Ohio-Meadville District Blogs

CERGing Ahead

May 17th, 2012

This will be the last of the OMD Staff Blog postings. We’ve decided that with the many new blogs out there – Growing Unitarian Universalism, Cooking Together, Congregational Stewardship and more that perhaps we’ve got an oversaturation in the market and our congregants would be better served if we directed you to those blogs instead for resources and tips.

So, we’re going to stop posting to this blog (never fear, we’re going to keep it around for a while so you can reference what we’ve already written) and we hope you will subscribe to the new blog that the Central East Regional Group (CERG) is starting in July – CERGing Ahead. This blog will have a regional focus and will actually feature congregational stories. So if your congregation has a success story – a great stewardship campaign, a wonderful volunteer turn out, an innovative social justice program – let one of our staff folks know. And we’ll fit you into the mix.

In Faith
Beth Casebolt
OMD District Administrator
CERG Communications Consultant

Posted in District Events, OMD, Unitarian Universalism | No Comments »

Working together to bring it home

April 20th, 2012

Take courage friends.
The way is often hard, the path is never clear,
And the stakes are very high.
Take courage.
For deep down, there is another truth:
You are not alone.

I’ve been reflecting upon these words by Wayne. B. Arnason, #698 in Singing the Living Tradition. These words ring so very true for me as I contemplate the social justice work of our many Ohio-Meadville congregations. The way is often hard and the path may not be clear, but as we work together we can make great and needed change.

This idea of working together so that we are not facing our challenges alone is partly why I am co-hosting a webinar to get ready for General Assembly in Phoenix, Arizona. Justice GA will be quite different from past General Assemblies with multiple mass witnessing events, extensive learning about the doctrine of discovery, and the national day of witness. But even with this directed focus on immigration justice some aspects of GA might remain the same.

I have attended three fantastic General Assemblies in recent years. My experience has often been the same. I have arrived at the conference site, attended motivating workshops, learned new ways of doing things, listened to engaging sermons and talks, strolled through the many booths, but often I have not seen my fellow congregants and friends throughout the entire day.

I hope that one of the outcomes of the get ready for GA webinar will facilitate all of us of the OMD to get to know each other a little bit better! Perhaps when we see each other at GA we will sit together and cook up plans to address immigration reform back home. What we learn and do in Phoenix is important, but far more important is that we bring the learning back to our home congregations and communities. Because it is through working together that we can stop more deaths in the desert and stop another family from being broken apart, and create equitable working conditions for all people. For deep down we are not alone.

Faithfully,
Rachel
Social Witness Coordinator

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Our Place in the Family of Things

April 13th, 2012

I’ve been working on an intergenerational service for Earth Day, weaving together songs and readings about deep connection, responsibility, and sharing. As we pause to consider our connection to the Earth and to the many and varied life forms supported by this lovely blue-green, swirly space marble, I’m reminded of a chant I learned from a Seneca Indian Grandmother:

Earth my body / Water my blood / Air my breath / and Fire my spirit

We are made in the image of Earth. In the Hebrew creation story humans are created out of mud and divine breath. We are one with the world, and we are one with the Divine, however we name that. When we are ‘one’ with something, we are connected. We look out for others in that same family.

I am a minister, daughter, friend, wife, and mother. I look out for everyone that I am connected to. When my grandfather was no longer able to live alone, my little family, my husband Les and our daughter Ashera, welcomed him into our home. It wasn’t always daisies and lollipops having him live with us, but it was ours to do. We opened the circle of inclusion wide enough to bring him in and make him part of our circle. And our circle expanded with each story he told of growing up in our hometown – growing up long before there were cars or even decent roads. Stories of families – of connectedness.

That’s actually not a bad metaphor for what we do as Unitarian Universalists – although I hesitate to name us as a family, since some families are just plain weird. But we do open the circle of inclusion to bring in others – and our circle is expanded with each story of loss, heartache, joyful abundance, discovery, desperation – stories that encompass the scope of human experience. And those stories become our stories as we connect and find our place in the family of things. “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place in the family of things.” (Mary Oliver)

May we find our place and make room for others in the family of things.

Michelle Buhite

Posted in Growth, Unitarian Universalism | No Comments »

Thinking Ahead to Summer?

April 6th, 2012

Are you thinking about summer yet? The warm weather we’ve been experiencing lately seems to be moving my thoughts in that direction.

