I am excited by the way that 2023 is starting off!
First, one of the biggest and most interesting events in our year-long exploration of Curiosity is happening on Sunday, January 29: a Fireside Chat with Mónica Guzmán, the author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. Mónica will join me in the afternoon for a public conversation about her book: what inspired it, what she learned through the writing process, and how people are responding since it was released early last year. Most importantly, we will talk about why and how we should cultivate curiosity in ourselves. There will be time for Q & A after the conversation, so bring your questions, your curiosity, and a friend with you to this awesome event with a truly inspiring person.
Then in February, the Curiosity express goes full steam ahead as we form Curiosity Clusters! What are Curiosity Clusters, you ask? These are book study groups of 8-10 curious people who want to take a deeper dive into Mónica’s book. They will begin in late February and run for seven sessions. I’ll be sharing more information, including how to sign up, soon.
I really hope curiosity catches on here in our community. It is not just a way to find things more interesting. I see it as a way to address one of the deepest problems our society is facing today: ideological division, which leads to dehumanizing, hate, and, in the most extreme cases, violence. This is a justice issue. Depolarizing the extreme ideological divides, connecting across differences, and seeing the humanity in people who think and act differently: these are ways to create a fairer and more just world. A safer and more peaceful world. A world with more respect, compassion, and love. Curiosity is not just a way to find things more interesting; it is a powerful tool in building a better world. I hope you will join me in cultivating curiosity in ourselves and others. After all, I believe curiosity is contagious!
I wonder what awaits us in the rest of 2023? And I wonder, too, what will choose to make of it? I’m looking forward to a curious start to the new year.
The pandemic has been hard on all of us. Engaging with our shared community is more important than ever. To that end, we encourage all folks who plan, develop, or coordinate WUUC events to carefully consider including people who may not be able to participate in person by offering hybrid or online options whenever possible. Training and/or help with setting up virtual/hybrid events is available. Please contact May Killorin, Office Manager, for assistance.
This time of year always seems to sneak up on me. Every fall I know it’s coming, but October and then November seem to come and go in the blink of an eye. And suddenly it’s December.
As the days get shorter and shorter and the nights get longer and longer, we enter a season of many holidays and holy days. This year, the Christian holiday of Advent began on November 27, and goes until Christmas Eve on December 24, followed by Christmas Day on December 25. Hannukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, starts at sundown on December 18 and goes until December 26. Pagans observe the Winter Solstice on December 21, and Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration from December 26 to January 1 that lifts up African customs and culture. We Unitarian Universalists even have our very own holiday in this season: Chalica, a weeklong observance and exploration of our seven principles, starts on December 5 and goes through December 11.
Whatever holidays you celebrate, or holy days you observe, I hope that this season brings you hope, peace, joy, and love. May you and your loved ones be blessed, and may your presence be a blessing to all you meet.
The Advocates for Social Justice invites you to participate in the 2022 Giving Tree. This holiday fundraiser supports 11 families with 19 children living in the Greenleaf Apartments, a subsidized housing community in Kenmore. Donations will help purchase gift cards the families can use toward presents for their children and groceries for special meals. Donations of any amount will be appreciated!
For example:
$10 helps a family buy new socks or cleaning supplies
$25 covers a Lego set or new shirt
$50 purchases a warm sweatshirt for a teen
$100 helps a family purchase groceries for their holiday meal
Choose from three ways to contribute by Dec. 18
Use this link and donate through Realm: https://onrealm.org/wuuc/-/form/give/givingtree Be sure it says “Giving Tree 2022” in the “Fund” category. This option allows you to use a credit card.
Choose one or more cards worth $10, $25 or $50 from the Giving Tree at church that will be set up during the Thanksgiving Potluck after church this Sunday, Nov. 27. The cards will have a QR code on them that takes you to the Realm form described above.
Drop off cash or check at the church for our Office Manager to deposit.
The UUA Article II Study Commission has proposed extensive changes to the UUA Bylaws, Article II – Principles and Purposes. Article II lists our seven principles, six sources, the stated purpose of the UUA, and includes statements about inclusion and freedom of belief. The Article II Study Commission (AIISC) was created by the UUA Board of Trustees after the General Assembly of 2020 and charged with reviewing all sections of Article II, as stated below.
“The Commission is charged with reviewing all sections of Article II, and is free to revise, replace, or restructure them as needed to meet the objectives stated above. There is nothing sacred about the number of principles or sources, nor their specific wordings, nor in the way that Article II is laid out. We encourage creativity.”
The document below compares the current “Article II Principles and Purposes” and the new draft “Article II Purposes and Covenant” as of 11/7/22. To be accepted by our denomination, the proposed revision of the Article II Principles and Purposes must pass a majority vote of the delegates at General Assembly 2023 and then pass a stricter 2/3 majority vote of the delegates at General Assembly 2024. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with these proposed revisions.
The Commission hosted several feedback sessions in November for UUs across the country to share reactions and input to the proposed changes. Further feedback sessions are expected to be scheduled by the Commission in December. Within our WUUC congregation, there are strong feelings both in support of and in opposition to the new Article II draft. A board task force is working on a process for the congregation to discuss the Article II proposal.
In Community, WUUC Board of Trustees Leslie Morton, President Jan Radoslovich, Vice-President Terry Santmann, Secretary Kermit Sprang, Treasurer Linda Sherry, Member-at-Large Jeff Lu, Member-at-Large
Proposed changes to UUA Bylaws Article II Principles and Purposes
compiled 11/7/2022
Section C-2.2 2.1 Purposes.The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate organizational powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose purposes of the Association is are to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles equip congregations for vital ministry, to support and train leaders both lay and professional, to heal historic inequities, and to advance our Unitarian Universalist values in the world. We will transform the world by our liberating love.
Delete the following:
Section C-2.1. Principles.We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote
The inherent worth and dignity of every person;Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Add the following: Section C-2.2. Values and Covenant.
Love is the enduring force that holds us together.As Unitarian Universalists in religious community, we covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our association, to support and assist each other in engaging our ministries. We draw from our heritages of freedom and reason, hope and courage, building on the foundation of love.Love inspires and powers the passion with which we embody our values. Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:
Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all people thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of oppression within individuals and our institutions. We are accountable to each other for this work.
Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
We covenant to freely share our faith, presence, and resources. Compassionate generosity connects us one to another in relationships of mutuality.
Evolution. We adapt to the changing world.
The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.
We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Evolution is fundamental to life and to our Unitarian Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, theology, and experience. We covenant to learn from one another and openly explore the depth and breadth of our many wisdoms. We embrace our differences and commonalities with love, curiosity, and respect.
Equity. We declare that every person has the right to flourish with dignity and worthiness.We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain a fully inclusive and accessible community of communities.
Interdependence. We honor the sacred interdependent web of all existence. With humility we understand our place in the web. We covenant to care for and respect the earth and all beings by fostering relationships of mutuality. We work to repair the bonds we have broken.
Section 2.3 Inspirations. As Unitarian Universalists, we draw upon, and are inspired by, the full depth and breadth of sacred understandings, as experienced by humanity. Grateful for the religious lineages we inherit and the pluralism which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.
Section C 2.32.4 Inclusion.Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons who share our values. and We commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone’s participation.
Section C 2.42.5 Freedom of Beliefbelief. Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian Unitarian Universalist heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any congregation unless such is used as a creedal test. In expressing our beliefs, we do so in the spirit of love, in ways that further Beloved Community.
