Dear Friend, 

How is it with your spirit today?

If you have been following the news, if you have friends or family in harm’s way, if you have cultural or religious ties in Israel or Gaza, your spirit may well be stricken—stricken with grief, with rage, with blank shock, or perhaps with the fierce longing to offer help those in the center of the suffering. 

In a time marked by communal trauma, it helps to breathe, to move our bodies, and to pay attention to the experience of our senses—touch, smell, sight, hearing, taste, as they are available to us. 

The atrocities the people of Israel are experiencing are a horror, unspeakable. The utter devastation of the people of Gaza is a moral and humanitarian nightmare. It is a profound spiritual challenge to confront the full complexity and historical nuance of this conflict, while holding fast to our principled commitment to justice and peace. 

There are no adequate words for this moment, but to those most intimately impacted by expanding violence, I wish for you the healing balm present in your own culture or tradition. I wish for you the succor of community connection or a symbol or a practice that reflects back to you the inviolable beauty of your heritage. 

For our faith, I wish adequate theologies that equip us to grapple with abiding questions about evil, sin and suffering. These aren’t easy topics for Unitarian Universalists, but they are essential if we are to meet the current crisis with wisdom, compassion, and effective action. 

As you navigate these days, as you discover how to take care of yourself and those you love, how to participate in movements for liberation, justice and peace, may you carry with you the gift of your breath, the beauty of your being, the miracle of your living body, and the vibrant legacy of your elders, ancestors, and communities. 

In the words of UUA President Rev. Sofía Betancourt in her statement last weekend, “We are one global family living tenuously on the same human-impacted Earth. Let us center ourselves in justice as we call for peace.” 

As we learn more about how UUs can offer support, we will share that information with you. 

Recent links from the UUA

• UUA signs on to Churches for Middle East Peace letter to Congress (October 12)
• Statement from UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt Regarding the Conflict Between Israel and Hamas (October 7)
   
• From the UPLIFT Blog: October 18th is International Pronouns Day (October 13)
• New Book from Skinner House, A Fire at the Center, Looks at Dakota Access Pipeline Water Protection Efforts Led by Indigenous Activists (October 12)
• Side with Love Welcomes New Disability Justice Staff (October 6)
• Adrienne Walker is Appointed the UUA’s New General Counsel (October 4)

Coming Out Day 2023: Coming Out Spiritually

This piece from Eric Eldritch comes from the UPLIFT blog, a project of the UUA's LGBTQ Ministries team. 

When you think of National Coming Out Day 2022 versus 2023. What is similar? What is different? Clearly, this year, Christian Theocracy and White Nationalism movements are emboldened. Hateful legislation is being proposed around the nation.

The very act of “Coming Out” and “Being Out” is simultaneously more important, more transgressive and more dangerous than ever before.

We each have spiritual journeys to find out what fits best body, mind and soul. My journey started out in a fundamentalist evangelical version of Christianity. I was raised (indoctrinated) to sing childhood songs like: “One door and only one! Yet, its sides are two! I’m on the inside, on which side are you?” You might know that song, you might also know the hand play poem “This is the church, This is the steeple. Look inside and see all the people.”

By the time I was in high school I was decrying local pastors telling them to their face that they were going to hell, and that their whole congregation was not saved because they did not baptize their congregants by immersion – the way God intended it! I used scriptures from of course, the only reliable source of scripture, the King James Version of the bible. Hmmm, I hope I haven’t lost you in the harshness of this story. There is a good outcome.

At eight years old I realized that I was gay, and finally, two decades later, at 28 years old, I actually came out. I owe many dear, patient friends who helped me with “Coming Out” and who helped me to forgive myself, to help me out of my “Straight” jacket. Coming Out. Being Out. Being my whole, complete, authentic self was my salvation, my freedom.

Giving through an IRA: Qualified Charitable Deductions

Did you know that people who are 70½ or older and who have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) have the option to donate to the UUA through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)? 

Sometimes referred to as an “IRA Charitable Rollover,” a QCD can help you support the UUA's mission while maintaining tax advantages. Consider these factors (and talk with your tax and/or financial advisor) when deciding whether a QCD is right for you

To donate via QCD, contact your IRA plan administrator and specify that you want to make an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution. Please also notify the UUA Stewardship and Development Office. Advance notice helps us properly credit your gift if the funds will be sent directly by your IRA administrator.

If you have any questions about making a QCD gift to the UUA, please contact us at (888) 792-5885 or giftinfo@uua.org.

Embracing Clean Energy as a Human Right

The following message comes from Rachel Myslivy, Climate Justice Organizer for Side with Love

When was the last time you changed your mind about something?

For many of us who’ve been working on environmental issues, we’ve become experts on particular things, and - truth be told - it’s a lot easier to stick with what we know than to stop, reflect, and reorient ourselves to new understandings. However, this is exactly what we are called to do if we are to center justice in our climate work. Over my years as a climate advocate, organic farmer, and faith-based organizer, I’ve had to reorient and reorient and reorient again because I keep learning. That’s a good thing!  

Side With Love’s Create Climate Justice Campaign organizes Unitarian Universalists to realize a world with no fossil fuels, where clean energy is a human right, and all beings thrive. One of the big things I’ve learned and reoriented to over the years is understanding clean energy as a human right. Clean energy only works as a climate solution if it is accessible to everyone. Clean Energy as a Human Right reframes clean energy from a technical solution to a moral imperative.

