UU marriage, being church, psychic sunscreen, and more

Describing marriage

The Rev. Daniel Harper essays "a rough description of Unitarian Universalist marriage today. I’m sure I’ve missed some things, or gotten some facts wrong. If so, please correct me in the comments below."

With all the current debate about the meaning of marriage, particularly in the context of the so-called “culture wars,” I decided to summarize what I know about marriage as it is practiced in, and understood by, Unitarian Universalist congregations today. This is a descriptive rather than a prescriptive summary; I am not trying to prescribe what “real” marriage is; I am not trying to tell how you should do marriage; I am trying to describe marriage as I have observed it in my affiliation with nine different congregations with varying theological emphases.

The topics Harper covers are: Covenantal basis | Forms | Same-sex marriage | Divorce | Changes and challenges | Life in the married state ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," February 2; Followup post documenting multiple-partner marriages in America, February 4)

Corporate personhood

The Rev. Mary Wellemeyer responds to the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding corporate involvement in campaigns.

So for some purposes, corporations are people, but for taxation, they are not. I say, the right of using money to talk in political campaigns should be like the taxation thing. The people who make up the corporations have the right to express themselves. Having the corporation do it too is double expression, just as taxing corporate income is double taxation. ("A Larger Faith," January 30)

Being church

"Lizard Eater" discovers "everything I needed to know about church I learned at Weight Watchers."

1) Going every week matters. . . .
2) But the real work is done during the week. . . .
3) Having someone who can speak from experience matters. . . .
4) Those who aren't in it, will think it's a cult. Tee-hee. . . .
5) If you work the program, it works. If you don't, it don't. . . .
6) It isn't for everybody. . . . ("The Journey," February 1)

The Rev. Anthony David looks at the diversity of Unitarian Universalists as a kind of bird-watching.

Certainly an obvious place to start is with our theological diversity. A quick test: how you instinctively respond to the following possible sermon topics may indicate the kind of theological bird you are: here we go:

God the Noun
God the Verb
God the Adjective
God the Expletive
Too Confused to Decide
Why Are You Doing This To Me? ("Thousand Voices," February 1)

The Rev. Daniel Harper points out that community requires commitment.

And in fact one of the great weaknesses of today’s Unitarian Universalist congregations is that so many of the people who think of themselves as Unitarian Universalists aren’t willing to sacrifice any of their autonomy to participate in the congregational community. But here, as in so many aspects of life, ya gotta pay to play. Rule number one of congregational community:—if you want a Unitarian Universalist community, you have to give up the much-loved American autonomy that says it’s better to sleep in or go for a walk or play video games on Sunday morning. Then add some volunteer hours on top of that. Otherwise, you’re not part of a community. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," February 1)

Around the blogosphere

Former UU World editor Tom Stites has won the 2010 We Media Game Changer Community Choice award, which recognizes "people, projects, ideas, and organizations leading change and inspiring a better world through media." Stites was nominated for the Banyan Project, which "aims to strengthen democracy through high-quality, Web-based journalism that engages the civic energy of less-than-affluent everyday citizens"

The Rev. W. Frederick Wooden wishes his therapists had provided some "psychic sunscreen."

They told me, taught me, to be in touch with my emotions, not to bottle things up and stuff like that. Now, I cannot stop them. They are present constantly, inconveniently, embarrassingly, disturbingly, almost daily. ("Aside From The Obvious," January 30)

"Yewtree" answers the question, "since the [biblical] story isn't literally true, why not just jettison it completely? Why bother reinterpreting it?"

I think the answer to this is because we are taught these stories as children and they have a way of lodging in the psyche / being embedded in the subconscious (nasty infectious memes!) and if we reinterpret them, it helps the psyche to recover from the unpleasant results of them. Just telling yourself they are not true isn't enough—it works for the rational mind but not the irrational subconscious. The subconscious works in terms of stories and myths (that's why they're important) so if you want to re-educate the subconscious, you have to tell it new stories, or new interpretations of the old stories. ("the dance of the elements," January 31)

Geocaching, "a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure" has a UU component: Henry Ducky Thoreau.

Henry dreams of being an itinerant Unitarian Universalist preacher. He would like to travel to and have his picture taken at Unitarian Universalist churches, with Unitarian Universalist ministers, at Unitarian Universalist events, or at other significant places in Unitarian Universalist history. ("Cachers of a Feather," February 1)

In the world of blogging themes, cooking ranks right up there with cats, and the Rev. Jull Terwilliger provides us with a recipe for "Kraupsua," Finnish oven pancakes. ("The Forest and the Trees," February 3)

And "Harrumpher" describes cooking unfamiliar root vegetables.

I have largely looked at the bins of uglies for a long time. Lately, I've been buying and then researching this or that. Latino markets, like Hi Lo in JP, the Haymarket, and more recently Stop & Shop have produce bins of the funkiest looking roots—stuff that seems to come out of an animator's spare cycles.

Unfortunately for us ignorant sorts, the markets are generally not much help. I've asked. At Hi Lo, Latino shoppers would say they don't use something, that their grandmother did but they never liked it or just "boil it." Haymarket vendors are even less help as is Kenny and the other Italian-American staff at Baby Nat's at the top of Roslindale. They sell the stuff because, well, it sells. They don't know what to do with it. ("Harrumph!" January 30)

Computers as household gods, Facebook 'friends,' Zinn and Salinger, and more

The Rev. Kathryn Bert, making her way through the new challenges of the interdependent web, "decided not to ‘friend’ members of the congregation, so I can keep my Facebook page personal and not professional."

There’s a generaton of ministers older than me that regularly befriended (in real life, not Facebook) individuals and families in the congregation. For some of them it worked. The best of them were able to have dinner with some folks, and not with others, and navigate any unrest that created in the congregation. I am of the generation of ministers for whom that seems problematic and difficult, and I regularly decline such invitations. ("The Stole'n Word," January 29)

The Rev. Jill Terwilliger and her family are on a six-month sojourn from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Jyväskylä, Finland.

Instead of culture shock, I think I am experiencing culture fatigue. Living in a place where every little thing is different is exhausting. Some of it is culture, language, and food differences. The lack of facial expressions makes me feel invisible. The language is ridiculously hard and although I am starting to catch some things in class, in real life people still talk too fast for me so most interactions come with the need to ask "do you speak English?" And then I feel like an American cultural imperialist who couldn't bother to learn any other languages. OK, that's an exaggeration, but there is some of that there. Does the fact that I could say most of what I need to say in German buy me an indulgence? ("The Forest and the Trees," January 24)

Terwilliger finds herself trying to explain UUism to Finns: "UUs want to gather with people and explore ideas of ethics and meaning and faith. That draws them to church. With or without God, church adds something important to their lives." (January 27)

"Plaidshoes" asks: "If you had to choose one quality in a minister you value more then anything else, what would it be? Mine would be: HONESTY." That's the whole post. Go and leave a comment with your choice. ("Everyday Unitarian," January 24)

The Rev. Daniel Harper meditates on the place of computers in our lives.

The Roman household gods, the Lares, were less brief and not made of plastic. Yet many of today’s households have small altars devoted to personal computers, we give them offerings of electricity and our attention, and many of us pay obeisance to them on a regular basis; so I’d say at the moment personal computers sometimes fill the role once filled by Lares. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," January 25)

David G. Markham is starting a Bible study on his blog. Let's just say it isn't your grandmother's Bible study.

