September 2003If we value the pursuit of knowledge,
we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us.
The free mind is not a barking dog, to be tethered on a ten-foot chain.
-Adlai E. Stevenson Jr
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 Bring
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Quest September 2003 Contents
What
Holds Us Together
by Jane Rzepka, minister, Church of the Larger Fellowship
One summer, my friend the Rev. Barbara Merritt and her husband took
their family to Nova Scotia for a vacation. They wound up in a place
called Digby Neck—maybe some of you have been there. Well, Digby
Neck has what they call "an amethyst beach," where, according to the
Canadian tourist literature, you can collect your own amethysts. The
Merritt family decided this would be a wonderful family project, something
they could all do together. They were given directions to the beach,
down several unmarked roads, and one of the locals told them to "look
for the boulders of black volcanic rock. On the surface of those rocks,
you'll find white lines, the cracks where the crystals form. When you
can locate the larger cavities of crystals, you'll be harvesting amethyst."
Barbara grabbed a large canvas bag to haul back all the semi-precious
gemstones, and off they went. She says: "Putting all our heads together
we found the beach, the black smooth volcanic rock, and the white lines.
We brought along hammers and safety goggles and went to work. An hour
later we were still smashing at rocks, for no apparent reason. Deep
within the white crystal cracks, we discovered a lot of... rock.
"We each had our own strategies for searching. Initially I scanned
the boulders for visual clues of hidden caches of amethyst. I'd make
a thoughtful scientific appraisal of the area, following fault lines,
looking for subtle gradations in color, listening for hollow echoes
with my hammer. At each spot where I finally chose to chip away, my
hopes were high. I was sure that this was it! It wasn't.
"Later I decided to use my intuition. I ‘opened' myself to the
presence of amethyst; I tried to become emotionally in tune with the
geological harmony of the place. I attempted to be ‘guided' to
the right spot. When everything felt just right, I'd strike with the
hammer. And lo and behold, underneath the surface, were more rocks!
"One can expectantly smash rocks on a beach for only so long. Though
we were models of mutual encouragement, my husband and children had
fared no better than I had. We had each made premature declarations
that we were about to break open the mother-lode of amethyst. The canvas
sack remained empty.…
"As we were leaving the beach…I saw, out of the corner of my
eye, a small piece of black rock. I picked it up, turned it over, and
I saw it! A faint pinkish cast to the crystals. (You might not see it,
but there was definitely some pink there). I tucked it in my
pocket, and went on my way."
Well now, there's an analogy. One could apply it a lot of ways. In
a job search—you hammer here, chip away there, with high hopes
for the semi-precious benefits package. Certainly you could apply it
to dating—you look here and there, under the rocks, breaking through
the tough exteriors, hoping to bag that perfect gem. Perhaps it even
applies to shopping for a church, where maybe, if you look hard enough,
some church will show itself where the theology is exactly right and
everybody's life goes according to plan. But naturally, I am drawn to
apply the analogy to Unitarian Universalism.
I like it. Unitarian Universalists, all there together on Amethyst
Beach, take our little hammers and try to uncover the truth for ourselves
about, say, the afterlife. Then we move to another spot, chip away a
little, and try to expose some truth about inner peace. Another spot,
an investigation of a personal question of ethics, or a fine point of
theology, or a practical question about teaching the Hindu concept of
reincarnation in Sunday School, or basic questions about what comes
next. We're always there, all of us together, with our little hammers.
The problem quickly comes with the "empty canvas bag" portion of the
analogy. We do a lot of hammering, but Barbara Merritt is quite right
that "One can expectantly smash rocks on a beach for only so long."
After searching for most of a lifetime, wouldn't a person expect to
find some gigantic, impressive amethyst?! After engaging in the religious
search year after year, wouldn't a person expect to discover the absolute
truth about life after death, or the perfect method of teaching Sunday
School, or the most tranquil of tranquilities? Why, after all these
years with the little hammer, is the canvas bag so…light?