Summer is a great opportunity for families and friends to spend time together. It’s also a time when there are lots of opportunities for UUs of all ages to engage in a variety of UU experiences from General Assembly, to work trips, to RE Week at Ferry Beach and Star Island to multigenerational and age specific camps and conferences around the country. Have you explored your UU options for the summer?

There are some options close to home -

OMD’s Summer Institute will feature Rev. Meg Riley as its theme speaker when they gather at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH on July 8-14. The theme is Reboot your Theology: Exploring UU Connections. This is your opportunity to join 500 to 600 UUs of all ages for a family-friendly UU camp. Registration brochures are now available online and have been sent out to OMD congregations. Learn more about the camp at www.omdsi.org. Online registration will open in mid-April.
The Youth Work Camp is a regional trip for youth ages 14-18 to go to Pipestem, WV, June 24-30 to work with those in need in Appalachia and learn about the Appalachian culture and the environmental impact of mountaintop removal. There is still space available for youth on this trip but you need to sign up soon. We will open any remaining spots to interested adults on May 15. Learn more about this social justice oriented trip at the OMD website.
The UU Fellowship of Athens is offering their annual Enviro-Camp for youth as well. Taking place in Glouster, OH, June 17-23, this week focuses on a variety of environmental issues and each day is spent working on a different environmental project. Learn more about this camp.
UUMAC is another family-friendly camp located a DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. This year they come together July 15-21, and the theme is Living a UU Life in Five Easy Steps. The theme speaker is Rev. Bob Janis-Dillon. To learn more about the week, download the brochure and register, visit www.uumac.org.
Murray Grove, at the site where Universalism began in New Jersey, offers a variety of activities year round. They have a children’s camp in August. Learn more about Murray Grove.
Unirondak is a summer camp in New York with week-long family camps, youth camps and camps for children. Learn about their programs at their website.

Want to venture a little further afield? Visit the UU Camp and Conference website to find links to other large family friendly conferences like SUUSI and SWUUSI as well as camp and conference centers like Ferry Beach, Star Island and The Mountain Learning Center. There is even a group for UU singles – AMUUSE.

I hope you enjoy your summer and are able to take advantage of one of these great opportunities to meet other UUs, make new friends and deepen your faith.

In faith,
Beth Casebolt

Tags: camps, conferences, summer
Posted in District Events, General Assembly, Multigenerational, OMD, Resources, Social Justice, Summer Institute, Unitarian Universalism, Youth Ministry | No Comments »

What If All the Kids are White?

March 30th, 2012

What if All the Kids are White? is the book assigned in preparation for the Multicultural Religious Education Renaissance Module, an educational program for religious educators, ministers, youth advisors and anyone else interested in growing a multicultural congregation. Often I hear conversations in UU churches of how open and accepting we are of “them” – some other group – perhaps Hispanics, African-Americans, GLBT or poor folks. If only “they” would come and stay long enough to be part of “us”, then our diversity problem would be solved! But the painful truth is that the hard work of being open to diversity AND ITS IMPLICATIONS belongs to ME and my congregation – not THEM.
I was a white, middle-aged woman with a history of moderate involvement in civil rights when I took the Multicultural RE module in 1998. It changed my life and the way I look at the world. Did I walk away feeling depressed and guilty for the unearned privileges I enjoyed? Not really, but to a depth unknown before, I became aware of the extent culture and systems impact me and everyone else. That profound challenge to my worldview continues today, and indeed symbolizes why Unitarian Universalism is such a difficult faith to live. How I wish I could just transform “them” and make the world a better place, but now I realize that the struggle must start with me. Darn! And that for as long as I live I will never be finished with spiritual growth. Double darn!
All of us are aware of the changing complexion and culture around us. We want our children and our faith to thrive, but feel ill-equipped and uneasy about how to proceed. In a safe community, the Multicultural RE Renaissance Module challenges individuals to examine their worldview, unbuild what is no longer helpful, and built upon their strengths to be the kind of person there are striving to be.
This work in becoming open to multicultural richness begins with you. Please join me April 15-17 as we struggle and learn together! Details are at the St. Lawrence District website http://www.sld.uua.org/calendar1.html.

