Co-Minister's Blog
From Bill and Barbara, February 2012
Our stewardship theme is Let’s Engage! and our worship theme is God.
Imagine a plea. “God, Gee Whiz, let’s get engaged in all the meaningful activities at UUCB.” Or a proposal, “Let’s get engaged, dear lover god.” Surely when one first falls in love, the beloved is god.
Yet we’re imagining “Let’s get engaged” to be the words of a mystic poet, inviting us to get engaged with the mystery and wonder and love of each other and the world.
What could be more delicious than gathering in a chalice circle and hearing people share the deep heart material of their life stories, or to arrive in the atrium for Thursday night suppers and see the pink and golden luminous sunset?
What could be more divinely human than to enjoy in community a supper prepared by chef extraordinaire Richie Dawkins or to worship where all ages engage in story, movement, singing, silence, prayer and meditation?
What’s more heartening than to learn and serve together or hear stories of lives touched by immigration at workshops and vigils or make valentines at a party with children and parents at the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program Shelter?
How transformative to engage in conversation and collaboration with all ages as we turn toys and ourselves into creatures of peace.
What touches the soul more than movement and music in worship?
What lifts the spirits more than reaching out and taking the hands or touching the shoulders of one another as we feel and embody our interdependence and connection?
What grace to grow to love one another, to want the well-being of all.
What’s more loving than to follow the lead of our children as they call us to Sunday worship?
We could go on and on.
The miracle of spiritual community is that here you can do both. You can get engaged with activities and at the same time grow your soul and your relationship to the mystery, wonder and love of the world.
So much love,
From Bill and Barbara, January 2012
30+ DAYS OF LOVE
New Year’s Day – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Valentine’s Day
This New Year is a good time for us to create images to inspire our learning non-violence and peace.
The toys we give our children and grandchildren teach our values. Toys are for play and fun. Yet many toys are war toys, violent toys, or toys that box us in by defining racist or sexist gender norms.
There will always be conflict. Some toys teach that conflict is resolved through violence and fighting. We learn ways to resolve or manage conflict in peaceful ways.
When we see so much violence going on in the world, we can feel helpless. Rather than feeling helpless, let’s do something. We can transform violent, racist, sexist, war toys into art. We’ll see our power to make change through collaboration, cooperation and creativity.
Children and adults, please bring small toys so that together we can create something else with them. Don’t buy a new toy; bring one you already have or a used one from another source. Except for Barbie dolls, please keep the toys to 8" long or less. We make this exception because we know for many people the image the Barbie doll shows of being female is hurtful. Please bring toys to church on Sundays January 1, 8 and 15.
You are invited to bring the toys forward during the Sunday services and write on pieces of paper your thoughts about how you see the harm that can come from such toys.
On Sunday, January 15, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day, and Sunday January 22, we’ll decommission the violent toys. We’ll apply them with white primer paint to transform them simply into shapes and forms. Each person will be asked to simply paint one toy. Painting over the toy's color paints out much of the specific meaning of that toy. Toys that were once objects of destruction will become objects for construction. Bring paint brushes and plan to stay after the services to paint and create building blocks for art.
Artist Kim Larson, who worked with us to create the mosaic Tree of Life, will guide us in this project. Painting and clearing the toys will be our work. Kim will take our painted shapes to form the Dove of Peace. This Dove of Peace will be a moveable, indoor piece of art.
We’ll be building on the church’s history. Some years ago, the congregation buried on the hillside (to the east of the church building) 21 guns. The congregation covered the spot with the Guns Into Plowshares monument as a call to learn peace.
The Bible tells the story of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah who had a vision of peace. He called people to beat their swords into plowshares. Plowshares plough the fields so they can be planted with crops, like wheat, to grow food. Weapons become tools for feeding people. Weapons transform into peaceful purposes.
The holidays showcased toys on TV, in store windows, catalogs, websites, and advertising flyers. The ads and toys promote a set of values. Let’s focus on our values. Let’s focus on what’s most important: interacting, creating, playing, making art, making community, making peace.
Kids play war. Wouldn’t it also be powerful for them to experience a community of all ages transforming war toys into peace?
November 2011
Slices of zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and basil simmering in crushed tomatoes topped with grated parmesan cheese. A good cup of hot coffee with milk. Oatmeal cooked with cinnamon and apples sprinkled with toasted almonds. The fragrances of cooking filled our house today and those foods filled our bodies. Such goodness.
So much of what any of us have is the result of birth, circumstances, and luck. Sure we can choose how we respond to what life gives us, but most of what comes our way comes to us beyond our control, achievement or earning.
A gracious response to all we have been given is gratitude and giving in return.
Sunday, November 20 is UUCB’s Annual Bring Your Weight in Food Drive. The big truck will be in front of the church all Sunday morning, and we will fill it with our gifts of food. Family size amounts of dried beans, pasta, and canned goods of beans and tuna, jars of peanut butter, jam and special treats like you would enjoy make good gifts. The food we give helps stock the Richmond Emergency Food Pantry.
As a congregation, last year we gave almost 10,000 pounds of food and over $6000. Sadly, there is more need for food than ever, so let us give as generously as we are able.
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