When I read Genesis it paradoxically makes me feel better. After all I did not kill my 3 younger brothers like Cain did. I haven't been raped by my daughters. I have not impregnated my wife's housecleaning lady although she is pretty good looking. ("UU A Way of Life," January 26)

Literary deaths

The Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell mourns the passing of historian Howard Zinn:

There are not too many books of which you can say, "Reading this changed my life." I can probably count them on the fingers of one hand. One of those is Zinn's A People's History of the United States. It is the history of our country from the perspective of those who generally remain voiceless: native Americans, slaves, women, immigrants, poor laboring people. It's what you never learned in high school or college when you took American history and read about all the conquering men and heroic deeds of U.S. past. ("Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell," January 28)

"Kinsi" also felt that A People's History of the United States changed his life. "It really opened my eyes—not everything I was taught was necessarily true, everything has a different point of view depending on your frame of reference." ("Spirituality and Sunflowers," January 28)

Helene Atwan, director of Beacon Press, has a remembrance of Zinn and his long publishing relationship with Beacon. ("Beacon Broadside," January 28)

Reactions to the death of J.D. Salinger were not all so laudatory. The Rev. Daniel Harper has come to have a dim view of the reclusive author:

Carol came home, made a sandwich, told me about her day, then said, “Did you hear J. D. Salinger died?”

“Finally,” I said. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," January 28)

The Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern, on the other hand, looks forward to seeing what Salinger has been writing since his last published work.

My reaction to his death, along with a pang of sadness (though it was no tragedy–not because he was a cranky old coot but because he’d lived for 91 years) was that it bears a long-awaited silver lining: I’ll finally get a peek at the books he’s reportedly been writing. I fervently hope he ordered them published, not destroyed. ("Sermons in Stones," January 29)

Patrick Murfin speaks for many: "No other author probably had so great an influence on my generation." ("Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout," January 28)

Sustainable activism, political burnout, and more

Haiti

"Politywonk" reminds herself that she, with her own pains, has "just as much inherent worth and dignity as an earthquake victim."

Stewardship does not mean giving away the right to experience one's own life. Feeling one's own pain is a right. As with any right, it can be abused, exploited, misinterpreted. But neither should one turn one's back on the gift of being human.

And what bothers me most? Broken wrists don't hurt any less in Haiti. They don't mend any faster, probably slower and with arthritis forever after. A month from now, they'll be worse, and I'll be fine. ("PolityWonk," January 15)

In light of rebuilding efforts at the airport in Port-au-Prince, "Chalicechick" is glad the U.S. military is large, well equipped, and well trained.

There will always be UUs who want UUism to be a peace church and want the US to be a peaceful nation unprepared for war. But I have to say that when another country has a disaster and the Americans can fly in and make a bad time better, it makes me proud. ("The Chaliceblog," January 21)

Rebecca Hecking has two posts on making activism sustainable while also responsive to current events.

Instead of running with the herd, take some time and really examine which issues touch your heart. . . .It doesn’t matter that there are a thousand other equally important issues out there. For now, simply figure out what resonates with you on a deep and ongoing level, year after year. ("The Sustainable Soul," January 18. Her second post includes four suggestions for keeping "a healthy sense of perspective," January 21)

Politics

The Rev. Daniel Harper finds political liberals and conservatives "shallow ideologies motivated solely by party unity and retention of power."

As ideologues, neither Coakley nor Brown deserved to win [the Massachusetts Senate race]; neither one would bother much with the real problems. And so we will continue to not feed the hungry, and not help the suffering, and not be peacemakers; and the last shall not be first because those who are first plan to stay right where they are. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," January 20)

"Kinsi" at "Spirituality and Sunflowers" is going to take a break from following news commentary.

I can spend all that time, all that energy I spend on politics right now, on me. On my spirituality. On getting my life in order, in shape. On trying to live my best life, as Oprah would say.

I can care about causes without caring deeply about politics. I can still volunteer, still do what I can to make the world a better, more just, more equal place, without obsessing about electoral politics. ("Spirituality and Sunflowers," January 20)

The Rev. Eric Cherry, International Resources director for the UUA, shares news about UUs and politics in Uganda.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Uganda is preparing to take a strong and courageous stand against the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009." This hate-filled legislation proposed in the Ugandan Parliament would criminalize homosexuality and enforce penalties of life imprisonment and capital punishment against gays and lesbians. BGLT allies would also face drastic punishments. ("Inspired Faith, Effective Action," January 20)

Politywonk encourages mutual support and group activism in light of the Supreme Court's ruling on corporate politicking.

Get together a group of concerned folks and make a covenant to work together until the issue is settled. There are individuals who already try to show up and ask questions, rather than voicing views: it's time to raise their numbers and build their visibility. ("Politywonk," January 23)

David Pyle reacted emotionally to the week's news.

I will say this though . . . as I was driving around to see my hospice patients this week, listening to the Gospel of Matthew on my car CD player, several stories took on new and different meanings because of the mental space that I am in . . .

Especially the one where Jesus came in and threw the moneychangers out of the temple. ("Celestial Lands," January 23)

Race

David Pyle is concerned about the myth of a post-racial America given momentum by President Barack Obama's election.

There is an ironic twist to one of the ways I hear the myth of a post-racial America expressed often, and that is when someone (on the right or the left) claims that they are “color-blind” when it comes to race. The ironic twist is that they are right . . . they are blind to the way that the color of those around them affects their attitudes and behaviors. To be color-blind in our culture is simply to be blind. This is true not just of white Americans, or black Americans, or Americans on the political right or the political left. Each and every one of us carries with us racial pre-conceptions every moment of every day of our lives. When we either ignore those pre-conceptions (pretend to be color-blind) or worship those pre-conceptions as an idol (become actively racist) those pre-conceptions operate then as prejudices. ("Celestial Lands," January 16, and a follow-up post in response to comments on January 18)

The Rev. Anthony David, senior minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, posted a sermon on the subject.

Racism persists, even after the demise of old-fashioned bigotry, even after Obama’s historic election. For racism is like environmental pollution infiltrating the entire ecology of a society. It’s in the earth and in the air. It’s fundamentally a system of advantage based on skin color, which transcends individual acts of meanness even as it mandates them. ("Thousand Voices," January 17)

"Kinsi," partially in response to that sermon, says "I just don’t get the need for it, the need for it to be one of the most important things we look at as a denomination. I would love for someone to leave comments with why this is so important, because honestly I just don’t get it." ("Spirituality and Sunflowers," January 23)

Around the blogosphere

Chalicechick wrestles with the implications of discovering that one of the members of the youth group she advises is a regular reader of her blog. ("The Chaliceblog," January 18)

Peter Bowden at "The UU Growth Blog" is collecting links to interviews with UUA President Peter Morales. ("The UU Growth Blog," January 15)

One of the series of posts on the January 2010 UUA Board meeting by UUA trustee Linda Laskowski deals with the report of the Fifth Principle Task Force. ("The View from Berkeley," January 18)

The Ballou Channing District Young Adult Ministry has a new blog. They're up to "share your faith question #2: My Generation."

"The Splinter Generation," an online community for writers and artists born between 1973 and 1993, describes us as a fragmented, isolated population. . . . Do you agree that young adults, as a group, have no cohesive identity? What words would you use to describe yourself and your peers? What would you say we stand for? ("The Ballou Channing District Young Adult Ministry," January 22)

Joel Monka ("CUUMBAYA," January 18) has started a new blog, "Reason and Reconciliation."