Karen LoBracco
Lifespan Faith Development Consultant
Ohio Meadville and St. Lawrence Districts

Tags: diversity, Faith Development, Lifespan Faith Development, social change, values
Posted in District Events, Immigration Issues, Lifespan Faith Development, Multigenerational, Social Justice, Standing on the Side of Love, Unitarian Universalism, Young Adult, Youth Ministry | No Comments »

Leaving a Legacy for Those Who Follow

March 23rd, 2012

Recently I had the opportunity to preach at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. In their order of service they include these words, following the offering:

We pick fruit from trees we did not plant. We drink water from wells we did not dig. This is as it should be so long as we dig and plant for those who come after.

What a fantastic reminder that the work we do today is only possible because of the work of those who have come before us – and our responsibility is not only to our heritage, but to leave a legacy for those who will come after us. In the world of youth and young adult ministry, it is easy to get caught up in NOW… having the best con ever… finding innovative ways to attract, engage, and keep young adults in Unitarian Universalism… supporting campus ministry… connecting youth across our 4-district region and finding ways to support our youth as they bridge into young adulthood. The planning and implementation of the immediate can feel all-consuming, but it is vital that we expand our focus and sense of mission to those who will follow.

We pick fruit from trees we did not plant. Our task is to nurture and prune the trees and to plant new ones – new ideas, new structures, new vision. We drink water from wells we did not dig. We are not only to protect the resources we have been given, but to find new resources and new paths. We give thanks for those who had the vision and foresight to bring us thus far – may we honor them and their gifts by digging and planting for those who will come after us.

Michelle Buhite
Intern for Youth, Young Adult & Campus Ministries

Posted in Growth, Multigenerational, Unitarian Universalism, Young Adult, Youth Ministry | No Comments »

The Log In Our Eye

March 10th, 2012

by Rev. Joan Van Becelaere

Ohio-Meadville District Executive

When Is a Unitarian Universalist most like Rush Limbaugh?

Mr. Limbaugh has lately been notorious for his remarks about Georgetown law student, Sandra Fluke. He has a long history of vilifying those he does not agree with. but this recent incident seems remarkably hateful and vicious even for Mr. Limbaugh. I am confident that most Unitarian Univeralists find Mr. Limbaugh’s remarks about Ms. Fluke and his broad verbal attacks on women reprehensible.

As Unitarian Unitarians, we know that reactionary, disrespectful, unthinkingly derogatory language violates the inherent worth and dignity of all people. We recognize it as a deep violation of our essential interconnectedness in the web of existence.

And yet, as our election year begins to heat up, I have heard members – good members – of our congregations engage in reactionary and rude language in regard to those with whom they politically disagree.

The language, thank heaven, has not been as vicious as Mr. Limbaugh’s, but it is reactionary and disrespectful nonetheless.

To hear some folk talk during coffee hour in our churches, you might think only members of the Democratic or Green parties are allowed to join our congregations. But I know full well that our liberal religion appeals to Republicans and Libertarians and Independents, too. They are there in our pews on Sunday mornings, but few make their presence known in the face of bad jokes and ugly comments about political or fiscal conservatives.nonetheless.

When is a UU most like Rush Limbaugh? When we engage in unthinking and reactionary language in regard to those with whose political (and religious and social) views we disagree.

In the book of Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus preaches: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

We can and should engage in dialogue with people who have different political and religious and social views. That is how we humans continue to learn and grow as thinking beings. We should welcome the diversity often hidden in our own congregations and engage it in our greater society. As religious liberals and people of covenant, we should celebrate our ability to be different together!

But celebrating our differences together requires us to give up reactionary, unthinking language. Instead, we need to learn to articulate our own beliefs and ethical commitments while staying connected to others. We can make a case for our view of the common good while respectfully listening (and even learning) from those whose views differ. We should be clear and confident enough about our own personal sense of purpose and commitment that we are not threatened or anxious if someone offers a different argument or a different view of the common good.

We also know that what is true in political discussion is also true about religious discussion. We are all in this together!

As we move into what will likely be a highly emotional political campaign, let’s remember that we have the ability to be different together. And we can reject any temptation to emulate the style of Mr. Limbaugh.

Tags: all in this together, congregations, covenant, diversity, political language, Unitarian Universalism
Posted in Growth, Social Justice, Uncategorized, Unitarian Universalism | 4 Comments »

Are You Ready for Phoenix?

