Article II Resources, UU the Vote Launch, GA Ware Lecturer, and more
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Dear Friend,
In March of 2019 at Arlington Street Church (ASC), the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus performed a rendition of “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” by Joel Thompson. The song sets the last words of unarmed Black men to music, a classical choral piece in seven movements.
What are you following me for? –Trayvon Martin, 16
Mom, I’m going to college. –Amadou Diallo, 23
…and so on, quoting Kenneth Chamberlain, Michael Brown, 18; Oscar Grant, 22; John Crawford, 22; and Eric Garner, 43.
Marc Levy / AP Photo: Students from Philadelphia hold photos of gun violence victims during a March 2023 rally.
The effect was breathtaking. It touched the deepest places of despair in me in a way that words alone could not. The music bore witness to incalculable suffering. That witness was a devastation and a balm.
Just a year earlier, I had participated in a “Seven Last Words” service at New Hope Baptist Church in Portsmouth, NH, along with six other preachers of different faiths. These services are a traditional Good Friday observance in some Christian churches, a reflection on the last words of Jesus before his death. I was assigned the third word, from John: “Woman, here is your son” and “Behold your mother.”
I shared a message touching on the subject of faithful relationship, rooted in my Unitarian Universalist theology. I was moved to tears by many aspects of the service. It is rare to participate in worship that centers and wrestles with profound suffering.
Those experiences have been with me as I contemplate atrocities unfolding abroad and at home. I have needed to access those aspects of religious life that minister to deep pain.
The piece after “Seven Last Words” in the ASC concert was “Glory” from the movie “Selma” by John Stevens and Lonnie Lynn. After touching down into despair, “Glory” was a revelation. It soared, an expansive celebration of liberation. And, of course, after the “Seven Last Words” service in Portsmouth came Easter, a celebration of redemption and new life.
Spring is a season of high holy days in Islam, Judaism and Christianity. It is a season of communal practice and reflection that touches the outer reaches of human experience. We need it all this year—unflinching witness to suffering, joyful celebration of the possible, embodied practices of attention and communal care.
Whatever practices and teachings sustain you in this season, thank you for your courage, your faith and the generosity of spirit that inspires your support of the UUA and Unitarian Universalism.
Joy comes in the morning.
Photo of Rev. Lauren Smith with a green stole around her neck.
In faith,
Rev. Lauren Smith
Director of Stewardship and Development
P.S. UU the Vote launches on March 14. Come experience electoral engagement pointed in the direction of justice and joy, rooted in the enduring values of our faith. You’ll be so glad you showed up—and so will we!
UUA Offers Space in Headquarters Building for Temporary Emergency Housing (Press Release, March 4)
UUA Condemns Violence Against Gaza, Urges Immediate and Total Ceasefire (Press Release, February 14)
North Carolina UUs Celebrate Successful Push for Life-Saving Medicaid Expansion (UU World, February 14)
Matching Gift Challenge Announced
The annual Matching Gift Challenge launched on March 1 and runs through May 31, 2024.
Thanks to the generosity of two UU families, every unrestricted gift made to Friends of the UUA during the match period will be doubled, up to a total of $100,000.
Every gift matters, no matter the amount.
UU the Vote 2024 Launch: March 14 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET
UU the Vote 2024 is an ambitious strategy to grow a powerful pro-democracy majority. The work that is needed in 2024 will require us to anchor in our power and connect authentically to mobilize UUs, voters, and our local communities.
Join us on Thursday, March 14, 7:00pm - 8:30pm ET for the official launch of UU the Vote 2024. You’ll learn about our work with UU State Action Networks and their partners in key states, key ballot initiatives, political education and spiritual grounding opportunities and our mass voter contact program.
This year we will continue to support and collaborate with local organizing groups leading some of the biggest fights, and we are thrilled to introduce two of our 2024 partners:
- Floridians Protecting Freedom who are leading Florida’s statewide fight to protect and defend abortion.