Over the next several months, you’ll have multiple opportunities to learn more about Clean Energy as a Human Right from some of the organizations who continue to inspire and challenge me to do better, including these webinars coming soon:

Continue reading Rachel's message and find more opportunities for learning here. 

United Nations Day is October 24; UN Sunday Material Available

United Nations Sunday celebrates the work of the United Nations and your Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations (UU@UN). Each year we encourage congregations to have a service and/or event to celebrate!

We create a collection of UN Sunday Resources which highlight our suggested theme and provide readings, an RE curriculum, planning timeline and checklist, order of service (including hymns), and more. Our UN Sunday theme is based on the April Intergenerational Spring Seminar topic. The 2023 theme is Demilitarization & Abolition: Resist Policing and Empire.

United Nations Day is October 24, the date the UN Charter was signed in 1945. Many congregations have their UN Sunday service near that date. Other significant days you could consider are International Day for Tolerance on November 16, Human Rights Day on December 10, World Day of Social Justice on February 20, Earth Day on April 22, or any day that works for your congregation.

Recommendations from UUA Publications

Some recent recommendations from the UUA's Publications office are shared below: two new titles from Skinner House Books, one with an author available for visits to your congregation. There are also new pamphlets available, including The Work of Anti-Racism bundle of two, by Mark Hicks and Joy Berry, and Unitarian Universalist Views on Sex, by Melanie Davis. Check them out at inSpirit UU Book and Gift Shop. 

Remember the Disaster Relief Fund; Toolbox for Climate Disaster Preparedness

Keep the UUA's Disaster Relief Fund in mind as you plan your contributions this fall and winter. Disaster relief grants to our UU congregations and organizations not only help other Unitarian Universalists; they can also support on-the-ground relief efforts through existing partnerships that congregations already have. These grants encourage congregations to build coalitions to meet the needs of their communities.

The Disaster Relief Fund is a concrete, material way that we show up and support our fellow UU’s and their communities in the wake of these growing climate disasters. We encourage you to make a gift online or hold a special collection at your congregation. 

And on this very topic, Side with Love collaborated with Congregational Life staff to create the Toolbox for Climate Disaster Preparedness for UUs, a way for you and your congregation to assess climate impacts and mobilize for action. There are a number of worksheets for your use, as well as recorded webinars. 

Upcoming Events

UUA Board of Trustees October Dates

Board Retreat: Wednesday evening, October 18 - Saturday, October 21
Meeting: Friday, October 20 | 1:30 pm ET / 10:30 am PT

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.

Please save the dates for the November meeting and Open House, Monday and Tuesday, November 13 and 14.

Net Zero by 2030! Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting

Wednesday, October 18 | 7 pm - 8 pm ET / 4 pm - 5 pm PT

We know we need to get to Net Zero and fast, but how?! The People's Church of Kalamazoo has made a commitment to cut their emissions to achieve Net Zero by 2030. Join Tom Hackley from People's Church to learn how their Green Sanctuary Team is working to meet this ambitious - and critical - goal! Come together for shared learning and mutual support with other UUs working on congregational transformation through climate justice on the third Wednesday of the month. Each meeting includes a short presentation on a climate justice topic, followed by open discussion on pressing needs. Register here to attend.

Looking for basic info about the Green Sanctuary 2030 program? Attend one of the monthly orientations. The next one is Wednesday, November 1, at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT. 

UPLIFT Trans and Non-Binary Drop-in Monthly Gathering

Tuesday, October 24 | 8 pm - 9:30 pm ET / 5 pm - 6:30 pm PT

Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings for trans, nonbinary, and other not-entirely-or-at-all-cis UUs and friends of UUism. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary+ UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. All you need to bring is yourself (and other trans/nonbinary friends, if you’d like)! Non-UUs are welcome if they are OK with being in a UU-focused community that won't proselytize. If you are interested in this space, and you aren’t (entirely or at all) cisgender, it’s a space for you. To sign up, please fill out this form.

NOTE: This space is intentionally multi-generational. It is open to and welcoming of trans/nonbinary elders as well as children, youth, and young adults. Standard UUA online safety measures apply to ensure all people under 18 are able to attend. We're glad to have you here! For information on registering someone under 18, please follow instructions on this page. 

Taproot: A National BIPOC Space

Thursday, November 9 | 8 pm - 9:15 pm ET / 5 pm - 6:15 pm PT

The work of spiritual community is complicated in the 21st century. The need for faithful leadership that is 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). All too aware of this need, Congregational Life is excited to explore and co-create a network with congregational leaders that support them in this time in emergent ways through Taproot: A National BIPOC Space. BIPoC Leaders rooted in the Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in this monthly, virtual gathering on second Thursdays. Fall 2023 dates are October 12, November 9, and December 14. Register here to attend. 

Side with Love November Skill Up: Faith Out Loud

Sunday, November 19 | 4 pm - 5:30 pm ET / 1 pm - 2:30 pm PT; optional Q& A from 5:30 pm - 6 pm ET / 2:30 pm - 3 pm PT

UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt invites us to remember “what symbols, messages, principles, or experiences are most central to [our] deep understanding of Unitarian Universalism.” During this skill up, we will take time to discuss and practice articulating our theologies of justice-making with faith-centric language that can be used in outreach, public statements, petitions, letters, and more.

Our Skill Ups are a monthly training series to help build organizing capacity across our congregations and communities. We are grounded in our UU calling to be lifelong learners and organizing traditions' call to share what we know for our movements to grow. Agenda includes embodied grounding and interactive training, followed by an optional Q&A Conversation from 5:30-6 ET. Register here to attend. 

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.