March 2nd, 2012

In case you haven’t heard yet, this year’s General Assembly in Phoenix, AZ is going to be unlike any we’ve ever had before. And its not just the change of the name to a Justice General Assembly that will be different.

Want to know what exactly will be happening? What will be different and what will be the same? Your main source of information is the UUA’s General Assembly webpage. But there are other sources of information that you can also rely on.

The OMD has created a page of GA resources on our website. Find it at www.ohiomeadville.org/headlines/457-justicega

Here is a listing of some of the resources we’ve found to help you out:

The UUA has created a brochure, order of service inserts, posters and more that have been posted on the UUA GA website resources page. Visit there to download the information and use it in your congregation to educate everyone about what is happening this year.
Want to know more about what is planned? CERG is offering a webinar on March 12th about what to expect. You can register on the CERG website.
There is a blog called Cooking Together: Recipes for Immigration Justice Work that has been set up to share what congregations are doing to learn about immigration. One item recently posted was 10 ways to help youth prepare for this year’s General Assembly. Find it at http://immigrationjustice.blogs.uua.org/
There are curricula available on immigration for children and adults. Find the children’s curriculum titled With Justice and Compassion: Immigration Sessions for Children’s Religious Education at www.uua.org/immigration/re/192346.shtml . The adult curriculum is based on the Congregational Study Action Issue “Immigration as a Moral Issue” and can be found at www.uua.org/immigration/re/moral/guide/index.shtml
The Ballou Channing District is producing a series of very short videos presenting information about immigration, General Assembly programming, GA registration. Three are currently running and more will be coming in the next few weeks. Take a look at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL164ECDDF4141DFE1

Finally, registration and housing are now open, so you want to get in there and register early! (www.uua.org/ga) Rates do go up on May 1. In addition, financial aid is available from the UUA and the OMD. To learn about different financial aid options from the UUA visit the GA Financial Aid webpage. To learn what the OMD is offering, please check out our Phoenix Witness Scholarship Program.

Phoenix will be your chance to be part of UU history. Will you be there?

Beth C

Posted in General Assembly, Immigration Issues, Lay Leaders, Social Justice | No Comments »

The Answer is YES!

February 27th, 2012

If you are involved in any way in congregational leadership, you know that there is more to the job than just meetings and gathering information. Sometimes there are tough decisions to be made. Decisions are usually phased in OR language, and many times that is appropriate: Do we choose Contractor A OR Contractor B?; Will the Coming of Age Trip be to Boston OR New Orleans?; etc. Other times we feel forced to choose in ways that just do not feel right. Do we take care of our members OR reach out to the community? Should we support Music OR Religious Education for children? Is it more important to have the roots and grounding of Tradition OR the wings that change and Innovation bring?
The book Managing Polarities in Congregations by Roy Oswald and Barry Johnson (available from our UUA Bookstore) has been helpful for me in approaching situations where the answer should be YES! Starting from everyday examples that we understand intuitively – should I Inhale OR Exhale?; Rest OR Exercise? – the authors expand into areas of paradox where all congregations find themselves in at one time or another. The key is not choosing one extreme or polarity over another, but in finding and maintaining the dynamic balance between the two which will allow our congregation to thrive. The answer is YES, we need to Rest AND Exercise.
Perhaps it is human nature, but most of us are better at spotting negative behavior in others than in ourselves. “We tried that before and it didn’t work.” “People here never ………” Of course when I say it I’m only giving information and being helpful, right? And when you say it you are being an obstacle! The challenge then for me is to say YES as often as possible. Can that crazy idea that didn’t work in 2003 be tested again in one RE class or for one event? What might happen if we organized the stewardship campaign or the coffee hour entirely differently? Is there any way I can build up upon ideas with a YES AND rather than going doing the negative YES BUT path?
This may sound like I am preaching to you, but in reality I am asking you to help me discover better ways to cultivate personal relationships AND respect limitations on time and travel; to concentrate on promoting health AND be available in the hard times; to honor the past, celebrate the present AND prepare for a future where success has a whole new definition. I’m asking for your help, and I hope your answer is YES!
Karen LoBracco, Lifespan Faith Development Consultant
Ohio Meadville and St. Lawrence Districts – UUA

Tags: Faith Development, leadership
Posted in Growth, Lay Leaders | 1 Comment »

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