This blog is intended to be a neutral ground where all can discuss their issues with the Unitarian Universalist Association and its member congregations. It is also a place where those criticisms can be answered and challenged in turn. The only ground rules are these: No personal insults, no armchair psychoanalyzing, no spamming. Address people by their proper names; no nicknames or "cute" references; something you may find funny another may find offensive. No links unless they are absolutely necessary to understand the issue. Keep the discussion about the discussion; don't label the arguments made (such as "DIM" or "irrational")--labels do not advance understanding. Simply agree with them or refute them. ("Reason and Reconciliation")

Consider casting a vote for former UU World editor Tom Stites, who has been named a finalist for We Media's Community Choice Game Changer Award. The Game Changer awards recognize "people, projects, ideas and organizations leading change and inspiring a better world through media." Stites, a former New York Times and Chicago Tribune editor, is leading the Banyan Project, which is preparing to launch community news websites that serve less-than-affluent Americans.

Tell us how you really feel

The Interdependent Web isn't all about serious subjects. Chalicechick "reviews The Lovely Bones and saves you eleven bucks."

Spoilers within if you have no idea what this movie is about, but that shouldn't matter because you shouldn't go to this movie*

For the love of God, do not see this movie. I am, uncharacteristically, almost at a loss for metaphor. But I'm going to try. It's like if, oh George Balanchine, working with a heretofore undiscovered piece of music by, oh, say, Mozart and it was one of those ballets where Cezanne painted the sets, and then Balanchine picked for his dancers, oh, say, KISS. ("The Chaliceblog," January 17. ADVISORY: There is a gerund of a four-letter word in the very next sentence of the post.)

Christopher L. Walton contributed to this week's Interdependent Web.

Personal pain, biblical sex, and more

The Prop 8 case in California is making Atlanta blogger "Kinsi" feel like he is on trial.

I’ve never really cared about gay marriage before now. I’ve always thought we ought to be putting our efforts into getting ENDA passed first, since, well, that affects me more than not being able to get married. First things first.

. . . But reading the bloggers summations of what is being discussed . . . really put me in an odd mood. I’m on trial. Who I am and what I am worth as a human being is on trial. ("Spirituality and Sunflowers," January 12)

"Lizard Eater" goes from an interseminary retreat "straight into a Very Amazing New UU Curriculum Training" and has her eyes opened to her own reality.

So, we listen to the song, and then we are to call out what we are thinking or feeling. And so, with tears now streaming down my face, I choke out,

"Sometimes we don't share our pain because it will hurt others."

You know how sometimes . . . very, very rarely . . . we're able to actually see ourselves as something separate, like another person? Well, there it was. "Oh you poor idiot," I said to her. "You were at a spiritual retreat. Your daughter just finished treatment a year ago. And she's had cancer twice. It WAS an intense experience. OF COURSE it is going to inform your feelings on just about everything right now, certainly on anything religious. I mean, really, you think the examples that spring to your mind are going to come from Schleirmacher or Kant or even Frankl? Your daughter freakin' had cancer. Twice. By the time she was 3. You poor, dumb, sweet girl." ("The Journey," January 8)

Many UU bloggers have expressed their shock and horror about the earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath. The Rev. Sean Dennison recalls a child he met in Haiti 25 years ago and wonders where he is now. ("Ministrare," January 14)

Desmond Ravenstone looks to the Bible for guidance about "kinky" sexuality.

In my reading of the New Testament, the most transformative and liberating passage on ethics comes from Paul, in First Corinthians: "'All things are lawful for me,' but not all things are beneficial. 'All things are lawful for me,' but I will not be dominated by anything." (1 Cor 6:12)

. . ."But..."—How, then, are we to determine what to do? Can we really do whatever we want, without fear of punishment? Of course not. George Bernard Shaw said that liberty means responsibility, which is why so many people dread it. So while liberty frees us from the burden of someone else's rules, it gives us in its place the burden to choose wisely. ("Ravenstone's Reflections," January 10)

Will Shetterly wonders "why anti-racists don't like to talk about class issues."

I finally took advice that's always good if you want to understand anything in a capitalist society: Follow the money.

What I found: Modern anti-racism is a commercial movement driven by graduates of the most expensive private colleges and universities in the US. . . .

So far as I can tell, [Tim] Wise, [Judith] Katz, and [Peggy] McIntosh are all very good people. That they content themselves with a superficial understanding of injustice in the US—Well, my favorite Sinclair Lewis quote applies yet again: “It's difficult to get a man to understand something if his salary depends on his not understanding it.” ("it's all one thing," January 8)

Army chaplain-candidate David Pyle asks if military chaplains should meet the same requirements as civilian chaplains, noting a quandary that question raises.

[T]hree specific objections are commonly raised . . . that CPE and APC position on evangelism/proselytization is contrary to the evangelical mission of their faith. Second, many feel that the amount of self-realization/self-discovery that CPE requires is not necessary for their understanding of the practice and role of ministry. I have also heard a few of my colleagues object to their being responsible to an organization outside of their denomination for their practice as a chaplain.

It will not be at all surprising that I disagree with each of these objections . . . and yet I want to respect the different faith traditions and values that are behind them. ("Celestial Lands," January 9)

John Franc reviews Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, concluding that Dawkins uses an approach that is overly simplistic and based on very narrow definitions.

I believe in things Dawkins would call “supernatural” because I have experienced them. These experiences were and are personal, subjective and (for the most part) unrepeatable. . . . But these experiences are meaningful and helpful to me, so I order my life as though they were exactly true.

If this associates me with people who believe things that are clearly false and demonstrably harmful, so be it. I’m not willing to throw out the baby of religion with the bathwater of literalism. ("Under the Ancient Oaks," January 10)

UUA Board of Trustees member Linda Laskowski is blogging about this weekend's board meeting. ("UUA View from Berkeley") And the Rev. Dan Harper draws attention to one of the reports under consideration in his post, "General Assembly is 'dramatically broken'." ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," January 13)

Peter Bowden asks if the UUA needs an independent voice, garnering a lot of responses. ("The UU Growth Blog," January 9, note new url)

Tina Simson responds to a January/February 2001 UU World article by Phillip Simmons, "Winter Mind": "It helps me look out my window this morning with different eyes." ("Wellspring: inspiration and guidance for a spiritual journey," January 12)

Endings and beginnings (of the year, of blogs), Garrison Keillor, and more

The turning of the year

PolityWonk makes some resolutions:

in planning for 2010, i was looking at some uu ministerial association (uuma) materials, which among other things asked abt one's spiritual practice. meanwhile, i'm reading von ogden vogt's art and religion . . .

and while i was doing that last night, i was watching junk tv. yes, i'm lying in bed, depressed about my still-broken wrist and how hard everything is, reading about art, and flipping between "Blades of Glory" and "Criminal Minds." vogt says good spiritual practice begins with a clearing of one's conscience in a confessional way, so there you have it.

and when i clicked on the computer this morning, i felt better. you, dear readers and fellow bloggers, are my spiritual practice community. i read what you write and keep you in mind. i respond as you might appreciate. i thank you—i hope—when you respond to me. ("PolityWonk," December 20)

The Rev. Cynthia P. Cain likes the symbolism of an empty manger.

[W]e are an eclectic faith as far as our beliefs go, incorporating Humanists, Pagans, Buddhists, culturally Jewish as well as liberal Christian members. We celebrate Christmas as the birth of a great teacher and prophet. We also observe Kwaanza, Easter, Winter Solstice, and Yom Kippur. We have our own holidays, including one called the "Flower Communion." In the past, we have had Christmas Pageants, but never a manger! This is new. This is different. This manger is so...permanent, and it asks us to consider more deeply than we may otherwise have done, the centrality of this Holy Day to Western Civilization. Dan could not have said a more perfect thing. His sweetly sardonic comment defused the situation and helped us laugh at ourselves without mocking anyone.

