So when I accepted the call no one ever told me about a baptism by storm!  And so begins my first “official” day of ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers.  I am happy to report that the only storm a-brewin’ appears to be quite literal.

Already Fay has caused upheaval in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  Our hope is that the winds stay slow and the rains light when the storm reaches Fort Myers.  The church office will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday the 19th) and we will assess what Wednesday looks like when we get there.

When I think of Fay, I think of the etymology that some would say comes from fe meaing fairy, or, in ancient Greek, the fates.  This category 1 hurricane Fay has us wrapped up in a common fate here in Florida.  And shutter up and hunker down as we might, we don’t have control over the weather or the warmth of the ocean that can cause the storm to pick up speed (well, technically we have something to do with the warmth of the ocean, but that’s another blog post!).  Natural disasters are sometimes the most pressing times for us spiritually.  We become the characters in a play directed and scripted by the fates, as fickle as the weather.  Our children or grandchildren question why bad things like storms happen to us and why grown-ups can’t completely control the weather.  We give up control to the immediacy of responding to the moment, to the struggle of giving no certain guarantee to our children except that we vow to keep them as safe and as loved as we possibly can.

We also have the opportunity to reassure one another that we care.  Making the choice to care for one another IS something over which we have control.  Sending our thoughts and prayers to those who are suffering in the aftermath of Fay is something we can do.  We can make meaning out of this stormy time by making sure that our neighbors are secure, offering a helping hand if needed.

My prayers are with you that we remain safe and sound, or, as my grandmother would say, “snug as a bug in a rug.”  Andy and I have great resources among our neighbors and friends here in Fort Myers.  We, too, promise to keep as safe as we can.  This is my fist chance to prove that I am not just a fair-weather friend.

Blessings,

Allison

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers, FL hosted a vigil July 30th to remember and pray for the Knoxville churches of Tennessee Valley and Westside. During the service we conducted a ceremony during which we lit candles and inscribed or drew our hopes and prayers for the churches on a piece of decorative paper.

I have since compiled these prayers and wishes into a book that I have sent to Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. We also took a special offering and our generosity that evening will add $720.10 to the Knoxville Relief Fund.

Here are pictures of the book I put together & sent. Dear scrap booking enthusiasts, I shall need your help if I am ever to do this again!

first page

second page

third page-this pocket contains many more personal notes

fourth page

fifth page

final page

Thank you for your contributions and your prayers. A special thanks again to colleagues Suzanne Fast, Intern Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples and the Rev. Naomi King, minister of River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and Schuyler Vogel, Director of Faith Development at River of Grass.

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.

~Theodore Parker

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.

I want to remind you all in the local Fort Myers, FL area that the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers is hosting a vigil to send prayers of hope and healing to the Knoxville Churches who have suffered from the shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church this past Sunday. Come to 13411 Shire Lane off of Daniels Parkway at 7pm tonight, July 30th, to join us in prayers for peace and love in the face of hatred and violence.

You may not be able to attend in body, but please join us in spirit. Take time to journal, walk, meditate, pray, light a candle and sit. I also encourage you, if you are of the means to do so, to donate to the Knoxville Relief Fund set up by the Unitarian Universalist Association. To donate online, click here.

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.

For more info, go here.

In the National Public Radio program “Speaking of Faith,” Krista Tippett interviews Dr. Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play, who is exploring our capacity to play and its work on our spiritual and emotional development. See this video of Brown’s brief explanation with pictures of animals at play. We are hard-wired to play! But so much gets in the way of enjoying life, enjoying the gifts we have.

Dr. Brown recommends looking to the experts in approaching the art of play- children! He asks us to remember when we ourselves would play- what would we do as children? If able, try doing it again as an adult. In addition, celebrations and rituals are one way of engaging in play that many humans do well.

In mujerista theology, celebration is a cornerstone of Latin@/Hispanic cultural life. These celebrations strengthen the community, the neighborhoods, and networks of kin, godparents, aunties and uncles. At the foundation is the theological implication: life is worth celebration, even in the midst of the everyday struggle.

Whether you identify as rich or poor, remember that life is worth celebrating in some small or very spectacular way. For those who grieve, celebrations may be a tall order. But one has the choice to live in the here and now or solely look back to a happier past. As Unitarian Universalists, we focus on the here and now, and the quality of life for all humans. We celebrate life as a collective so that some individuals may grieve when needed. Not everyone can celebrate together, but in the ebb and flow of a community, we doggedly lift up the sacredness of life on this planet.

If you feel able, try playing this week.

“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?

Please read the so called “Marriage Protection Amendment” here. Don’t forget to read the additional information, particularly the financial impact document, in which the unimaginable financial impact of this amendment on domestic partners who lose health insurance and social security benefits is described only as “indeterminately.”

As the Rev. Marlan Lavanhar preached at our Unitarian Universalist General Assembly this year in Fort Lauderdale, let your passion for this PERSONAL impact be sacred fire that fuels your heart and your spirit.

Well, it is late in the week for my weekly post, but General Assembly 2008 has been the usual time of networking, information sharing, worshiping, and catching up. In the convention center, the flow of people stops and starts as people see one another, greet, hug, clump together, chat, and move along in the stream, only to run into someone else two minutes later. It sometimes takes half an hour to get to the bathroom!

Many enjoyed the Service of the Living Tradition service where retiring ministers were honored, new ministers welcomed into preliminary and final fellowship, and deceased ministers remembered. The Rev. Victoria Safford preached a moving sermon about singing over the lines that divide us, referring to the culture of fear that created Homeland Security and our strange government-issued-ID-flashing GA in Fort Lauderdale. At this service I formally received my preliminary fellowship with some fellow graduates. And speaking of my commencement, I look forward to posting the Rev. Dr. Forrest Church’s sermon from our commencement when it is available. His sermon spoke to my calling to ministry, which, at its core, is to serve.

Don’t forget, if you did not make the trek to General Assembly, you can still watch the online streaming video here, as well as order recordings of workshops you wish you might have attended.

Watch our Unitarian Universalist Association President Bill Sinkford on youtube at the Public witness rally for Fairness for all Families, raising awareness about both BGLT families and immigrant families whose stability will be affected by how we Floridians vote in November.

Moreover, I made the commitment to work in coalition with our fellow Unitarian Universalist Florida clergy for marriage equality as well as raising awareness about amendment 2. Amendment 2 has a clear agenda that goes beyond the issue of same sex marriage- it is an agenda that also undermines the commitment between two people who have made the decision to not legally wed. Whether it’s seniors who need social security benefits or the changing culture of our young families, the agenda is that people should not live together out of wedlock. Our agenda as Unitarian Universalists is one that stands on the side of love, an engaging and dynamic faith agenda that has the terrifying and energizing obligation to rise up in body or spirit and say no to 2.

So, GA has been exhausting and energizing! Don’t even get me started on Van Jones, our Ware lecturer, who this evening received applause, hoots, amens and then a long and enthusiastic standing ovation for his pragmatic, inspiring, and hope-infused talk about preparing to govern by creating grassroots “eco-populism” and a “green economy.” I referred to his work in my final sermon during the candidating week. No doubt I will be keeping up with his ruminations in the coming year! Hope you will as well.

View the video of neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor, sharing her “stroke of insight” at the TED conference this year.  The TED conference is an opportunity for fascinating thinkers to shares their ideas and lives in 18 minute talks.  Watching this talk by Jill Bolte Taylor made me feel like I had gone to church- very moving!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/229