Heading Home

Jimmy, Mary Ann and I headed home today, made great time and looking forward to a wistful Sunday night after the big trip and a short week at work 'cause of the fourth. We stopped for lunch in Daytona Fl. (we missed the exit that had Steak and Shake, with regret. But found a mall devoted to bikers, I think most of the stores sold Harley Davidson in one way or another, anyway, we had good bar-b-que, large portions and quick service! Home by 5pm.

I worshiped at 8am

The worship service I attend this morning at 8am sustained me through this long day. The sermon by Rev. Dan Schatz "Reflections of a Unitarian Universalist Pacifist" was wonderful. Rev. Schatz won the social witness sermon award from the UU Ministers' Association and they were spot on! I think you can hear his homily here:
http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2008/112314.shtml

I voted!

After the worship service this morning, I attended the Plenary session as your delegate and I voted on something!
But that wasn't until after 11am and we started at 8:30.

During that time, we had reports! from the Board of Trustees (they are working on "ends" statements, reviewing the election process and trying to stay out of the details; that made me feel better!) Rpts from the Executive staff of the UUA, the Treasurer (he has a good sense of humor, also seems very reliable and a committed UU.) The annual program fund raised $7 million this year! There is a "committee on committees" Ha! And reports by the lovely Beacon Press (they have a blog) and the Journey Toward Wholeness transformational committee. Rpts from the associated organizations: the UU Service Committee (they altered their logo) and the UU Women's Federation (I can't believe I'm not a member; they are having a convocation Feb 26-March 1 2009 in Houston TX see www.iccuw.com) And then we left off reporting and started recognizing folks: two breakthrough Congregations (both great!) and 12 newly completed Green Sanctuaries ( this work is being transferred to the UUA Stewardship Office to administer from the UU Ministry for the Earth, which developed the program.) Forrest Church. And we recognized UUA staff and a really worthy local service project, and then we were ready to vote!

Our vote was to select a Congregational Study Action Issue from two proposed:
1, "Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice" or 2 "Nuclear Disarmament" Both proposals come from the Congregations and this process is facilitated by the UUA Commission on Social Witness.

The issue we vote on will be recommend as the focus of study for social witness for our Congregations. After two years of study, a statement of conscience on the issue may be drafted for approval by GA and then that will be implemented for two years. So, that is 4 years of focus on this issue. There is some overlap. The current study/action issue is Peacemaking.

Anyway, although there is ample opportunities for workshops outside the Plenary, debate during is quite controlled. Four statements of 2 minutes each can be made for each proposal (and, of course, were made) and then we voted.

I voted for the Ethical Eating proposal, which received the majority of votes.

More later!

Bridging Service

Attended the worship service Friday evening, a multigenerational service that included a bridging ceremony for youth bridging to young adult status (18 years of age, leaving high school.)

The service featured a reflection by a youth (high school age), a young adult (a woman in her 20's, probably just starting work.) and an adult (a leader/advisor of the youth/young adults.) Interspersed was music! From invited artists and hymn singing.

During the bridging ceremony youth walked across the stage and told us their name and Congregation. There were about 20 to 30 youth from all over the country, looking so good!

After the ceremony, William Sinkford gave them their charge, very eloquently.

A service enjoyed by all!

8 spiritual practices to Save the World

Loved, loved, loved this workshop presented by Rev Mary Wellemeyer a lasagna of a plan for each of us to change the world. Here are the steps:

Slow Down
Allow what is
Notice compassionately
Gather
Find your task
Do your task
Reflect
Rejoice

The first three come from the Buddhist tradition. How nice to practice a bit of slow down at a busy Convention! Just thinking the phrase was a relief! Rev. W. mention that offen slowing down in our lives means taking a walk, swimming, doing something physical.

Gather means finding a group to share with and support you. An example is the Quaker practice of a "clearness committee" a group that listening to your ideas for a task and simply asks questions about it (not give advice, or talk about themselves!) We tried this out, very fun; hard not to give advice! Rev. W also mention that the idea of gathering before taking action came out of the women's movement, she thought. Cool.