I mean, doesn't that strike you as odd? A religion of people who, metaphorically
speaking, gather on a beach, searching and searching but never actually
hauling home that great and heavy canvas bag full of answers?
Well, let's keep this analogy going just a little longer. True, most
of us don't ever collect that big amethyst. But after a while, we do
find a lovely collection of stones that bear, for us, the pinkish hue
of truth. We fill our pockets with the occasional spiritual insight,
aphorism, moral certainty, poignant story, personal encounter or quiet
moment of peace. Most of us feel fine with the security of just those
few rock fragments clunking away in our pockets.
But the further question presents itself about Unitarian Universalism:
and that is, "If we're each out there on the beach wandering around
searching, what holds us together in Unitarian Universalist community?"
I have heard this question all my life. When I was in elementary school,
now and then a friend would ask, "How can you have a religion if you
don't all believe the same thing?" So I asked my mom what I could answer,
and she said, "Tell them that in our church, we don't think alike, we
walk together." That seemed about right to me, because already from
Sunday School I knew that different children in the class believed different
things, but still we were the same group as we moved from one grade
to the next.
Later, in high school, when I was sixteen and knew everything, I learned
three words: "demographics," "self-select," and "theological." By then,
if anyone had the misfortune of asking me what held the people in Unitarian
Universalist churches together, I would say, very pretentiously I'm
afraid, that, "It's not so much a matter of theology, we tend to self-select
demographically." By this I simply meant that we were the smart people,
the people who questioned and developed our own opinions about matters
of religion.
Mercifully, I didn't stick with that response all that long. Before
I knew it college was behind me, I was twenty-two years old, I was in
theological school, and I began to realize that better minds than mine
had wrestled with this question, and that the answers were written down.
Unitarians and Universalists have a long history of covenanting with
one another—of literally articulating what it is that holds us
together. A few of you grew up with such a covenant in your church:
maybe James Vila Blake's "Love is the spirit of this church, and service
its law. This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace, To
seek the truth in love, And to help one another." Congregational covenants
are one approach to the problem of holding us together.
Looking for a broader approach, delegates to the Unitarian Universalist
Association's General Assemblies in the 1980's voted to adopt "Principles
and Purposes" as a part of the Association's by-laws. Not a creed, not
a statement of doctrine, not a personal theology, this statement, revised
in 1995, reminds us that member Unitarian Universalist congregations
(though not necessarily individuals) have a common approach to religion.
Of course, any of us can simply sit down and type out what we believe
holds Unitarian Universalists together—for personal clarification
or because we're constantly hearing the comment: "Those Unitarian Universalists
don't believe in anything. What holds them together?" In the words of
a former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Bill Schulz,
"This is the mission of our faith: To teach the fragile art of hospitality,
To revere both the critical mind and the generous heart; To prove that
diversity need not mean divisiveness; And to witness to all that we
must hold the whole world in our hands."
Just the other day, after a lifetime of hearing it, I heard the question
again: "You're a Unitarian Universalist minister. Tell me, if you don't
have a doctrine, what holds you all together?" And I didn't know! I
couldn't think what to say! Somehow I skipped a groove. Somehow, without
my knowing it, that marble rolled right off the table; the theological
ducks were not at all in a nice neat row! What does hold us together?!
Thankfully, I've been around a while, so I have files. Lots of files.
And you know, every UU minister on the planet has a little something
to say about what holds us together: It's hope. It's love. Freedom.
The pursuit of truth. Diversity itself. Concern for one another's well
being. Community. Beauty. Connectedness. Mystery. I found from personal
experience that you can post these essays all over the room, all over
the house really—I have dozens—you can read them off and
on all day, and still you can wake up the next morning, scratch your
head, and ask yourself, "What does hold us together?"
