans into curiosity, and ignites action, they share a ministry of cooperative learning, inspiring others to be self liberated into a life of authenticity. Jess believes that one of the most important aspects of building community is reducing competition for individual greatness over others. We do fun things because they're fun. Collective community fun can and should exist just because, without using hierarchy to justify its significance in our lives. Email: jhunt@uua.org About the Hosts John Barratt (https://www.agileaffinity.com/) is passionate about empowering individuals, teams, and organisations to reach their full potential. Utilising a blend of agile techniques infused with the agile mindset, he is dedicated to helping organisations streamline, self-organise, and adapt to today's dynamic business environment. John's approach is deeply influenced by the systemic modelling skills he acquired from Caitlin Walker, which he continuously refines through ongoing training. His work primarily focuses on guiding organisations through the process of descaling and fostering a culture of self-organisation. Learn more about John's work at Agile Affinity. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarratt1/ Sarah Baca (http://www.nerdyknights.com/) is a coach, therapist, facilitator, and teacher who has a passion for using clean language to help others discover what makes them feel vibrantly alive. She has been working with organisations as an agile coach for over a decade, specialising in enterprise and leadership coaching.  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjbaca/

“Ministers are spiritual leaders of our faith communities. They help us explore life's questions, challenge us to live out our values, and comfort us in times of suffering. Ministers teach, preach, listen and learn by leading congregations, serving as chaplains, and working for justice in the community. Unitarian Universalist (UU) ministers are a diverse group. They include people of different genders and sexualities, and those who are single or partnered. Ministers have different racial identities and ethnicities, different abilities, and come from many ages and stages of life. Their personal beliefs are as diverse as Unitarian Universalism, and all are committed to UU values. Rather than telling others what to do or believe, ministers encourage people to make sense of the world in their own way, supporting them on their life's journey. Ministers serve in a variety of settings—in congregations and beyond. Ministers with the Unitarian Universalist Association are highly trained and highly capable. They go through demanding training and preparation outlined in the fellowshipping process with the UUA, and after being fellowshipped, most get ordained by a UU congregation. Ministry in Congregations and in the Community UU ministers serving congregations act as the spiritual and administrative leaders of their congregations. They lead worship services and give sermons, challenge and guide the congregation's spiritual focus, provide pastoral care and counseling, conduct special services, and represent Unitarian Universalism in the community. Ministers work closely with congregations' volunteer leaders to providing vision, direction, and day-to-day administration, often supervising staff. Some ministers specifically serve a congregation's religious education or social justice program. All congregationally-based ministers lead in partnership with members of the congregation because the members get to choose whom they will call and settle as their minister, because of our commitment to congregational polity. There are growing number of UU community ministers who typically serve outside of congregations. They may serve in hospitals, hospices, nursing home, universities, prisons, or military bases as chaplains. They may serve as an executive director of a non-profit organization or work as a religious community organizer. Some community ministers work as pastoral counselors or are seminary professors. All UU community ministers bring their UU values to their work, holding up the UU spirit of personal growth and social justice.” -https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers. “Explore the links below to learn how Unitarian Universalists weave these traditions and identities into who they are today. Atheist and Agnostic Buddhist Christian Earth-Centered Hindu Humanist Jewish Muslim.” -https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/beliefs. “Unitarian Universalists believe more than one thing. We think for ourselves, and reflect together, about important questions: The existence of a Higher Power Life and Death Sacred Texts Prayer and Spiritual Practices.” -https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe. “Unitarian Universalism values deeds not creeds and we need not think alike to love alike.” -Antonio Myers. Link: https://uunashua.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/100questions.pdf. In the PDF file, I must state that everyone as Unitarian Universalists don't have the same beliefs on each and every topic. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support

The Reverend Alicia Roxanne Forde serves with the Unitarian Universalist Association as the Director of the International Office. She is a graduate of The Iliff School of Theology and currently lives in Longmont, Colorado. Alicia was born and spent her formative years in Trinidad and Tobago. She identifies as an African descent queer, cis-gender female with deep roots in Tobago. She considers herself bi-cultural and is grateful that her formative years enabled her to cultivate a global perspective. Alicia is a certified Spiritual Director and has a strong interest in health and wellness. In this episode, Louie and Rev. Forde examine in the definition of words we use everyday - beauty, wonder, gratitude, awe - which may deepen our practice and help us to become more present and full of joy, peace and awareness.

Sunday Sermon given November 5, 2023 Prayer by Ruben Hopwood, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 About the service: Unitarian Universalism is a living faith, honoring tradition and evolving over time. The Unitarian Universalist Principles are stated in Article 2 of the bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The UUA is currently in the process of amending Article 2.  Perhaps questions of faith should always be considered and tested by war and peace, life and death, love and loss. Amidst the poignancy and complexity of war in the Middle East this week, Rev. Marta Flanagan will consider what is central to our faith. This Sunday is the second sermon in a two part series. Part I was delivered on October 15 and is available on YouTube. Offering and Giving First For the month of November, half of the offering supports the work of Centro de Esperanza (Shelter for Hope) is a migrant family shelter in Sonyata, Mexico, on the Arizona border. The shelter provides a safe refuge for families fleeing gang violence, religious persecution, and dire economic circumstances. In most cases, families have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to keep their families alive and safe. El Centro provides safe shelter, food, medical care, education, and legal and technical assistance and protects families from drug cartels, human traffickers, and others who would take advantage of them. Centro de Esperanza is unique in that all these families are attempting to seek asylum in the United States through legal channels. The average wait time for a hearing with a U.S. administrator at the border is 4-6 weeks. Currently the shelter can support 30 families with an expansion plan in the next few months for an additional 30 families. The annual operating cost is approximately $100k and the cost of the expansion is approximately $25k. The shelter was started by U.S. citizens in Ajo, Arizona but is managed by co-directors who are Mexican citizens.   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.

