Monthly Archives: November 2011

Notes from Rev. Kenn – November 4, 2011

Whew! Are you getting dizzy by the whirlwind of events: The European Zone in crisis, Occupy Wall Street is now Occupy Everywhere, Alabama surpasses Arizona for mindless immigration legislation, and Florida is still near the top when it comes to foreclosures. What’s it all mean? Is there any good news?

As Unitarian poet, Wordsworth, summed it up: “The world is too much with us, late and soon.” I am bewildered. How do I live my Unitarian Universalist values in this maelstrom of worry? Well, there is good news: I have this community of faith to sustain me, to challenge me, to guide me. Together, truly, we are stronger!

Of late, I am looking to Cooking Together: Recipes for Immigration Justice Work, a project of our UUA (See: http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/). This page is designed to help us think about justice issues together. Your postings are welcome.

The other day, I came across this faith-filled prayer by the Rev. Parisa Parsa (Milton, MA.), offered at the Unitarian Universalist Vespers service at Occupy Boston on October 16. It lifted my heart. Perhaps it will touch yours. In part, she said:

“It is a thing of beauty to see people coming together across political persuasions and ages and ethnicity and just about everything else in order to say: we are all in the same boat and we are not about to let it sink! This is our world. Let’s make it whole together. “We are the 99%” is the slogan of this movement. But our faith calls us to know deep in our bones what it means to be 100%.

100% born from a thread of goodness and hope that is woven through 100% of beings on this planet.
100% able to see and cultivate that goodness in ourselves and each other.
100% the ones in whose hands this world rests.
100% infused with the power of divine love, forgiveness, grace.
100% of us are destined for the arms of a love that knows no limit.
100% of us were born and offered the breath of life from a source we cannot fully name.”

The centrifugal forces at work in our society are born of greed and ignorance. They are sustained by fear and indifferent hearts. There is good news: Our faith calls us to be the ones who can love universally and to work so that all, all!, are treated justly and given an equal opportunity to thrive. Human forces created many of the ills that worry our nights. And human hands can work to change that in the hope of our days. This is ministry.

Reverend Parsa concludes:

“100% of us hold the power to turn the ship around, to mend its leaks, and repair its sails to set it right again. We need all our stories, all our hearts, all our spirits, all our anger and frustration, all our hope and laughter to make it new. Let us be together. 100%.”

May we be worthy of our faith. Rev. Kenn

Notes from Rev. Randy – November 4, 2011

TAKING ON THE HOLIDAYS

Every year, about the first week in January, I hear the same thing from people: “Next year I will do the holidays differently.”

What are they saying? Well, when asked to explain, they use terms like: hurried, busy, harried, tired, over-whelmed, depressed, angry, disappointed.

“So,” I ask them, “whose holidays were you celebrating?” They look puzzled at the question, so I add “What were you expecting, and why?” The puzzlement only grows deeper.

“Then,” I continue, “how would you like the holidays to be different? What would you like?”

It is as if I had opened a flood gate! You mean one can shape one’s own expectations around the holidays? YES!

Culture, society, family, religion, locality, commercial interests . . . they all want to tell you what the holidays should be for you. But only you know what they can be for you if they are to be meaningful.

So, a simple exercise for each household to do (if you are living single, then you get to talk to yourself!). Involve everyone who will be spending the coming season together.

Take out the calendar of the next 8 weeks and ask “what would I like to have happen in this time?” “What would make this a meaningful time for us?” Listen carefully to what is shared, because in the desires of your household are the keys to a fulfilling holiday season.

And then, unapologetically, take on the holidays of your choosing, making them what you will. And lest you think others will judge you for doing this, when they see you actually enjoying what you are doing, being energized by your choices, and looking forward to doing it again in the future, they will probably wish they had done the same thing.

Happy Holidays!!

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