October 2011 Blog Posts (42)

In my last blog, I wrote of “Old Orange People” who were reluctant to join the younger “Green People” in creating a Rainbow Culture. 

I wasn’t fair.  I forgot the varied gifts offered by the Orangers—values that were frequently “dissed” by the Greeners.  

No wonder the old folks held back!  These elders, “Mandarin Orangers,” were wisely setting conditions on their joining the new culture.  They said,  “Recognize and honor the values that we bring to…

The Witch by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge I have walked a great while over the snow, And I am not tall nor strong. My clothes are wet, and my teeth are set, And the way was hard and long. I have wandered over the…

Did you know?

Once each month, Equality UUCA will post a new “Did you know?” column here, for all members and friends of UUCA to enjoy. We will try to post stories about LGBT rights and advocacy that go at least one step beyond the headlines, or that offer a broader perspective—cross-culturally or across the evolving decades—and will link what we post with today’s living social justice challenges.

Did…

Watch a video that shows the kite-flying in Guatemala that is one of the ways Mayans have traditionally observed the Day of the Dead.  A group of UUCAers were in Guatemala last year on this holiday, which in anglo-Christian traditions is called All Saints Day (November 1), and were impressed by the beautiful kites and the power of the symbolism.  Flying kites high into the air brings earthbound human beings closer to…

Once upon a time, on a distant planet, a green people lived in a green land, working to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables glowing with the light of their sun.  Their songs and dances gave them much joy.  They also suffered mightily with pain from the labors of their work and the inevitable aging of their bodies towards death.

Onto this planet came voyagers from afar—mostly men, with skins orange as pumpkins and marigolds.  Armed with weapons that killed both young and old,…

In a homily I gave to introduce UUCA's online ministry on Oct. 25, 2009, I considered that my church experience probably foreshadows a trend in which digital natives return to an emphasis on tangible gatherings and interaction.

And now, a respected research organization has culled data that suggests…

The goal: Sponsor an event to unify the church and support anti-bullying efforts with the 1000 paper cranes = 1 wish to end bullying project.

What began as an idea to bring the downstairs and upstairs together in unity and spirit ended with a sanctuary full of purple in support of the Youth Group's Anti-bullying project.  COLOR THE CHURCH PURPLE was a big success thanks to the ideas of Marisa Kataoka and Casha Stempniewicz.

See photos:…

By a vote of 139 to 21, members attending the congregational meeting on Sunday 10/23 voted "yes" to authorize the Board of Trustees to move forward with planning and financing a two-story addition--as well as a green parking lot, a series of sanctuary improvements, and systems upgrades and repairs. I see this decision as a huge vote of confidence in the future of UUCA as a beacon in our community.

It is true that we will have to borrow to pull this off--but the borrowing is barely 17%…

But, UUCA is a spiritual space not a fully democratic space.  YET, It doesn’t have to be that way.  In my opinion, I don’t see UUCA as a truly democratic space if we don’t throw open our doors to the community with the addition of the 2 story Celebration Center.   Young people are occupying Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square because they don’t feel they have a voice.  No one is listening to them and voting just isn’t enough anymore. Our laws enforce and reinforce our lack of democratic…

I'm questioning my own doubts about our borrowing $1 million for the complete UU space renewal and expansion (especially the second story for the East wing).

Why?  Because I've been told that the Buckingham community feels great interest in sharing that space—which would offer us a multicultural partnership that could help build equality and community.  For instance, that space could become a home base for work on immigrant rights and economic justice.

I like that.  It's a…

As a “Community Center” the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia welcomes an average of 2,200 people a week!

Leaders from First Unitarian shared their success story in a powerful presentation at Saturday’s Racial Justice Conference.  They explained that they subsidize dozens of cultural, educational, civic, wellness and spiritual groups, and the hundreds of people served by them, by providing affordable and…

The question of "needs" has come up frequently in the past year, as UUCAers have discussed the funding for building repairs and upgrades. It has also come up in recent sermons about our own "purpose" and about membership, the congregation, and the wider world--especially with recent conversations about the "Occupy" movements.

So what do we need? In terms of our building and grounds, it is pretty clear that UUCA needs to do some significant repairs and upgrades. We need to…

This weeks Common Meditation is a poem by Sarah Munson, a long-time member and poet in our congregation.

Quiet Enough

Can I be quiet enough to hear

machinery hum

in kitchen and basement?

Quiet enough to feel

the sun, emptying through glass,

fill every pore in my face?

Quiet enough to accept

the stretch of muscle

strained to sit still?

Quiet enough to allow

thoughts…

With Cynthia's help I managed to write a letter to an old friend who wanted my reaction to something that she had written. Trying to set aside the axiom ``the truth always hurts'' I think I managed to stay close to Gertrude Stein's aphorism ``artists don't need criticism, they need praise.''

For 40 years I made my living as a theater critic for newspapers. The task was (almost) always an exercise in detachment. With an eye to the Hippocratic dictum ``do no harm,'' I tried to…

Gathering and potluck breakfast at 8:45 a.m. 

At the beginning of the meeting, we will share information

about the various social justice initiatives now pursued

by UUCA social justice community members and discuss our social justice

communications efforts.

At 10:30 a.m., Bruce Knotts, Executive Director of the

Unitarian Universalist Association’s United Nations Office, will speak on U.S.

immigration and LGBT…

The photo in the previous entry is of folks from UUCA who attended the Culpepper Garden donor appreciation tea this past Saturday October 15.  As many of you know, Culpepper Garden Senior Residence for low and moderate income elders was started by UUCA 36 years ago. Our church and many of its members and friends have provided ongoing support in the form of financial contributions and volunteer work from the beginning of Culpepper Garden's existence.  I was proud to be one of the…