Welcome back to "Cults in the Community"! This month, Jordan and Dan discuss the Unitarian Universalist Association. Following the same rough outline, they address the origins of the UUA. Also, Jordan makes a cultural reference. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/flyoverministry/message

A "Halloween Spooky Spectacular Special Edition" of Value Proposition dives into some fun facts to impress your guests or hosts at your upcoming Halloween parties, including how Halloween ties back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Join us for this fun and informational episode where we share the backstory of things like candy apples, trick-or-treating, costumes, ghosts, pumpkin carving, and other Halloween traditions you likely didn't learn in school. Top Associations with ties to Halloween The second half of today's episode dives into some of the associations and clubs that have ties (directly and indirectly) to Halloween. We showcase associations including the Zombie Research Society, The Ghost Club, the Haunted Attraction Association, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Halloween & Costume Association, all the way to the American Gourd Society, Bat Conservation International, the National Confectioners Association. We wrap up by discussing how Clowns of America International has tried to turn a new chapter in using clowning to spread joy and laughter, despite the entertainment industry's portrayal of clowns. ABOUT EXEC: EXEC Benefits Program EXEC is the premier managed benefits platform for associations, organizations, and private clubs to attract, retain, and engage members. Learn more: https://joinexec.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/value-proposition-by-exec/message

Sunday Sermon given October 15, 2023 Prayer by Loren Gomez, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 About the Sermon: Unitarian Universalism is a living faith, honoring tradition and evolving over time. The Unitarian Universalist Principles are stated in Article 2 of the bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The UUA is currently in the process of amending Article 2. Perhaps questions of faith should always be considered and tested by war and peace, life and death, love and loss. Amidst the poignancy and complexity of war in the Middle East this week, Rev. Marta Flanagan will consider what is central to our faith. This is Part I of a two part Sermon Series; Part II will be offered on Sunday, November 5. Offering and Giving First For the month of October, half of the offering supports the work of the Arlington Youth Counseling Center (AYCC), a welcoming and inclusive community-based mental health center and the leading provider of outpatient and school-based mental health services for Arlington youth and their families. Central to its mission, AYCC offers individual and family counseling, group therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication treatment to Arlington youth, ages 3-21, and their adult caregivers. 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.

Ever wondered about what it would be like to be in the military part-time? It is possible to have a civilian ministry and be a military chaplain. This episode covers the rich opportunities as well as the challenges of this dual-role-vocation in the reserves and national guard.My guest is Chap (MAJ) David Pyle, US Army Reserve. Chaplain Pyle is the Deputy Command Chaplain of the US Army Reserve Sustainment Command, based out of Birmingham, Alabama. His civilian ministry is as the Regional Lead for the MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Since we're talking the reserve components, Jules shifts from interviewer to conversation partner speaking as a chaplain serving in the New York Air National Guard.Notes from the episode:Link to Army Chaplain recruitment: https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/specialty-careers/chaplain.htmlScroll about halfway to find sections on the Army Reserves and the Chaplain Candidate Program (CCP) Link to Air Force chaplain website: https://www.airforce.com/careers/specialty-careers/chaplainLink to information on Air Force Reserves and Chaplain Candidate program: https://www.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/Chaplain/Scroll about halfway to find a short blurb on the Chaplain Candidate program. Many Windows: Conversations on Ministry is a production of Meadville Lombard Theological School. Theme music is “Destination” by Justhea. This episode is produced by Jules Taylor and as always, a special thank you to Tomo Hilbo.

The call to ministry outside of a conventional congregational setting is growing. Chaplaincy within the military is among the vocations that is attracting the attention of seminarians as well as seasoned clergy. Season 3 begins with a series of podcasts on military chaplaincy. In this episode, I have the honor of speaking with Rev. Dr. Sarah Lammert, Ministry and Faith Development co-director and Ecclesiastical Endorser at the Unitarian Universalist Association. What is an ecclesiastical endorsement? Many professional work and volunteer environments require endorsement from a denomination or faith group affirming that a member is in good standing and qualified for that ministry. Chaplains who work in federal systems: military, veteran's administration, and federal prisons all require ecclesiastical endorsement. Rev. Lammert brings great information on chaplaincy not only in the military but also at the Veteran's Administration (VA), the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and auxiliary military chaplaincy with the Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Notes from the episode:Dept of Defense Endorsers list: https://prhome.defense.gov/M-RA/MPP/AFCB/Endorsements/Information on ecclesiastical endorsement from the UUA: https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers/militaryUU Military Ministry at Great Lakes https://uummgl.org/ Fantastic organization that brings UU worship services each week to trainees attending the Navy's Recruit Training Command (boot camp) at Naval Station Great Lakes.Many Windows: Conversations on Ministry is a production of Meadville Lombard Theological School. Theme music is “Destination” by Justhea. This episode is produced by Jules Taylor and as always, a special thank you to Tomo Hilbo.

Join us this Sunday to learn about our ongoing relationship with the Unitarian Universalist Association, its annual meeting, and how you can get more involved in their National issues. Delivered Sunday, September 3, 2023

Hey listeners! While our co-hosts are away on vacation this summer (doing who knows what!), we are thrilled to present you with an archived episode. One of our favorite interviews from this season is back. So sit back and enjoy!   We're delighted to welcome back the wonderful Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, a Unitarian Universalist Minister of Religious Education who received his EdD from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the General Assembly Advisory Council of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd is a sexuality and racial justice educator in the greater Los Angeles and metro O'ahu areas. He just started as Executive Minister of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, HI.   Greg's research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. Today, we are specifically inviting Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd back to Our Better Half to discuss the findings of his dissertation research.   Find out more about Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd's work at https://uuhonolulu.org/.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

