March walkway
I went to leave my folks’ house today and my mom pointed out the walkway. We paused for a moment to enjoy the wonderous beauty and for a moment were grateful to not be rushing past.
The Magic of Finances at Canvass Time
Something magical happens in our building on Sunday mornings. Where else could you witness one group of young children outside exploring the frozen tundra as they learn about the Arctic explorer and ethnologist, Vilhjalmur Stefansson (who was at one time a student for the Unitarian ministry)? Or find another group of slightly older children learning about the Unitarian inventor, Lewis Latimer by making marshmallow blowers out of pvc pipes and joints? Head on to the next room and you might witness one of our ministers talking with the children about the roles and tasks of a minister (even answering the question “are you a real person?”). In the next room you might be tempted to join in the making of duct tape crafts as the students discuss the flexibility and sturdiness of our faith. And just when you think it can’t get any better than this, head to coffee hour where the 4th/5th grade class is helping to sell the fair trade products as a way of learning about homelessness, economics and the need for good practices all ‘round. All this and more on any given Sunday morning – it truly is a magical place.
One of the challenges of running such a wonderfully magical place is finding ways to help our children understand how the magic happens. They see their teachers each week and have a sense of the love and effort the teachers put into preparing each class. But our children are removed from the finances of congregational life. The children are dismissed for classes before the offering is taken each week, which means that they miss out on this tangible reminder that it takes the resources of all of us to keep the congregation running.
During the monthly children’s chapel services we do collect an offering, explaining the significance of doing so. But this is a once a month event and most of the children don’t remember to bring any money with them (hint – the next Children’s Chapel will be on 15 March). Our annual stewardship time is a great opportunity to help our children and youth understand the mysteries of finances and money, particularly around our congregation.
Inviting our children into the conversations of Stewardship will help them to more deeply value what they are experiencing in the congregation. I encourage you to take time this month to talk with your children and youth about your canvass pledge to the congregation. Share with them what you value most about the congregation and ask them what they value most. Explain how you come to the financial amount you choose to give and invite them to give a portion of their income to the congregation. Help your children/youth understand the magic of finances in our congregation.
Barbicide?
So I was getting my hair buzzed today (yup, for those of you who haven’t seen me in a while I have been growing my hair out – high & tight – nothing too long).
Anyway, there I was sitting in the barber’s chair when I noticed the print on the jar. I’m just sayin’ … it made this guy think. Perhaps that’s why I’ve kept my head shaved for so long.
A friend once said that people attracted to me should be called “Barbsexual.” Does that mean that people who would kill me would be guilty of Barbicide? I’m just wondering…
INNOCENCE IS PRICELESS (church joke)
(It is rare when a church joke catches me off guard and causes me to laugh out loud. The joke below did just that. I don’t know where it originated from, but I read it on a list serve I subscribe to and loved it. Thus, I’m sharing it with you in hopes that the end result is that your day is brightened as well!)
The Joke:
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, “Good morning Alex.”
“Good morning Pastor,” Alex replied, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor, what is this?”
The pastor said, “Well son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.” Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Finally, little Alex’s voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked, “Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:30?”
Excellence, Ministry & Oppression
My dear friend and colleague, the Rev. Sean Dennison has posted a commentary via blog that is well worth reading. His words resonate with me as my current position rounds the last bend and I enter into the search for a new congregation to serve. I encourage all to read his words on the TRUUsT website.
The Ideal Religious Educator
At a recent workshop participants were asked to create something that depicted the ideal Religious Educator. Being one who doesn’t enjoy working with construction paper and feathers I went to a medium I enjoy working with … the computer. I created a Power Point presentation, which you can view below: (It’s not as smooth as the actual power point presentation, but other than choppy transitions and no soundtrack it’s close.)
more about “The Ideal Religious Educator II“, posted with vodpod
Our Fading Heritage
November 20, 2008
Also found on the American Civic Literacy website is a 33 question Civics quiz you can take. So of course I took it. Now, you would think that having grown up with a father who reenacts the Revolutionary War and is now a historian, I would know my USA Civics inside and out. I knew I hadn’t aced the quiz, but was surprised when I got a score of 73%. Take the Civics quiz and find out how well you know your USA Civics.
then shall the good life be yours
If you do the task before you always adhering to strict reason with zeal and energy and yet with humanity, disregarding all lesser ends and keeping the divinity within you pure and upright, as though you were even now faced with its recall – if you hold steadily to this, staying for nothing and shrinking from nothing, only seeking in each passing action a conformity with nature and in each word and utterance a fearless truthfulness, then shall the good life be yours. And from this course no man has the power to hold you back.
~ Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)
TRUUsT Is Born!
Transgender Religious Professional Unitarian Universalists Together (TRUUsT) is a newly forming organization within the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA). TRUUsT serves as a touchstone for transgender policy issues within the UUA. Thanks to funding from the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program, TRUUsT’s steering committee held its first meeting 22-25 April 2008, in a retreat setting where the participants started developing working relationships, uncovering transgender history in the UUA, and planning for future meetings. Membership on the steering committee has been by invitation only. Membership in the TRUUsT organization is open to any Unitarian Universalist transgender or transgender ally who is a member of either the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) or the Unitarian Univeralist Ministers Association (UUMA). The organization plans to hold an annual membership retreat for transgender religious professionals and their religious professional allies (date to be announced, possibly beginning in 2009).
