We Are Going!
Faith Development Newsletter
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We do not experience a world and afterward make up stories to understand it. Stories teach us what is real, what is true, and what is possible. They are not abstractions from life (though they can be that); they are necessary for our engagement with life. As the Scottish philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre puts it, ‘I can only answer the question “What am I to do?” if I can answer the question “Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?”'
- David Loy
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Dear Families,
Our theme for the month is Story, and we are living through a moment when all of our stories have been broken. Of course the author in each of our heads has been frantically rewriting since the narrative we had been following fell off a cliff last March, but there is no doubt that the trajectory of each of our personal stories has changed. That makes it a particularly interesting time to examine the role of story in our lives, a period of unexpected revision. Is this rewriting the cause of much of our pandemic exhaustion?
From the Children's Diversity and Justice Library:
"Stories are powerful. Stories help us to know who we are and who we can be and they tell us what to believe.
More importantly, the stories we tell about, and to, ourselves, reveal what we believe about ourselves, and demonstrate what it is that we want known.
As much as we shape them, our stories also shape us. What we tell ourselves about who we are becomes what we learn and teach about who we are. Becomes what we believe about who we are. Becomes what we know about who we are.
As always, we remind ourselves, and you, to pay keen attention to who is telling the story, who benefits from the story, and whose story is missing."
The story of who we are as a congregation has been changed forever by the pandemic. Did you know we have new members who live in Colorado? Other new families have connected with us through online services and events, long before they set foot on the grounds. This month's "Beyond These Walls" fundraiser (see below) seeks to help fund the equipment necessary for the next chapter in our shared FUUSB story.
From Soul matters:
Our faith teaches us that stories and storytelling is a very important part of fighting racism. For instance, racial justice leaders remind us that the work - and story - of anti-racism is never over; we are always in the middle of the story. Racial justice leaders also remind us that we need to reclaim and re-tell ALL the stories of our history so everyone’s experience is honored and so our country lives in a true story (even if it is a painful one to accept). And we are also reminded that there are things we can do to alter and interrupt hurtful stories by changing people’s minds, perspectives and ways of treating each other."
You can hear more of the stories that make up our local history with a walking tour of the Old North End sponsored by the Racial Justice Taskforce (see below).
Many blessings,
Erika
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"Beyond These Walls" MUUsical RevUUe |
Sunday, May 16 at 5 p.m. – All are welcome!
Raising funds to help First UU Society of Burlington connect with people everywhere!
This promises to be a a lot of fun and all content will be appropriate for children. Keep an eye out for youth performers, Kira and Amelia!
Join us as we gather on Zoom for this special musical event featuring performances by FUUSB members and friends (many recorded in the Sanctuary)! Our goal is to raise $35,000, to cover all costs of upgraded systems in the Sanctuary so that we can livestream services and events from the Meeting House. You will be able to contribute by texting, via your Realm account, or by calling in during the event. "Telethon style" we’ll keep everyone informed as contributions and commitments come in! No tickets needed.
For audio only, call 929-205-6099 (meeting ID: 961 4972 0479)
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Walking Tour:
The Black Heritage of Burlington
Saturday, May 22, 10:30 a.m.-12
For older youth and adults:
Take a walk along Archibald and Elmwood Streets with historian Elise Guyette to discover some of the African American history of the Old North End. As we walk and talk, we will encounter a former black church, a black-owned grocery store, the former home of black barbers who worked on Church St., a hotel that was once in the “Green Book” and more.
Meet at 78 Elmwood, at the South end of Elmwood Cemetery at 10:30 a.m. We will end our walk at George and Elaine Little Park on the corner of North Winooski and Archibald.
Sign up with Linda Cooper, flatlanderalso@gmail.com or 922-7554. Maximum of 20 people on the tour with a minimum age of 12. Plan to wear a facial mask and be ready to keep a 6 ft. distance from others. There is no fee though you are welcome to contribute to help cover the cost. We know you will learn and enjoy this walk!
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Youth Led Service and Bridging Ceremony
Sunday May 23, 10:00
The FUUSB Yuuth group will lead us in this special recorded worship service. As well as hearing the reflections of our current youth group members and their musical contributions, we will have the opportunity to witness the "Bridging" of our graduating seniors, the symbolic crossing from childhood into adulthood. Let's send them onward with all of our blessings!
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Outdoor Event: Details to come
In these crazy times, it is even harder than usual to plan in advance. The rock painting event on June 6th, may be moved and combined with another event on the 13th; it's still in the works, but we can say that on one of the first two Sundays in June we will have a chance for outdoor gathering for children, perhaps combined with an all-congregation event. Expect details soon.
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Recent Reflections For All Ages
Earth Stories
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Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message
by Chief Jake Swamp and Erwin Printup Jr, of the Mohawk and Cayuga peoples. Erika introduces this children's version of the traditional Haudenosaunee thanksgiving address for the Earth and its inhabitants.
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Greta and the Giants: inspired by Greta Thunberg's stand to save the world.
Margo shares this inspiring picture book which retells the story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg—the Swedish teenager who has led a global movement to raise awareness about the world’s climate crisis—using allegory to make this important topic accessible to young children.
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Children's Diversity and Justice Library
Another amazing list from the CDJL, hosted by the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) in Knoxville, Tennessee. Click the link below for titles ranging from Board Book to Adult.
"As we highlight the power of story, storytelling, and how stories shape us, we also focus on what stories remind us about:
- who we are
- who we are as family
- who we are as anti-racists
- who we are as living and interconnected beings
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and who we are as people of courage"
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The Danger of the Single Story |
"Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding."
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Watch this TED talk with older children and youth and discuss how the trap of "the single story" has limited each of our understandings of the world we live in.
Even better, watch it before taking the Black heritage tour of the Old North End (see above.) Why is it important for us to know about local black history? What "single story" about Burlington is called into question by what we learn on the tour?
Click here or on the image for the Ted video.
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"Being a mother is to be the center of a universe. In some ways, that’s beautiful. Sacred even. It deserves recognition and awe. But the truth is, I mean the scientific truth is: the universe, in fact, has no center. Turns out: 'Ever since the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, the universe has been expanding. But despite its name, the Big Bang wasn’t an explosion that burst outward from a central point of detonation.'
Mothers are not central points of detonation. We are stars, too. Big, bright stars that shed a lot of light on the little planets around us. Sometimes our true light isn’t understood or appreciated for years. Sometimes we barely honor its strangeness ourselves."
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The storyteller is the truth-teller… We will not know our own injustice if we cannot imagine justice. We will not be free if we do not imagine freedom. We cannot demand that anyone try to attain justice and freedom who has not had a chance to imagine them as attainable.
- Ursula K. Le Guin
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