In January, 1958, a renowned sailing family was lost in a storm in the Bermuda Triangle. The youngest of two daughters, Sarah, suddenly an orphan, grew up never knowing her parents and grandparents. As an adult, she began to pursue the mystery of her family and their disappearance, and discovered that their stories were far different from the versions she was told. Sarah Conover's memoir follows the national media's investigation of the Revonoc's vanishing, and exposes the truths that led her to “unstory” the family history, creating a new understanding of their lives, and hers. About Sarah Conover: Sarah Conover holds a BA in comparative religions from the University of Colorado, and an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University. She has worked as a television producer for PBS and Internews (an international media NGO), a social worker for Catholic Charities, a public school teacher, and taught creative writing through the community colleges of Spokane, Washington. She is the author of six books on world wisdom traditions and spirituality published by Skinner House Books, the educational publishing arm of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her poetry, essays and interviews have been published in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies.  sarahconover.com https://55fathoms.com/set-adrift/  

Today I talked to Sarah Conover about her book Set Adrift: A Mystery and a Memoir (55 Fathoms Publishing, 2023). When racing yacht “The Revonoc” went down in the Bermuda Triangle's Sargasso Sea during a freakish storm in January of 1958, the sailing world was dumbfounded. The boat and five people on board, all well-known in the sailing world, completely vanished. Only the dinghy showed up a few days later, but all searches over the following months turned up nothing at all. Sarah Conover, the youngest of the two daughters of Lori and Larry, and granddaughters of Dorothy and Harvey, became an orphan that day. As an adult, Sarah began to ask questions about her parents and grandparents – her memoir weaves interviews with family members, articles, and official Coast Guard reports that Sarah studies to understand her ongoing feelings of loss, loneliness, and depression. Ultimately, her final thought is “There is no true story. Only mercy.” Sarah Conover holds a BA in comparative religions from the University of Colorado, and an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University. She has worked as a television producer for PBS and Internews (an international media NGO), a social worker for Catholic Charities, a public school teacher, and taught creative writing through the community colleges of Spokane, Washington. She is the author of six books on world wisdom traditions and spirituality published by Skinner House Books, the educational publishing arm of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her poetry, essays and interviews have been published in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies. She is a feature writer and columnist for Tricycle Magazine: the Buddhist Review and has taught meditation for many years at Airway Heights Corrections Center and within the Spokane community. Ms. Conover was a recipient of Washington State's Grants for Artist's Projects (GAP grant) and writing fellowships from the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming, and the Willapa Bay Artist Residence Program in Oysterville, Washington. She lives in a condo in Spokane, Washington and in her beloved yurtiverse at the base of the North Cascades in Winthrop, Washington, where she and her husband are building a small hermitage for monastic retreats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today I talked to Sarah Conover about her book Set Adrift: A Mystery and a Memoir (55 Fathoms Publishing, 2023). When racing yacht “The Revonoc” went down in the Bermuda Triangle's Sargasso Sea during a freakish storm in January of 1958, the sailing world was dumbfounded. The boat and five people on board, all well-known in the sailing world, completely vanished. Only the dinghy showed up a few days later, but all searches over the following months turned up nothing at all. Sarah Conover, the youngest of the two daughters of Lori and Larry, and granddaughters of Dorothy and Harvey, became an orphan that day. As an adult, Sarah began to ask questions about her parents and grandparents – her memoir weaves interviews with family members, articles, and official Coast Guard reports that Sarah studies to understand her ongoing feelings of loss, loneliness, and depression. Ultimately, her final thought is “There is no true story. Only mercy.” Sarah Conover holds a BA in comparative religions from the University of Colorado, and an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University. She has worked as a television producer for PBS and Internews (an international media NGO), a social worker for Catholic Charities, a public school teacher, and taught creative writing through the community colleges of Spokane, Washington. She is the author of six books on world wisdom traditions and spirituality published by Skinner House Books, the educational publishing arm of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her poetry, essays and interviews have been published in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies. She is a feature writer and columnist for Tricycle Magazine: the Buddhist Review and has taught meditation for many years at Airway Heights Corrections Center and within the Spokane community. Ms. Conover was a recipient of Washington State's Grants for Artist's Projects (GAP grant) and writing fellowships from the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming, and the Willapa Bay Artist Residence Program in Oysterville, Washington. She lives in a condo in Spokane, Washington and in her beloved yurtiverse at the base of the North Cascades in Winthrop, Washington, where she and her husband are building a small hermitage for monastic retreats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

“Although there have been many chronicles of the history of Unitarian Universalism, perhaps the most notable one is the widely-read pamphlet Unitarian Universalist Origins: Our Historic Faith by Mark W. Harris. The following are several excerpts from this valuable document: “Two thousand years ago liberals were persecuted for seeking the freedom to make religious choices, but such freedom has become central to both Unitarianism and Universalism. As early as the 1830s, both groups were studying and promulgating texts from world religions other than Christianity. By the beginning of the twentieth century, humanists within both traditions advocated that people could be religious without believing in God. No one person, no one religion, can embrace all religious truths. “By the middle of the twentieth century it became clear that Unitarians and Universalists could have a stronger liberal religious voice if they merged their efforts, and they did so in 1961, forming the Unitarian Universalist Association. Many Unitarian Universalists (UUs) became active in the civil rights movement. James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister, was murdered in Selma, Alabama after he and twenty percent of the denomination's ministers responded to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s call to march for justice. “….Our history has carried us from liberal Christian views about Jesus and human nature to a rich pluralism that includes theist and atheist, agnostic and humanist, pagan, Christian, Jew, and Buddhist.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support

In just days, delegates at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations will vote on whether or not to continue the bylaw revision process that has been underway since 2020. The proposed changes to Article II of the bylaws, which contains the seven principles, are an attempt to articulate the values that Unitarian Universalists hold today. With love at its center, this new proposal offers up the opportunity for us to have a deeper conversation about what Unitarian Universalism looks like today. Returning guest preacher Karishma Gottfried will join us virtually from Pittsburgh as they prepare for General Assembly to lead us into a conversation about what a Unitarian Universalism with love at its center might look like.

