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Be ours a religion which, like
sunshine, goes everywhere;
its temple, all space;
its shrine, the good heart;
its creed, all truth;
its ritual, works of love;
its profession of faith, divine
living.
Now is the time when it seems like life could go back to “normal.” But reality is sifted through the filter of what happened last Sunday. Headlines move on, cameras roll elsewhere. But this flame remains in our hearts- the flame of our living tradition which calls us to risk love in the face of violence, to live in hope instead of fear.
Filed under: in between time
This morning my mother was in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist congregation of Knoxville, TN, at worship, as she does most Sundays as a proud member. A typical summer service, the children had been working on presenting a musical, Annie, Jr. Grandparents and proud family and visitors were in attendance.
In the sanctuary, gunman began firing shots and 7 people were injured. One man is dead, who apparently used himself as a shield to protect others. For now, no one yet knows why this happened. I don’t think it will ever make sense, as the logic of violence is always senseless. My mom is alive, and it is such a strange thing to say.
I am grateful for those colleagues who are in the emergency responding team. I am grateful to the Rev. Chris Buice who returns to be with his congregation during such an unbelievable time. I am grateful my mother is alive, and yet feeling my bones etched with the deep sense of violation that a sanctuary has witnessed an act of violence. My throat aches with grief for those whose loved ones rest in a nightmarish ambiguity between life and death, knowing and not knowing.
And then there is the sadness that peoples’ safe places -homes, places of worship, neighborhoods, community centers, schools, bodies, sanctuaries- are violated every day.
My heart is with TVUUC right now. This sort of entry makes me want to change the name of my blog, and yet I know right now that my mother, a licensed psychologist, as well as many other leaders and caregivers, are caring for those who were in the sanctuary this morning. And I will be here, waiting for her call. I will save the rejoicing for another time.
In faith and struggle,
Allison Farnum
www.uucfm.org
For more info, go here.
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“Of all the memberships we identify ourselves by the one thing that is most forgotten, and that has the greatest potential for healing, is place. We must learn to know, love, and join our place even more than we love our own ideas. People who can agree that they share a commitment to the landscape/cityscape — even if they are otherwise locked in struggle with each other — have at least one deep thing to share.”
- Gary Snyder
A friend of mine was recently expressing his gratitude at having found a wonderful pub where “everyone knows his name.” No, his name is not Norm. But everyone knows his name. It is a place where he can relax, get to know the local folks, and become a part of something bigger. He is working away from home for the summer. He misses his wife. So he comes to this “third place,” a place that is neither work nor home.
For many of us, church is like a third place. It is a place where many know our names (and they’re always glad you came!) My dream is that the church be much like the Irish pub- a place infused with staid traditions as well as lighthearted fun. These older pubs are community institutions, holding spaces for the community that endure celebration, speeches, mourning and wakes. Music is played, children dance, and adults talk and play together. Yes, I would love for church to be like an Irish pub (minus the beer and smoke, of course), a third place that is neither work nor home. Church can be the third place where we seek sanctuary and space to ask questions of our lives at work and at home. In the third place, we can step outside for a moment and sincerely ask: “What is going on here? What can I celebrate? What needs transformation or healing?”
Sometimes, our usual places become places of escape - we dive into work to escape the demands of staying in relationship with our loved ones during challenging times. Or we micromanage our family life at home less as a way of loving and more as a way of gaining some semblance of control in a chaotic, messy world. Let the church be a neutral place where you can come and reflect on the other places in your life. More importantly, allow the church to be a place that expands your sense of place. Where have you not placed yourself and why? Someone else’s shoes? Someone else’s home? Who are or what has not been placed in your life?
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Even if you are not planning on attending the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale this year, the following planned public witness event that demands fairness for all families may move you to make the drive just for the following event. I hope you will hear more of this and plan on attending or seeing how to get involved in Fort Myers through the church.
(excerpted from a letter by the Revs Naomi King, Susan Leslie, and Gail Tapscott 
June 17, 2008
At this year’s General Assembly, the UUA is sponsoring a public witness event on Valuing ALL Families–Standing on the Side of Love with Immigrant and Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Families. The event is being cosponsored by the UU Church of Ft. Lauderdale, River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the UU Legislative Ministry of Florida, Interweave and DRUUMM. Equality Florida, Fairness for All Families, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition have also endorsed the event and will have speakers. It is on Friday, June 27 from 5:00-6:30 in Stranahan Park in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Shuttle buses will be going to and from the Convention Center. See: http://www.uua.org/documents/aw/080627_witness_flyer.pdf.