Here's what I think. We don't have a doctrine or a creed. But we have
a history. It's those Pilgrims again. Early on, the Pilgrims covenanted
together to search in freedom for spiritual truths. Put in modern language,
their covenant says, "We pledge to walk together in the ways of truth
and affection, as best we know them now or may learn them in days to
come, that we and our children may be fulfilled and that we may speak
to the world in words and actions of peace and goodwill."
That's what my mother told me to say when I was nine: "What holds Unitarians
and Universalists together?" "We promise not to think alike but to walk
together." She used the same words the Pilgrims used.
Walking together. This is our heritage. This is what holds us together.
In the words of the Rev. Alice Blair Wesley, "This is the spirit of
our people. It is holy to us, this walking together. It holds us all…insofar
as we live by it, in the embrace of the free church, in the generous
embrace of people who are centered—in ever changing and responsively
creative ways—around a promise of searching for and daring to
live by truth." That's what we try to do together as members and friends
in the Church of the Larger Fellowship.
Sounds a little like what a family might do on an amethyst beach, doesn't
it? Everybody together, there on the beach, exploring, searching, checking
the cracks and crevices. Pretty soon we forget, mostly, about the canvas
bag. It wasn't all that important anyway. The few pink-hued rock chips
tucked into the pocket are enough in the gem-stone department, and the
day on the beach with the other searchers was, well, what a day it was.
Held together by the search, walking together.
Quest September 2003 Contents
CLF's
New Cyberminister
The CLF Board of Directors, at their April meeting, approved a new
quarter-time position on the CLF staff—and we are delighted to
welcome the Rev. Jone Johnson Lewis from Centreville, Virginia
as our first-ever cyberminister. Jone brings a wealth of technical expertise
and experience, as well as many years in ministry, to the CLF. She will
work with staff, board, and the Electronic Communications Committee
to enhance our Web presence and support this vital part of the CLF's
ministry. Welcome, Jone!
Quest September 2003 Contents
The
Story of the Water Service
by Eliza Blanchard, 2002-2003 intern minister, Church of the
Larger Fellowship
This month many of our UU congregations celebrate the opening of the
church year at a service called variously "Ingathering," "Water Service,"
or "Water Communion." People generally bring a small container of water
collected from a special place during the summer's travels or closer
to home. Pouring it into a common vessel, they share their inner or
outer journeys.
Most of us don't realize that this service originated with angry women.
Carolyn McDade and Lucile Shuck Longview were asked to create a ritual
for the Women and Religion Conference at East Lansing, Michigan, in
1980; their service was intended to speak to the worship needs of women,
which some felt had not been widely included in the movement up to that
point. As McDade, social activist and songwriter, recalls, "It was a
strong service, about community taking power…about creating a
political and liberating theology."
McDade and Longview shared a vision of justice both for women and for
the environment that made working together easy. At Lucile's house,
they spent many rewarding hours brainstorming and writing the service.
Everything they produced held up nature and community. McDade believes
that this ritual "broke the long silence of laywomen. The creation of
a sacred space for and by women happened with a circle and a simple
bowl."
This "celebration of connectedness," as McDade calls it, empowered
women instead of calling them to serve others. The water symbolized
the birth waters, the cycles of moon, tides and women, and all the waters
of this small blue planet. Each woman attending the conference was invited
to bring a container of water with her. McDade recalls that "It was
very moving, the women bringing water from places of spiritual importance."
This ceremony was also designed to demonstrate solidarity with women
globally, as women the world over traditionally draw and carry water.
Twenty-three years after its creation, Longview and McDade's ritual
speaks to a deepening awareness of our solidarity with brothers and
sisters globally who lack the most basic and precious resources. It
also speaks eloquently of our interdependence.
This month, members and friends of the Church of the Larger Fellowship
might like to join other UUs by participating a in a water service of
their own making. See the article below for
suggestions on how you, your family or your local group might design
such a service.