Find your task and do your task. Sounds simple! Rev. W mentioned that task were not necessarily internal, but external, part of the world, here is where we work on our "save the world" project, whether by following a spiritual practice or teaching children or ?.

I'll need my notes to write more, but I'll remember this plan, not linear but practices that meld together and repeat.

Big Ideas for Small Congregations

Going to this workshop, based around a book available from the presenters, made me (us) feel Big (technically small congregations are between (2-150). We are big among the small Congregations, but I empathized most with the attendees who got up to tell their stories here, especially a woman who spoke of a group of folks leaving their Church in conflict. Conflict happens, but it feels different is a small group!

My major learning from this workshop: Create an organization that fits the size you are, if you don't have enough volunteers for your committees, perhaps you have too many committees (or too many folks on a committee.) If your organization fits your size, you are a healthy Congregation, and folks naturally will want to join the group!

Hmmm, are we an organization that fits our size? Well, probably not and I suspect there are also other factors in play, but I will remember this idea, I think it is a guideline.

Another point made strongly: the only reason to grow our Church is to save lives, to welcome more people into our beloved community, nurture their spirit and help them heal the world. We DO NOT grow to help raise funds, get more volunteers.

Tools for the Spirit

Mary Ann and I both attended an excellent workshop on two new adult curricula available from the UUA Tapestry of Faith. Namely, Spirit of Life (based on the song!) and Spirit in Practice. Rev Sarah Gibb Millspaugh briefly described both curricula, took questions, and then we tried out some of the curriculum's reflection and discussion exercises. They soon brought us together in small groups, and even with the larger group: laughing, sharing and raising the spirit. Mary Ann wrote a poem. I use the word "spirit" voluntarily in a sentence!

One comment made at the meeting by a member of a Congregation that had used the curriculum: She felt it was important to start by exploring the knowledge and experience of the participants and then gear the workshops within the curriculm to the group. Taking advantage of the many options, alternatives built into the curriculum.

Similarly, incorporate the spiritual practices of the participants to make a good fit between the curriculum and the group. Rev. Sarah agreed. One of the great feature of the Tapestry of Faith curricula is that they are online, in word processing format that can be modified easily and offer a core 1 hour of activities, but another hour of alternative for each session. Very exciting!

Nurture the spirit, help heal our world

My first plenary session was almost as big a crowd as the worship/concert the night before! The highlight was Bill Sinkford's penultimate speech, after 7 years as Prez of the UUA, but first:

The Commission on Appraisal introduced themselves, a worthy and well chosen group. They are charged with reviewing article 2 of the Association's bylaws which includes our principles and purposes, the review is called for by the bylaws every 15 years. The group has been gathering data, asking questions (30 big ones; 80 small ones) and hearing from members, their e-mail addresses are out there! They will present a proposal for a simple majority vote at GA in 2009, in 2010 the revisions to article 2 will need a 2/3 majority vote to pass. They summed up: yes, there will be changes, no, they don't know what those will be. Only delegates can decide. Their website is:
www.uua.org/coa

Next was a presentation of a breakthrough Congregation: UU of Wayne County from Wooster Ohio, that had made significant and sustained growth. They presented a 12 minute video of the Congregation's story. Seemed like a wonderful group. Some things they said that struck me: there was "no sense of someone has been here longer." One woman said she felt that her talents, skills would be utilized. People said "yes" and they built a good medal LEED building, which is very green.

Sinkford organized his speech around the three purposes of the UUA (I paraphrase):

• support the health and vitality of the Congregations as they do their ministry
• open doors to people longing for liberal religion
• be a credible voice for liberal religion, a spokesman role

He spoke of the Tapestry Lifespan RE curriculum, efforts to increase the number of ministers of color, the challenges to develop better services for youth, especially at the Congregational level, and the breakthrough Congregations as some accomplishments of his tenure.

