Since returning from (and sharing) our “mountain top experience” at the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly (UUA GA), your board has been working to help foster greater understanding within our community so that we can move forward together in our creation of a more just UUCC and world. We had a workshop from UUA Regional Lead Paula Cole Jones in August, we’ve hosted conversation circles to help us understand difficult terms (like White Supremacy Culture), we now have 4 book clubs; and this past Sunday we were invited to consider how we work to embody keeping our covenantal promises with each other.
Our recent struggles to understand newer and different ways of being multi-cultural and anti-oppressive have not been ours alone. Other Unitarian Universalist congregations have had similar struggles. Therefore, the UUA has invited UUs into a conversation for liberation. The UUA states: “We offer Conversations for Liberation to invite Unitarian Universalists into broad, shared discussion to discern together how to move our faith forward toward greater justice.” We are then encouraged to not be swayed by “False divisions…[that] distract from the core calling of our faith to move toward equity and compassion in every way.”
We are inspired by their three core commitments, each of which have fairly deep explanations. We have only included the explanation for the third one here as we have had conversation about this at UUCC. The commitments from the UUA are listed below:
1. We recommit ourselves to the aspiration of a fully inclusive and anti- oppressive community.
2. We recenter the truth telling that comes from voices at the margins of our faith community.
3. We reaffirm that we must lead from the covenant of care that binds us.
We must hold each other in love and kindness, including when we do not agree. We have to take responsibility for the impacts of our voices, processes and actions as we engage with the expectation of growth and learning. No one is disposable. Unitarian Universalism is no place for name-calling, dismissal, gaslighting and arguments that undermine and erase. With humility, we must affirm one another’s humanity, even in times of frustration, heartbreak and trauma.
So, for the next 3 months, we will consider the 3 core commitments and the reflection questions outlined by the UUA. Conversation Circles will occur on the 4th Sunday of each month from 12:30pm – 2pm. Let us listen to each other with respect and love to strengthen our community, create understanding and continue moving towards equity and compassion.
Please read the whole Invitation here: https://www.uua.org/conversations/invitation
Sincerely,
Carla Gates, Congregational President, Chair Board of Trustees
Tim Lattimer, First Vice President
Colette Gelwicks, Second Vice President
Wendy Ramsey, Treasurer
Ken Rock, Secretary
Robin Hessey, Member at large
Amy Brooks, Member at large