In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, Ninth President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and Carey McDonald, Executive Vice President at the 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 impacts of intergenerational trauma, the transformative potentials of imagination and justice-centered love, and the power of relationships built around shared values to motivate us to keep showing up and fighting in an environment of oppressionAbout this week's guests: Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray is the ninth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She was elected in June 2017 to a six-year term after serving congregations in Arizona, Ohio, and Tennessee. After leading the Unitarian Universalist response to Arizona's anti-immigrant laws in 2010, she became lead organizer for the Arizona Immigration Ministry, among her other activism. She now lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Rev. Brian Frederick-Gray, and their son, Henry.Carey McDonald is the UUA's Executive Vice President, helping to lead the organization in fulfilling its mission and overseeing staff operations. He previously served as the UUA's Outreach Director and as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, and is a former lay member of the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Skinner House Books Board. Prior to joining the UUA, Carey worked in educational policy with the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Department of Education. Carey is a seventh generation Unitarian Universalist and a member of First Parish in Malden, MA and the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, Ohio. He was active in Columbus as a youth leader in the Ohio Meadville District Youth Adult Committee and with Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM). Carey holds a bachelors in Economics from Pomona College in Claremont, CA, and a masters in Organizational Leadership from Wheelock College in Boston, MA (now a part of Boston University). He lives Malden, MA with his family.

We're delighted to welcome back the wonderful Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Carrow-Boyd, a Unitarian Universalist Minister of Religious Education who received his EdD from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. He serves on the General Assembly Advisory Council of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd is a sexuality and racial justice educator in the greater Los Angeles and metro O'ahu areas. He just started as Executive Minister of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, HI.   Greg's research interests include critical theory, social media, Black liberation theology, effective sex education for Black teens, teacher education, and adult education. Today, we are specifically inviting Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd back to Our Better Half to discuss the findings of his dissertation research.   Find out more about Rev. Dr. Carrow-Boyd's work at https://uuhonolulu.org/.   If you like our show or have any questions contact us here at our website, and you can subscribe to our podcast any way you'd like. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show!   As always, thanks for listening!

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.

In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, President of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and Rev. Alicia Forde, Director of the International Office at the Unitarian Universalist Association, to discuss the question at the heart this season of the podcast: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History?Topics that come up in this week's discussion include: What it means, and why it is important, to make both local and global connections; the radical potential of moving money; the concept of a God that is in the constant process of becoming; and the power of a justice-focused love.About this week's guests: After 30 years in faith-based leadership, the Rev. Mary Katherine Morn joined UUSC as President and Lead Executive Officer in 2018. She has helped to grow a number of progressive congregations serving their members and the larger community.Mary Katherine contributed to efforts for economic, racial, and social justice in Macon, Georgia at the Economic Opportunity Council/Headstart with the NAACP. She also worked deeply in the reproductive justice movement. In Nashville, Tennessee, she collaborated with the Interfaith Alliance and Industrial Areas Foundation. In Fairfax, Virginia, she worked with interfaith ministries addressing hunger and homelessness, collaborated with LGBTQI+ advocacy organizations, and served on the county's homelessness task force.The Reverend Alicia Roxanne Forde serves with the Unitarian Universalist Association as the Director of the International Office. She is a graduate of The Iliff School of Theology and currently lives in Longmont, Colorado. Alicia was born and spent her formative years in Trinidad and Tobago. She identifies as an African descent queer, cis-gender female with deep roots in Tobago. She considers herself bi-cultural and is grateful that her formative years enabled her to cultivate a global perspective. Alicia is a certified Spiritual Director and has a strong interest in health and wellness. When she's not hiking, you can find her reading, working-out, or podcast-walking.For the video version of this episode, click here: https://youtu.be/c2hNUa2hu8A.The Hope and Heresy podcast is produced by the Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist.

In this episode, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah sit down over Zoom with Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, President of Starr King School for the Ministry, and Dr. Elias Ortega, president of Meadville Lombard Theological School, to discuss the question animating this season: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History?About this week's guests: The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt became President of Starr King School for the Ministry in Oakland, CA on July 1, 2014. For 13 years, she was Senior Minister of The Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York, a 175-year old Unitarian Universalist congregation on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she is a graduate of Yale University and Drew Theological Seminary.The Rev. Ms. McNatt was an editor and widely anthologized writer for more than 20 years before answering the call to ordained ministry. She is a former editor at the New York Times Book Review; the author of three books, including her memoir, “Unafraid of the Dark;” a former contributing columnist for Beliefnet.com; a former commentator on MSNBC; a contributing editor to UU World, the magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association; and a cultural critic whose work appears regularly in The Huffington Post, The New York Times Book Review, Essence and other print and online publications. Her current projects include serving as a co-editor for a planned anthology of Unitarian Universalist historical writings, as well as continuing research into the multiracial liberal religious coalitions of early 20th century Chicago.Dr. Elías Ortega is an interdisciplinary scholar who received his M.Div. and Ph.D. (Religion and Society, Magna Cum Laude) from Princeton Theological Seminary (2005, 2011). He also holds a B.A. in Communications Arts & Sciences and Philosophy and Religion from Calvin College. Prior to joining Meadville Lombard Theological School, Dr. Ortega served as Associate Professor of Social Theory and Religious Ethics at Drew University Theological School. At Drew Theological, he served as Deans' Council Chair, was a member of the Digital Humanities Advisory Committee, and the Title IX Committee. His primary teaching and research areas are Sociology of Religion, Religious Ethics, Cultural Sociology, Social Movements, Critical Theory, Africana Studies, Latinx Cultural Studies. In addition to teaching at Drew, he has also taught at Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt Divinity School, The College of New Jersey, and Mercer County Community College. In the American Academy of Religion, he serves on the Committee on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession, and on the Steering Committees for the Religion and Politics.  

