The Challenge of Transformation                                                      

These days it feels like so many of our "norms" are being upended - for better or for worse.  Our own Unitarian Universalist Association is not immune.  Last month the UUA was challenged to reconsider their hiring practices when a woman of color was rejected for a position for which she was qualified because she was not considered as good a "fit" as a white male candidate.  In his attempts to mitigate concerns of UUA staff, our president Peter Morales made some comments in a letter that were deemed inappropriate.  He subsequently resigned.  Soon after, the two most senior staff in the Association -- one of whom led the challenged recruitment -- also resigned.  To fill these gaps in leadership, the UUA Board of Trustees appointed three individuals to interim presidential leadership roles - three African-American UUs, including former president Bill Sinkford.  These three will serve until the new president is elected at our general assembly next month. I encourage you to read the coverage in our UU magazine UUWorld to learn more.  It's all right there on the front page .

That's a lot of drama in our UU world!  Often at times of challenge, people try to ascertain who is at fault, or ask if the people challenging the system are outside the bounds of appropriate behavior.  The basic issue that is now at play is how our association has supported a system that marginalizes people of color and how we can change our practices to be more inclusive.  That is not just the challenge for our association, but for our congregations as well.  At UUSS we started our Beloved Conversations program last year to begin the conversation about white privilege and institutionalized racism. We debated and then supported hanging a "Black Lives Matter Here" banner.  These are important and necessary first steps, and the beginnings of what I hope to be a robust conversation in the coming year.   

I encourage you to consider this crisis in our Association as an opportunity to address much needed systemic change.  We have long said that we would like to be a more diverse and inclusive religious community but words alone won't make it so.  It's time to take a serious look at our attitudes and systems and begin to open our hearts to how we are each contributing to injustice.  To get us started, I recommend that you read a thoughtful article by Bill Sinkford from the Winter 2016 UU World: the Dream of White Innocence.

Yours in Faith,

Rev Lucy 

UUSS RE

 

One wonderful thing about RE is our fabulous rotating pool of volunteers. Each year, we welcome new teams of adults who dedicate their time and talents to provide rich Religious Education experiences. The program we create makes such an impact on our children and youth. Thank you for your continued support and interest in the little UU's that bless us with their presence each Sunday morning.

 

A second wonderful component of RE is most certainly the families that participate. Your interest, presence, and care of the Religious Education program at UUSS does not go unnoticed. We enjoy seeing you, learning from your children, and spending time with them. Paired with our dedicated volunteers, the spiritual growth we accomplish is awesome.

 

RE Summer ArtWorks is around the corner! Write me an email if you would like to lead an art project in June, July, August. I would love to have you!

"We are not human because we think. We are human because we care. All true meaning is shared meaning."

Forrest Church, UU clergy/author 

In thanks,

Miranda 

UUSS RE Coordinator