Quest September 2003 Contents
A
Water Service for Individuals, Families or Congregations
by Eliza Blanchard, 2002-2003 intern minister, Church of the
Larger Fellowship
The idea of a Unitarian Universalist ritual may feel strange to some
of us. We have UU theological roots that rest in the rejection of established
ritual and of the authorities who controlled both the content of these
rituals and the participation in them. For many people, however, rituals
are concrete and meaningful expressions of joy and sorrow.. As Unitarian
Universalists we are free to create rituals and to celebrate life passages
in ways we feel best express our values and our faith. The following
provides one way to celebrate the return to community after a summer's
pause.
Water is the key ingredient of this service, and you may want to think
about a special spot from which you can collect your water. Planning
ahead is helpful, and many Unitarian Universalists save their water
in an empty film canister. (Be sure to store it in the freezer to keep
germs from developing.) Water gathered from a visit to the house of
grandparents or grandchildren, relatives or friends will carry special
meanings and memories for some. Others enjoy gathering water from a
stream, ocean or lake. The backyard kiddie pool, the garden hose, or
the kitchen sink can also provide memories. Camping outings, the trip
of a lifetime, or an ordinary vacation are often sources of connection
that we want to remember.
While many UU congregations celebrate a water service in which each
person or family pours their bit of water into a common bowl, the water
doesn't need to be collected in a single vessel to serve as a way to
connect with others. Water poured on the ground or at the base of a
special tree or plant enters the water table, a huge and interconnected
underground water system which does the mingling for us.
If you like, you may want to create an altar, which could include a
chalice, a flowering plant, and the water you've chosen to use for the
ceremony.
The following words are suggestions only; feel free to make up or choose
your own readings, songs, meditations or prayers.
Opening words:
All life comes from water. Life started in the ocean, where it began
to take its many and amazing forms. Babies are cradled in water before
they are born. Everything that lives needs water, from the smallest
plants to the largest whale. From the beginning of history, humans
have built their homes and their lives around water.
Today we celebrate water, which connects and nourishes all life.
Or refer to the Ingathering and Water Ceremony readings in the back
of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook.
Chalice lighting:
The chalice is a vessel, a bowl, a cup.
With this light, we place in this vessel
Our common hopes, our shared dreams,
Our mutual commitment
To a world made whole.
For other chalice lighting words, see pages 54-55 in your CLF Handbook
of Religious Services, or select one from readings 447 through 456
in the hymnbook.
Hymn:
Sing the first three (water) verses of "I've Got Peace Like River"
(#100 in Singing the Living Tradition).
I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river in my soul.
I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river in my soul.
I've got joy like a fountain.…
I've got love like an ocean.…
Another song that is good for the range of children's voices is hymn
#360, "Here We Have Gathered." Other appropriate songs include #209,
"O Come, You Longing Thirsty Souls," and #145, "As Tranquil Streams
that Meet and Merge."
Story:
Every drop of water that we bring to our ceremony today has been
on amazing adventures. Our water, this very water, has witnessed the
birth of life and the death of dinosaurs, has been a part of the body
of Buddha and Bach, Jesus and Michael Jordan, and the Queen of England.
Each tiny molecule of water has been on its own unique journey, but
today I need your help in telling the story of all water.
Most of our planet is covered by oceans, the cradle of life and water's
true home. What does an ocean sound like?
Now, you can't hear it, but all of the time, every day, the sun shines
on the ocean, and water evaporates; it rises into the air to become
clouds. If we listened very carefully, with our tiniest inside ears,
what sound do you think we would hear as the earth breathes water
up into clouds?
But eventually, the clouds fill up, and the water comes down again
as rain. Imagine standing on a mountain, and it begins, very gently,
to drizzle, then to rain, then to pour in a full-scale mountain thunderstorm!
Then, slowly, the storm moves on, the rain gets gentler, and slows,
and eventually stops. (Create the rain storm by rubbing fingertips
together, then snapping fingers or clapping lightly, then clapping
harder, up to drumming hands on thighs or stomping feet. As the rain
abates, follow the process in reverse.)