You see, among us are people who have been hurt deeply by traditional religion. As children, their bodies and/or spirits were beaten into submission with threats of Hell and sin. They may be gay or lesbian, and may for a lifetime have suffered Biblical interpretations which make them less than human. Many of them have left traditional religion behind. ("A Jersey Girl in Kentucky," December 22)

"Death Becomes Her" looks back on a season filled with various and sundry holidays.

All I know is that this holiday season I prepared 150 sausage balls, 1.5 gallons of clam chowder, 4 liters of holiday punch, 5 lbs of shrimp, yams that fed three parties worth of guests, 30 dim sum yummies, Muffaletta for 20, Jezebel for 30, a Mississippi Mud cake, a pear bundt, a gingerbread chalet... And I am still cussing because I forgot the latkes. No wonder I have developed a disorder. I am relishing the possibility of an agnostic phase for any or all of us by next year.

Happy damn New Year and leave me alone while I take a nap. I've got to get myself together by Passover when I hope to have the energy to take the tree down. ("Auspicious Jots," December 28)

Jessica Motherwell writes about her daughter's eclectic creche-arranging. (Go look at the photos!)

Every night before I go upstairs to bed, I spend time with this creche and marvel at how rich, diverse, hilarious, disturbing, and sweet my daughter’s creche can be. She has taught me how to break down traditional barriers of what does and does not belong in our collective story of the Light Returning in the Dark of Winter. This bizarre and gorgeous, ever-changing creche scene is part of my family’s tradition. One year the creche was set in a model of a First Nations Long House that my daughter and husband crafted together. One year my daughter sculpted her own version of the Nativity family and baby Jesus had a twin. Every year I am gifted with the odd and wonderful experience of seeing our creche story expand and break with tradition and yet encompass even more of our tradition of focusing on Love, Inclusion, Adventure, Giving, and Wild Playful Imagination during this Mid-winter Holiday. ("bright heart singing," January 3)

A bit more on Garrison Keillor

To round out our reporting last time on the tempest over Garrison Keillor's Salon.com essay, a last few posts.

The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt was finally "officially tired of the Keillor curmudgeon act" and blogged her sermon on the subject.

Our covenantal faith won’t hurt you, even if we do ask you to attend to your inner voice. Our embrace of Wiccans or druids or atheists won’t hurt you. You work hard to make us sound aimless and random in our faith, but we aren’t. We just want to be like that innkeeper on the road to Bethlehem, opening the door so that other people get to hear the story, know they aren’t alone, become a little less afraid. We do these things out of our own sense that the light is changing, from a narrow beam to the full and glorious spectrum of human life and human faith. Not all of us are strong, or good looking, or above average, but all of us are welcome. Even you, Garrison Keillor, even you. Blessed Solstice. Amen. ("Rev Rose," December 22)

Peter Bowden wants to keep attention on the larger picture—both within Unitarian Universalism and in how we are perceived.

Good for people to keep in mind that the UUA Hymnal is not the Bible when it comes to the version of Silent Night that UU congregations are using. In fact, I think many congregations print the music in the order of service for the Christmas eve service.

Our congregations are free and independent churches and many may be using a version that Garrison Keillor might delight in singing. NOT that I am concerned with his position. But I do think it is worth noting our independent nature. Many non-UUs following our conversation may not be aware that our congregations have such freedom. ("The UU Growth Blog," December 19)

New blogger the Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern gets to what she thinks is the heart of the upset.

. . . none of this answers the question that I think is really the reason this half-baked piece of writing is getting under our skin: is he right about us?

We UUs do want to sing “Silent Night” without really embracing the theology. We want to tell the Christmas story, own it as part of our tradition, without saying the words we don’t believe, that “Christ the Savior is born.” To that extent he is correct, but the real question is whether it’s all right to do. ("Sermons in Stones," December 22)

Michael Lauer expresses a common critique of the essay.

Golly. For the record, he also says bad things about Lawrence Summers and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and unaccountably refers to the good people of Cambridge, MA, as “Cambridgeans.”

One has to wonder exactly how serious this is intended to be. On the one hand, Keillor is a professional humorist and satirist. He’s also an inveterate rewriter of lyrics, Christmas lyrics not excepted. On the other, well… it isn’t very funny, now is it? ("Michael Lauer's Weblog," December 26)

"PJO" thinks Keillor was "just plain rude."

He visited these folks, had a good time among them, then denounced them in the press without warning. ("DeRePublica," January 4)

The Rev. Thom Belote notes another mischaracterization of UUs on Slate.com.

Now I find out that Unitarian Universalists are also slammed in an article on holiday gift-buying by Noreen Malone that ran on Slate.com. In her article Malone goes way out of the way to take shots at us, writing:

“The perfect generic gift ought to share attributes with the loose strictures of Unitarian Universalism—vague and inoffensive, warm and fuzzy and enveloping and giving the general impression of standing for something while not really standing for anything in particular. The gift-giver must sacrifice panache at the altar of practicality.”

Before I turn to Noreen Malone’s criticisms I want to comment on just how weird it is to see Unitarian Universalism attacked on these two particular websites. Both Slate and Salon are media sites that are left of center. These sites are not taking talking points from Pat Robertson or James Dobson. They are sites where you can read feminist commentary and where gays and lesbians don’t get trashed and bashed.

Let me go back to Malone’s paragraph. In fact, a couple of the things she writes about us can be framed in a positive way. There are certainly worse things than belonging to an “inoffensive” faith community. It sure beats belonging to an “offensive” faith community. I wouldn’t necessarily use the words “inoffensive” and “enveloping” to describe us, but I would use synonyms: accepting, inclusive, welcoming, respectful, compassionate, and open-hearted.

It is the part about being vague, fuzzy, and refusing to stand for anything that I take issue with. These comments are insulting. They are cheap shots. And they are false. Our theology is not vague, but complex. When we reject simple ideas about God and the afterlife it may seem like vagueness. In fact, it is not. The truths in life cannot be easily summed up in a few short phrases and when we attempt to do that we diminish God. To embrace paradox is not the same thing as being vague. ("RevThom," December 22)

Peter Bowden also responds to Malone's jab:

We stand for plenty. We just do a craptastic job of communicating what we stand for. Some would argue we do a poor job communicating not only with the larger world, but with our members and friends too. If this is the case, communicating better is a huge and urgent growth strategy for our faith and for your congregation.

Instead of getting annoyed at this Noreen Malone for demonstrating what to many UUs will feel like ignorance, I’d like to invite you to challenge yourself to do the following in 2010. For every message you share be it a newsletter column, a newspaper column, a blog post, an announcement in your Sunday Bulletin, or sermon by a minister or lay leader ask yourself the following question:

“What does THIS communication say about what we stand for?”

If this isn’t coming through in our communications, our ongoing messages, we invite every cheap shot by those who don’t “get us” and every clever reference to our so called wishy-washy nature by the Noreen Malone’s of the world.

Don’t complain. Communicate better. Don’t rant in return. Prove them wrong. ("The UU Growth Blog," December 22)

Responding to UU World and the UUA

Karen loves a feature article from our Winter issue.