Sinkford emphasized the "Now is the Time" capital campaign, which inlcude an appeal to Congregations directly on Association Sunday, 600 or more Congregations participated, raising 1.4 million. The capital campaign's goal is $50 million of which about $39 million has been raised. Some of the money raised was used to run ads in Time magazine, which Sinkford reported were the 1/3 most remembered according to the Time readers' survey. We also advertised on Google, which he said was so inexpensive and effective at getting folks to our Website that that will continue. Overall, his point was, " We are no longer content to be invisible"

There was much else covered in a good speech, but I was impressed by his mention that after leaving GA he'll be heading to a planning meeting for the "G8" where he is one of 2 heads of denominations asked to speak, he'll be addressing to topic: interdependence. Go Bill!

The race is on, next year's GA will elect a new President of the UUA. I've seen two folks campaigning here, will look up their names later!

All lifted hearts are free

My favorite part so far was singing these phrases with the hundreds gathered for the Plenary 1 and Opening Worship:
Many windows, one light
Many waters, one sea
All lifted hearts are free

Fort Lauderdale is way, far down Florida, almost to Miami! If Mary Ann Muller and I had consulted a map before this trip; we might have been intimidated by this drive! Fortunately Jimmy Murphy riding (and driving) with us for his mini-break in Ft. L., brought an atlas. The drive passed surprisingly quickly with much good conversation. Mary Ann and I settled in at the hotel (on the A1A, there is a bridge to the beach!) But as good UUs and delegates, hit the convention hall by 5: 30 or so, beach tomorrow!

We recognized the UUs as soon as the shuttle approached the convention center! Once registered, our delegate voting cards in hand and the meeting agenda (a printed book!) under our arms, Mary Ann and I headed to the annual fund table to get ribbons celebrating our Congregation's fair share contributions to the annual fund of the UUA. To my surprise, we got not one ribbon but two (blue and pink!) Your generous contributions festooned our badges, thanks!

Time for exhibits before the first session--there are booths for every group: UU camps, identity groups, the UUService Committee had a nice set up (giving away lovely, fair trade chocolate and coffee samples, um), the Beacon Press, UUA bookstore, Uni-Uniques (our Congregation's mugs and license plates caught my eye, well-displayed; I'm proud of us again, my ribbons wave!) Chalices are everywhere: beautifully handcrafted and on silk and artfully crafted into jewelry (our favorite booth!) The first day is for browsing!

Then, our first gathering, plenary session 1 and opening worship. A skillful combination of worship service, business meeting and rock concert, initiated by the parade of banners, each representing a Congregation and beautifully crafted. Impressive to see the long parade (and 6 new Congregations joined the UUA this year!) The Sources cantata was lovely, especially when we all sang together and the storytelling. It was wonderful worshiping with so many other UUs!

New words/UUisms: before a hymn: "Rise in body or spirit"

General Assembly Program

The Program for General Assembly is on the Web, a pdf document. Let me know your suggestion for which workshops to attend. I know I'll attend the Plenary I and Opening Worship Wednesday evening. I'm excited to see Sources: a Unitarian Universalist Cantata. The order of service is on page 14 of the Program. I don't think I've been to a contata before!

We depart at 7am tomorrow!

My first GA

I'm excited to be attending my first General Assembly of Unitarian Universalist Congregations! I've heard about this gathering for years and how much fun, how interesting and inspiring it was for my fellow UUs!

I thought I'd record what I do, thoughts and impressions, especially for my fellows at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah, curious about GA and what goes on there, exactly (as I was!)

I registered for the Conference (cost $290) and hotel (on the beach in Fort Lauderdale) online and several months ago (there is an early bird discount.) A few weeks ago I got a pretty thick program describing worship services, meetings and workshops to attend. As with most conferences (and restaurant menus) I'll probably decide which workshop to attend at the last minute, they all sound interesting, so UU! I saw there is an appreciative inquiry conducted by Helen Bishop, I'm a fan since Leadership School at the Mountain, so I'll try to make that!

I was elected as a delegate at the Church's annual meeting, so I'll be attending the plenary sessions, not sure what to expect there, I'll let you know what we discuss, decide!