: /
“SACRED LEGO” - Liz James, Seminarian at Meadville Lombard THE PROJECT What is the “main part” of church? Seminarian Liz James heard this question out of the mouth of one of her sons, and it got her thinking. In this project, she conceives of Unitarian Universalism as a form of sacred play, much in the same way her children come together to create LEGO structures that necessarily remain open to future additions and revisions. FURTHER READING Sacred LEGO Blog FOR MORE INFORMATION Home Brewed Christianity: “Theology After Google”
: /
“BECOMING MISSIONAL” - Joanna Fontaine Crawford, Intern Minister at Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church THE PROJECT Missional theology, though rooted in the Christian story, shares real commonalities with Unitarian Universalism’s commitment to creating the Beloved Community right here, right now. Are we not radical prophets in a culture with radically different values? Joanna Fontaine Crawford explores how Unitarian Universalism might engage this missional calling. FURTHER READING Sermon: “Gathered and Sent” [Part 1, Part 2] Paper: “At the Intersection of Missional and Unitarian Universalist Theologies” FOR MORE INFORMATION Missional Unitarian Universalist Blog John Buehrens and Rebecca Ann Parker, A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion for the Twenty-First Century Reggie McNeal, Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church 
: /
“JOHN HAYNES HOLMES” - Bucky Rogers, Harvard Divinity School THE PROJECT Unitarian Universalist churches have long been home to both radicals and institution-builders. John Haynes Holmes was both of these, and it allowed him to open his church to a wider segment of the citizenry; he lived out the calling to “radical inclusivity.” Having been a founding member of the ACLU and the NAACP, he left the AUA because of a disagreement about pacifist stances toward WWI and founded the Community Church of New York. This project seeks to recover the theological underpinnings of Holmes’ work that drove him to be so prolific and visionary. FURTHER READING Bucky Rogers: “The Contributions of John Haynes Holmes to Early 20th Century Liberal Theology” FOR MORE INFORMATION http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/johnhaynesholmes.html http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/ware/john_haynes_holmes.php http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/Gandhi/Greatest-Man.php
“WELCOMING CONGREGATION” - Catie Scudera, Harvard Divinity School THE PROJECT Unitarian Universalists challenge themselves to be evermore welcoming, especially to those who have been historically marginalized in American society. Through programs such as Welcoming Congregations and The Journey Toward Wholeness, Unitarian Universalists congregations across the country continue the long march toward radical inclusivity, equality, and love. It is not an easy task to journey toward wholeness. The biblical story of the Canaanite woman’s encounter with Jesus is an instructive model of how to react when our own prejudices and ignorance are exposed. FURTHER READING Catie Scudera: “Welcoming the “Whelps”: A Queer-Allied Reading of Matthew 15:21-28” FOR MORE INFORMATION The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Multiculturalism ResourcesLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Welcome & Equality
“EMBODIED WISDOM” - Kat Milligan, Harvard Divinity School THE PROJECT Dancer and seminarian Kat Milligan discusses how dance and movement serve as a site for developing an embodied sense of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism, specifically the first principle: the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Kat shares simple movement practices based on modern dance and mindfulness meditation that work to create deep respect for one’s body, as well as center it as a site for knowledge, wisdom, strength, joy, and delight. Theoretically, we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of others, but rarely feel it as a real and embodied conviction. However, when we connect to and grow in a sense of our own inherent worth, we can then see that worth in others more clearly. This suggests, then, that Unitarian Universalism can serve as inspiration not only for how we live our lives but how we live within our own bodies. FURTHER READING “Embodied Wisdom: Reflections on Love and the Self” “Remembering Our Flame: The Efficacy of the Chalice Lighting Ritual in Unitarian Universalist Liturgy” FOR MORE INFORMATION Kat’s Blog Contact Kat
“STOLES” - Christian Schmidt, Andover Newton Theological School THE PROJECT A recent question about whether or not to wear a stole as a candidate for the ministry sparked lively debate on the Unitarian Universalist seminarian listserv. The Radical Spirit invited participants in that conversation to submit material to this online forum. Christian Schmidt passed along this provocative reflection on the relationship between clerical stoles and the theology of ordination. He argues that stoles hold a symbolic power in Unitarian Universalist heritage that should not be overlooked.   FURTHER READING Christian Schmidt: “Contemporary Issues in Unitarian Universalist Ordination” Cathey Edwards: “The Question of Stoles” FOR MORE INFORMATION Wikipedia: The Tallit Wikipedia: The Stole
: /
Theme designed by Jon Haggard
© The Radical Spirit, 2012