The water that falls in the mountains runs into little downhill trickles.
What might that sound like?
(As the story continues, people will probably understand to continue
with the sound effects. If not, encourage them to do so.) These little
trickles gather into babbling brooks and streams.
The streams continue on their downward course, eventually
joining into rushing rivers.
As the quick rivers join into great rivers they become broader and
slower.
And eventually, all water returns to the sea, the cradle of life,
and water's true home.
Rev. Lynn Ungar
Other stories that might be adapted for an intergenerational service
include "Nobiah's Well," by Donna Guthrie or "We Got Here Together,"
by Kim Stafford.
Water Ritual:
Each person pours the water they've collected on the ground, naming
the place from which it came. Or, pour the water into a pitcher or
bowl of water, then name the place where the water will be poured
out, such as a special plant, memorial garden, or cemetery.
Meditation:
Before or after a moment of silence, share one of the following meditations,
or another of your choice.
Today I bring water
To give back to the earth,
To mingle with all the waters of the earth,
And join all living things.
Today I pour water
To honor the earth that gives us life,
To honor the community of all life,
Plants, animals and people.
Today I offer thanks for the gift
Of water and also for the web
Of life we all share, near or far.
Or this longer piece, adapted from "Blending Our Waters"
We bring our waters, which have touched the west, the north, the
south and the east, which come from the sky and from the earth.
We bring water that belongs to lakes and streams, reservoirs of fresh
waters that quench our thirst.
We bring water that is a part of the great oceans and the seas that
circle the globe, teeming with life, the source of all life.
We bring water to this place of meeting and sharing.
In this water there is new water, formed in the atmosphere daily,
and there is old water, water as old as the earth, water from which
life has evolved over the eons. This is the stream of life from which
all life flows.
All people are connected by this stream, for it runs through our
veins and courses through the stems and leaves of plants.
It is the symbol of the cleansing power of forgiveness and the faithful
promise of healing love.
It is the symbol and the reality of the oneness that unites humankind
and all life.
May our separate waters join into one sacred stream as we add our
lives into the stream of living souls who live out love, work for
justice and hunger for peace.
Rev. Dennis Hamilton
Or, as a family, you might close your eyes and talk through what
waterways (including underground springs and water tables) your water
might travel to touch people around the world whom you love.
Hymn:
"The Earth, the Water, the Fire, the Air" (#387 in Singing the Living
Tradition) or see above choices.
The earth, the water, the fire, the air
Return, return, return, return.
Closing words:
I am but a drop of water.
Alone, I would disappear,
Dried up by the scorching sun
Or sucked up by the dry, thirsty earth.
But together we can wear out stones,
Carve out the Grand Canyon,
Make streams and rivers,
And find our way to the sea.
Rev. Kok-Heong McNaughton
Or refer to pages 58-60 in The Handbook of Religious Services,
or the back of the hymnbook, numbers 677-711.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Good-bye
by Eliza Blanchard, 2002-2003 intern minister, Church of the
Larger Fellowship
In my personal life, good-byes have often been cursory or non-existent.
Only when I began this journey toward ministry did I learn the power
of a good good-bye. And this congregation deserves nothing less.
A good farewell includes several things. First, it means telling people
what you gained from getting to know them. I don't have room enough
to do this properly, but I can summarize. This congregation has given
me a place to learn. Learning means trying things, from sitting in on
board meetings to writing Month of Sunday services, reading a budget
and leading a religious education class, and feeling it was okay to
risk mistakes. Learning means asking stupid questions and listening
instead of doing. I've learned by watching many of you take on new roles,
try new things, risk questioning, minister to one another, and grow
in unexpected and exciting new directions.
Second, a solid good-bye tells people what they mean to you. You mean
the world (pun intended) to me: no one else could have given me what
you have given, a place to learn and to grow. I will never forget you.
(I've reached the age where I may misplace some names, but I will remember
you!)