Along with a statement and prayer from President William Sinkford and personal testimonies from BGLT and immigrant families, we will be asking people to support the “Vote No on 2” campaign in Florida to defeat the ballot initiative that would constitutionally eliminate recognitions, rights, and benefits for domestic partners. In fact, the amendment will ban all recognition and benefits for unmarried couples, straight and gay. It will block civil unions, domestic partnerships and repeal existing protections and family benefits relied upon by millions of Floridians. [See
http://www.votenoon2.com/ <http://www.votenoon2.com/> ] The UUA is a sponsor of the “No on 2” effort and we and we know many of you are working to defeat this amendment too.
We are also working to extend recognition and support to immigrant families, widening the circle of inclusion and standing on the side of love and justice. Rev. Abhi Janamanchi will be calling on participants to support family-based comprehensive immigration reform and the Citizen Child Protection Act that gives judges discretion to stop deportations of non-citizen parents.
… Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida will talk for a few minutes about why we need to defeat the effort to amend the Florida constitution. She will be followed by Rev. Naomi King who will invite UU clergy to demonstrate their support by pledging to work to defeat the ballot initiative. We will acknowledge that Unitarian Universalists have worked in every state to support all families and marriage equality and are doing so now in Florida at this crucial time. This way our folks not from Florida will be included and we will not be portrayed as “outside agitators” either. President Bill Sinkford’s remarks will also address the issue broadly. Rev. Gail Tapscott will be welcoming people to the event and emceeing it as well.
…
In faith,
Rev. Gail Tapscott, Minister, UU Church of Ft. Lauderdale
Rev. Naomi King, Minister, River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Susan Leslie, UUA Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness
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Meadville Lombard Theological School just celebrated commencement, in which I had the honor of having conferred upon me the degree of Master of Divinity. We processed in to the age-old classic “Rank by Rank” and enjoyed music from the First Unitarian Church of Chicago’s choir under the direction of Michael Thorne.
During the reflective and moving piece, “Choose Something Like a Star” by Randall Thompson, I found myself pondering the gravity of such an occasion. The commencement service is a ceremonial way of preparing us for the long road of ministry ahead: its foibles, yes, but mostly its joys. As I entered into a prayer of gratitude, a ripple of energy moved through the sanctuary of First Unitarian. In a flash, a very confused squirrel dashed in front of the row of seated graduates, leaping up the steps into the side chapel. As the choir continued its somber and thoughtful piece, muffled snickers could be heard. Suddenly, another squirrel came tearing through the seated guests, some lifting their legs with a little yelp, others gasping. Laughter became less controlled, and I admit to being the source of a hearty snort.
In some cultures, animals are guides that offer wisdom and new insight to a human. In this instance, I wonder again about the little squirrels that made such a large impact on a ceremony with great pomp and circumstance. The cermeony was wonderful. Forrest Church was to deliver the sermon, but, having terminal cancer, he was too ill from his chemotherapy to come. Our school President, Lee Barker, read the sermon on his behalf. Church emphasized the core of ministry: service. He reminded us of the one person who comes in on a Sunday who is on the edge of life, on the edge of the church. He reminded us to always serve this person.
As I watched the second squirrel, I had the feeling that he was scared. Panting, he tried burrowing into the corner of the carpeted stair to no avail. I held myself back from trying to usher him to an open door, to a place of freedom. But amidst the black crepe robes, the satin and velvet hoods, the embossed paper, amidst all the finery that befits a special occasion, a room full of ministers were wondering about this squirrel. We have been trained to care and love all of creation. But those on the edge of life, trapped, panting and scared- these are those to whom we reach out. We also may find ourselves at such edges, afraid and alone.
Honor our forbears by taking the great risk of service in your life and as a community. Look into your heart to see if you yourself are in need of ministering. Then take the risk to ask for help. May what they dreamed be ours to do.
Thank you for your thoughts and well-wishes. I am grateful for Meadville Lombard for the education I have received. Many who have gone before me provide support and context to my ministry today, a network of souls who are only a phone call, an email, or a dog-eared page away. Most importantly, I have been steeped in Unitarian Universalist culture and tradition, while having ample opportunity (in the great spirit of liberalism) to own our past and live into a more life-giving future.