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.

After Jesse introduces an exciting new feature representing cutting-edge podcasting technology, and then engages in some Diaper Talk with Katie, Katie tells Jesse the story of the mind-blowing moral panic that has caused a large swath of the Unitarian Universalist Association to melt down. You want recriminations? Oh, we got ‘em!Show notes/Links:Diapers: :(https://www.thestranger.com/sex/2023/03/31/78928220/young-at-hearthttps://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/noblesville/2022/07/29/noblesville-killed-5-5m-development-deal-because-of-adult-baby-shop/65385426007/UUA:SkochkoRogues' Galleryhttps://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/mfc/clergy-misconduct-investigationsRohde's GoFundMehttps://www.gofundme.com/f/Make-the-UUA-accountableIs Your Child Practicing Gadflyism?Book formhttps://www.amazon.com/Gadfly-Papers-Inconvenient-Essays-Minister/dp/1070524484https://www.amazon.com/Gadfly-Affair-Heretics-Excommunication-Americas/dp/B091WJ6Q5CImage: BARRE, VERMONT, USA - FEBRUARY, 21, 2020: Winter time city view. Universalist Church via Getty This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.blockedandreported.org/subscribe

“What exactly are the requirements for ordination? Does the minister pledge celibacy, poverty, and obedience, and declare their adherence to a strict creed? As you might imagine, they do none of these things. Matters of celibacy would generally be considered none of the congregation's business (as would matters of gender or sexual orientation). There is no vow of poverty—ministers draw salaries, like other professionals. And obedience is out of the question, although ministers do have a mutual covenant through which they agree how they will relate to one another. It involves matters of support and mutual accountability, and very much does not involve obedience. As for adherence to a strict creed, that's not only not a requirement, it's explicitly stated in the Unitarian Universalist Association bylaws that it cannot be a requirement. What happens at an ordination service? Does the bishop lay hands on the new minister? Well, this would be tricky, because there is no UU bishop. There is often a laying on of hands, but it usually involves everyone. There's usually a Charge to the Minister and a Charge to the Congregation (these are marching orders of a sort, given by someone the new minister chooses). There's usually the offering of a collegial blessing such as the right hand of fellowship, where another minister welcomes the new minister into the collegial group. And there's always the act of ordination, which is performed by the members of the congregation and is usually a reading led by the congregational president. There is no magical moment of ethereal transformation where the minister takes their place as an intermediary between God and humankind. UUs do not all agree on whether there is a God, much less where such a God might be located. But we definitely agree that whatever transcendental forces exist, ministers do not have a special place in controlling or mediating those forces. Ministry is not a supernatural state of any kind. It's a choice, a process, and an ongoing relationship.” As I child, I was willing to lose my entire life, money, housing, vehicles, my health care, my insurances, materialism, possessions, power, statuses, pleasure, comfort, praise, approval, and my acceptance for Jesus! As a child, I believed that I would gain eternal life with Christ! I think of being a theologian, and a lawyer. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/antonio-myers4/support

in preparation for the January 8 service: read this brief, fascinating piece “About Article II: The Principles and Purposes of the UUA.” In 1919, poet William Butler Yeats wrote: Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world… Surely some revelation is at hand We, Unitarian Universalists, have often wondered what holds us together, with no creed, no single sacred scripture, no central governing authority. What is at our center? We (all UUs) are presently looking at possible revisions to a piece of Unitarian Universalist Association bylaws that attempts to answer this question.

https://youtu.be/5SxBje-jQnw Tim Brennan served as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Unitarian Universalist Association – he has been part of the UUA's Investment Committee, Socially Responsible Investing Committee, Retirement Plan Committee, and the UUA Health Plan Board of Trustees. Tim led the UUA's shareholder advocacy efforts, pressing companies to address such issues as climate change, BGLTQ rights, political spending, and corporate governance. Tim came to the UUA after seven years with Ceres, the national network of institutional investors working to advance corporate responsibility for the environment. https://uucef.org/ UUCEF What is the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund (“UUCEF”)? It is an investment fund – highly diversified – it is available to UUA organizations, primarily congregations. We are all independent entities, we came out of the 19th Free Church movement. Each congregation makes its own decision about how it wants to handle its assets. Who can invest in it? It is just for institutions, we are exempt from most security laws – we are prevented from taking individual assets for that reason. What is the mix of investments?  US individual stocks, bonds, international? How much trading is done (turnover ratio)? It is highly diversified– it includes, us equities large caps, small caps, emerging markets, fixed income strategy, alternative strategies, private equities – we employ about 20-25 managers. How is the fund set up? Everyone invests into the same mix? Pooled investment? We pool investments. How much is in the fund? 200 million dollars- about half of that belongs to the congregations and the rest is the UUA endowment. What are the fees? Fees tend to step down as investments go up. Our positions may vary- which allows us to get pretty good fees. SRI What are the values being addressed by the UUCEF? I would say that our investment committee brings UUA values to bear in mind in every investment position – there are 7 core principles that undergo UUCEF- which are considered to make all our decisions. What does UUCEF do for “Engagement” – shareholder advocacy? Examples of issues? Team with other organizations? (ICCR)? On advocacy, we have a long history. The UUA was a co-filer of the first ever shareholder resolution issue. This resolution asked for companies to give actions and opportunities to people of color. We've had a lot of engagements with companies and had success. We also ask companies to incorporate protections for LGBTQ people and stricter non-discrimination policies. Do you hold companies that might not be ‘responsible' so that you can engage with these companies? (Marathon Petroleum, Exxon Mobile) In those cases, with other companies, we have small pools – we buy small pieces, small holdings. We can engage selectively this way. We are able to do some movement there as well.   What are some examples of Community investing that UUCEF invests in? Boston Impact Fund, Ujima (Boston?) – how much of the fund is in community investing? We do a fair amount – back in the 90s the Social Investment Forum recommended that its members allocate 1% to community investing – which we have done ever since, it is a couple million. We do a lot of micro finance, community funds housing. We created BlueHub Now which is a Boston community fund – we do a lot of different things. More recently we did Ujima, we help tiny local businesses in communities in Boston that are predominated by people of color. They have people in those communities who actually vote on the investments – what they think they want in their communities and we love these people. We invest in businesses primarily led by people of color and women. How does “Investment selection” make an impact? I think it's just aligning your investments with your values – it's how you feel about making money. We screen out tobacco companies – but they don't l...