Finally, farewell means saying those dreaded words: "good-bye"! Good-bye
to you all. I wish you the best. I will miss you.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Phone-a-Thon
Success = CLF Fiscal Health
by Charles A. Gaines, chair, Fundraising Committee, CLF Board.
For the third year in a row, the CLF will sponsor a phone-a-thon in
order to canvass members for their financial support in the '04 year.
The phone-a-thon approach to fundraising helped the CLF become more
fiscally sound today than it has been in a long while. Projections indicate
we'll have another balanced budget this year. This means we did not
need to withdraw from our endowment (reduced by a declining portfolio)
any more than our annual withdrawal based on a formula that helps preserve
our capital.
Thanks to Eliza Blanchard, CLF's ministerial intern last year, who
has organized a group of Unitarian Universalist students from Harvard
Divinity and Andover Newton Theological Schools, many of our CLF members
will be telephoned in the evenings of the first week or two of October.
With eight telephones in the CLF offices, at ten minutes per call, we
expect to contact some 800 members. Our calling you depends on our having
your telephone number. Last year we had numbers for about 50% of our
members. This year, thanks to the work of our staff, we have many more
telephone numbers. But if your phone number has changed, you think we
might not have it, or would prefer it if we didn't call, please contact
Lorraine Dennis at the CLF by phone (617-948-6166), FAX (617-523-4123),
or e-mail ().
So, in October, you might pick up the phone and hear a friendly voice
calling you, saying "hello" from all of us. With your help we can enter
our new fiscal year, beginning January 1, 2004, with a balanced budget.
Thank you for your generous support.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Our
New Intern
Norma Nakai Burton is our new intern minister this year, from
Santa Fe, New Mexico. We all look forward to hearing about her and from
her as the year progresses.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Pondering
Partnership
By this time next year, CLF could join in partnership with a centuries-old
congregation. Or we might be the "church of choice" for isolated families
throughout Eastern Europe whose Unitarianism has helped them survive
persecution throughout generations. Or we could be a steady source of
inspiration and support for rural congregations without any regular
ministry.
Inspired by CLF Board members, staff, and Rev. Rzepka, some CLFers
have been talking, writing, and thinking out loud about the possibilities
offered by the UU Partner Church program (http://www.uua.org/uupcc/).
In case you aren't familiar with the program, the Partner Church Council
has helped dozens of UU churches partner with indigenous Unitarian congregations,
primarily in Transylvania (ethnically Hungarian Rumania), but also in
the Czech Republic and the Philippines.
The Partner Church program could be perfect for CLF. We know virtual,
long-distance relationships. Possibilities are bound only by commitment
and creativity. If you would like to encourage this potential new relationship,
the Partner Church Team needs to hear from you! Perhaps you want to
be a pen pal (or e-pal), or you could help organize a goulash supper
for CLF at GA, or you just think the Partner Church is a darn good idea.
Whatever the case, make contact through the CLF reply envelope or e-contact
PartnerChurch@clfuu.org.
Partnership holds many unknown blessings already on their way. Join
in!
Quest September 2003 Contents
REsources
For Living
by Dan Harper, interim director of religious education, Church
of the Larger Fellowship
This will be my last column as your interim director of religious education.
I have really enjoyed working at CLF. I am impressed at how CLF families
and individuals create
excellent religious education (RE) programs at home. CLFers are an amazing
group of people!
As interim director of religious education, part of my job was to try
and get a sense of what is working well in CLF's RE programs, and what
is less successful. I have made contact with a variety of CLFers, including
members of the Board, families both in the United States and internationally,
CLF volunteers, and the staff here in Boston.
Here's some of what I've heard from CLFers. Adults want more RE programs
and resources for themselves. Families want RE programs and resources
for teenagers. Because families are busy and don't always have time
to plan ahead, families say they want resources that get sent to them
regularly, like uu&me!
magazine and Quest. When it comes to RE programs, some people
prefer completely scripted lesson plans, but many CLF members appear
to be comfortable planning their own programs and/or lessons.