[I]n this article, the UU minister who is the Dean for Religious Life at Stanford University makes a religious argument in favor of abortion. I love that my faith is home to so many views and that the Reverend McLennan is free to explain his position and support it with Biblical evidence—and few, if any, within Unitarian Universalism will call him a bad Christian, a bad minister, or a bad man. ("Echoes of the Moon," January 6) ("Breath is life" by the Rev. Scotty McLennan)

Patrick Murfin is no fan of the report of the Fifth Principle Task Force to the UUA Board of Trustees:

In the name of congregational polity they build a rickety but byzantine structure that compels congregations to adhere to a rigid and complex set of requirements for “lateral consultations” that somehow always loop back to the Board. This proposal will be cheered by the Board, whose authority, in the guise of guardian congregational polity purity, is now growing like kudzu. That might not be so bad if the Board in recent history had not shown itself to be tone deaf, incompetent, and unrepentant in the destruction of a continental UU youth organization—still not replaced—and in the gleeful decapitation of the Affiliate Organizations. The Board will be as mystified as the authors when it lands with a thud in the congregations it purports to elevate and molders into oblivion. ("Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout," December 30) (Task Force Report, pdf)

Blogs ending and beginning

Pioneering UU blogger Chris Walton is overwhelmed by the demands of parenthood and editing UU World.

It's past time to announce the obvious: Philocrites is done, and I'm unlikely to revive it. ("Philocrites," January 2)

And other bloggers reacted to the news:

Chalicechick: "I read Philo's blog and thought 'Hey, I could do a funnier, less informed version of that.'" ("The Chaliceblog, January 4)

PeaceBang: "As you can see, Chris, who has contributed comments and suggestions for men’s apparel to this blogger over the years, knows his way around a crisp white polo shirt and is a master of facial hair grooming. You will never find him looking less than natty, even when covering a conference at 18-hour days." ("Beauty Tips for Ministers, January 4)

Rev. Sean Dennison asks: "Who will pick up the torch? What form will the conversation take now? Who will ask the wonderful hard questions and stir the pot of controversy so thinking Unitarian Universalists will grapple with questions of identity and direction?" ("Ministrare," January 4)

Kari: "I'm reminded of Steve Caldwell and this thing he told me that is my new mantra: "Kill it before it dies." Good advice. Chris is wise to say "I'm moving on." ("chalice spark," January 5)

The Rev. Daniel Harper: "Philocrites had good writing, good editing, good thinking, and good judgment; Chris, in his own small way, was (and is) a public intellectual. Thus Philocrites remains one of the few Unitarian Universalist blogs that non-Unitarian Universalists bothered to read. I hope Chris will continue to develop as a public intellectual, and I hope he will seek out a wider audience, beyond the narrow and parochial world of Unitarian Universalism. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," January 7)

An anonymous (so far) UU minister has started a new blog with a goal:

This blog is about expanding a practice I’ve had for a long time, and that’s getting rid of a single thing every day. Some days it’s a box of old books to the used book store. Other days it’s cleaning out some files. Sure enough, though, every day I find something to discard, throw away, toss, etc. But until now the practice has been about me, and making me happy by getting rid of material accumulation.

Here’s the new challenge I propose: giving something away of value to someone four days a week for a year. Why four days and not seven? One day I’m obsessed with writing my sermon for Sunday, and one day I’m at church all day. On those two days my gifts are to my congregation. One day is sabbath: no work whatsoever. That day is a gift to myself. ("200 Gifts," January 4)

And another new blog, this one by the Rev. Phil Lund, who is using it to work on his book about "being a UU family." His first post points to how appearances can be misleading.

Maybe you’ve noticed them in an advertisement or a newsletter: smiling, happy people much like the ones pictured in the banner for this blog. They appear to be multicultural and multigenerational, abled and differently abled, single and partnered, gay and straight. They are, quite simply, a visual representation of what many of us would like to see our culture be. Welcoming. Inclusive. Even joyful. And if you keep your eye out for them, you might even notice that some of these people show up in different, sometimes mutually exclusive, places. ("Being a UU Family," January 4)

Around the blogosphere

Kari gets a case of tears and gives us insight into being church staff.

Coming home from church today, I felt like I'd been hit by a ton of bricks, like I'd been crying for hours and hours, like I hadn't eaten or slept for a week.

Yep, a pretty normal Sunday.

I'd love to say "no not really, usually I just kind of drive home and lah-di-dah, it's like a normal day at the office".

But I work for a church, and there are really no "normal days" at the office, not on Sundays anyway. Today was a little more special than most. We had a number of rituals, and maybe it's the Solstice and the darkness or maybe it's something else but wow, it really hit me. ("Chalice Spark," December 20)

Stentor Danielson reacts to the neologism "anymal."

It's clear that we have a linguistic gap created by the fact that "animal" has two meanings—members of Kingdom Animalia (which includes humans), or all members of Animalia *except* humans. This linguistic gap can create confusion in conversation about animal rights, and lead to people making false inferences from the fact that (someone says that) humans are animals by the first definition to the conclusion that (they are claiming that) we have the characteristics of animals by the second definition. I'm not sold on solving this problem by introducing "anymal" for the second definition—it seems too close in spelling and pronunciation to "animal." But this is in a general sense a reasonable thing to try to do. ("debitage," December 24)

David Pyle writes a short essay on Deism.

I believe that Deism rests around three core truths. Each of these is a positive statement about reality, and exists independent of any other religious tradition or idea. These three core truths are:

God exists.

God does not act in the universe in ways that contradict natural law.

What we need to know of God can be found in the universe itself (General Revelation). ("Celestial Lands," December 27)

Louis Merlin longs for a UU path of spiritual practice

In Unitarian Universalism, I am not sure how to have an active or deep spiritual practice. The problem is not that there are no spiritual practices available, but rather that there are too many. I can pray if I want, I can pick and choose from a lengthy list of UU prayers and prayer books. I can engage in Zen Buddhism meditation. I can enter chalice circles, reading groups, discussion groups. I can participate in social action groups or attend a peace rally. But it seems that no matter what I do, it is based upon an individually constructed and chosen practice. My path will be entirely my own, the meaning I construct will be individual, almost secretive, and the accountability and motivation will be mine alone. Perhaps there is something lofty and idealistic about this individually constructed spirituality. But on the other hand, it can make you feel lost, without grounding, without a clear path forward. ("Atlanta Unitarian," January 1)

The Rev. Mary Wellemeyer reflects on ministry as community organizing.

When I read that the minister of a mid-sized church is "a kind of executive," it feels wrong. Yes, maybe a kind of executive, but really, a community organizer. Someone who can teach the skills of welcoming newcomers, getting the word out about special events, integrating those newcomers into the purpose of the organization, developing leaders, and using leaders well. I've been ministering to congregations that are smaller than mid-size, doing my work this way, and I'm pleased with the results. ("A Larger Faith," December 26)

Paul Oakley thinks out loud about belief.

What we can say, hopefully with clarity, though, is that :

• if we believe something that does not serve us well or which leads us to harm others, no one else is to blame;
• certain beliefs are incompatible with the whole, though uncodified, UU ethos;
• among beliefs that are not incompatible with UUism, there is freedom;
• reason, experience, and testing are advisable tools to use in evaluating beliefs;
• many beliefs do not submit to any of these tools for evaluation;
• any time you use the word "believe" or "belief" * without defining it ad nauseum, you will be misunderstood—you probably will be even after the best of explanations;
• whatever your definitions are, they are yours and do not apply to what other people have to say, so it is still necessary to get them to explain their comments or questions or else you run a high risk of misunderstanding them. ("Inner Light, Radiant Life," December 31)

The Rev. Daniel Harper mourns the death of Mary Daly.

