Weeding, and Haunting, and Goats, Oh My! (CL)

Fall is in the air, and the crisp cool weather makes me want to get organized. There is something about this beautiful weather and the changing colors on the trees that inspire a clean desk, a tidy closet, and a freshly raked yard.

Other folks at UUCA have the same idea, and they want you to come celebrate the fall with a new UUCA tradition… an All Church Work Day. There is so much to do, to get the church ready for the winter. There will be yard cleanup and preparation of the grounds, cleaning the PlayScape area and painting the fence, tidying up the Memorial Garden, and doing some energy-saving measures on the Fahs House in preparation for the winter. Bring gloves, shovels, rakes, paint brushes, and other work supplies!

Don't miss this event…  This Saturday, October 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch. Members of the UUCA Board of Trustees will be available to talk and listen to your concerns and your joys and vision for the future of UUCA. Special guests EcoGoats will be doing some weeding! Yep, you read that right! EcoGoats, a company that provides a small herd of goats to eat away weeds, is an environmentally sustainable method for reducing invasive plants, and they will be here at UUCA! These are not petting-zoo goats, but they'll be a sight to see… So bring your family! Family friendly activities and games for kids will also be available for our younger church friends.

To find out more, contact Sarah Scott.

The following week, in honor of Halloween, we'll be hosting our first-ever Trunk or Treat event at UUCA! Only slightly different from Trick or Treat, Trunk or Treat offers only treats, no tricks, out of the trunks of cars! Many neighborhoods have stopped celebrating Halloween, due to large crowds of over-age candy-seekers, or for safety or religious reasons. This is an excellent outreach opportunity to our community. Kids and families from our church, or from neighborhoods where trick-or-treating is not a safe or fun option, are welcome to join us for the festivities.

We are inviting people to park in the main parking lot, walk up the pathway to the Fahs House (decorated with spooky cobwebs, straw bales, and other fun materials), stroll through a family-friendly Haunted House in the lower level of the Fahs House, and then emerge onto the back parking lot for Trunk or Treating.  We need about 25 cars to pass out treats from decorated open-trunks. There will be games, face painting, and other fun activities. We hope this becomes an annual UUCA tradition of fun for all ages, within our church as well as an outreach opportunity to the larger community.

To find out more, contact Michelle Malta.

Hope to see you there!

-Rev. Christina

Generosity of Spirit (CL)

I have been spending a lot of time, these past couple months, thinking about money. I am planning a wedding, buying a house, and now that my car’s engine has developed some really strange noises, buying a new car, too. All while paying off large student debt.

Money is one of those unpleasant topics which most of us try to avoid thinking about, or talking about, most of the time. Indeed, our society has taught us that discussing money in public is something “polite” people don’t do. But it is that frame of mind that has kept us from honestly discussing the purpose and value of money. We are taught to think of it as an end in itself, rather than a means to a useful end. Some people even consider money "evil." We are woefully uneducated as to the ways our economy and banking systems work. 

What if, instead of fearing money, we were empowered to use it in service to our values?

All of these thoughts about money are swirling in my mind while the church’s administrative team and finance committee work to plan the upcoming budget and stewardship campaign. It’s that time of year again... We will talk about money.

The theme for the month of October is “Vision.” The vision for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis is to create the Beloved Community by empowering and inspiring all souls to live bold and compassionate lives. Creating the Beloved Community… that’s a big (bold) vision!

Throughout October we will have meetings to discuss that vision, and importantly, how the budget is reflected in the vision, and how we hope that the congregation will give so generously that we can expand the vision further. We will be asking you, what’s your vision? What is it that you are looking forward to? This year? Next year? In 20 years?

This year, I am looking forward to...

Exciting music programs planned by Betsy Kraning. 

Committed high school youth making their goals a reality. 

Fighting for Marriage Equality and the DREAM Act with UULM. 

Great new groups and classes, and great ongoing ones, too! 

Growth of our PlayScape, nursery and Spirit Play classes for little ones. 

AWAKE Ministries and the new mid-week worship service.

What are you looking forward to?

The reality of this vision is that each of these things costs money. We are a spiritual community living in the world of reality. We cannot escape utility bills, cost of supplies, or paying our staff a fair salary. Our vision must be reflected in our generosity.

I did the math, and realized that if each adult member of the church gave $1,500/year (that’s $125/month) we would breeze through our budget process and have some to spare for our church’s vision.  I have seen the numbers, and I know that many of you give much more than that. If your life circumstances allow you to give more, please know that we greatly appreciate that generosity… Many people cannot give that much, and we understand and appreciate whatever you can give. But as you make your pledge, please consider that number: $1,500 per adult member. Look honestly at your household finances and also consider how much the church means to you.

I don’t know if you realize this, but your ministers and many of the staff also make a pledge and pay to support the vision of the church.  Fred and Susan are among our top givers! As I planned my budget, including how much I can afford for my house or car payments, I included my pledge to the church in that process. I chose to give $1,500 because I can. I calculated what I can afford for my home and car payments after taking that amount out of my budget.

We know that every circumstance is different. We are not asking you to accumulate debt or be financially irresponsible in order to increase your pledge. But we are asking you to consider your pledge to the church as a forethought, and not an afterthought.

The church is here to help you grow in your life, in your values, and your connections to others. Please know that we are here for you if you have lost a job or are struggling financially. We have knowledgeable people who can help you plan your budget or find resources in the community. I am offering a class in December to help you talk to kids about money, so we can break the cycle of silence on this topic. Money isn’t a topic to avoid or fear. It’s a topic to engage honestly and with love.

What are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to honest conversation about money, about generosity, and about vision. I’m looking forward to a year of bold and compassionate living.

Let’s make it happen, together!