Diana Eck, a professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University, leads The Pluralism Project, a research center that explores and interprets the religious dimensions of immigration; the growth of Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and Zoroastrian communities in the United States; and the issues of religious pluralism and American civil society. Nearly 25 years after Eboo cold-called her to discuss his idea for a new interfaith organization, they reflect on their shared commitment to pluralism.Guest Bio: Diana L. Eck is a scholar of religious studies who is a Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University, a former faculty dean of Lowell House, and the Director of The Pluralism Project at Harvard. Eck received the National Humanities Award from President Clinton and the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1998, the Montana Governor's Humanities Award in 2003, and the Melcher Lifetime Achievement Award from the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2003. From 2005–06 she served as president of the American Academy of Religion.Visit Interfaith America to learn more about the organization and our podcast. Apply for a $250 grant to host a podcast listening party or win a $25 gift card for sharing your feedback. Learn more. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with new episodes, interfaith stories, and our programs.

As our Unitarian Universalist Association once again considers its Principles and Purposes, the Article II Bylaws Commission asks us to center Love as the enduring force that holds us together. What are your thoughts on the re-visioning of the Principles and Purposes of our Association? How might we move love to the center of the mission and vision of our faith?Sunday, December 4, 2022

Some may not believe that the LGBT Issue is not one of Spiritual Warfare, make no mistake, it is. When engaging the culture, one must be careful to claim that these newfangled ideas are somehow new. As the teacher in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes said: “ 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.” Gender ideology as it stands before us today, is not new in essence. The idea that man can alter what God has fundamentally ordained, is an ancient lie that has taken many forms. In the case of Critical Gender Theory, we are simply seeing a revitalization of ancient barbarism in the guise of modernity. To best understand this, who is Ashtoreth? Who is the Queen of Heaven from the Bible? Well, we can find references to her in Genesis 14:5, Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19 and 44:25, 1 Kings 11:5, as well as many other places. What did worshiping Ashtoreth entail? Historians are at odds on this, but Herodutus claimed that: “...every Babylonian woman had to attend the temple of Ishtar/Inanna and agree to sex with any male that asked her. Once she performed this ritual, the male visitor gave her money to donate to the temple.” Asherah also had the ability to, according to her priestess: “‘To destroy, to create, to tear out, to establish are yours, Inanna. / To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inanna.' According to an article from acadaemuseducation.co.uk: “ In fact, individuals living outside of the gender binary were heavily involved and associated with the cult of Inanna, and her cult members and priests were known for their androgyny and blurring or destroying the gender binary. The gender-blurring members of her cult have often been included in poems and dedications written for her, often with Inanna personally transforming the gender of her devotees. One such example is the pilipili, a group of cultic performers in Inanna's Sumerian festivals. The name pilipili is referenced within Passionate Inanna (80-90) in relation to an individual named pilipili who is transformed by Inanna. They are raised as a woman, the Sumerian for young woman (ki-sikil) being used to describe them, and Inanna blesses them, handing them a spear ‘as if she were a man' and renames them ‘pilipili'. From this point forward they are referred to as ‘the transformed pilipili'. We cannot know for sure what the word ‘transformation' means in this context, and especially since Sumerian did not use gendered pronouns it is difficult to reconstruct the exact meaning, but one interpretation is that through the blessings of Inanna, the pilipili transitioned into a man. Even if Sumerian did not use gendered pronouns, the possible phallic connotations of the word ‘spear' add more weight to this theory.” In a poem from an archeological find in Southern Turkey someone wrote: "... may the god Hadad dash him into pieces with the weapon which is in his hand; may Hebat-Ishtar shatter his spear; may Ishtar deliver him into the hands of those who pursue him; may Ishtar... impress feminine parts into his male parts." This goddess also had her cultists perform “gender conversions” in other works. How is this different from today? These articles even reference these barbaric practices as “much like our own society today.” It is not a slippery slope argument for us to say that we are headed towards Neo-Paganism, we are in a defacto Neo-Pagan society. How does this affect the church? Well, what have many denominations done with the LGBT idea? From Pew Research in 2015: “Many of the largest U.S. religious institutions have remained firmly against allowing same-sex marriage, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Jewish movement and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical Protestant denominations. The nation's largest historically black church, the National Baptist Convention, and its biggest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, also prohibit their clergy from marrying same-sex couples. At the same time, in the past two decades, several other religious groups also have moved to allow same-sex couples to marry within their traditions. This includes the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ.” In the Episicpol and Methodist denominations, we see a growing acceptance of sin in the guise of kindness as well. “...many United Methodists in the United States have a more accepting view toward homosexuality. In Pew Research Center's 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, 60% of United Methodists said homosexuality should be accepted by society – a clear majority, and a substantial increase from 2007, when 51% said this. In addition, about half of U.S. Methodists (49%) said they favored legal same-sex marriage.” -Pew Research What have we done in these churches? Is this actually loving? Why are we afraid to speak out against this self destructive behavior? These are questions that we should be asking ourselves as Christians. Are we apathetic to God's Law? If so, how can we be on fire for the Gospel? So, in your day to day interactions with friends and family, some notes to carry with a loving winsome attitude: Gender Theory is nothing new and has been around since shortly after Noah got off of the Ark Sexual and Body Dysmorphia have alarming psychological consequences and are typically rooted in deeper trauma True fulfillment can only be found in the role that your Creator made for you. Accept nothing less. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/21/where-christian-churches-stand-on-gay-marriage/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/26/rift-over-gay-rights-comes-as-united-methodists-in-us-have-become-more-accepting-of-homosexuality/ https://www.academuseducation.co.uk/post/ancient-mesopotamian-transgender-and-non-binary-identities "Sacred Marriage and Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia" History on the Net © 2000-2022, Salem Media. October 26, 2022