Daly was a voice for liberation. Maybe I disagree with the details of what she says, but basically she’s right: women have historically been oppressed by religion, they continue to be oppressed by religion, and that oppression has to end, whatever the cost. That oppression continues within Unitarian Universalism: last I heard our women ministers still earned less, on average, than our male ministers; sexual misconduct by male ministers all too often gets passed over lightly; better than 90% of our religious educators are women (’cause, you know, raising children is women’s work) and most of our religious educators receive inadequate pay. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," January 4)

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum also notes Daly's role in shaping her religious faith.

[T]here were those who saw patriarchy as an intrinsic part of Christianity, and left Christianity behind to move on to a post-patriarchal religion. I would put Mary Daly in this group. And I would put myself in that group. I see Christianity as a man-made religion, one with some good insights and truths, but a product of a patriarchal culture. The Bible does put women down and put them in a subservient role. This is one argument for me for not taking the Bible literally and as divinely inspired. If I took the Bible literally, I would have to believe that all the oppressions that are at best condoned and at worst directly ordered (sometimes by God), are, well, Godly. Oppression is not Godly by any definition of God I can recognize. Therefore the Bible cannot be literally true and divinely inspired. ("Rev. Cyn," January 4)

Doug Stowe wonders if we have feminized the American classroom with "sedentary classroom structure and restraint of natural activity."

It is cheaper to put 30 desks in a room and lecture than to have small class sizes and physical activities that engage the children's hearts and souls in learning. We all, girls and boys learn better, and retain information longer when we learn hands-on. This is something you can test in your own life, but that we are ignoring in the lives of our children. Hands-on learning is neither masculine nor feminine but benefits all children. ("Wisdom of the Hands," January 3)

The Rev. Debra Haffner, director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, responded to news coverage of a U.S. cabinet member's private life.

Mr. Orzag's private life is not anyone else's business but his and the women in his life. Nor is any other adult who engages in consensual, legal sexual behaviors.

By age 22, ninety percent of single adults have had a sexual relationship. According to the largest study of sex in America, now nearly fifteen years old, more than 70% of single adults in non-cohabitating relationships had sex with a partner last year. And, 40% of births in the U.S. last year were out of wedlock.

In other words, Mr. Orzag has lots of company in America. ("The Huffington Post," January 7)

The Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell has a conversation with Christopher Hitchens in the January issue of Portland Monthly, and she also has a bit to say about him on her blog.

I also had dinner with Hitchens and around a dozen others on Tuesday evening after his talk at Portland Arts and Lectures. He must be one of the most articulate people on the planet, and there is great pleasure in watching his mind play with words and entertain with turns of irony. However, Hitchens is as well known for his drinking as he is for his wit, and as the evening wore on, I found he became more and more acerbic and insulting. The man is brilliant, but not wise; clever, but not deep; and a fundamentalist, in regard to religion, rejecting any form of liberal Christianity as bogus religion, not to be respected. ("Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell," January 7) ("Questions of Faith: A conversation between Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell and infamous atheist Christopher Hitchens")

Ministerial credentialing

For those following the ongoing conversation, "OD/HR Min" has responses to two of the posts about ministerial credentialing over at iMinister. ("Calling Ministers," December 25 and 27). The Rev. Christine Robinson at iMinister also continues her thinking with a response on December 27. "OD/HR Min" then replies on December 28.

Christmas controversy, universalist essentials, and more

UUs and Christmas

"Plaidshoes" admits, in a post that you will soon see was premonitory, distaste for the practice of rewording hymns.

Today in church we sang Joy to the World. I thought I knew all the words to it--especially since I have been singing it for thirty+ years. Evidently, according to the UU hymnal, I don't. As most UUs know, we have a long tradition of rewording hymns to fit our more inclusive perspective. In all honesty, I don't like this practice. ("Everyday Unitarian," December 13)

Julie Lepp reflects on seasonal celebrations, inspired by a UU World article by Meg Cox, "'Tis the season for your own family rituals."

Being intentional about this time of year is hard. We have messages from our childhood traditions, the media, and our own expectations about what it takes to do it right. Rethinking how we celebrate the winter holidays, while not simple, can be quite radical.
("A Journey of Ministry," December 14)

Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor took aim at UUs in an essay for Salon.com, "Don't mess with Christmas."

It's a Christian holiday, dammit, and it's plain wrong to rewrite "Silent Night." Unitarians, I'm talking to you!
(salon.com, December 15)

The essay has been syndicated to a number of newspapers. As you might imagine, there are quite a few comments on the essay, including some by UU ministers, as well as a number of blog responses.

The swift (and prolific) Peter Bowden responded with a post to which he has added links to other places the essay has appeared online as well as links to other bloggers.

It is true that the hymnal published by the Unitarian Universalist Association has a slightly different version of Silent Night. But I think Garrison Keillor is missing out on some key information about the origins of this holiday. He is such a smart man. Isn’t he aware of the origins of this holiday? ("The UU Growth Blog," December 17)

Kari thinks there are more important things than the words of a hymn.

I think if Jesus were here on earth today he would be way too busy working with homeless teens and teaching children about hope and love to be bothered. A lowercase "c" christian--the religion of Jesus, not about Jesus. ("Chalice Spark," December 17)

Paul Oakley addresses the dimension of cultural ownership.

Unitarian Universalism is not a Christian religion, but its Universalist and Unitarian roots are fully Christian, if heretical. Therefore, everything that was part of Unitarian Christianity or of Universalist Christianity is part of our heritage. No exceptions. No one has the standing or would be in the right to deny any organization its legitimate inheritance. And every heir within a particular lineage has both the authority and the need to reinterpret his or her own heritage in ways that are meaningful to that heir. ("Inner Light, Radiant Life," December 17)

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum has been a regular listener to Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion."

Keillor rightfully calls all the trappings of Christmas not what the holiday is really about. But the song "Silent Night" is just one more of those trappings. His attachment to his particular set of words for the song isn't about the spirit of the season. It's about one more chance to attack Unitarian Universalists and other religions. And I'll tell you what Christmas is not about: this type of religious prejudice. Peace on Earth, goodwill to all. This Unitarian Universalist has had enough. On Sunday afternoons, my radio will get tuned elsewhere. ("Rev. Cyn," December 17)

"ChaliceChick" thinks Keillor "sucks" and rebutts reasons why UUs enjoy him.

At heart he's a liberal...he's just being funny.
No, he's a man who writes "I grew up the child of a mixed-gender marriage that lasted until death parted them, and I could tell you about how good that is for children, and you could pay me whatever you think it's worth," in a column that trashes "serial monogamy"

Meanwhile, he's had three wives himself. He's just a plain old hypocrite in the exact mold of conservatives who blather on about defending marriage without addressing which of their multiple marriages they wish to defend. And I don't mind hypocrites when they actally have something to say. He doesn't. ("The Chaliceblog," December 17)

Meanwhile, Jess has a literal translation of "Stille Nacht." ("Jess's Journal," December 17)

The Rev. Thom Belote thinks Keillor doesn't like UUs.

Garrison Keillor comes across as a confused, angry man grinding his axe.