- Power The Polls who recruit and support people to become municipal poll workers across the country.
We will build our commitment to democratic practices and recommit to showing up for social movements building infrastructure and relationships to sustain us beyond the electoral year.
Visit uuthevote.org to learn more, sign up to volunteer, or donate to protect democracy.
UU Funding Program Grant Deadline is March 31
The Unitarian Universalist Funding Program (UUFP) is a denominational grantmaking program of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Inspired by the richness and diversity of our liberal religious tradition, the mission of the UUFP is to promote the influence of Unitarian Universalist principles through grantmaking. Through two grant cycles, one in the spring and one in the fall, it supports projects that:
- Support the work of social justice.
- Strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions.
- Transform gratitude for being into generosity of living.
- Make Unitarian Universalism more visible in the world.
Grant applications for the spring cycle are due March 31 and may be submitted through the UUFP's online portal.
New Article II Congregational Resources from the Field
In an effort to support congregations to continue to engage with the proposed Article II revision, UUA staff have collected and commissioned some resources from the field to supplement the original Article II Study Commission resources:
ALL8 Youth Photography Workshop Widening the Lens
Join Peter Robinson, Jr., professional photographer, and Jil Novenski, DRE, for a free online youth photography workshop for ages 14-17. No experience necessary. This 10-week workshop hosted by The Community Church of New York starts on Monday, March 18, 6:00pm-7:30pm ET. Register now.
New for Spring 2024: Amplifying the Charge
This resource is a multi-layered tool that blends small group ministry and worship resources for congregations as our Association moves into the next stage of the bylaws adoption process. Congregations are encouraged to use Amplifying the Charge for shared learning, reflection, and worship this spring, in anticipation of the vote at this year’s General Assembly. Download the 33-page resource guide (PDF).
Songbook
As we consider the work of the Article II Commission and the proposal to organize the affirmation of our living faith into seven values, we can turn to our hymns to see how those are reflected in the songs we already sing together. 21 Songs Exploring A2 Values, by Rev. Kimberley Debus.
Full Worship Services
- Flower Communion by Katie Resendiz de Perez.
- Hold Space for Vulnerability: Youth Service on Article 2 Values (YouTube video) by Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson.
- "The Future of Our Living Tradition" (YouTube video) by Rev. Monica Dobbins.
- "Love at the Center" (YouTube video) by Rev. Monica Dobbins.
Visit Article II Congregational Resources for 2023 - 2024 to access these and other resources, including pre-recorded sermons, slide shows, stories for children, discussion guides, lesson plans and activities, TikTok videos, graphics, essays, and spiritual practices.
General Assembly Ware Lecturer Announced
Julia Watts Belser has been named this year's General Assembly Ware Lecturer.
Belser is a rabbi, scholar, spiritual teacher and a longtime activist for disability and gender justice. She is Professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University, as well as core faculty in Georgetown’s Disability Studies Program and a Senior Research Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.
Her work brings ancient Jewish texts into dialogue with disability studies, feminist thought, queer theory, and environmental justice ethics. She is a cultural historian of rabbinic Jewish literature and a contemporary Jewish feminist theologian who draws disability arts and culture into provocative conversation with Jewish tradition to challenge structural violence, deepen our capacity for social justice, and honor the sacredness of disabled people’s lives.
Photo of Julia Watts Belser wearing a red jacket and a multi-colored hat.
Her most recent book, Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole (Beacon Press, 2023), is the recipient of a National Jewish Book Award.
The Ware Lecture will be live-streamed on Saturday, June 22 at 7pm ET/ 6pm CT / 4pm PT. GA registration is required to access the live-stream.
Church of the Larger Fellowship Seeking Prison Pen Pals
Have you ever felt the power of a simple letter changing your day?
Imagine being reminded that you are worthy of love, especially in life's toughest moments. Imagine being given spiritual resources and pastoral care in a place where your name is replaced with a number.
