Gaia: Unitarian Universalist Perspectives

UU in VA (Although home is in FL.)

http://moonheart.gaia.com — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:01:32 GMT

I am one of those rare flukes who was actually raised attending a UU church every week. I loved it when I was younger, but I started to back off from it when I started college. When I leave here for breaks, I'm still involved in my church at home, especially the music. However, I don't have a church home at college, and I miss the interaction. Starting next semester, I hope to go back to attending, but I would really like to be able to create a network for myself in the larger world.

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

UU from PA

http://flwrgrl.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:27:38 GMT

I joined the UU church about a year ago. I was born and schooled Catholic, but shortly after my son turned 5, was completely floored by something said by a nun and I totally turned my back on the world of religion entirely.
When I went back to college a few years back, a few philosophy classes got me thinking, and I started reading and my path led me there. As I said in my intro, I totally felt at home the minute I walked in the door.
I know I can grow there.

Re: Identify yourselve's

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:01:05 GMT

I'm a member of Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (RVUUF) in Ashland OR, USA

I'm active. I chaired the Long Range Planning Committee
                   I'm in the "Not Just Another Men's Group"
                    I'm participating in our Peacemaking Study Group
                   I'm part of our Caring Network
                   I participate in our Adult Ed program

Our size is about 170 members

Website http://rvuuf.org

Identify yourselve's

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:50:38 GMT

Are you a member of a UU church or fellowship?

Are you very active?

What activities interest you?

Where located?

Size of congregation?

Does your church/fellowship have a website?

Re: Welcome - intros, and definitely thank you! (s)

http://digitalsatori.gaia.com — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:39:03 GMT

Hello, everyone!

I am brand new to Zaadz/Gaia (I joined a few days before we switched over).

I live in South Florida and attend a local UU Fellowship in my area, though we've recently moved and I haven't been able to attend these last few weeks. I hope when things settle down and my family and I are settled in to our new house, I will be able to start going to the Fellowship meetings again.

So, about me, eh? Well, my wife and I have a one year old daughter, who tends to keep us rather busy. .. and when I say “rather busy”, I mean “keeping us running constantly until we are barely able to sit down for a minute without falling asleep”.

As far as the discovery of UU, I suppose I've really always thought in line with the UU philosophy. My family was Episcopalian, but were not very good at it. I was never brought up with the attitude that we must go to church.. In my teen years, I started dabbling in Paganism/Wicca (didn't we all?), but never really “felt” a connection there. I then discovered UU through the internet and was instantly interested. I found my self saying “Yes! Absolutely! I couldn't agree more!” over and over while reading UU website. During this time I was living in a small “southern” town, and a UU Group was blasphemy. When my family and I moved, I found a UU Fellowship here and was incredibly excited.

So, again, hello all! I look forward to discussions related to UU and helping each other to found our spiritual side.

Take care,
– Russ

Re: Welcome - intros, and definitely thank you! (s)

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:11:24 GMT

Welcome to the pod Sara, and thanks for giving us some much needed activity here!

Jim

Re: God Rest Ye Unitarians

http://SaraG330.gaia.com — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:34:39 GMT

Heh heh, I love that! I emailed a link to the pastor of my fellowship.

Namaste,

Sara

Re: Welcome - intros, and definitely thank you! (s)

http://SaraG330.gaia.com — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:46:48 GMT

Greetings everyone!

I'm Sara, and I attend the UU Fellowship of Wayne County. I'm going to sign the membership book soon after observing a year and a day of getting my feet wet, deciding if I like the 7 principles and how I see them applied, this congregation, etc. I've made a lot of good friends who have become my family of choice over the last year, and I will miss everyone terribly if I have to move away after school.

The one thing that tipped the balance early in my deciding to become a member was I can hold my Pagan beliefs and practices, wear my pentacle openly, and be welcomed by everyone without being expected to change, and it's the only place in the county where Pagans congregate openly. (Unfortunately, this county has a disturbingly high amount of Christian fanaticism.)

Sara

UU school?

http://darthraspberry.gaia.com — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:03:49 GMT

Does anyone know of UU run charter schools? I never have but I think if other faiths can have their own school, we should too. I would love to start a free form-ish school with UU ties someday. Actually I would like to make it a community learning center central to an intentional community. I think this organization could be used for so much good (and it is)..I guess I'm just a little disillusioned with my little congregation...a lot of talk but not a lot of follow through and even less motivation for creative solutions. I think part of the reason kids often don't stay is because we are looking for something even a little bit more radical.