Last Sunday we learned about the 1961 consolidation - the creation of the Unitarian Universalist Association we are a part of today. This Sunday, we'll learn about the Principles, Purposes, and Sources of our living tradition, central statements in our denomination.

In 1961, the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America joined together and became the Unitarian Universalist Association. It was not an impulsive decision. It was a significant moment in our collective history, one event on the historical timeline leading to our current time and place. This Sunday we will consider some of the main threads of belief and values that have remained constant and will carry us forward into the future.

This week we begin our series on the Texas Impact Legislative priorities in earnest. For the remainder of this series, we plan to welcome a faith leader to help introduce a section of the legislative priorities and have a conversation about why it is an important priority to the faith community. This week we welcome Rev Dr. Susan Frederick Gray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association to discuss mounting concern over anti-LGBT rhetoric aimed at Texas' trans youth and their families. Later in the program Texas Impact's Executive Director Bee Moorhead reflects on the conversation and, of course, gives us a little homework.

Jeremy D. Nickel thrives at the intersection of spirituality and technology. A lifelong spiritual adventurer and entrepreneur, after Graduate School in Berkeley, CA and jobs in the tech world, Jeremy was Ordained by the Unitarian Universalist Association and served seven years as the Spiritual leader of Mission Peak UU Congregation, an interfaith spiritual community in Silicon Valley. He left in 2016 to launch EvolVR. EvolVR is a secular/spiritual community that is creating personal growth experiences in Virtual and Augmented Reality. In January of 2022 EvolVR was acquired by TRIPP where Jeremy continues to lead the community as the VP of Community and Live Events. When un-plugged from his Ministry Jeremy enjoys spending time exploring the great outdoors of his newly adopted state of Colorado with his wife Nicole, a UCC minister, and daughter Eliza.

Next time on State of Belief Radio, How unilateral religious freedom rhetoric for the majority tramples religious freedom for everyone else. The Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray will be with us.She's the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association and writes that, quote, Transphobic and anti-abortion policies are a direct threat to my religious freedom. Also, what's Mike Pence been up to lately? Biographer and journalist Tom LoBianco has been keeping track of the steps the former veep has been taking in preparation for a likely 2024 White House run against his former boss. And fighting religious homophobia in Uganda using the language and teachings of… religion. Vincent Kyabayinze, Director of East African Visual Artists, will have the details.

Sheila Schuh, is a Master Level Credentialed Religious Educator and serves as the Director of Religious Education at First Unitarian Church of Rochester on Winton Rd. She has served the Unitarian Universalist denomination for over 17 years.   She has recently authored Jubilee Kids, Junior Youth Jubilee, and has served on the denomination's creation team for the Lifespan Faith Development Accountability Assessment Tool. Sheila develops ongoing offerings on Race, Racism, and Relationships and has developed JUST Communication for parenting groups. She was the 2018 Gould Lecturer and has won awards for intergenerational worship and writing.   She also holds a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy, is a trained sexuality educator and mentor. Sheila's priorities are inclusion, building restorative systems, non-violence, and supporting parents in their roles as spiritual guides. To relax, she loves to run, play volleyball, dance, climb trees, x-country ski, and spend time with her three young adult children and her partner, Ed!   Links:  Tree climbing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_climbing OWL (Our Whole Lives): https://www.uua.org/re/owl Unitarian Universalist Association: https://www.uua.org/ Judaism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism Catholicism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church First Unitarian (Rochester): https://rochesterunitarian.org/ St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (Camillus, NY): https://stjosephscamillus.org/ Youth Jubilee (UU Youth Program): https://rochesterunitarian.org/circle-of-beloveds/ Benefits of Naps (Mayo Clinic): https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/napping/art-20048319     Keywords: podcast, good, do good, amplify, amplify good, religious education, spiritual  LGBTQ+, teacher, children, families, Unitarian, Universalist, church, Judaism, Buddhism, practice, Catholic, community, advocacy, creed, family, parent, partner  

"The Ecology of Generosity" Sunday, March 6, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream Our preacher this week, The Rev. Vail Weller, has served congregations as parish minister in West Virginia, Michigan, and most recently San Mateo, California, where she still resides. She is also the Congregational Giving Director at the Unitarian Universalist Association and we are so grateful to have her with us on this Sunday when we kick off our 2022-23 annual giving/pledge drive for this community. This week's sermon "The Ecology of Generosity" draws deeply on the thoughts of Robin Wall Kimmerer and her book “Braiding Sweetgrass” and explores the cycles of nature and the cycles of generosity. Rev. Vail Weller, Guest Minister; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Sam King & “Wonder Dave” Crady, Canvass Co-Chairs; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Judy Payne, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

"The Ecology of Generosity" Sunday, March 6, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream Our preacher this week, The Rev. Vail Weller, has served congregations as parish minister in West Virginia, Michigan, and most recently San Mateo, California, where she still resides. She is also the Congregational Giving Director at the Unitarian Universalist Association and we are so grateful to have her with us on this Sunday when we kick off our 2022-23 annual giving/pledge drive for this community. This week's sermon "The Ecology of Generosity" draws deeply on the thoughts of Robin Wall Kimmerer and her book “Braiding Sweetgrass” and explores the cycles of nature and the cycles of generosity. Rev. Vail Weller, Guest Minister; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Sam King & “Wonder Dave” Crady, Canvass Co-Chairs; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Judy Payne, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

