Mar 7, 2021 | Featured
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, churches and faith communities have had to move many of their ministries online, including worship and faith formation. As we look forward with hope as vaccinations are distributed and something resembling normal appears on the horizon, how can congregations carry what they have learned from this time, from new technologies to new skills, and ways of connecting with local and distributed communities the future? How do we stay connected to those with whom we have forged relationships online when our ministries begin to return to in-person gatherings? What have we learned, what will we carry forward, and what can we leave behind? Join us for this webinar as we discuss these questions, and more, with two thought leaders who have been working on extending community and welcome to people near and far well before the pandemic began.
This event is brought to you by the department of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary. It will be using a Christian perspective but addressing issues that affect all religious communities.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Rev. Jim Keat is the Digital Minister at The Riverside Church in New York City and the Director of Online Innovation at the Convergence Network. He is also a Digital Consultant to various progressive faith agencies and organizations. He is the producer of original media projects from The Riverside Church like Be Still and Go and Church Talk as well as the creator of the Thirty Second Bible project and Thirty Seconds or Less.
The Rev. Zack Nyein is Associate Rector for Community Engagement and Children and Youth Formation at All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Zack is enthusiastic about developing creative ways of connecting and communicating the Good News of God in Christ across generations and difference as the church lives into its new and ancient calling as a community of reconciliation and renewal. Active in the wider Episcopal Church, Zack currently serves on the Task Force for Prayer Book and Liturgical Revision, the Board of the Episcopal Evangelism Society, and as Director of Worship for Imagine Church, an innovative online worship experience sponsored by the Diocese of Atlanta.
For this event, Lifelong Learning offers a voluntary three-tier fee program. You choose the rate that best suits your needs. No matter your choice, you will receive the same experience. Those who pay more will help support the content and costs of Lifelong Learning events. Thank you.
Friend – $0
Supporter – $10
Champion – $20
Mar 7, 2021 | Sermons
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Rev. Mark Ward, Lead Minister
In the second step of our building this theological House for Hope we move from the site, the ground that we have chosen to build on, to erect walls that define our community. This is the work of Ecclesiology, where we declare the nature of the community we’re building: What holds us together and defines who we are?
Mar 4, 2021 | Green Tips
To find energy-efficient products that are certified by EPA’s Energy Star program go to www.energystar.gov. The site is a good resource for efficient products, information on rebates, and tips on other ways to save energy.
Mar 4, 2021 | Weekly Message
You’ve probably heard it said – maybe said it yourself – when some spell of anger comes across you or someone you love: “Oh, it’s just the lizard part of my (or her) brain acting up.” Most of us have been taught at one time or another that our brain is comprised of different parts reflecting different stages of how humans evolved over millennia.
The oldest, we are told, is something we inherited from our reptile ancestors driving all kinds of instinctive behavior. The middle, or limbic system holds all the shades of emotions we inherited from our mammal ancestors. And there on top, ta-da! Our crowning glory, the neocortex, seat of human intelligence.
Turns out, though, that that picture is a myth. Neurologists now tell us that our brains didn’t evolve and don’t operate in layers. Early brain scans seemed to suggest that certain activities are restricted to certain parts of the brain since those were the ones that lit up on scanners. It seems, though, that these low-power scans failed to pick up activity in much of the rest of the brain. More sophisticated scanners now show that most of what your brain does, from registering sensations like sight and sound to complex thought and emotion, involve your whole brain.
OK, so why should we care? Well, when we feel comfortable blaming our inner lizard for our behavior, it becomes a way of absolving ourselves of deeds that we’re not especially proud of, a variation on “the devil made me do it.” If we accept that every part of our brain is at play in all we do, even that bright and shiny neocortex, it might just prompt a little more humility and remorse for our behavior, truly a more highly evolved response that holds hope for our endurance as a people, as a species.
Rev. Mark Ward, Lead Minister
Mar 2, 2021 | Family Ministry
What are your commitments? Last month, we explored Beloved Community together. Beloved Community and commitment are intertwined in many ways. This month, we’ll explore how we use commitments to ourselves, our values, and others to uphold the Beloved Community. Check out the activities below for inspiration for yourself and your family.
Treasure Hunt for Commitment
The UUA joins other groups in observing Climate Justice Month, March 22 (World Water Day) to April 22 (Earth Day), a commitment to approaching climate justice as a matter of faith. UUs acknowledge that the issue of climate justice is best addressed when it acknowledges North America’s legacy of colonization, and looks to the leadership of indigenous peoples who have been protecting the earth and its waters for many, many generations.
This month’s treasure hunt can be done in a combination of spaces–online, and in-person outside.
See if you can find or find out:
- The names of the native peoples of the land you live on. Do you know anything about those peoples, historically and currently?
- A historical marker or heritage site in your area that acknowledges the land’s indigenous population. (The Historical Marker Database might be a place to start, or you could contact your local historical society for pointers.)
- Five native plants
- Five introduced plants
- Your watershed; have you been to the body of water that your land’s runoff drains into?
- The landfill closest to you (Not the most exciting field trip, we know, but an important visual to have in mind when we throw things “away.”)
- Who is leading environmental protection efforts in your area? Which one seems like the best fit for your family to be involved with?
Commit to the Uncomfortable Conversations Around Race
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has an excellent resource page on the work of talking about race, for both white folx and people of color. Unitarian Universalism calls us to commit to dismantling white supremacy culture, and honoring this commitment takes sustained effort over time.
Invitation: Even if you think you’ve done the deep work and internalized the needed paradigm shifts, check out this website as a family. There is one section in particular, “A Questioning Frame of Mind,” that offers sample scripts for how to interrupt racism in interpersonal conversations, using curiosity and connection. Practice these conversations within the family, and talk about why experiencing the discomfort of confronting racism is worth it.
Committing to Consistency: Lynn Ungar’s “Sustaining the Tree of Life”
In the story, a village is blessed to live around a big, ancient, generous, and mysterious tree. But rather than simply take what the tree offers, the villagers make a commitment to it, and to each other. Every day, one of the villagers takes the role of keeper of the tree. And that’s how the real magic happens:
https://www.uua.org/worship/words/story/sustaining-tree-life
For Discussion:
- What do you think it would be like to take your turn as keeper of the tree? What have you “kept” and protected this way in your own life?
- How do you think the merchant’s mind changed after talking with the keeper of the tree? Tell about a time someone else helped you to consider how your words or actions were impacting others.
Bonus: Watch this newer, acoustic version, video that Peter Mayer recorded of his beloved song “Blue Boat Home” as a reminder that one of our fundamental commitments, as Unitarian Universalists, is to the earth we share.