Re: UUA ad in Time magazine

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:12:25 GMT

There are also TV ads. I don't know when or where they will or have
aired, but one is on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_24X8YmNldk

UUA ad in Time magazine

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:27:57 GMT

What do you guys think of the new UUA ad in the current October 15 issue Time magazine? If you haven't seen the magazine, you can look at a PDF of the ad here:
http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/marketing/44189.shtml

Jim

Article on the Future of Unitarian Univeralism

http://mattwesley.gaia.com — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:21:18 GMT

I have posted a rather heady article I wrote on the future of Unitarian Universalism. Feel free to stop by to check it out. http://mattwesley.zaadz.com/blog If may be a bit iconoclastic and provocative, but it is an attempt to address some of the arguments made by Davidson Loehr and others.

Namaste,

Matt

Spiritual Practices

http://mattwesley.gaia.com — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 04:40:10 GMT

Greetings,

One criticism of our movement is that we are a "mile wide and an inch deep". As the recent Commission on Appraisal (Engaging our Theological Diversity) noted, our religious syncretism is an amazing strength but also, perhaps, an Achilles' heel.

I am currently chairing our Insight Committee (which covers adult RE). In that role, I have been toying with the notion that perhaps we want to explore the idea of spiritual practices as a way to deepen our individual experience and commitment. The idea that is gerninating has to do with consciously fostering individual depth (say committment to a specific practice - such as Zen or contemplative prayer, or journaling), while maintaining institutional breadth. The ultimate idea would be that we would gently expect new members to explore a practice that becomes an anchor to their lives (by creating a cultural norm) and that we would work with these new members and friends to help them discover what that practice is. Our breadth of Sources and traditions would become the wellspring from which individuals would draw their inspiration and support.

So here' are my two sets of questions:

1. Does anyone have deep commitment to a particular practice that integrates with their commitment to being a UU? What does it do for you?

2. What do you think of the notions above. (Knowing UUs I know I will get a lot of honest feedfack!)

Namaste,

Matt

Recognition of Large Donors during Stewardship Season

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:26:35 GMT

How does your UU congregation (or others you are familiar with) recognize your largest donors during stewardship season, if at all? If your congregation does it, what are they doing and how do they determine what a lead, or large donor is?

Jim

Atlanta UU

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:12:10 GMT

Just wanted to introduce myself...

I am have only been a UU for just over a year. I first set foot in a UU church just over two years ago. My background before that had been Christian. My family went to mainly Methodist churches, on and off, during my childhood. As an adult, I spent over 20 years as a Prebyterian (PCUSA). My beliefs had changed over the years, but we had been at our most recent PCUSA church for over 10 years and had so many friends there, we were reluctant to leave to try a church that was a better fit.

That changed when, at 39, I became a father for the first time. We wanted our daughter to grow up in a more liberal and welcoming religious community so we started looking around. By Spring 2005 we started trying out local UU churches. We had been familiar with UUism for years, but we were hesitant to try it out because we were worried that local congregations were too secular. In the fall of 2005 we first visited our current church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA). It seemed like a great fit right away, but were were planning to move, so we thought we would have to go to another UU church in the metro area instead, long term. My work situation changed in early 2006 and we no longer needed to move. So, in February 2006 we joined UUCA as members.

Since they have been in a transition period, senior minister wise, since we have been at UUCA, it has been a bit of a bumpy ride, and we have seem some of the ugly side of UUism. But, we are still hopeful for the future and very happy with UUCA's choice for a new settled senior minister, who will be joining us at the end of the summer.

Belief wise, I am a panentheist who draws from many sources. Since my background is Christianity, it is still important to me, but from a more panentheistic and universalist perspective. I am also interested in Gnosticism, Buddhism, Hindusim, Neo-Paganism, Integral thinking, and metaphysics, among others.

Jim

Re: Summer Reading?

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:01:26 GMT

I am currently reading:
"A Brief History of Everything" by Ken Wilber
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
"The Battle for Christmas" by Stephen Nissenbaum
"Agile Software Development with Scrum" by Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle

I recently finished:
"The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot" by Bart D. Ehrman
"Reading Judas" by Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King

Re: Summer Reading?

Sun, 27 May 2007 14:05:41 GMT

I am currently reading:
    A New Earth, Ekhart Tolle,
    60 Days and Counting, Kim Stanley Robinson, 3rd in a triligy

I just bought
    The Speed of Trust, The One Thing That Changes Everything, Stephen M. R. Covey

Re: Your new co-moderator

Sun, 27 May 2007 13:59:02 GMT

Hello Jim,

Glad to see you in your new role! I am looking forward to some activity in this pod with your new look.

Your friend,

Steve

Re: New Hope

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:37:17 GMT

Our Interim Senior Minister finished up his 2 years with us (I was only at my church for about a year and a half of this time) this past Sunday, so we will be without a Senior Minister this summer. We still have our Assistant Minister to give some ministerial continuity, but will have lots of guests in the pulpit between now and when our new Setlled Senior Minister joins us in late August.

Jim

Summer Reading?

http://mcfarland.gaia.com — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:32:37 GMT

Anyone have any interesting books they plan to read this Summer?