Posts Tagged ‘General Assembly’

Gathering the Spirit

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

I flew back from Minneapolis this past Monday (and boy are my arms tired) after attending the 2010 UUA General Assembly.  More than 3500 of my closest UU friends joined me for a week of workshops, worship, celebration, justice, and love.

As we stood in plenary hall singing Jim Scott’s stirring hymn, Gather the Spirit, I thought of the Unitarian Universalists in my home congregation and in the congregations around our district who were not in attendance on this day…and I thought about how wonderful it would be if more of us were together to share this experience.

Gather the spirit, harvest the power!
Our separate fires will kindle one flame.
Witness the mystery of this hour!
Our trials in this light appear all the same.

One of the clear lessons I have learned in this work is that congregations are not alone…even though many feel they are.  We all share the same hopes and dreams and we all struggle with the same fears and challenges.  At General Assembly, Unitarian Universalists come to understand that our strength is in numbers; that we have more in common than what divides us; and that our faith is a strong and good one.

Gather the spirit of heart and mind!
Seeds for the sowing are laid in store,
Nurtured in love, and conscience refined,
With body and spirit united once more.

General Assembly provides us with an opportunity to renew our faith.  It is impossible to stand in a hall with thousands of other like minded and caring people and not feel moved by the songs, by the sermons, by the stories of faith and courage and healing.  General Assembly is rejuvenating.

Gather the spirit growing in all,
Drawn by the moon and fed by the sun,
Winter to spring, and summer to fall,
The chorus of life resounding as one!

Attending General Assembly helps to remind us why we are Unitarian Universalists.  It affirms our commitment to this wonderful religion.  For those who were there in Minneapolis, I hope the spirit of our time together stays with you all year long.  For those who weren’t there, come to Charlotte next summer where the 50th anniversary of General Assembly will take place.  It will renew your spirit, grow your faith and leave you feeling, along with thousands of others, as one.

With respect,

Mark Bernstein

Regional Growth Development Consultant -Central East Region of the UUA

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Important GA Information about GA 2012

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

This week we want to talk about an important issue that will be brought before the delegates at General Assembly this year.

After Arizona passed SB 1070, the UUA Board of Trustees voted to ask the delegates at General Assembly to approve moving the 2012 GA out of Phoenix, AZ (referred to as the Phoenix boycott). One consequence of this move will be a loss of around $612,000. The original article on the UU World website can be read at http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/162796.shtml

Since then, ARE (Allies for Racial Equality), DRUUMM (Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries), A/PIC (Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus of DRUUMM) and LUUNA (Latino/a UU Network Association have come out in support of the boycott. The Arizona/New Mexico Cluster of Religious Professionals have requested that delegates vote against the boycott and asked instead that the UUA use this opportunity to Stand on the Side of Love. You can read the details of this debate through the UU World coverage at http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/165916.shtml

Yesterday, Rev. Peter Morales, President of the UUA, issued a statement voicing his preference that we not approve the boycott and endorsing the idea of using this as an opportunity to Stand on the Side of Love and work with those who are working for change in the state. You can read his statement at http://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/166693.shtml.  The UUA has been invited by several groups that work with immigrants to partner with them in Phoenix and learn more about their work if we choose to meet in Arizona.

The UUMA executive committee met this past week and heard arguments on both sides of the debate. They have decided they will not take a vote one way or another on the boycott proposal. At their meeting, they passed a referendum which stated: “that the UUMA condemns passage of SB1070 in Arizona and urges its members to work for repeal of the law, to resist passage of similar laws in other states, and to advocate for a new federal immigration bill that will respect the dignity and rights of all and will provide a fair, safe avenue to documented status for law abiding immigrants.”

Both sides of the debate have legitimate arguments in their favor. This will be a long and hard debate for the delegates at GA. We hope that our congregations will take this opportunity to discuss this issue so that your delegates will arrive in Minneapolis knowing the feelings and preferences of their home congregation and so all will be educated about the issue. If you have questions or need assistance finding the resources, please let us know.

Beth C

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