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Félicitations to California for making a move to support same-sex marriage. This ruling, however, still does not provide equal rights that hetero-marrieds enjoy. Though legal marriage is not the be-all, end-all for everyone, imagine what it means to know that when your partner is in the hospital, it is you, not your mother-in-law, who is the next-of-kin. Or that you can file jointly with the Feds. Or that marriage means not having to pay a lawyer to designate power of attorney and all of the things I do not even have to think about as someone in a hetero-marriage.
Opponents call this move an act of judicial activism. Ah, yes, those wild and woolly activist judges. Just what they act upon next? Banning heterosexuality? (ha!)
I am soaring for California! But my heart is heavy for Florida that we should have to waste our collective energy and resources fighting about who loves who. Might it be that it would distract us from addressing the larger economic reality of recession and unprecedented rates of foreclosures and unemployment? Or that the economic stimulus plan is only a band-aid on the gaping and deep wound of America? I am so tired of the divide and conquer game.
But in the mean time, love is love and marriage is a right. Want to do some work together for November?
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Welcome to my web log! (blog) I hope that these entries will give you a glimpse into my world and the spirit I bring to my ministry. I write new entries every week, so check out the archives and check in again soon. Looking forward to beginning ministry with UUCFM in the fall!
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My thoughts are traveling across the globe to the natural disasters that have occurred in Myanmar (Burma) and now in China. I was speaking to my maternal grandmother, who was very upset to hear about those presently suffering in China.
How can the Lord let such things happen? she asked.
My grandmother has been Episcopalian for roughly thirty years. Before, she was a Methodist. The reason for the switch is never directly answered, but it seems to have had less to do with theology and more about family politics. At any rate, she has been a practicing Christian all of her life. She says prayers at her bedside every night. No longer able to kneel, she says them in her little twin bed as she lays herself down to sleep.
In her devotion, she still questions her god. Why would her god do or even allow such awful things to happen? I told her that some people don’t believe that god is all-powerful and all-knowing but some believe that god suffers with us in these times of shock and difficulty. The Buddhists simply acknowledge that life is suffering- not in that martyred kind of way, but in a pragmatic way. Yep, life is hard… as well as offering us moments of the sublime.
In mujerista theology, one of the main tenets of this liberation-based thought is that la vida es la lucha. Life is the struggle. But acknowledging the struggle of life does not mean that life is awful. We can celebrate life and take charge of our own lives as much as we can.
In my grandmother’s theology, heaven is where there is no more suffering. For me, the end of suffering is when I will no longer have the sense of being an “I.” I am uncertain as to when this could happen. Perhaps upon death, or perhaps after some moments of reconciliation with a greater reality I would lose my I-consciousness. As it stands as pure speculation, I might only extend my heart to those who are suffering in this world here and now, asking that we all be free from suffering and at peace. I might do even better to go beyond contemplation, get off my zafu pillowed duff, and embody these sentiments in the world. Life may be suffering, but it can also be an active prayer.
And on a completely unrelated note, I have another couple pictures to share of the most recent renegade punk knitting installations I have seen. It seems some love and appreciation has been extended to the bike racks at the Logan Square Blue Line stop. Enjoy!
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Dear folks,
I changed the title of the blog from “We Make the Road By Walking” to “With Great Rejoicing!” in order to be more inclusive. I was thinking to myself, “Hey now wait a second! Not everybody walks in this world- some of us wheel about!” So, my thanks to all the liberation theology I am reading, which stresses that the language we use shapes what is normative in our culture (who really likes normative anyway?).
The previous blog title used walking as a metaphor, from Antonio Machado’s ”Proverbios y cantares XXIX” in Campos de Castilla.
Wanderer, your footsteps are
the road, and nothing more;
wanderer, there is no road,
the road is made by walking.
By walking one makes the road,
and upon glancing behind
one sees the path
that never will be trod again.
Wanderer, there is no road–
Only wakes upon the sea.
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Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino, y nada más;
caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace camino,
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante, no hay camino,
sino estelas en la mar.
The idea is that we are in a process that is utterly mysterious- so mysterious that the road is not even a road, it is the unfathomable sea tracked by our wake. Postmodern liberation theologians tell me that, even though this is a beautiful metaphor, I do better by my brothers and sisters by being more accessible with my language. So, change it is!
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