Based on what I have seen and heard, I have made three suggestions
to the CLF Board and staff members. First, while CLF has begun to develop
some new teen resources (e.g., a teen section for the "Between Sundays"
Web site), more programs and resources are needed for this critical
age group. Second, I have suggested that uu&me! magazine
should be considered carefully in the context of the wider CLF religious
education program and budget. Finally, CLF has to figure out how best
to develop and deliver adult religious education to members. The CLF
Board is working on its own program assessment, and you can follow their
work through the Board meeting reports available on the Web at www.clfuu.org/boardofdirectors/
(or write to the office for a printed copy).
I also have three suggestions for CLF families. First, as a critical
constituency of this church, CLF staff and volunteers need to hear from
you. Do your children use uu&me! magazine? Do you regularly
use this column in Quest? Do you use web-based or other curricula
at home? Your church can serve you better if you let the CLF office
know which RE programs and resources work for you (and which don't).
Second, as I noted earlier, many CLF religious education programs remain
substantially underfunded. Most of CLF's money comes from member contributions.
Therefore, I suggest all CLFers consider making a generous pledge or
use the CLF pledge guidelines (to be published in the October Quest)
as a guide. I, myself, give 2% of my gross income to CLF each year.
One final suggestion for CLF families: Religious education is not just
for children and youth. I suggest that CLF adults devote a minimum of
one hour each week entirely to spiritual work. As an example, during
this hour you might read a sermon or meditation from the most recent
issue of Quest; meditate alone on it and/or discuss it with your
spouse, partner, or housemate; and, finally, write in a journal about
it. Another example might be taking an hour to reflect on and prepare
for a Sunday school lesson that you then present to your children.
I want to end by thanking all of you who are a part of the Church of
the Larger Fellowship. You have inspired me as you keep the flame of
religious liberalism alive, as
individuals and small groups around the world. It has been an honor
to serve you.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Welcome
... to the new acting director of religious education of CLF, the
Rev. Helen Zidowecki. Helen has served as the religious educator
at a number of small congregations in Maine, and most recently as the
religious education program consultant for the Northeast District of
the UUA, covering Maine and the Maritime provinces. We are very excited
to have Helen joining us on the CLF staff team.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Turn
in a Friend
Some years back, an inventive CLF staff conducted a "Turn in a Friend"
campaign to increase awareness of Unitarian Universalism and the Church
of the Larger Fellowship. We like the idea, and we hope you do too.
Just fill out the card below with the name and address of your friend,
relative or person you met in the grocery store who seemed like a UU
at heart, and we'll be happy to share the good news about CLF with them.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Something
Like Grace
Like me,
The vast majority of you have come here from some other tradition—
And often the reason you are here is that you were at one point
dissatisfied with, or even wounded by, a tradition in your past.
And like me,
Many of you have come here because after a while
The thrill of rebellion fades
And it is replaced with the hunger to say to "Yes!" to some things:
Like the need to feel inspired in your life;
Like the importance of living in an intentional,
meaningful way;
Like the longing to be part of something that is
larger than yourself
And takes you out of the tunnel vision of your own
personal concerns.
And like me,
Some of you (though not all) have found in this
congregation the experience
Of profound and unconditional acceptance,
Something like the experience of grace,
Which has extended to you a ray of light and
transformed the person you are
And inspired you to work toward becoming the person you hope to be.
?
by Nathan Detering, minister,
First Parish in Sherborn, Massachusetts
Quest September 2003 Contents
Did
You Know
...that the CLF Board of Directors for 2003-2004 was voted into office
at the CLF Annual Meeting during General Assembly in Boston? Go to http://www.clfuu.org/boardofdirectors/boardlist.html
to learn more about the CLF Board.
Quest September 2003 Contents
Last updated June 12, 2005
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