In this episode Julie has a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Ministerial Credentialing Director for the Unitarian Universalist Association. They go over the beginning stages of how to become a Unitarian Universalist minister.  Resources mentioned in the show. Preparatory Stages of Becoming a UU Minister (Requirements for Fellowship Booklet can be found here): https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers/becoming/prep-stages Wondering about becoming a UU minister? Check out this page on the Unitarian Universalist Association website with videos and more: https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers/becoming

Welcome to the journey on our third season of Rev'ing Up. Each week, our hosts Meagan and Carrie are taking inspiration from one question pulled at random from the Riddle & Mystery curriculum authored by Richard S. Kimball for the Unitarian-Universalist Association.On today's show, Carrie and Meagan discuss the question "What are we?" first from how they would approach answering it as ministers, and secondly how they would answer it as individual spiritual seekers. You won't want to miss this thoughtful exploration of one of life's biggest questions, and there's much more to come this season.Inspired by this episode? Want to share a reflection? Reach out to us at podcast@ccny.org or join the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/revingup. 

Today we observe our annual blessing of our children's school bags as they return to a third school year disrupted by the Covid Pandemic. However the children are missing. They are viewing this service from their homes via You Tube - after enjoying yesterday's picnic together at Penfold Park. This marks our first live-streaming of a service. Jennie's address is titled "Only Connect". It's all about the primacy of our social connections and the disruption caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Jennie commences with a letter from Susan, the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association in America who offers pastoral and spiritual support to our church. Susan provides some insights into the American social and political experience of the pandemic. Out of the comparisons that inevitably arise, comes some sound practical and spiritual advice from Jenny about maintaining the quality of our social and spiritual connections in hard times. Listen on!

The Rev. Bill Gardiner will be speaking about Martin Luther King, Jr. as a leader of a social movement, the successes of the movement, the current pushback against the movement, and where we go from here.   The Rev. Dr. William (Bill) Gardiner served as a parish minister at Unitarian Universalist congregations in Washington DC (1967-1972), Nashville, Tennessee (1972-1980) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1980- 1990). Bill was the Director for Anti-racism and Social Justice Empowerment Programs in the Department for Faith in Action at the Unitarian Universalist Association in Boston, Massachusetts from 1990 till 2004. He is currently a member of the First Parish Climate Action Working Group and the state wide Ending Mass Incarceration Working Group.  

Last week, the agenda for UUCC's upcoming annual meeting scheduled for June 6 was published, and you may have noticed this “New Business” item: a congregational vote on the ordination of Jen Raffensperger. What does this mean? Why is Jen's ordination dependent on our congregational vote? Well, it's all part of the intense and involved process for becoming a minister in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, and you can learn more about it in today's conversation with Karyn Marsh. Karyn is a friend of UUCC, and the spouse of UUCC member Barry Marsh. Karyn was recently granted preliminary fellowship by the Unitarian Universalist Association's Ministerial Fellowship Committee — that's a lot of words to say that Karyn is so close to becoming a UU minister! Karyn graciously sat down with Rooted & Reaching for a conversation about the process for becoming a minister, her ministerial internship at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, and her own theology.

Between Easter, Passover, and the rites of spring, this is a busy time for liberal-religious leaders! At these transitional times of year many of us feel the urge to engage in communal rituals, and lots of Unitarian-Universalist individuals and congregations share in celebrations of Easter, Passover, and the equinox. And of course, Unitarian-Universalism has its own homegrown seasonal traditions such as Water Communion and Flower Communion. As Anthony is away on a retreat for Unitarian-Universalists of color, Carrie and Meagan host today's conversation about the traditions we share and how we seek to celebrate them respectfully.We send our great thanks to Rev'ing Up listener Allan for sharing this question with us! If there is a topic you would like to see our hosts discuss, please let us know at podcast@ccny.org. If you would like to learn more about the Water Communion and Flower Communion rituals discussed on today's show, here are resources provided by the Unitarian-Universalist Association:https://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/water-communionhttps://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/flower-ceremonyThis show is also available on YouTube at youtube.com/c/ccnyuu. Thank you for listening and responding! 

“Faith development is all we do. Unitarian Universalism is the faith we teach. The congregation is the curriculum.” Connie Goodbread is a credentialed religious educator who consults about healthy congregations and transformation for the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her words remind us that faith development is not just for children; in fact, it is a thread woven through all our activities. What are we teaching and what are we learning at church, on purpose and by accident? How might a focus on faith development help us manifest the sweetest, most dangerous promises of our UU faith? Call to Worship- (:30) Reading- It's Hard Work, Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt (3:57) Reading- Even This Is Enough, Vanessa Southern (5:17) Sermon- The Congregation is the Curriculum, Lauren Wyeth (7:43)    

The graduate program for your Masters of Divinity is a rigorous one. It takes at least three years, and often longer, to complete. It took me four years to finish my MDiv and all the additional requirements that the Unitarian Universalist Association has for ministers. ... read more.

Amanda and Sam cruise all over the Bible, seeing how modern progressive ideas are ancient and Biblical. Unitarian Universalism is no longer an exclusively Christian belief network, But it is still historically linked to the Bible, and it's seven principles can all be traced back to Biblical teachings. Amanda, who is in training to become a UU minister, shows how her love of Scripture helped guide her into the Unitarian Universalist tradition. Note: This episode was recorded very early in Amanda's UU seminary education and experience of the Unitarian Universalism. Therefore, the terminology used is a little imprecise (calling the Unitarian Universalist Association "the UU," rather than the UUA, or "Church" rather than Congregation, Fellowship, or Association) and the history is simplified and suspect.