May 6, 2021 | Weekly Message
These days I feel like one of those sidewalk prophets carrying the sign,
“The End is Near.” Ain’t it the truth! In a little more than a month, my 17-year ministry with this congregation will be over.
It feels a little unreal to imagine not being a part of this community. Debbie and I will still be living in Asheville, but after June you won’t see me here anymore. I’ll step aside to make room for an interim minister who will guide you through the next two years while you prepare for your next settled minister. Yes, we’ll bump into each other in the supermarket or elsewhere in town, and I will always be happy to greet you. But we won’t talk about what’s happening at this place.
People have told me that this practice seems strange – shutting myself off from people and an institution I have come to love. And, in a sense, it is. But I freely agree to it because I want to do my best to assure a smooth transition to my successor. And my presence would only disrupt that.
Many of you have asked about my plans, and my short answer is that at least for a little while I plan to press the pause button in my life. I’ll find things to do, but I plan to keep my commitments to a minimum. Ministry is an all-consuming calling and, like you, I need to give myself some space before I jump into the next thing.
There’s something serendipitous about you entering search at a time when there is so much change in the world. With so much in play, it gives you time and space to reflect deeply on the gift this congregation has to give to the world, what kind of leadership you need to bring it about, and what parts you are willing to play to make it happen.
As I make my way out the door, I want you to know that you have a good foundation to build on: a proud and momentous history, strong lay leadership, and many creative and engaged people involved in making ministry happen here, supported by an accomplished, devoted and compassionate staff.
Whatever sadness I feel leaving my work here, it is exceeded by a deep sense of gratitude. Ministry is life-changing work, and you have changed me in all the best ways. It has been my great joy to serve you. Know that you have my blessing to realize the best that you are, to serve each other well, and let the light of the beloved community, the beacon that guides our faith, shine within, among and beyond you, making love, peace and justice your work in the world.
Rev. Mark Ward, Lead Minister
May 5, 2021 | Featured
UUCA’s Racial Justice Advisory Council, working with the Board of Trustees, is asking for your participation in helping us work toward becoming a transformative, liberating congregation for all. The Council has a two-step process for us. Step One is to read this Glossary so that everyone at UUCA is working with the same definitions of words and acronyms. The Council is encouraging all committees and groups (social and spiritual deepening groups) to examine the glossary together. You may invite a member of the Racial Justice Advisory Council to attend if you’d like their support. (Contact Rev. Claudia to book someone.) Glossary conversations open to all will occur as the Wednesday Thing programs on the second Wednesdays of May and June (May 12 and June 9) at 7pm.
Step Two is coming soon…. (don’t you love suspense?)
May 5, 2021 | Featured
FAR EAST DEEP SOUTH follows Charles Chiu and his family as they travel from California to Mississippi to find the grave of Charles’ father, K.C. Lou. Their search leads to stunning revelations about their family and they get a crash course on the history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. Through encounters with local residents and historians, this Chinese-American family not only discovers their family’s important role in the Mississippi Delta but they also learn about the symbiotic relationship between the Black and Chinese communities during the Jim Crow era.
The film provides a window into the struggles of Chinese immigrants in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s and the discrimination they faced. The Chiu family’s history demonstrates how exclusionary immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 separated their family for generations. This deeply moving and unforgettable story offers a poignant and important perspective on race relations, immigration and American identity. (Runtime is 76 minutes.)
“Its intimate, as-it-happened cinéma-vérité style draws you in, and soon this family trip takes the twists and
turns of a compelling detective story. A surprising, sobering history lesson, it is painfully relevant at a time
when anti-Asian hate is on the rise.” ~The Boston Globe
This film will viewed on Zoom. Get the link by contacting Charlie at mnpopi@icloud.com. There will be a discussion after the screening of the film.
The event is free. Donations welcome by clicking Donate on the main menu or texting UUAVL to 73256.
May 4, 2021 | Family Ministry
I was having a bit of a hard time mustering up the enthusiasm to write this blog this month. For many of us, it’s almost “the end of the year” and frankly we’re exhausted. To say this year has been challenging for most of us would be something of an understatement. But then I started reading about the monthly theme, looking for some inspiration from the Soulful Home packet. Story. What is a worship service if not a collaborative story? The ministers, religious educators, worship associates, music director, musicians, and other worship participants all work together to tell a story every week. Not to mention our fabulous tech people who actually stitch the story together for our recorded services. We tell stories in religious education all the time. You can find the story of what’s happening at UUCA in the eNews every week. Currently, staff and other church leaders are embarking on writing our annual report, which is our story of this year at UUCA. It turns out that almost everything we do here at UUCA is related to stories and telling them.
Spend some time with your family this month exploring our theme of Story using some of the suggestions below. I know that you’re worn out and it might seem like a difficult task right now, but consider just spending 10 minutes with some of the discussion questions over dinner one night, or listen to The Moth in the car together on the way to or from school. What is your family’s story?
Kim Collins, LREC
Family Dinner Discussion Questions
- What’s the first story you remember hearing (could be a family story, a folk tale, a ballad, etc.)?
- What happens in your mind when you hear a story? (Examples might be picturing the characters, imagining yourself sitting in the setting and watching what happens, smelling smells and hearing sounds, trying to figure out how the story will end, imagining yourself as one of the characters, etc.)
- If your experiences last month had a title, what would that title be?
- How would you describe the story of Unitarian Universalism? A hero story? Detective story? Love story?
- Where do you think stories came from?
- Who’s usually the storyteller in your family? Who’s most likely to add embellishments and exaggerations to make the story really memorable?
- What makes a really good story?
- Whose story are you curious to know?
- If you could go back in time and ask a historical figure to tell you stories about their lives, who would you pick?
- What are the ways we tell stories without words?
- Have you ever been healed by a story?
At the Bedside: The Storytelling Stone, by Joseph Bruchac
The night you decide to tell this story, bring a couple of smooth stones with you to your child’s room. Begin by handing a stone to your child, and asking them about it. What does it feel like? How old do you suppose it is? If a stone had a spirit, what might that spirit have to say? Then, you are ready to begin.
Joseph Bruchac is a storyteller, author, and poet, and a Nulhegan Abenaki citizen. “The Storytelling Stone” is well loved among his many stories and writings, and tells about Grandfather Stone and the formation of the first storyteller, young Crow.
You can find the full text of the story here, excerpted from Bruchac’s book, Return of the Sun: Native American Tales from the Northeast Woodlands, Crossing Press, 1989.
For Discussion:
- Why do you think the people liked the stories so much? What do you like about stories?
- How did stories change Gah-ka’s life? How did Gah-ka change the stories?
- What kinds of stories are your favorite to tell? Which are your favorite to hear?
The Moth
The Moth is a public radio program featuring truly wonderful storytelling, mostly from non-professional storytellers. As a family, you might particularly enjoy “All at Sea” by Tim FitzHigham, or “Great Balls of Sugar” by Lizzie Peabody.
Activities are curated from Soulful Home packets which are prepared by
Teresa Honey Youngblood
May 3, 2021 | Scoop
We had a great time at our May Day celebration on an absolutely beautiful day. The Beltane ritual featured the arrival of the May Goddess and the Green Man with much “dancing” (seriously no skill required) and waving of scarves. It was a happy multigenerational event with food, music, fun and great weather. A puzzle swap also seemed to generate a lot of interest. Here’s a photo of our Beltane guests.