But, what he says is pretty ugly. There is not a UU version of the Anti-Defamation League, but I would expect that the actual ADL might take offense at a few of the tired Jewish stereotypes trotted out in the article. Furthermore, I think I am pretty familiar with the Gospels but I don’t ever recall Jesus saying, “If you’re not in the club, then buzz off.” Let’s see. Blessed are the meek. The last shall be first. Keeping company with sinners, tax collectors, and lepers. ("RevThom," December 18)

Jim Magaw argues for a "third way" of honoring Christmas:

There is a human tendency to believe that Christmas as it was kept in our memories of our own childhood is the Christmas that is right and sacred, and that any other way of keeping Christmas is a blasphemy, if not an abomination. This tendency is on display in Keillor’s recent Salon article.

There is another human tendency to simply go along mindlessly with the dominant culture’s way of marking Christmas, including crass consumerism, incessant busyness and so forth—most of which has nothing to do with the Word made flesh and coming to dwell among us. This is the tendency that I think Keillor is really railing against in the Salon piece.

But there is, I think, a third way, which is to carve out a way of keeping Christmas that honors the Christmases of our childhood while being true to our contemporary beliefs and our best hopes for ourselves and our descendants. ("Word, Music, and Meaning," December 18)

"Lizard Eater" thinks Christmas should just be done "wrong," anyway.

Christmas Eve, it was just the 4 of us. At some point, we decided to go downtown and take a carriage ride up and down Congress Ave. What fun! We were singing some of our favorite holiday songs – Merry Christmas from the Family, Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas, and others of that ilk.

Our carriage driver was not pleased. “Look at the other carriages!” she hissed at us. “They’re singing things like ‘Silent Night.’”

See. We were doing it wrong. And having a blast. ("The Journey," December 18)

Two of Keillor's sentences have drawn the ire of Jewish bloggers:

And all those lousy holiday songs by Jewish guys that trash up the malls every year, Rudolph and the chestnuts and the rest of that dreck. Did one of our guys write "Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we'll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah"? No, we didn't.

Avi Weinstein expresses his ambivalence about the Jewish songwriters jab, pointing to a history of appropriation and co-optation:

Now Orrin Hatch has written a snappy Chanukah song out of his deep respect for Jews and Judaism. Conan Obrien and his Jewish drummer Max Weinberg view this as an opportunity to gently spoof Mormonism, as if there is something bizarre about Senator Hatch writing a Chanukah song. This is a peculiarly, but not uniquely, American phenomenon. Why not uniquely? Marc Chagall created a number of paintings of Jesus, some of which equated his crucifixion with Holocaust victims. Mounds of irony in that comparison, even though it’s hard to figure out who is co-opting whom. ("Scorchin Torah and Strange Thoughts," December 18)

Marissa Brostoff also picks up on the irony:

“Dreck?” Really? Who’s co-opting whom? ("Tablet," December 17)

Some responses from Christian bloggers

John Carney urges moderation.

It’s about a century or two too late to start declaring that Christmas is exclusively a religious holiday. Christians need to be respectful of those who are, by simple cultural fact, obligated to live through our holiday schedule even though they belong to another tradition. Non-Christians need to recognize that this is a special holiday, with a deeper meaning, to some (but not all!) Christians. (Even here in Bedford County, we have some churches that consider Christmas an unnecessary and anti-Biblical contrivance). ("Lake Neuron," December 18)

Christian blogger Jeff Skaret agrees with Keillor.

I recently read an article by Garrison Keillor for Salon.com, which I think speaks for many Christians on the topic of Christmas. While there may be several reasons to dislike what Garrison Keillor has to say on many topics, this isn't one of them for me. Putting politics aside, I think Keillor nails how most of us feel about the deconstruction and commercialization of Christmas and how many continue to try to turn the birth of the Messiah into something less. ("A Different Look," December 18)

And finally, from a non-religious blog, Chauncy Mabe at the blog of the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College:

The essay, though written in a sprightly, readable style, has a sharp tang of bitterness. Even if Keillor means to overstate his case for satiric or rhetorical value, the plain thrust of his argument--Christmas is for believing, practicing Christians only--seems to run counter to much of the Christmas spirit. ("Open Page," December 18)

Ministerial credentialing

Give the Rev. Christine Robinson credit for having the stamina to keep with an important topic!

As we look again at the ministerial credentialing process, I think we should start, not with how we got to where we are, but with what congregations actually need and expect from beginning ministers, and how we can maximize the openness we espouse for congregations while carefully doing whatever examining and gatekeeping we feel we need as a denomination both for the good of the whole and for the good of individual congregations. ("iMinister," December 12)

David asks what I would do. The most important thing I would do is study, talk to people, and learn, not only in our denomination but from other faith communities, for the potential for unintended consequences in any changes to our credentialing processes is very large. I have loved this creative conversation...I think it's the "out there" ideas that will help us thread our way through the many aspects of our needs and hopes.

I do have a list of things that I think warrant further study and conversation. (December 12)

Elz Curtiss responds to some of the questions raised in earlier posts by Wayne Arnason on "iMinister."

over my almost 20 yrs of caring abt this issue, wayne arnason has been a listening, caring participant in the system. i am using this format to follow his model with the kind of dialogue he models. while i do not agree with everything he says, i believe his posts show concern abt the same fundamentals that agitate me, and most of the people in this discussion. ("PolityWonk," December 15)

The Rev. Priscilla Richter takes a stab at "what (exactly) does a minister do?"

A member asked me to blog about what I did during a normal week. As I thought about this, I realized that it’s not really a week that would give a picture of ‘what a minister does,’ but probably a month would do it. But wait...there’s great seasonal variation. So maybe a year? Soon the project seemed way too daunting.

The truth is, the job of a minister is variable--depending on the number of people in the hospital, whether it’s Circles deadline time, if I have an upcoming sermon that takes some research, if it’s stewardship time or staff evaluation time or holiday time or... ("Seeking Sophia," December 14)

Around the blogosphere

Logan Geen, "amateur theologian," has an essay about universalism.

I was asked once what I consider to be the "minimum standard" to "get to Heaven". I'll let the "get to Heaven" part pass, since that phrase is somewhat open-ended, but let me phrase the question another way: What is the bare minimum someone needs to be on the "right path"? What is the basic 'litmus test', as it were, that separates healthy spirituality from the unhealthy? As an example of what I'm talking about, according to Judaism one need not be Jewish to attain salvation, but everyone is still bound to honor some basic laws (for Gentiles the 'Noahide Laws'), and one gentleman I knew suggested that it is the 10 Commandments that ultimately separate the sheep from the goats. Personally I think both of these ideas are on the right track, but I believe the ultimate factor that determines if you are on the "right road", the bare minimum as it were, is simply this: The recognition that you are not the center of the universe. ("The Christian Universalist," December 13)

The UUA General Assembly office has a new blog:

Welcome to the new UUA General Assembly blog. At least once a week, we will be posting to our blog GA announcements, updates, facts and more! It is all part of our campaign to utilize new media to reach out to as many UUs as possible to inform and to create buzz and excitement about GA! ("UUA General Assembly," November 10)

Responding to UU World

Aimee's eye was caught by Doug Muder's "Ghosts of Unitarian Christmas" in our Winter 2009 issue, as well as by the news article on OWL OUT.

I am so glad to see that this well thought out values (not abstinence) based comprehensive sex ed program penned by the UUA and UCC is being offered outside of our elite settings (yes, elite, I hate to say) and being brought to at-risk youth--those who most need guidance and stability and self-esteem building and recognition of life sustaining choice options! I would love for the kids I work with to get to experience OWL, the way that the kids that I volunteered with got to. ("One Meandering Labyrinth," December 16)

Holiday break

The offices of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations will be closed from December 24 through January 3. Interdependent Web will return on Friday, January 8.