Sabbath Day (FM)

I grew up with “blue laws.”  Maybe you’re not familiar with this idea.  A "blue law" is a type of law, “designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on shopping." In my hometown, if we wanted to buy anything we had to cross the village limits and go into Chicago where ‘blue laws” were not enforced.  Since my hometown was dry, the sale of alcohol was never an issue; but “blue law” enforcement would have taken care of that too.  Eventually, most communities and businesses began repealing these restrictions under the constitutional guarantee of church-state separation.  In addition, few communities wanted to miss out on the tourist and tax revenues that could come from Sunday sales.   I suppose there must have been “blue laws” in Annapolis.

Nowadays, I think “blue laws” are a thing of the past.  There are probably a few municipalities who have chosen to continue this tradition that dates back to colonial times.  Now days it seems that we’ve gone to another extreme.  Sundays are a day when men, women, children and families are on the run all day: to the mall, going to the movies, participating in sports events, traveling, partying, boating.  Observing the Sabbath - taking a day of rest and inactivity - has a whole new meaning that’s radically different from Puritan days, even different from what I remember.

The Abrahamic faiths all claim a Sabbath.  Christopher D. Ringwald has it right in the title of his book: A Day Apart.  For Muslims, the Sabbath is Friday; for Jews, Saturday; for Christians, Sunday.  Ringwald’s subtitle is: How Jews, Christians, and Muslims Find Faith, Freedom, and Joy on the Sabbath.

As Unitarian Universalists, we share in the Abrahamic traditions, yet we almost never refer to our Sunday as a Sabbath; maybe we should if only to remind ourselves of the need to rest, to take a break, to step away from the daily routine and show gratitude for what we have and share.  Ringwald writes: “The calm confidence, joy, and dignity of observant Jews, Christians, and Muslims on the holy day are striking.  The mystery remains as to why only a minority accepts this gift.  The Sabbath remains the dessert most people leave on the table.”

This month’s theme at UUCA is “Sabbath.”  I’m not suggesting that we go back to a bygone observance; I know that striking a Sabbath posture not part of our way of faith wouldn’t work; most of us would meet quite a bit of resistance from family, friends and in our work places if we pronounced a Sabbath moratorium on all activity.

There is another way to be mindful.  You probably won’t be surprised to hear from me that I think your Sabbath should start with coming to UUCA!  Actually, there are many who arrive at church by nine and leave at eleven or noon; who spend most of that time in an engaged, disciplined, restful mode of easing into the day - mindful and grateful for their life, relationships and faith.

What does Sabbath mean to you?  Do you have a day of rest?  See you Sunday?

Take care and see you soon,

Fred

Connecting as True Religion (CL)

Why do you come to church?

People have a variety of reasons:   Singing in a group, living their values in the community, hearing thought-provoking sermons, providing a safe environment for their children to grow, enjoying coffee and conversation…

All of these reasons have one thing in common: CONNECTIONS.

Connecting is why we come to church. Whether we are connecting to others in community, connecting to our larger world, or connecting to our deeper selves, the whole point is to connect. Hopefully, after we connect, we transform… We grow, we learn, we improve ourselves, or improve the world. But first, we have to connect.

The etymology of the word "religion" is "to connect."  (Re-ligare, like the word "ligament.")

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: We need to reclaim this vision of religion.

Do your beliefs and practices connect you, or separate you? If they connect you, to your own values, to others, and to the world… then that's a real religion! If they separate you, through fear, guilt, shame, or hate… then that's a false religion. I'm not afraid to call a spade a spade. I believe, as Unitarian Universalists, we need to celebrate real religion--those beliefs and practices that connect, support, and encourage people. And we need to denounce false religion-- those beliefs and practices that demean, belittle, or frighten.  We are NOT a religion that says "We can believe whatever we want." Connection is what we believe in. 

Our Seven Principles are accompanied by Six Sources of Inspiration.

These 6 Sources include:

- Direct personal experiences of wonder and transcendence.

- Words and deeds of prophetic, challenging men and women throughout history.
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspire our ethical life.

- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

- Humanist traditions which encourage us to heed the guidance of reason.

- Earth-centered traditions which honor the cycles of the seasons and of life.

All of these sources are available to us as Unitarian Universalists. We are not limited by one source of scripture, or one particular prophet. We are open to a variety of ways of being inspired…  Of course, any of these sources could be abusive or hateful, if taken to an extreme or used in particular ways. But by remembering the root of real religion, we remember how to use these sources in a way that supports our lives and our community.

If you are looking for ways to connect at UUCA, you can visit our CONNECTIONS table starting on September 30. Our catalog will detail the classes you can take, the groups you can join, and the other opportunities for connection in our Unitarian Universalist community. In the meantime, you can contact me, Rev. Christina, at 410-266-8044 or FaithDev@uuca-md.org to discuss where you can get connected. 

If you need one-on-one support or pastoral care, remember, ALL of the ministers are available to talk or to listen. Just contact us directly and we'll find a time to meet.

In the spirit of love and connection…    - Rev. Christina Leone

From iChurch to Beloved Community: Ecclesiology and Justice

This year was a special year for the ministers of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis.  At the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Phoenix, not only did our Rev. John Crestwell lead the Sunday worship service, but our senior minister, Rev. Fred Muir, was selected to give the Berry Street Lecture.  This is the oldest continuous lecture series in North America. Several times a week, people ask me, "How can I get access to the Berry Street?"  Well, here you are folks... Rev.  Fred lecture, and the responses from UUA President Peter Morales and the talented Rev. Kimberly Tomaszewski (former intern minister at UUCA).  Enjoy!!!

Rev. Fred's Berry Street Lecture
Responses by Morales and Tomaszewski

- Anastassia Zinke