This is what he Church of the Larger Fellowship’s Worthy Now Prison Ministry does for our Unitarian Universalist family in prisons.
Through classes, reading material, and correspondence, we offer incarcerated UUs a church home.
The Worthy Now letter writing program is one way we accomplish that, connecting free world CLF members and UUs in other churches to our incarcerated members through staff supported pen pal connections.
The community offered by our pen pals profoundly impacts lives, bringing messages of love, hope, and justice. Worthy Now is affirming that at this moment—regardless of their being criminalized—they are worthy, and they’re worthy of access to love, resources, and relationships. Sign up to be a pen pal today.
InSpirit Women's History Month Read
Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice
From elder voices opposing the Dakota Pipeline to young people running for office to advocate for change, every day we see real-life stories about how women are making a collective difference on climate justice.
Women are also disproportionately impacted by climate change and thus are critical to transforming society away from dependence on fossil fuels and toward renewable energy and environmental equity.
Image of book cover for Love Your Mother, featuring a stylized silhouette of a woman on a blue background.
Upcoming Events
Side with Love Monthly Gatherings
Side with Love has recurrent, monthly offerings for a variety of individuals, congregational leaders, and campaign leads:
- 1st Wednesday: Green Sanctuary Orientation
- 2nd Monday: Side with Love Monthly Mixer
- 2nd Friday: UPLIFT Trans/Non-Binary Pastoral Space
- 3rd Sunday: Skill Up Trainings
- 3rd Wednesday: Green Sanctuary Community Meeting
- 4th Tuesday: UPLIFT Trans/Non-Binary Monthly Gathering
- 4th Wednesday: Climate IRA Peer Learning Circle
- 4th Thursday: Faithful Grounding
UUA Board of Trustees Upcoming Meeting
Monday, March 11 | 4:00pm PT / 5:00pm MT / 6:00pm CT / 7:00pm ET
We invite you to join the Board as it meets to discuss and make decisions about all facets of Unitarian Universalism. Please consult the board packet of the meeting (when it's available) for more information. Register to attend here.
Taproot: A National BIPOC Space
March 14 | 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT
The work of the spiritual community is complicated. From busy schedules to the ever pressing tension brought on by systemic injustice, the need for faithful leadership grounded and resilient is imperative. This is all the more true for leaders within our communities and congregations who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC). Congregational Life is excited to co-create a network with congregational leaders that support them in emergent ways through Taproot: A National BIPOC Space. The organizing pillars of this collective are Rest & Renewal, Analysis Building, and Leadership Development. BIPoC leaders rooted in the Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in this monthly, virtual gathering to ground ourselves in resilient communities of care. Upcoming spring 2024 dates are May 9, and June 13 (no April meeting). Register here to attend.
Climate Justice and Racial Reconciliation in a Predominantly White Congregation
Wednesday, March 20 | 4:00pm PT / 5:00pm MT / 6:00pm CT / 7:00pm ET
Integrating justice in our climate work is essential, but many UU congregations struggle with this component of the Green Sanctuary 2030 process. Join Dorothy Swain from UUs of Grants Pass, OR, and her colleague Gabi Johnsen from the Pursuit Church of the Nazarene, to learn about the ways their congregations are advancing climate justice in a predominantly white, rural community. Hosted by Rachel Myslivy, UUA Climate Justice Organizer. Register here.
Trans Day of Visibility
Tuesday, April 2 | 5:00pm PT / 8:00pm ET
Join UPLIFT Ministries and TRUUsT Director Rev. Julián Jamaica Soto for Trans Day of Visibility 2024. All are welcome: all ages, all (a)gender identities, all religious experiences. Register here.
Seasons of Giving is the monthly e-newsletter from the UUA's Stewardship and Development Office. Questions can be directed to Suzanne Murray at development@uua.org or (617) 948-4392.
Check UUA.org and UUWorld.org, as well as UUA regional websites, for the latest updates.