Credentialing, choosing video, "death and glory!" and more

Ministerial credentialing

The Rev. Christine Robinson's blog continues to be a locus of engagement. The Rev. Wayne Arnason has a series of guest posts.

I've hesitated to join in on this very engaging thread about ministerial credentialing, because as Chair of the MFC I run the dual risks of being seen as a defender of the status quo, or being seen as the spokesman for the MFC or the UUA (as "owner" of the MFC). In posting these thoughts, I hope I am neither. I affirm Christine Robinson's appreciation for the quality and tone of most of this conversation. I do appreciate and believe in the many assurances from colleagues who are sharing their opinions while noting that critiques of the current process are not intended to reflect personally on the individuals charged with implementing and overseeing it. Thank you! The delay in posting this was brought about by this week’s meeting on the MFC which demanded all my attention. ("iMinister," December 8)

Arnason also summarizes four questions mentioned so far (December 8) and imagines the conversation leading to the current system. (December 9)

PolityWonk outlines a more complex model for minsterial credentialing.

Over at iMinister, Christine Robinson, in true ministerial fashion, is gathering and sharing various points on the credentialling topic. She has a nice summary today of what she sees so far. Also, some really thoughtful insights from former UUMA Prez Wayne Arnason.

The list she presents is still far too simplified and therefore adversarial. Americans think they hate complexity, so let me show where my models for this *complex* design are already familiar.

I advocate a multi-level, locally bicameral process, rooted in the relational theologies and practices of founding Unitarians and Universalists. ("PolityWonk," December 9)

David Pyle recently met with the MFC and has some lessons to share.

One lesson has stood out clearly from all of that advice…how each of us is called to encounter the MFC is as individual as a cloud in the sky. I have one general piece of advice…know thyself. However you naturally prepare for bringing your full and authentic self to an experience, that is what you should do. I personally thrive on time pressure, and (thanks to being an intelligence analyst) have the ability to assimilate large amounts of data into a whole quickly…so my cramming for the last six weeks worked for me. It might not work for anyone else. Listen to all the advice, but take a close look at who you are and how you learn, and then intentionally decide how you want to prepare. ("Celestial Lands," December 6)

Growth

Peter Bowden advocates spending any church newspaper advertising budget on video instead.

If it was up to me, if I were in your shoes, I’d invest in video. I’d scrap those newspaper ads and allocate the funds to pay a youth, young adult, or adult in the congregation to make videos. Not just once, but week after week—whatever the ad cost. They’d include a video tour of the church, sermons, fun events, social action efforts, and regular “this is what’s happening in our community” interviews. Do all that? Do some “This I believe” videos. ("The UU Growth Blog," December 5)

The Rev. Kit Ketcham notes (and describes briefly) the regional differences within Unitarian Universalism.

When I hear my colleagues say that "UUism is dying" and that we will be extinct in a matter of years if we don't get on the stick, I always want to find out where they're serving. My experience of UUism is that we are growing strongly, at least in the regions I'm most familiar with, and that we are far from dead.

I'd be interested in hearing from folks who live in other areas. How do you think your region of the country differs in its UU nature from other regions? (I haven't included Canada in this, as I haven't formed an opinion, though the BC congregations and ministers I know seem to be positive about their growth.) ("Ms. Kitty's Saloon and Road Show," December 8)

Captain Thomas R. Beall, USN (ret.)

I really believe that one of the reasons the UU church doesn't grow is that our leaders have not articulated a clear, compelling, inspiring vision, founded in core values, of why we are worthy of growth—in other words, how our church will meet the spiritual needs of its members, more closely bind its members together, and as a more tightly woven community rise to the challenges of our times. All the talk about being the religion for the 21st century is meaningless unless we know why we should be that church. Despite each individual's reason for walking in the door (and sometimes walking out again) I have yet to hear that collective, inspiring vision. ("Living the Prophetic Imperative," December 9)

American religious pluralism

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released a report showing that many Americans mix multiple faiths. DairyStateDad celebrates the report, saying "it's one more example of how the pluralistic values at the heart of Unitarian Universalism are mirrored in the wider culture far beyond our own tiny numbers." ("DairyStateDad," December 10)

Responding to UU World

ChaliceChick wonders "why the UU World felt the need to write about [Chalica] since it sounds like almost no UUs are celebrating it." ("The Chaliceblog," December 7) In the comments are some interesting perspectives on whether celebrating Advent and Christmas are historically appropriate to New England congregationalist roots. (uuworld.org article, "Chalica, new weeklong UU holiday, slowly gains adherents," December 7)

A post on the UU Church of Arlington, Va.'s church website (distinctive for being built on the Ning social-networking platform) mentions that 39 UUs from area churches met to discuss Mike Durall's UU World "Forum" article on becoming a "public church." A response describes how the congregation evaluated itself using Durall's criteria. (UU World article, "Reach out to become a public church," Fall 2009)

Around the blogosphere

The Rev. Daniel Harper celebrates "death and glory!"

In the middle and late 19th century, Universalists spent quite a bit of time arguing about the afterlife. Sure, they agreed that every human being was going to be saved; they were Universalists after all. But some Universalists (an increasing number as the 19th century went on) believed that there would be some form of punishment in the afterlife; while other Universalists believed that you would go straight from death to glory in heaven. The first group were called the Restorationists; the second group were called the Ultra-Universalists, or the “Death and Glory” faction. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," December 4)

On a more serious note, Harper measures UU churches against a model of post-Boomer spirituality:

There are a few Innovators within Unitarian Universalism, though they mostly get forced out of the mainstream of our methodologically and liturgically conservative congregations. We have a few Appropriators within Unitarian Universalism, although most of them are trying to appropriate white middle class Boomer culture (e.g., the new hymnal supplement), which means that they really don’t represent post-Boomer spirituality. There are a few Reclaimers, who often meet in smaller groups for worship and service—UU neo-pagan groups meeting for rituals, UU Christian groups meeting for lectio divina or communion, UU Jewish groups, etc. There are also the Resisters—Post-Boomers who are being encouraged by older humanists to adopt an agenda of strong rationalism, with a heavy reliance on written texts (not scriptures, mind you, but rational texts), as opposed to visual arts, music, movement, etc. ("Yet Another Unitarian Universalist," December 7)

The Rev. LoraKim Joyner concludes a story about an early experience with a wild bird with challenging questions:

Have you ever had to juggle multiple claims on your time, and felt remiss that you have not fully been present in each activity? What do you desire, which attaining might harm other beings? ("Liberating Wings," December 7)

Mike Durall has a proposal for a "First Pulpit Project":

This idea is just waiting to happen. I believe about two percent of churches could go through a process of discernment and take on a special ministry—to call only newly-graduated seminarians for their very first pulpit, for a period of no longer than five years, and to ensure that minister has a positive experience. ("Ten Minutes or Less," December 8)

The Rev. Scott Wells catalogues UU Christian organizations and lists some things they could be doing.

Unitarian Universalist Christian institutions, other than congregations (and perhaps even them, to a point) have depended on a ministry of identification. That is, the simple fact of their existance shows that Unitarian Universalist Christians exist, and that’s an important point if the majority opinion is that you shouldn’t exist. Other programs come and go, but this persists. Luther said “Here I stand; I can do no other.” I’m inclinded to think, “Here we stand, and it’s time to get to work.” ("Rev. Scott Wells," December 10)

Beyond the blogs

Dávid Ferenc (Francis David), the 16th-century Transylvanian Unitarian, has a Facebook page!

And a reminder that UU World also has a Facebook page, with active comments.